You average ignoramus will remember 3 facts about WW2:
- The Japs bombed
Pearl Harbour
- Hitler killed 6 million jews
-
The Allies won
I could ramble on for years about my WW2 knowledge as I've read hundreds of books by various authors - American, British, French, Chinese, Russian, German, Japanese... and one fact stands out from all - the victor dictates popular history, ie. that which is published in text books, general facts that people can recall etc. etc.
War crimes and atrocities were indeed committed by both Allied and Axis soldiers. The Allies won the war, therefore dictated popular history. Ever thought it strange that Allied troops "didn't" commit war crimes, and those that did were documented were only Russian? That's a combination of post war/Cold war propaganda. Most people never heard of British troops mercilessly gunning down French civilians who were looting dead Allied troops, or Americans executing Poles and Ukranians fighting for the Germans, Canadians executing
German tank crews after fierce restistance at
Caen,
American Jews nailing captured German officers to
barn doors and bayonetting them...
We all know what atrocities the Germans and Japanese committed and I am in no way saying they were distorted or made up... just know that Allied troops didn't exactly come home smelling of roses
