How World War II Is Taught Around The World

Summary

The video script explores the diverse perspectives on World War II taught in various countries, highlighting how each nation's education system shapes its citizens' understanding of the conflict. From Germany's focus on the Holocaust and the rise of fascism to Japan's emphasis on victimhood and the controversial handling of wartime atrocities, the video delves into how historical narratives are constructed and the impact these have on national identities. It also touches on the unique viewpoints of countries like France, Italy, Canada, and Russia, showcasing the complexity and nuance of remembering and learning from the past.

Takeaways

• 📚 World War II is taught differently around the world, reflecting each country's unique perspective and role in the conflict.
• 🇺🇸 In the United States, education often portrays America as the hero of World War II.
• 🇪🇺 German education focuses on the harsh realities of the Third Reich, using visits to Holocaust sites and films like 'Schindler's List' to teach about the atrocities and consequences.
• 🇯🇵🇰 Japan and South Korea have disputes over historical narratives, particularly regarding the portrayal of 'comfort women' and territorial claims post-World War II.
• 🇫🇷 France heavily addresses the collaborationist Vichy government's role during WWII, putting significant emphasis on national shame and remembrance.
• 🇳🇱 The Netherlands focuses on resistance heroes in WWII education, highlighting stories of bravery against the Nazis.
• 🇮🇹 Italian curriculum examines the causes and consequences of fascism, teaching students to critically analyze this period to prevent its recurrence.
• 🇹🇼 Taiwanese education varies depending on when and where one was taught, especially concerning the narratives of Japanese versus American actions during the war.
• 🇨🇦 Canada's WWII education includes a strong focus on its early and significant contributions to the war, often feeling overshadowed by American narratives in popular culture.
• 🇷🇺 Russian WWII education emphasizes the Soviet perspective, framing certain actions as necessary and critiquing Western actions during the war.

Q & A

How is World War II taught differently across various countries?

World War II is taught differently based on each country's involvement and perspective in the war. For instance, the United States often views itself as a hero, while Germany embraces its past with lessons on the Holocaust and Nazi atrocities. Japan and South Korea have disagreements over historical textbook descriptions, and countries like the Netherlands focus on resistance heroes rather than victims.

What are some of the key sites German students visit to learn about World War II?

German students visit sites related to the Holocaust and the Reichstag, including the concentration camp Sachsenhausen, which has been turned into a museum offering guided tours.

How does Japan's education system address the issue of 'comfort women' in World War II history?

The issue of 'comfort women' is barely addressed in Japan's education system, with only one history textbook approved by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Technology mentioning them, often in an attempt to downplay the issue.

What is France's focus in teaching World War II history?

The French education system focuses on the collaborationist Vichy government and the anti-Semitic laws it adopted during the war, treating it with as much gravity as the Holocaust and giving both equal space in museums.

How does the Netherlands portray resistance members in its World War II education?

In the Netherlands, resistance members are portrayed as heroes, with stories of their courage and acts of defiance against the Germans being a significant part of the education curriculum.

What aspect of World War II does Italy emphasize in its education system?

Italy emphasizes the rise of fascism and the analogies between German and Italian fascism, focusing on social and political trends rather than chronological events.

How does Taiwan's view of World War II differ from the mainland China's perspective?

Taiwan's view of World War II, influenced by its history as part of Japan during the conflict, focuses on resistance against Japanese aggression, whereas mainland China teaches that the U.S. bombed Taiwan during the war, not Japan.

What is Canada's stance on its World War II legacy?

Canada is keen to highlight its early involvement and significant contributions to the war, such as the battle of the Atlantic, and seeks greater recognition for its efforts, especially in comparison to the United States.

How does Norway's World War II history education differ from that of the United States?

Norway's education focuses on the heroism of resistance groups like the Miller Resistance and the role of the English as saviors, while the United States is not as well regarded due to its late entry into the war and the destruction left behind by the German withdrawal.

What is the primary narrative in Japanese schools regarding World War II?

Japanese schools tend to frame the country's wartime position as victims, with a significant focus on the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and viewing kamikaze pilots as forced volunteers. However, Japan also acknowledges its role as an Axis power and discusses its imperialism and actions like the Nanjing Massacre with a degree of apology or reflection.

How does Russia teach World War II, including its relationship with Nazi Germany?

Russian schools teach World War II from the rise of the Third Reich to Stalin's death, with a focus on Soviet-German relationships, the Western Front after D-Day, and the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact as a necessary evil. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are presented as unnecessary evils, and the Soviet Union's role in defeating Germany and Japan is emphasized.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Global Perspectives on WWII Education

This paragraph explores the diverse ways World War II is taught in schools around the world, influenced by each country's unique experiences and roles during the war. In the U.S., the narrative often portrays the country as a hero, whereas in Russia, the perspective may differ. Germany, Italy, and Japan face their harsh historical realities, with educational emphasis on confronting and understanding these difficult pasts. For instance, German students are extensively taught about the Holocaust and Nazi Germany, using tools like museum visits and films to ensure a comprehensive understanding of this dark era. In Asia, tensions between Japan and South Korea over historical interpretations and textbook content illustrate ongoing disputes, particularly concerning wartime actions and their legacy. The paragraph underscores the importance of these varied historical educations in shaping collective memory and national identity.

05:02

🌐 Varied WWII Views: From Taiwan to Russia

This paragraph continues the theme of differing educational narratives about World War II, focusing on Taiwan, Canada, Norway, Japan, and Russia. Taiwan's history classes reflect its complex relationship with Japan and China, often portraying itself as a victim of Japanese aggression. Canadian education highlights its significant but often overshadowed contributions to the war, such as the Battle of the Atlantic and the Normandy campaign. Norway's education recalls its resistance efforts during German occupation. Japan's curriculum portrays the country more as a victim, especially emphasizing events like Hiroshima. In Russia, the narrative is heavily centered on the Soviet role in defeating Nazi Germany, often glossing over contentious aspects of its wartime actions. Each country's educational approach not only recounts historical events but also serves to construct national identity and historical memory, sometimes fostering ongoing international tensions.

Keywords

💡World War II

World War II refers to the global conflict that occurred from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations in two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. The video discusses how different countries teach about World War II, highlighting the varied perspectives and national narratives. For instance, the United States views itself as the hero, whereas Germany focuses on the Holocaust and Nazi atrocities, illustrating how historical memory is shaped by national experiences.

💡education system

The education system in the context of the video refers to the formal institutions and curriculum through which historical knowledge about World War II is transmitted to students in different countries. The script points out how countries like Russia, Japan, and Germany have distinct approaches to teaching their World War II history, often emphasizing different aspects of the war to reflect national narratives or confront uncomfortable truths.

💡fascism

Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian ultranationalist political ideology and movement characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition, as well as strong regimentation of society and the economy. The video script mentions that lessons in Germany and Italy focus on the rise of fascism and Nazi atrocities, using these historical examples to teach the dangers of such ideologies and hopefully prevent their recurrence.

💡Holocaust

The Holocaust was the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its allies and collaborators. It is a central theme in German education about World War II, with visits to places like the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, highlighting how Germany confronts this dark chapter in its history to educate its youth about the dangers of hatred and bigotry.

💡comfort women

Comfort women is a term used to refer to women who were forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army in occupied territories during World War II. The script discusses the ongoing controversy in Japanese education about how this topic is addressed, noting that it remains a point of contention in Japan's historical narrative, particularly in its relations with South Korea.

💡Vichy government

The Vichy government was the French government which collaborated with the Axis powers during World War II, following France's occupation by Germany. According to the video, French education places a heavy emphasis on the moral failings of the Vichy regime, likening its actions to the atrocities of the Holocaust and teaching about the regime's anti-Semitic laws and policies.

💡resistance

Resistance in the context of World War II refers to the efforts by groups and individuals in various countries to oppose and undermine their occupiers. The video highlights the Dutch focus on resistance heroes who helped save Jewish lives and supported Allied forces, reflecting a narrative that emphasizes courage and heroism in the face of oppression.

💡textbook controversies

Textbook controversies in the script refer to disputes over the content of educational materials, particularly in the portrayal of historical events. Japan and South Korea are noted to have longstanding disagreements over textbooks that describe World War II events, such as the ownership of certain territories and the treatment of comfort women, reflecting broader tensions over historical memory and national identity.

💡Axis powers

The Axis powers, primarily consisting of Germany, Italy, and Japan, were one of the two major coalitions that fought in World War II. The video discusses Italy's role within the Axis, emphasizing the critical examination of Italian fascism and its wartime actions in Italian education, which is aimed at preventing a resurgence of such ideologies.

💡heroic narratives

Heroic narratives refer to the stories that emphasize courage, bravery, and heroism, often used in educational settings to inspire and teach moral values. The script mentions how American, Dutch, and Canadian contributions to World War II are celebrated in their respective countries' education systems, each highlighting their own national heroes and their roles during the conflict.

Highlights

World War II is taught differently around the globe, reflecting each country's unique role and perspective in the conflict.

The United States often views itself as the hero of the war, shaping how the conflict is taught in schools.

Russia's education system presents a nuanced view, acknowledging the Soviet Union's role and the broader context of the war.

Germany embraces its history, teaching children about the Holocaust and the rise of the Third Reich without whitewashing.

Japan and South Korea have a contentious relationship over how World War II history should be taught, particularly regarding territorial disputes and the treatment of 'comfort women'.

France's education system focuses on the shame of the Vichy government and its collaboration with the Nazis.

The Netherlands emphasizes the bravery of resistance members, downplaying the country's own complicity in the Holocaust.

Italy's teaching approach involves understanding the rise of fascism and its analogies with German policies.

Taiwan's perspective on World War II is influenced by the political narrative that frames it as a resistance against Japanese aggression.

Canada seeks recognition for its significant contributions to the war, often overlooked in popular culture.

Norway's occupation by Germany and the heroism of the resistance are central to its World War II education.

Japanese schools discuss their country's wartime experiences, including the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, from a victim's perspective.

Russia's education presents World War II as part of a broader historical narrative, including the Cold War and Stalin's rule.

The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact is framed in Russian schools as a necessary evil, while the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are seen as unnecessary.

Russian teachers may have biases towards the Soviet perspective, emphasizing their role in defeating Germany and ending the war.

The teaching of World War II varies greatly, with each country's narrative shaped by its historical actions and current political climate.

Transcripts

The thing about World War II is that it was a world war.

With so many countries involved in the global conflict.

Every child around the globe learns about it in a different way, unique

to the role their country played in the conflict.

The United States views America as the hero.

Russia's education system may see things a bit differently.

Countries like Germany, Italy and Japan have some harsh realities

to face, and Antarctica is, well, largely unaffected.

Based on responses written by Redditors from various countries.

You can begin to see that the second Great War

looks slightly different depending on who was remembering it.

So today, let's explore how World War Two was taught around the world.

But before we fight on the beaches, on the landing grounds, in the fields

and in the streets, why don't you make your way over to the subscribe button?

Then storm the comments section and let us know what

other global conflicts you want to hear about.

Now time for some history to end all histories.

When the whole Second World War started

with your country, you might assume it's a sensitive topic to bring up.

But rather than shy away from history, children in Germany embrace it.

Visiting many sites that revolve around the Holocaust and Reichstag

in particular, many students visit concentration camp Sachsenhausen,

which has now been turned into a museum that offers guided tours.

This way school aged

kids are not just taught about history, but what has evolved since then.

These lessons were not whitewashed,

especially when it comes to the Third Reich, its origins and its consequences.

Movies and lectures are utilized to drive the point home,

with Schindler's List being a popular example.

The operational history of World War Two is only lightly touched upon,

with more focus going

toward the rise of fascism, Nazi atrocities, allied plans for postwar

Germany, and the constitutional defects that led to Adolf Hitler's rise.

With these lessons, hopefully the youth can avoid history repeating itself.

Japan and

South Korea just can't seem to agree on how history should be taught.

The education ministries of each country are entwined in a yearslong

bitter battle regarding textbook descriptions of World War Two.

At the crux of this head butting is the ownership of Leoncourt Rocks.

A group of islets in the Sea of Japan.

South Korea is of the opinion that Japan ceded these islets

and other offshore possessions after World War Two.

While Japan is of the opinion

that South Korea doesn't know what they're talking about.

But the other more sinister issue was that of Korean comfort women

who are forced into servitude for Japanese soldiers.

In fact, only one history textbook approved by Japan's Ministry of Education,

Culture and Technology even mentions comfort women

despite doing their best to pretend this sore subject had never happened.

Japan started offering reparations to surviving comfort women.

If this dark part of history is still a point of contention

between the two nations.

Francis Participation in World

War Two cannot be overlooked, not by the people of France anyway.

When France established the collaborationist Vichy government

to appease the occupying Nazis, they adopted many anti-Semitic laws

and viewpoints along with it.

And today, the French education system

is pretty much based on feeling really, really bad about how things went down.

In fact, the Vichy debacle is considered as heinous as the Holocaust in France

after giving both traumas equal space in museums.

So much focus is put on this dishonor that non-European parts of the war

are rarely mentioned.

Sacre blue, indeed, while the Netherlands retains

painful memories of deported Jewish people to Eastern Europe.

The focus of their education is geared more toward the heroes of the war

rather than the unfortunate victims.

For the Dutch, it's all about the resistance members

and their tales of courage.

Resistance members

are the stars of several children's and young adult books and those involved.

A lot of this heroes throughout history.

These stories illustrate resistance members hiding Jewish friends,

assisting allied pilots and committing a little low key arson

to burn the registration of any Jewish folks living in the area,

providing a much needed edge against the Germans.

Students are aware that World War Two emboldened the National Socialist Movement

in the Netherlands or NSB, but to admit that a family member was

a part of them is about as bad as admitting you don't like Stroop vivos,

which we assume is a crime in the Netherlands, Italy played

a costarring role in World War Two,

joining the axis of power against their hated enemy, the allies.

In modern classrooms, Italy's lower secondary schools focus on World War Two

in the final class

of the 13 and 14 year olds, and then again for the 18 and 19 year olds.

Understanding history for Italian schoolchildren means

understanding the causes of the Third Reich's rise.

Recognizing the analogies between German and Italian fascism

and even commenting on excerpts from Mein Kampf

later on, the older generation of students focus less on chronological events

and more on connecting social and political trends.

All of this is ultimately done to paint fascism in the worst light possible

to hopefully prevent it from ever taking hold of the country again.

How the Taiwanese people view

World War Two depends on where they were educated and when.

Technically, Taiwan was part of Japan during the conflict,

but after the Chinese Nationalist Party took over the show following the war,

they started teaching that it was Japan that bombed Taiwan during the war,

not the United States. The reason?

Well, people in Taiwan are taught that World

War II was a glorious war of resistance against Japanese aggression.

Just don't point out that many Taiwanese fought for the Japanese empire,

both voluntarily and via coercion.

Canada is a little bit sore about their World War

Two legacy, particularly towards the United States.

See, Canada soldiers were already fighting before the U.S.

ever got involved, and this scrappy group of underdogs

wants their acknowledgment, nay, their recognition.

The fact is, Canada won some of the toughest battles of the war,

like the battle of the Atlantic.

As for America, the country had been following a rigid policy of isolationism

until the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 basically made that impossible,

causing those Johnny

come lately is too much of the fight a few years after it had started.

And there's some sour grapes there.

Sure.

American soldiers at Omaha Beach on D-Day are celebrated throughout pop culture,

but Omaha was just one of five important beachheads to storm, and Juno

Beach was wrestled from the Germans by the Canadian third Infantry Division.

350 brave Canadians died that day and over 5000 more during the Normandy campaign.

But you don't see Tom Hanks starring in a movie about that.

Maybe he can't do a Canadian accent.

Norway did not have a great time during World War Two.

Well, nobody did, but especially Norway, after being occupied by Germany

pretty early on.

The Norwegian government

fled to London, leaving everyone else to just kind of deal with it.

Norway was eventually liberated after a German withdrawal,

which left a large part of the country destroyed in their wake.

The Way Norway tells the story.

There are many heroes like the Miller Resistance,

which had formed toward the end of the war.

The English are also lauded as saviors.

The United States, on the other hand, is not so well regarded.

Japanese schools tend to provide to history classes.

One of world history and one of Japanese history and Japanese

history includes their relationships with East Asian and European countries,

including situations that led to World War Two.

Japan tends to frame their wartime positions

as victims more than anything else.

Classes spend a week discussing Hiroshima and the days the bombs were dropped.

Kamikaze warfare is also discussed by Japanese youngsters viewing

many of these pilots as forced volunteers who died crashing over enemy lines.

Prefectures like Okinawa were greatly impacted by World War Two,

and many remnants from the time can be observed on somber school trips.

However, Japan also accepts its role as one of the Axis powers in the war.

The country's strong imperialism forced many who fell under its rule

to change their names and learn Japanese culture.

And when gruesome events like the Nanjing Massacre or Unit 731

are brought up, it's typically apologetic or reflective.

Russian redditors concede that Russian schoolkids are taught World

War Two from the rise of the Third Reich to Joseph Stalin's death in 1953.

Soviet German relationships are discussed

with an emphasis on the Soviet side of things.

The West and their relationship with the Reich is also studied,

along with some focus on the Western Front after D-Day.

The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, promising non-aggression between Nazi Germany

and the Soviet Union is framed as a necessary evil.

While the bombings of Hiroshima

and Nagasaki in Dresden are framed as unnecessary evils.

One can run into different versions of history based on who was teaching

the class.

pro-Soviet teachers may have a bias towards the USSR side of things,

and it's pretty much agreed that the Soviets

eventually marched toward Berlin and defeated the evil Germans.

Then, like action heroes, they proceeded to kick Japan's.

But in Manchuria, ending the war once and for all.

Russia saves the world. The End.

Happy graduation. So what do you think?

Has your view of World War Two been affected by your schooling?

Let us know in the comments below.

And while you're there,

check out some of these other videos from our weird history.