Blog Assignment #2 - Aftermath
This blog assignment asks you to examine TWO different issues of World War Two that are listed below. Your blog post must be completed before Spring Break. It is worth 10 marks. Please make sure your name is stated, as well as the topic numbers you have chosen.
You are encouraged to express your ideas, and also comment on the thoughts of others in a mature way. If needed, you may comment more than once if you discover you have more to say. The theme for this assignment is Tragedies and Heroes
ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION:
- Skim through the list below, and select two topics that you believe to be of personal interest. Note that some of these are articles, movies, and animations. Review the links given for the topic and pay attention to interesting and significant details.
- Comment on what you have learned, interesting facts, or points that you would like to dispute.
- If appropriate, feel free to present arguments that you think are relevant, or to pose questions.
TOPICS: CHOOSE TWO
Topic One: The Allied Resistance Movement in France - SOE (Special Operations Executive)
- What would it be like to live under a false identity in order to defeat your enemies?
Topic Two: Enigma code breakers
- How did code-breaking help contribute to the Allied victory?
Topic Three: Law in Action - Nuremberg Trials
- Who was responsible for the Holocaust, and how should high-ranking Nazis have been treated?
Topic Four: A Closer Look at D-Day - The Opening of the Second Front
BBC movie on the D-Day invasion - note the absence of info on Canadian involvement!
Topic Five: Holocaust & Genocide
Topic Six: Choosing Sides in Yugoslavia
Topic Seven: Risky Business - Bomber Crews in WWII
Topic Eight: Battle of the Atlantic
Topic Nine: Kindertransport - Rescue Missions of Children during WWII
Topic 1 & 6
ReplyDeleteI read about SOE (Special Operations Executive) and I was impressed how the agents disguised themselves in order to live under a false identity. They wore fake mustache, hair, and glasses. Also, the way the agents hid their weapons was fascinating. They hid their guns in books after they cut out the pages in the middle. Helping the Allies behind the enemy lines was not an easy task. They had to face capture, torture, and even death. Being members of SOE required a lot of courage.
I read about bomber crews in WW2. I always thought fighting in planes would be better than fighting on the ground; however, flying in a British bomber was one of the most dangerous jobs. Navigation in the dark was really difficult and the crews actually had to estimate where they were! Flying without knowing its own position should have been terrible. As the war progressed, the technology developed, but still the casualties were high. The bombing crews also had to take a flash photograph of the site after they dropped the bomb to complete their duties. i thought that was the most dangerous part of the Bombing Command.
Topics 6 and 7
ReplyDelete6. I found it awkward to send out fighter pilots that were poorly trained. If they were poorly trained that would just mean that they could get shot down much easier. To me thats not a good strategy. I thought it was a suicide mission to be a bomber during the night because the conditions were so poor and you had to guess your speed, time and compass. At first i was confident that they would hit their targets but i was wrong. They only hit their targets 1 out of 4 times! In ruhr valley it was 1 in 15!!! It was a good thing that the new lancaster plane was introduced. It was easier to fly, much more durable and carried more bombs which contributed to your performance in an air battle/bombing. The temperatures surprised me alot. I didnt think it would get cold enough to freeze your flesh if it touched the metal (-40*C). It seems really scary if the enemy on the ground is shooting shards of hot metal at you that go straight through your plane. The only thing scarier than that is when you cant see your enemy in the dark when they attack you.
7. When i read that 15 million tons of shipping was lost i was shocked! In march alone 834,000 tons! This absolutely proved how effective the german u-boats were during WWII. It was a good thing that the Western Approaches Tactical Unit (WATU) showed the crews effective ways to avoid and outmanouvre the german u-boats. Without WATU, corvettes and convoys i dont think the allies could have won the battle of the atlantic.
I chose topic 7&8
ReplyDelete7. Before I played this game, I had no idea how much important it was to occupy the Atlantic. If Germany ruled the Atlantic, all the supplies would've been shut off, and the Allies wouldn't be able to get Northern Europe back..everything was depended on this battle. I was surprised to learn that Winston Churchill once said the U-boat peril was the only thing what really frightened him, and now I understand it...I was glad that Allies had huff duff. It enabled the Allies to find a U-boat, and the Kriegsmarine was not aware of it! Of all the tactics I learned, Beta Search was my favorite. I liked the idea of a surpirse attack!
8. I was somewhat relieved when I read that some children were rescued before holocaust. In the second world war, the British government allowed Jewish children under 17 to come to Britain from Germany and Austria under Nazi government. About 10,000 children were broght to UK by the kindertransport trains. I don't understand why, but their parents weren't allowed to come with them! Children absolutely need parents...for children, separating from their parents mush be the hardest, and painful thing to do. Many of them never met their parents again...except a few that were lucky. The story of Anne's friend(her parents told her it was like going to camp) reminded me of the movie Life is Beautiful.
Topic 6: Risky Business - Bomber Crews in WWII
ReplyDeleteIt’s unbelievable what dangerous conditions the bomber crews flew in. Not only the fact that they could be shot out of the sky by other bombers, but also the fact that the temperature could drop to -40 degrees which could freeze exposed flesh. “Risky Business” pretty much explains it, 55 000 aircrew died in raids over Europe, this is the highest loss rate in the major branches of the British armed forces. Also the technology that both the Germans and British used improved greatly throughout the war. The discovery/invention of radar was of great significance since many bombers flew at night. Also the British created smaller faster and more maneuverable plains, the spitfires and the hurricanes.
Topic 7: Battle of the Atlantic
Both Germany and the allied convoys had great tactics during the battle of the Atlantic. Although Germany had such large powerful boats like the u-boats, the allies did a fairly good job protecting the convoys with smaller ships such as the corvettes. What astonishes me is the vast number of deaths that occurred. 50 000 allied seamen lost their lives. They may just seem like numbers but each and every one of them is a person’s life. Also I found it interesting that the Battle of the Atlantic lasted as long as ww11 itself. German was on the ball, because even towards the end of the war in 1945, they arrived with new submarines but it was already too late for them to affect the course of the battle.
Eni Gerhardt
Topics 2 and *5:
ReplyDelete>>Topic 2: The Germans invented the Enigma Machine during WW2, and were convinced that it could not be broken into, but were proven wrong. The information from the Poles helped Britain decipher some of the code, but kept the fact that they could read the code a secret. Mathematicians and problem-solvers met at Bletchey; figuring the best way to keep up with rapid changes in ciphers and other German technology was to capture German vessals that contained Enigma Machines and the code-books. The Germans increased the difficulty to read the code, and called themselves "Triton" (meaning God of the Sea) and the Britain "Shark;" Triton was supposedly stronger then Shark. Bletchey couldnt read the code, and this lead to the increased losses in the Atlantic. If the British couldn't decipher the Enigma Machine, then:
-The loss of Egypt in 1942 would have set back the re-conquest of North Africa
-Germans might have hit back with V-weapons
Notice how the British kept the Enigma secret until 1974, this shows how deciphering it was quite important in their future advances.
>>Topic 5: The Holocause and Genocide happened during 1933-1945. The first camp was near Munich, mainly consisting of Socialists and Communists. I'm surprised Hitler's anti-jew didn't quite prove as strong yet. The Enabling Act allows Hitler to pass laws by his own decree whenever he wants to call the shots. Hitler's belief of the superior "Aryan Race" shows when he orders doctors to use fibreglass hairstrands to assess racial types.
-Nuremburg law (Sept.14,1935) - jews have limited rights now.
-“Evian Conference” (1938) to accept jewish refugees... in the end, this was fruitless there was too many Jews, and not enough space to put them
-kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass," 1939)-allowed to break jewish businesses, in which the jewish have to pay for THEIR damage... How unjust!
-France Vichy Gov., Romania, and Bulgara sets up anti-jewish law.
-extermination camps (1941) begins, followed by first gassing in Auschwitz (May.3,1942)
-Nazis in Germany are approved for ruthless killing of jews (May.31,1943)... Woahh.. what type of law is this?!!... I think the approval was too late anyways, 'cuz Germans were already killing way before this approval was passed >3<!
-Liberation and evacuation of campes start in 1944! :)
Apparently there are two topic 5's
ReplyDeleteTopic Five: Holocaust & Genocide
May 9th, 1933: Students of Berlin burnt books by Jews, Communists, and Socialists. On April 30th, 1934, a newspaper printed that Jewish children killed Christian children. The way the older generation was influencing the younger generation was a huge negative impact.
August 17th, 1935: forbidding marriage between Aryan and Non-Aryan. November 25th, 1935: couples required to prove fitness in order to get married. I guess not all is far in love and war.
July 15th, 1936: Gypsies corralled during the Olympics.
The in-depth insight of the three Auschwitz camps really provides an understanding of how horribly the Holocaust victims were treated. And for what; for being who they are? Destroying pride is one thing, but killing everyone that didn’t “fit in” is another terrible thing.
The psychological effects on those shooting the victims and creating new efficient and "humane" ways of killing people is crazy. That's guilt for you. How does killing and humane go together?
The place where the victims' belongings were taken was called Kanada (because of Canada's perceived wealth). Canada is a place with open arms. They fought against the Nazi so this fact really stuck out to me. I feel Canada's good nature was ruined by calling this place Kanada. ('Course I don't blame them, I mean who wouldn't want to be us? 14 GOLD!!!)
"Arbeit Macht Frei" (Work Makes You Free). If only that were true... I admire the bravery of those prisoners that fought back against the Nazis. Although they did suffer, their courage will last forever.
Just thinking of the Holocaust makes me angry. Attempting to eliminate races because they aren't part of the Aryan race is wrong, inhumane, and unjust.
Topic Five: Choosing Sides in Yugoslavia
It interests me how Hitler used Yugoslavia’s divided nation as an advantage to capture it. The Serbs, Croats, Albanians, Macedonians, Bosnians, and Slovenes had so much tension between each other. Imagining if they were all united, the former country of Yugoslavia could have stood a chance against the Nazis. All the countries that were taken over by the Germans left their inhabitants in harsh circumstances. I think if Europe stood a stronger united front, Hitler and the Nazis would have not gotten as far as they did.
--- The Amazing Rachael Reddy
Topic 4: A Closer Look At D-Day
ReplyDeleteIn the Summer of 1942, the Germans started creating defences along the Ocean, from the Netherlands to the Spanish border. These defences had gun batteries, observation posts, radar towers and bunkers. This was to prevent the Allies from gaining any ground on the continent the Germans were trying to control. Throughout 1944, Britain was turned into a military base for the Allies. Germany was unable to figure out when the Allies would attack their defences, because also there were some bomb droppings on select targets in France, causing the beaches to not be reinforced well. The date that was planned for the attack was June 5th, but due to bad weather, the Allies had to postpone it a day later. The Germans did not expect it because they thought the Allies would not attack the day after some serious bad weather. But they did, and they were caught off guard. This attack was called Piccadilly Circus. And Britain named a shopping district after this vital battle. There were 5 beaches the Allies landed at. The Americans landed at Omaha and Utah Beach. The British landed at Gold and Sword beach, and the Canadians landed at Juno Beach. Canada named the Juno awards after this beach. Throughout the day, over 75,000 British/Canadian troops, and 57,000 American troops landed on the beaches, from almost 7,000 landing crafts and ships. By midnight of the same day, the Allies have secured all the beaches. A job well done!
Topic 7: Battle Of The Atlantic
I learned that over 15 million tons of shipping were lost, and in March of 1942 alone, 834,000 tons were lost. When I first saw that, I was surprised, I could not believe it. And with all that shipping lost, 50,000 Allied Seaman also were lost. I guess this proves how affective the Germans U-boat crew really was, because with all that lost for the Allies, only two thirds of the 41,000 Axis U-Boat crew were killed.
David Minh Nguyen-Vu Blk:3 Febuary
ReplyDeleteTopic One: The Allied Resistance Movement in France - SOE (Special Operations Executive)
Q) What would it be like to live under a false identity in order to defeat your enemies?
A)The life under a false identity under enemy lines seemed hard having to wear semi-permanent make-up and act like the enemy, hide their weapons in books and the use of explosives. Kill the enemy without getting caught of being a spy, and to sabotage vehicles or any kind of transportation.
Topic Two: Enigma code breakers
Q) How did code-breaking help contribute to the Allied victory?
A) Code-breaking helped contribute to the allied victory by code breaking the enemy messages it help to know where the enemy would be how many enemies there are, and give the allied to get ready for the attack.
SARAH GARCIA
ReplyDeleteBLOCK 2/B
Topic 9- Kindertransport
I chose this topic specifically because I was really unfamiliar with it and was curious to know what it entailed. After reading, I was really amazed and it really got me interested. Reading specific survival stories about how it was like to have been part of the Kindertransport was , as cheesy as it sounds, heartwarming. Reading about how difficult it was to leave their parents and how they couldnt join them was really sad. At the same time, it was great to hear the successes many of them had in their later lives thanks to the Kindertransport (ie.good jobs, children, marriages and being reunited with their parents). In short, I thought the whole idea of the "child transport" was really cool and was good/reassuring to know that despite the many tragedies faced during WWII and the Holocaust, some were able to get past it all and live their lives without so much suffering and pain.
Topic 5- The Holocaust + Genocide
Looking through the time line was really interesting. There was a lot of detail and primary sources which really gave me a better understanding of what occurred during WWII. The amount of racism, discrimination, and hate put out towards certain groups of people during this time still astonishes me. The things that citizens, children and the government did and went out of their way to do is still extremely inconceivable to me. Calling someone's genetic make up a "hereditary disease" is something unimaginable today so to hear of the things that were done to innocent people because of who they are and could not choose to be, was really disturbing. Even after learning a pretty big chunk about WWII, it still leaves me in awe at how massive the role the government had on the opinions and views of German citizens and those of Aryan race.
I also browsed through the interactive map of Auschwitz and other concentration camps and again was left astonished!
The numbers, the statistics, the descriptions and every other aspect described about what went on in the concentration camps left me with shivers and unimaginable thoughts of what it was like to have been through any of it. It was definitely a heavy topic to choose but nonetheless, was what I believe was extremely important to address.
Mohammad Sadeghi
ReplyDeletetopic two & three
The Egnima code brakers are the most important point of beating Germany, the Britain helps the allies by leting them in their country to get prepare for the D-day. The breaking of Germany's code was a big success for the world. The Egnima was broke Nazi's (Germany) wattime communications, with this code allies could listen to the germanys's speech and the allies will know where and when their attacking that was a prefect solution to defet Germany.
Topic: three
The people responsible for the Holocast were the Nazis, they forced the Jews into what they called "work camps." Some of the Jewish people were in desprite need of jobs, so they went without force. The rest of the jews didn't want to leave there homes so they were forced at gun point, or shot at the spot.
The Germans basically wanted to destroy any race which wasn't pure. In their mind, purity consisted of caucasians who believe in Christianity.
Arsalan Nadeem
ReplyDeleteTopic 2:
When war became imminent from the germans the Poles descided to share their secrets of the enigma with the British and allied forces. Following that the Allies set up a group of the top mathematicians and general problem solvers in order to break down the enigma so that they may learn of German tactics and be easily counter'd. The Germans decided to make their codes harder to break and they called their new system the "Titon" but the British refer'd to it as "Shark". Enigma did not play that much of an important role in the war but the Allies kept it a secret up until 1974 which shows how important they fealt it was.
Topic 9:
Jewish children were brought back to Britain and payed for by Private individuals. These chuldren were all under 17 and never saw their parents again. These children were devastated at this but they fled to Britain to escape the bombing raids by the Germans on their homes.
Topic Five: Holocaust & Genocide
ReplyDeleteThis topic to me was definitely the most appealing issue, because of the racial concern that guided this incident. The number of concentration camps, extermination camps, and gas chambers presented was heartless and inhuman. Furthermore, the map of Auschwitz concentration camp displayed the structures and methods of the slaughtering of the suffering ones in a despicable way. In the end, I learned and was informed more about the ways of how Jews were treated, executed, and exterminated.
Topic Nine: Kindertransport
The Kindertransport was the children being sent on the trains to head to somewhere else from where they were. It clearly seems like a devastating event, to be sent away with a chance of never seeing your parents of families ever again. Though the conditions were at its lowest, I would hate to leave my family to be well, at least for myself as a child. On the other hand, some of the stories shown discussed of how some survivors were able to be successful and in the end, reunite with their families for a litte while.
Mallory O'Neil
ReplyDeleteTopic 5:Holocaust & genocide
Auschwitz, where over 1 million Jewish people were killed, is the largest mass murder site in history. The Nazi's, on mission to create an Aryan race, attempted and nearly succeed in destroying all civilians that did not fit their ideal description. Among the mass murders of Jews, handicapped people, disabled individuals, "gypsies" and political opposition were also targeted and in many cases brutally murdered or forced into concentration camps. While I was looking over the virtual tour of Auschwitz one thing in specific caught my eye; the crematoriums, the gas and the method of mass destruction. Although i have prior knowledge relating to this, I was sickened to see photos of the blueprints of the buildings and chambers and horrified at the statistics. The fact that thousands of Jewish people, who were no different than anyone else, were exterminated daily is disgusting. I read that later on in the war to kill more efficiently, the Nazi's began leading up to 10, 000 people a day to their deaths via the gas chambers.
Topic 9:Kindertransport
I was surprised when I started reading this article and all the stories that followed it. I had never heard of Jewish children being shipped over to live in Britain before. It was very interesting to read because I had no background knowledge on the topic. My favourite story was of Helga Carden who was reunited with her mother after the war.
VINCENTKANG MAUAHAHHA
ReplyDelete#1. What would it be like to live under a false identity in order to defeat your enemies?
In the Video, I learned a new topic of SOE (Special Operations Executive) and their extreme duties. They were British secret agents who were sent to enemy land to help the allies to a more efficient victory. They were well trained in areas of killing, spying, slowing down enemy reaction in the occurrence of allies’ attacks and many more. This dangerous job forced them to change their physical appearance such as wearing moustache, glasses and changing their hairstyle. They had to risk capture, torture, and death. This job was so dangerous that out of 1500 agents, 200 have never returned. It is hard to imagine such a lifestyle, not knowing if you will survive another day, or be captured and face the brutal torture and death. It really taught me that it takes enormous sacrifices to win a war.
#9. Kindertransport
This topic was about rescuing Jewish children by British government due to the racism and discrimination in Nazi Germany. After Kristallnacht (night of broken glass) when there were savage attacks on Jews by Nazis, British government accepted Jewish children to evacuate to Britain. Over 10000 children under 17 were sent to Britain without their parents, expecting to never see them again. They all had a private sponsor to support their education and the basic needs. It is very emotional and terrifying to picture what these children had to go through just for their safety. Also it is refreshing and pleasant to know that there were acts of love in these cruel times of history.
Sheldon Bachra
ReplyDeleteTopic 1: Many people outside of Germany joined the Nazi army but many were brave for not joining. Churchill created a very sneaky plan called the Special Operations Executive which was sucessful. It was very cool that the soldiers had false identity and used acessories to look different. These soldiers were no rookies they had proper training and knew what to do in every situation possible. It was good that they dropped soldiers behind enemy lines so they can establish where there going to attack and such. They faced three of the worst possible things: Capture, Torture, and Death.
Topic 7: Flying in a British bomber was no easy job you were risking your life at a high rate. 55,000 pilots died between 1939 and 1945 which is at a significant rate. I just dont get why you wouldnt commemorate these soldiers because they served for their country and were brave. The pilots were not trained to fly high so they were getting hit from the ground. After they finally realized that it was harder to see the planes at night so they fled at night. It was hard to navigate through the dark and when there was winds it was even harder and some pilots would lose control. This seemed the job where theres a high chance you wouldnt be returning home.
Esme Lee
ReplyDeleteTopic 1:
The SOE was a secret army sent by Britain to encourage resistance and assist armies that were occupied by the enemy. I think this wasn't an easy job because they had to live under false identities. They were frightened all the time because they might face torture and death if they got caught. However i think the way they hid their weapons were interesting. I was impressed by the gun in a book.
Topic 2:
Code-breaking contributed a lot to the allied victory in WW2. One good example is D-day. The capture of a German U-boat with its enigma keys shortened the war. If not, it would probably be deferred until 1946.
"Beware!"
ReplyDeleteTopic One: The Allied Resistance Movement in France - SOE (Special Operations Executive)
The first thing I learned from this video was that contributing to the war, no matter how you do it, would still threaten you with some degree of risk. This topic serves a perfect example. This video pointed out to me that although spies would not have to fire rifles at soldiers on a regular basis, they had to be proficient in one key skill: concealment. Much like a magician, but on a constant, 24/7 schedule. The "semi-permanent make-up" as well as the other clever ways people can alter their appearance, shows that spies were ALWAYS on duty when it came to living on enemy territory. There were no breaks from assuming an alternate identity.
The worse thing about being a spy was exposure. The video mentioned one of the consequences for getting caught as "torture". I know that the video didn't mention actual methods of torture, but I do know that in other parts of the world the torture was pretty brutal, including but not limited to: severing of various body parts, and creative uses of flaming objects on the victim.
From the video, I also concluded that the graceful art of exploding trains was implemented on several occasions. In the socials textbook, I saw a picture of a propaganda poster warning about exactly that, and the video featured special drawings of a "French Rail Charge".
Topic Two: Enigma code breakers
Its surprising to find out that mathematics actually did contribute to the Allied victory. Code-breaking allowed the Allies to receive the same messages as the German U-boats. That way, they knew where the Germans were going, and they could simply avoid those spots. Exploiting German intelligence, therefore, gave Allies the upper hand, shortening the battle on the Atlantic.
I was intrigued by the workings of the Enigma machine. I thought that the 1940's was the period of staggering technological primitiveness, but the complicated layout of the Enigma makes me doubt that notion. Up to five notched wheels on the machine allowed the sender to scramble an ordinary looking message. The "code" for each message varied based on how the sender turned the wheels. The message would be sent to, say, another U-boat. Upon the message transmission, the receiver needed to know the EXACT configuration of wheels on the original machine to "crack the code". Deciphering these messages, I gather, must have been a long, tedious process. Judging from the community of people the Allies needed in order to break the code, the Enigma must have been even tougher to solve than to use!
Block G
Mat Teoh
[Gaby Ramirez]
ReplyDeleteTopic#9: Kindertransport - Rescue Missions of Children during WWII
I read about the kindertransport and thought how hard it must have been for them being seperated from their parents at such young ages. I am still a child myself, and still depend on my mother a lot more than I would like to but it's part of life, and their oppurtunity to have someone to depend on got cut real short. Although some got reunited with their family members later on, they missed out on a lot throughout the years but most were able to become fairly succesful after everything.
Despite all the rough times they went through, most of them were able to move on and live life while appreciating everything they could.
Topic#2: Enigma code breakers
Q)How did code-breaking help contribute to the Allied victory?
A) Code-breaking helped contribute to the allied victory because it would break the code of the message that the enemy would send and it was very helpful to know where they were and how many there would be. It gave them the ability to prepare before the attack because they had a better idea of how many enemy attackers they would be going up against.
Hamsa Al-Attar ...Block: 3
ReplyDeleteTopic 1: The Allied Resistance Movement in France – (SOE)
As I watched the video about the Special Operations Executive (SOE) or the “secret army”, the first thing that got my attention was that The U.S worked with Britain to liberate France! The American had Office of Strategic services (OSS) that were active with the British OSS. Before I watched this video I thought that the U.S was not involved in WWII until Japan bombed Pearl Harbour. However, it seems like in time of war every country is involved in some way. I think that it is very interesting to look at other sides of war that are not usually emphasized and might seem silly but have a huge impact or significance to the war effort. Who would think of a country being under disguise? But I guess with war we should expect everything. The SOE was one way in which Britain contributed to the war. Its agents were trained to live under a false identity; they wore glasses, fake hair or mustaches as a disguise and were very much like spies. There job must have been defiantly hard! They were trained to sabotage or even to bomb trains, which I think is a bit childish. Also, they were to use weapons that they hid in places “like a book” so no one can suspect them. Those agents had a risky job, as the video mentions if they were caught, they were tortured and put to death. In fact everyone who is involved in war had some sort of “risky Business”, no matter if they were a soldier, a fighter pilot or a spy. SOE was established as a way for Britain to sustain its ability to stand against Nazi Germany alone, as France was captured. Nonetheless, at the end with the corporation of U.S and Britain’s spies and help, France was liberated in D-Day.
Topic 2: Enigma code breakers
RTETE- that’s my code name :)
To be honest I was surprised and amazed by how this machine works. I mean those mathematicians were in the 1940’s when this machine was created and now I in 2010 used it however I was not able to figure out how it worked with all the explanations.
The Enigma was created by the German doctor (Scherbius) for secure communications. The Germans wanted to keep their movements away from the allies. However, code breakers were able to break through those German codes and be able to suspect their movements and plans. In fact there was a government code and Cipher School in England to study changes and Engima output. The machine had 3 to 5 wheels which were added later to scramble letters. Later, it was more developed by an electron circuits added to make it harder to break. What I found amazing, yet not very intelligent on the Germans side is that a German spy by the name of “Hans” allowed his French spymasters to photograph the Enigma! This allowed the allies to look at it closely and understand how it works. Code-breakers contributed to the victory of the allies significantly. It allowed them to suspect all Germany’s secret moves. For example in the war of the Atlantic the British knew all the dangerous zones and were able to pass through them and capture more of the German U-boats without being sunk. The British called this code breaking “ Ultra” and were able to keep it a secret from the Germans until 1974!
Topic 1
ReplyDeleteFrom this video I learned that Special Operations Executive was devised to encourage resistance, guerrilla warfare and secret armies in those countries that were occupied by the enemy, or were in peril of invasion. They were trained to assume a disguise, to use sabotage techniques, to use weapons and explosives and to shoot to kill. During the video there was a part where they played a speech of the veterans from the world war two and according to their opinions the war was horrible, soldiers did not get any breaks and could not sleep even during the nights.
Topic 9
When I was reading this article I was surprised in may ways. First, It was very shocking how the Jewish children under 17 were forced to move into Britain and over 10,000 children who were sent to Britain did not get to see their parents again. The story lines of all the children listed below were very shocking as well, even though these children were born in Germany they were educated to become a different countries nationalities.
Topic Two: Enigma code breakers
ReplyDeleteI did not know that the Germans did invent the machine, I thought it was the allies who made the machine and is why they were the ones who could crack the codes first. It is also interesting that the British and French were not the first ones to decipher the codes on the Enigma machine, it was the Polish who made progress with it first. I find it incredible that at times it was easier to capture Enigma machines and code books on German vessels, then to decipher these codes, which emphasizes the difficulty of doing so. If the Allied could not decipher the Enigma Machine then the loss of Egypt would have set back the conquering of North Africa. And also that operation overlord may have been until 1946, which most likely meant the war would have been extended substantially.
Topic 7: Risky Business - Bomber Crews in WWII
A major point to this topic is that flying bombers was the most dangerous jobs of World War Two, 55 000 aircrews died in a span of six years. Even though the job was dangerous it does not earn much appreciation because sometimes it is seen as inhumane acts. I find it kind of foolish to send some pilots out into battle with poor training because they would be easy targets, but with some proper training perhaps they could do more damage to the enemy. It sounds like the conditions in planes were very bad. After all of theses facts i begin to wonder why would anyone want to be a bomber pilot, you would not get anything more then soldiers on foot, yet the conditions and death percentage were much higher.
Amtinder Badial
#7) what i found amazing was that 55,000 aircrews died in europe in 1939 to 1945. Even though these men, died fighting for their counrty, not even one was even given a medal for his bravery and for his life,for that matter. in late 1939 only 15 bombers returned.
ReplyDelete#9) after the night of the broken glass, i found out that the british government asked if they could take care of the jewish children and put them in a foster home (temporarily of course). i couldnt believe that 10,000 of the Jewish children failed to return to their families.
robert
Topic #3: I was surprised to learn that so many of the war criminals charged at the Nuremburg Trials commited suicide. I know that the accused in the articles were extreme examples, but still, it paints a picture in your mind of what these trials were like. To have people stay loyal to Hitler even after being condemned by numerous countries and international bodies, is just astounding. They believed that strongly, that they wouldn't even lie about their loyalty to get a lighter sentence! Astounding.
ReplyDeleteTopic #8: There were a lot of different techniques for detecting U-boats. The sonar, the spotlights, triangulating. And kids complain they'll never use trig in real life! Math has good applications. Battle cruisers and corvettes were also highly advanced pieces of equipment. A lot of weapons, a lot of features. I had no idea there was so much stuff to keep track of on a submarine and on a boat.
Block B/3
ReplyDeleteTopic 5: Holocaust and Genocide
I felt like I knew so much about this topic before even investigating the sources, but now I know I don't even know the half of it all. Whenever I read about the Holocaust and the atrocities that occurred during that time period, it's always a little too much to handle. I still have a hard time accepting that a human being could be so hateful and barbaric towards another! I learned about Hitler's "Final Solution", which is something I really had no idea about before I read through the information. I also read about the "Einsatzgruppen", quite literally mobile killing units assembled to round up Jews and take them to a designated area to shoot them. Just reading about that made me so angry, and sad to say the least.
Topic 9: Kindertransport - Rescue Missions of Children during WWII
This definitely left me feeling lighter after having to read about the Holocaust and Genocide! It's nice to know children were cared enough about to be saved and it's awesome that it was so successful. Reading through the stories of the survivors, I learned that they all lived well and found safety in Britain. It must of been really sad having to leave their families though. I'm not sure it's something I could do for my safety. I couldn't live without my family. But I suppose it wouldn't really be my choice. Nevertheless, I found this topic lovely and definitely a good way to end this assignment.
Topic Five: Holocaust & Genocide
ReplyDeleteReading the evnts on the time, and looking over the map honestly was heartbreaking! I couldn't believe how man camps they ahd set up, and all the laws Hitler and the Nazi party passed. The propoganda about interacial relationships was insane, the things people made up just to seem superior! I also found it interesting that the first concentration camp was made up of political opponents( communist, socialist ). There were also Jewish councils who tried to soften the wound of the whole genocide which i found quiet interesting.
Topic Nine: Kindertransport
10, 000 had been apart of the kindertransport when the war began. It's sad that Britain wouldn't allow parents along with their children, but at least there was SOME hope. They didnt have to suffer the cruelties of war, because they were taken as refugees.
oo this is malika-renee by the way =)
Topic #7 » Risky Business:
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I thought fighting in combat was more dangerous than fighting up in the skies! What hit me by surprise was the fact that fighting up in the skies was the "highest loss rate [of casualties] of any major branch of the British armed forces." As I read along, I saw an interesting section about the technology of a plane. In the article, it says that the planes were basic, noisy, cramped and cold. The fighter pilots wore many layers of clothing because the temperature of the plane was as cold as -40ºC. That's insane! I start wondering why women would want to be part of the war as fighter pilots if they have to go through all of that terrible time freezing.
Topic #9 » Kindertransport:
As I read through the content of the Kindertransport article, I tried to relate to how the children couldn't be with their parents as they were sent to Britian. Though they had the essentials such as education and were also being payed for these necessities by private individuals, the fact remains that they were viewed as rascist people. Luckily, some children were reunited their parents, got married, and lived happily ever after, but as for others, they didn't get to see their parents. It's very sad to hear that the last time they got see their parents was the first time they had to leave them.
~ Gurpreet K Bhangre, period 2
Topic Two
ReplyDeleteI found it surprising how the Germans invented The Enigma, but that very few people are aware of that. I also thought it was interesting how The Enigma was used to pass the Zimmermann telegram from Germany to Mexico City to inform them on plans to invade the USA... giving Germany a really big advantage. It’s interesting how The Enigma can transcribe coded information to other Allies during wartime as a secure communication at sea, in the sky, and on the battlefield, therefore adding to their victories because of the advantage of technology. I think this was an awesome invention for the war!
Topic Nine
Although they had to leave their families, I think the kindertransport was a great program for Jewish children. It would give them their chance to escape from a terrible reality and sacrifice their families for a better life. If it were me, I’d probably choose to leave Germany to have a better life in Britain as well because my chances of dying in Germany would be a lot bigger than my chances of living. At least I knew I’d be safe in Britain, despite the separation from family. After reading one of the transcripts for a child who had gone through the kinderstransport program, it seemed like they had felt that it was also for the best to be in Britain rather than Germany, even though the separation was difficult. I’m glad this program came about during this era!
Daniela DeMeo
Period 3
Topic seven:
ReplyDeleteOne thing that stuck out to me was that over 55 000 members of the aircrew were killed over a span of six years. I thought that the majority of the casualties would be troops who were fighting on the ground. There were also many dangers inside the plane like the temperature inside could reach -40 degrees celcius, which could freeze flesh if there were to be contact. One of the scariest things I thought was that the planes had to fly level and almost straight to increase the chances of hitting the city. Once the bomb was dropped pilots had to take a photograph of the site, which I was thought was really weird considering there were people trying to shoot them down.
Topic 3:
In November 1945 the trials of Nuremberg began. What was ironic was that Hitler thought this would be the "party city", but this was the place where party leaders were fighting for their lives. I think that all the charges that were laid against the party leaders were just like, committing crimes against humanity, and committing crimes against peace. Hermann Goering argued that what they did was beacuse of their German Patriotism, but I don't think that ones patriotism should lead someone to kill millions of innocent people.
Darren Yung Block:C
ReplyDeleteTopic 4 & 8
Topic 4:
After i saw the video and the animated map about the operation overlord (D-Day). I think that capture of Normandy is not as easy as we thought when we play video games. Because the allies need to defeat the Nazi within 24 hours, the best hours to capture Normandy, otherwise it will be harder and harder, so as Germany because there was only one chance, everyone knows; either fail or success. Also, Soldiers weren't really know will they survive or die the next day, guns were shooting everywhere. There's a quote in the video 'survival that day was a matter of luck. You made it, the men next to you didnt.' It exactly show that the situation of the soldiers at that time. So this makes me think that D-Day is one of the most important wars in WWII.
Topic 8:
Before I clicked into the game, I thought that the battle of Atlantic is an easy topic, so I chose it for this assignment but after I played this game, I changed my mind, also the game told me how important it was to control the Atlantic. In this game, it explains what is convoy and how does it work to protect the supply ships to Britain. It shows a lot of differnt strategies that provided by the WATU for example: Pineapple, Raspberry and creeping attack. They are used to deal with different situations when they met U-Boats. So using these tactics, supplying ships could be arrived to Britain safely, or otherwise if they all got destroyed, no supplies will arrive to Britain and the result of WWII was going to change because the most important supplies to Britain were Canada and the U.S. If Britain didnt get enough supplies, they would got defeated by the German U-Boats easily in the battle of Atlantic.
3) Laws in Action - Nuremberg Trials
ReplyDeleteI found it very interesting that the Allies chose to try the war criminals in Nuremburg, the place where the National Socialist Party had held many annual rallies. I’m sure that those who organized this enjoyed the irony in it. I was really interested in learning about the different ways people responded to the trials because they were so drastic. I’m amazed that Goering, even until the end, denied the tragedies that were all around him and thought he was protecting the already tarnished German reputation. I don’t understand how so many men stayed loyal to a man who was dead and they no longer owed anything to. Reading about Speer makes me gain more respect for him, because he didn’t deny his involvement and spoke openly about what was going on. I think he knew he would come away a little better if he didn’t give the kin of attitude Goering was giving.
5) Holocaust and Genocide
After watching the timeline, what amazed me was the amount of small steps the Germans took, many that probably went unnoticed. I now understand how so many people did nothing to stop Hitler, as he was slowly beginning to extinguish the Jews. It’s almost like the policy of appeasement, where, if people saw what was going on just sat back thinking this would be his last step over and over. I had no idea how many deportations there were and how many ghettos were set up during the war. Looking at all the things that were done. I wonder if so many people who said they had no idea really did. It just seems like such a large amount of evidence to cover up. I was also shocked when I read about the prison within a prison in Auschwitz II. The conditions in that place were worse than I could have ever imagined were possible.
Stefan Stankovic
ReplyDeleteBlock 3/C
#9- Kindertransport
I find the transportation of children from Germany to Britain very sad, even more disappointing that they had to leave their parents behind. That huge number of 10,000 kids that were separated from their families is upsetting. Maybe some kids were happy to leave their homes, knowing the situation, and were possibly grateful for the British government for letting them stay. I wonder if the kids were so depressed that they would wonder off and leave school, that they still had to pay for. If I was a parent back in those days I don't know if I could let my kid go thrugh something like that. But if I was a kid, knowing the bombings, I would go to Britain. It would be worth it to survive 10 months without your parents and then a small percentage of reuniting with them, then living in a place where war was happening and probably not surviving at all.
#5- Nuremburg Trial
I would have thought that all of the Nazi people involved in the war would've committed suicide right away. Even the 21 defendants must have been so embarrassed, after losing the war. What was the point of even living after that if your country just lost a war which costed million of deaths and million of dollars in damages? The defendants were accused of conspiring to wage war, and committing crimes against peace and humanity which were outsanding charges. It was crazy to see how some people still stood by Hitler when he had killed himself. It just adds on to make me realize how powerful Hitler was.
Topic Four -
ReplyDeleteSome things that i found interesting was that how D-Day was considered the longest day and the German's being taken by complete surprise, the allies gained most of their objectives. The deaths were like every 1/2 people died, and how even though Berlin was taken, ironically on Christmas day, Hitler kept going.
Topic 5 -
I find it interesting that it seemed Hitler had a clear plan of what he was going to do with certain races and people even before he was in power. When Hitler and Nazi's received more power, the atrocities on the Jews started right away. It amazes me right after Nazis establish first concentration camp in Dachau Hitler received more power. It seems as if in 1933 many of Hitlers significant actions took place, but in the later years he just expanded on them such as in 1935 how Jews were denied admittance into the army.
-Kapish Suri
Topic 2
ReplyDeleteEnigma was a code-typing machine that invented by Germany. German though their code will never be break by Allies, but Allies actually break it down slowly. It cost lots of time to break German's code. The most important discover is the Allies found a Enigma code-books for June in a German weather ship. This book helps a lot in breaking Enigma's technology. Breaking enemy's code can help to defend their next attack or attack them before them. It can be a key for the war. After Allies break down Enigma's technology, they chose to pretend they still can not break German's code. I think this helps D-Day's success. Without code-breaking, WWII may be deferred until 1946.
Topic 3
I think Hitler and those people who follow his order should take the responsible for the Holocaust. Hitler has to take the responsible of course, because he is the one who order it. For those high-ranking Nazis were responsible for the Holocaust, too. After Hitler died, those high-ranking Nazis should take the power and do something right, but they chose to kill. That is why I think they are also guilty. Those 21 Nazis have the power after Hitler died, which means Holocaust may be one of their willing. These leaders should take the responsible, but not the people who under them.
nicole hunter, block b
ReplyDeleteI chose topics 9 and 5
5: It was really interesting seeing how the prejudice escalated to cold murder through the timeline. Warsaw was a city that turned into a ghetto, this caught my eye since the title for a song I know has Warsaw in it, I guess they based it off of that city. It’s cruel how the government wanted to make executions “efficient and more humane” not for the victims, but for the executioners. I always thought it was just the Jews the Germans were against, but they had aggression towards homosexuals, communists, people with disabilities and pretty much anyone who wasn’t white. The Block 11 punishment with the stand-in-cells sounds horrible, sort of disturbs me how people can be that sick to make something like that and still have the mindset to think that it’s alright.
9: It’s nice to know that there were at least some happy stories during the holocaust. Anne was pretty lucky to be reunited with her parents in the end. The whole system of transporting the kids was smart, having children go through that would be terrible to them and their future families if they were to survive. Having to leave your parents, especially if they had a particularly strong bond with them, must’ve been hard
C.Phelan
ReplyDeleteBlock:C
TRAGEDIES AND HEROES
Topic Four: A Closer Look at D-Day - The Opening of the Second Front
Both in the movie and the animated map, Canada is grouped with Britain in EVERY SENTENCE as though it was mixed troops for Gold, Sword and Juno. That paragraph regarding autonomy seems to be a bit of a waste thanks to BBC.
Topic Three: Law in Action - Nuremberg Trials
Who was responsible for the Holocaust? Well, Hitler was, no matter whom else one tries to blame. As far as the high-ranking Nazis are concerned, they should have all either received life imprisonment or been put to death when found guilty. For them, I actually wish the death sentence was extremely painful. Even Speer, who was, seemingly, an okay guy (except for, you know, being a NAZI) deserved more than 20 years. He probably deserved one of the greater punishments for not giving himself credit where credit was due for his actions. In my opinion, anything a person does in life is fair game to be judged, and the ability to have humility … especially when you have done something so horribly wrong … is a key trait of a intelligent, well-rounded, mature human being. Clearly, some people are inhumane on multiple levels.
Shann Servano
ReplyDelete~Topic 5: Holocoust & Genocide~
Millions of people died in the concentration camps because of starvation, overcrowding, disease, exposure to cold, and the brutality of the Germans. People died by the thousands in the gas chambers and mass execution by a firing squad.Dead bodies were stacked like firewood, and every a truck would come by to pick them up and it looks realy realy aweful. This was indeed one of the saddest things to happen in history. This is also one of the topics that catched my attention and triggers me to study further. Looking through the timeline was realy useful to me.
~Topic 9: Kindertrasnport~
Not being so melodramatic. But, I chose this topic because it realy catched my emotion as likely in the holocoust. The Kindertransport children are child holocaust survivors. Despite of all the hard times they've been through, it is good to know that some children survivied. Though i found out that there are likely 10,000 cildren were never sent back to their families. As a child i know the feeling being away from my parents and it's realy hard. I also felt sorry for these children for I know that most of them don't realy know what's going on. T_T
Shann Servano
ReplyDelete~Topic 5: Holocoust & Genocide~
Millions of people died in the concentration camps because of starvation, overcrowding, disease, exposure to cold, and the brutality of the Germans. People died by the thousands in the gas chambers and mass execution by a firing squad.Dead bodies were stacked like firewood, and every a truck would come by to pick them up and it looks realy realy aweful. This was indeed one of the saddest things to happened in history. This is also one of the topics that catched my attention and triggers me to study further. Looking through the timeline was realy useful to me.
~Topic 9: Kindertrasnport~
Not being so melodramatic. But, I chose this topic because it realy catched my emotion as likely in the holocoust. The Kindertransport children are child holocaust survivors. Despite of all the hard times they've been through, it is good to know that some children survivied. Though i found out that there are likely 10,000 cildren were never sent back to their families. As a child i know the feeling being away from my parents and it's realy hard. I also felt sorry for these children for I know that most of them don't realy know what's going on. T_T
Topic Seven: Risky Business - Bomber Crews in WWII
ReplyDeleteI was surprised at just how dangerous and actually risky (as the title suggests) flying a bomber plane at night must have actually been. I guess I really hadn't thought about it, but I can hardly walk around in my house in the dark, let alone dodge anti-aircraft and try to pinpoint a target. I guess the bomber pilots weren't much better than I am, seeing as they had an enormous casualty rate.
Topic Nine: Kindertransport
I enjoyed reading about this topic, because it was uplifting for the most part. It still bothered me that parents of children could not accompany them, and that many of the children would never see their parents again. But hey, saving the kids is better than saving no one.
Topic 9
ReplyDeleteKindertransport - Rescue Missions of Children during WWII
I chose this topic because it sounded interesting. Around 10,000 Children under 17 were sent on a train to Britain for their safety. It was sad that many of the children would never see their parents again. I would never be able to be away from my family for along period of time. It was nice to hear that some of them were able to reunite with there parents and live life again.
Topic 7
Risky Business - Bomber Crews in WWII
Flying in a British bomber was a difficult job. Between 1939 and 1945, 55,000
pilots were killed which was the highest death toll of any major branch of the British air force. It was sad how these pilots weren’t recognized for sacrificing there lives for their country. I think it wasn’t a smart idea to send pilots who had very little training. If they had better training they could have survived.
KAREN KAINTH
BLOCK:7/G
Topics 3 & 7
ReplyDeleteBruce Chen
Block 3
My first topic was on the trials that occurred after World War 2 in which 21 defendants had to go to court in international war crimes. I thought it was interesting how many of the defendants - for example, Robert Ley, were so ashamed of the part they played in the war that they committed suicide before the trials even began. This put their deputies or juniors in a tough spot because they would then have to represent them on trial. However, it was also interesting to read that many still wanted to defend Hitler, like Hermann Goering who was chosen by Hitler to be his successor.
My second topic was on the bomber crews that were used constantly during World War 2. I thought it was upsetting how the bomber crews and the sacrifices they made weren't really appreciated as much as for example, aircraft pilots. I also thought it was surreal how all of them had to estimate their targets when in the dark where it was hard to navigate, and how dangerous it was to not know what you were surrounded by. It was also interesting to read how the pilots had to take photographs after the successful dropping of bombs to act as evidence for their mission.
Bruce Chen
Block 3
Topic 8
ReplyDeleteI found it really amazing at the amount of shipment lost. 15million tons ? like wow...I can't imagine. During the game i found the tactics very interesting..I myself had trouble memorizing which one was what and i can't imagine what commanders went through, specially with all the pressure they had on their hands.
Topic 5
The fact that Hitler would think of himself as god and decide who dies and who doesnt, was just wrong. I believe the whole Holocaust was an unhuman way of doing things. Everyone should a have a right to live and only can god judge us and decide if we live or not. Many camps were set up were jews would be put in and then murdered or left for dead. It's just wrong..
Christian Bruegmann
Period 7
I chose Topic7&9
ReplyDeleteTopic7: Risky Business Bomber Crews in WWII - Flying in a British bomber during World War Two was one of the most dangerous jobs imaginable. Some 55,000 aircrew died in raids over Europe between 1939 and 1945, the highest loss rate of any major branch of the British armed forces. Also, those of who were pilots at that time were not perfectly trained, some people had poor skills as the pilot and some of them weren't. But, pilots who were not trained perfectly had become easy target for the enemies. So, poorly trained pilots had higher percentage of death and perfectly trained pilots had lower percentage of getting death.
Topic Nine: Kindertransport - Rescue Missions of Children during WWII
After I read this topic, I realized that British have done the good things for the Jewish popele at that time. In November 1938, Kindertransport (also Refugee Children Movement or "RCM'") is the name given to the rescue mission that took place nine months prior to the outbreak of World War II. The United Kingdom took in nearly 10,000 predominantly Jewish children from Nazi Germany, and the occupied territories of Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland and the Free City of Danzig. The children were placed in British foster homes, hostels, and farms. On 15 November 1938, 5 days after "Kristallnacht", a delegation of British Jewish leaders appealed in person to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Neville Chamberlain. Among other measures, they requested that the British government permit the temporary admission of Jewish children who would later re-emigrate. The Jewish community promised to pay guarantees for the refugee children. The British Cabinet debated the issue the next day and subsequently decided that the nation would accept unaccompanied children ranging from infants to teenagers up to the age of 17.
the topic i choose are 5 & 8
ReplyDeleteAfter I finish reading the “Interactive Map of Auschwitz” and “Genocide Under the Nazis Timeline” I feel shock of what Hitler did to the Jews, homosexuality and Kriegie. Every time I click on continue button I can’t imagine what Hitler plan to do to those people in Auschwitz camp. From let those people did the hard labor work, to let scientist to test to them, I totally feel shame of what Hitler did. At the Auschwitz Camp even you are kids or you are a senior person you still get to dead. Auschwitz Camp is totally a Living Hell also it is a symbol of terror, genocide, and the Holocaust. At the “Nazis timeline” I can understand more about the tyranny of Hitler.
After I play the game I knew more about the battle of the Atlantic. Germany from advantage of the war (68000 of U-boat) to disadvantage it only took about 5 months. But this battle is longest fight during the WWII. This game I understood how enterprising of Germany, but because of their enterprising, Britain was conscious of what Germany plan to do, and U.S was cooperate with Britain and make the battle reverse the tide. During the Atlantic battle Germany have 67.2% of U-boat have crash.
Cindy Feng
Topic 5:
ReplyDeleteThe timeline gives a lot of in-depth detail on the extent of racism that was happening in the 1930-40s. It's unbelievable what the jews faced during the Holocaust. It appears that each day was a suffering for a jewish person or another minority. They had to suffer a lot, their life was hell. The Nazis believed that some races were better than others. They had this view on other races and thought of them as having "genetic illnesses." They had to "protect themselves" from other races and be safe from illnesses. The result to all this hate was the death of many humans across Europe.
Topic 8:
The war in the Atlantic was not easy. You needed to know when to use which strategy. There are many things you can get the ships to do but carefully planning out a strategy is obviously difficult. Knowing the weaknesses of your enemy is key to winning the war. A single mistake can cause the deaths of many on your ships. Pineapple, Raspberry and creeping attack are some tactics you can use in the game. Each situation requires a different approach to the situation. During the actual war, if you did not carefully think about the options you have, the supplies to Britain could be blocked off from North America which is the biggest supplier at the time. The Battle of the Atlantic was one of the biggest battles of the war.
---spring break starts monday so its not late :)
Topic 1: (Special Operations Executive)
ReplyDeleteI found it very interesting that the allies used "spys" in their war efforts. It seems that throughout this chapter there was a lot of propaganda towards people on the allied side keeping quiet about the war to reduce the chances of axis spies picking up intel and using it for their benefit. This is what made it a little ironic and hypicritical for the allies to have used spies as well. It was really cool how they trained them to be "masters of disguise", and the people that were spies for both ends must have had a lot of bravery to know, had been caught, would be tortured and killed. The guerrilla warfare and secret armies obviously worked and was a good strategic army tactic.
Topic 5: (Holocaust & Genocide)
The holocaust is one of the most sensitive and tragic things to talk about. Hitler basically decided that there was a "pure" race of some sort, and that anyone whom didn't fall under his view of "pure" was basically slaughtered at will by the nazis. What really surprised me was that the timeline starts in 1933 and ends in 1945. This astonished me because the war hadn't started until 1939. This meant that people outside of Nazi Germany were just standing idley by as jews were discriminated against. No person is better than another, nor is a person of lesser value than another. I think people have started to realize this, but when I saw that timeline with those pictures, it made me wonder what kind of a sick person could do this to people and think they could get away with it. What also makes me angry is the fact that the people under Hitler's order, just did as they were told. Did these people not have a conscious? Bottom line is that the holocaust was horrific
*** i agree with ishan, spring break starts monday ;) ***