War Options

[+Ed+]

Today is the biggest holiday in Russia. It is called "The Victory Day".

And although we might have some germans reading the board, I would love to start a discussion with you, my friends.

What are you and your kids taught at school? What about the Second World War? Who held the victory? WHat was the meaning of the war? What do you now know about it and how you feel about it?

Or maybe someone does not know what the Second World War was? I sometimes meet the kids who never have a clue...

This post has been edited by +Ed+: May 9 2012, 3:16 am

[+Ed+]

Wow Noone willing to talk? Ok.

[BERLINONE]

Wow Noone willing to talk? Ok.

+Ed+,
It is a very difficult subject.
Here in Holland children are told about this War but it doesn't "affect" them (in my opinion).
They are busy living their own life (Ipad, Iphone, computers, social talking).
It happened a long time ago and they (mostly) do not have relatives (grandpa and grandma) anymore who can tell about the cruelties of War (all wars).
I personally think we should never stop talking about wars in general in order to prevent wars to initiated and to be held.
So, I made a start !

BERLINONE

[jayda]

I loved studying that period of history. I took a subject called Modern European History in the final two years of high school. I now enjoy fiction or biographies set in this period.

Of course we are taught that the Allies won the 2nd World War.

My brother has/had a German FIL who was in the Heer in the 2nd World War - very decorated soldier. Very proud man but also carried shame for what went on. He immigrated to Australia a long time ago. He died a few years ago. He told his family that he had secrets that would go with him to his grave.

[dangum]

He told his family that he had secrets that would go with him to his grave.

It's a shame that so many war veteran refuse to talk about what happened. So much knowledge is lost that can never be recovered. If they don't want to talk about it with people then the least they could do is write it down somewhere which could be found after they die.

[Wildman]

I had the privilege to have one teacher who taught me a lot about the 2nd WW.

And a long time ago, I had a talk with an uncle of my mother (may he rest in peace now).

He was locked up in a concentration camp, he told me that there were times he couldn't sleep at all or woke up in sweat, because of the horror he has seen there, he was very lucky to get out alive...

When I was in the army, (also a long time ago) I have visited a concentration camp in Germany to give honour to the fallen and to be educated extra, I have seen photo's which are soo humiliating that would shut you down for hours...

This post has been edited by Wildman: May 10 2012, 10:31 am

[Aitkens]

It's a shame that so many war veteran refuse to talk about what happened. So much knowledge is lost that can never be recovered. If they don't want to talk about it with people then the least they could do is write it down somewhere which could be found after they die.

On the other side of the coin, many of these men witnessed some very horrible acts and they wish to put them in their past. I can not fault any of them for not wanting to talk about it or put it on paper. Unfortunately they had to live through it.

[Badman]

From the American perspective, kids are taught about WWII usually from the perspective of how cruel the Nazi's were. Sometimes the meaning of why they were cruel has been lost. I think this is a good summary of WWII for a 5th grader's study sheet:

1) Hitler takes over a sad germany and they like him.
2) Europe looks the other way until they take over poland
3) France falls like a bunch of wimps
4) Britian is getting pounded so the US has to come in to save the day
5) Japan attacks pearl harbor
6) We blow them up, War over.

I know this is very shallow but that is about the way it is taught.

[Pokey]

A lot of WW2 taught in Australia is on the war in the pacific, the war against the Japanese rather than the Germans (although of course that gets taught too).

[makemedream]

I have two children 12 and 15, through school there has been very little taught to them about WW2. Most of the focus is on our rememberance day ANZAC day 25th of April ,it is a WW1 day even though there are dawn ceremonies and marches with soldiers from all eras marching. Our family has been to these dawn ceremonies and marches and my kids understand a little of what our Australian troops went through. My background is Dutch and Italian with both my parents immigrating to Australia as a result of WW2 and this is where my children get there knowledge of WW2. I think its my responsibility to explain to my kids the things war has done to our family and they can see what a terrible thing it is. My grandparent was a prisoner in a german concentration camp, simply for being a teacher.. he never spoke of it but you could see the sadness in his eyes and I never really understood it until I was a parent. my father spoke of the utter poverty and fear they lived in rural Italy during WW2,people being shot in the town square by the germans and cousins blown to peices by explosives left behind by advancing allies forces. these things I tell my kids to show there is no glamour in war.. that when they play COD on Xbox... it comes from a dark reality...