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LOL you think that students in Europe don't learn about EUROPEAN WARS? Wars and revolutions tend to be, well, relevant when it comes to history.
LOL, you completely misunderstand me. History lessons in Germany don't cover the military part of wars. Events like D-Day or the Battle of Stalingrad are maybe mentioned but that's all. The military part of wars are completely unimportant to understand historical coherences.
We have spend about one year of history lessons just for the French Revolution and another six month on the Russian October Revolution. But we don't blow the time for unimportant military events just like this one:
Quote:
Which of the following Union objectives proved to be the hardest and took the longest to accomplish?
- taking Richmond
- gaining control of the Mississippi River
- taking New Orleans
- seizing the islands off the South's Atlantic coast in order to strengthen the blockade
- gaining control of the border states
Completely unimportant for understanding historical coherences. No surprise that many Americans have a limited view of history.
Quote:
There's a whole complicated reason why Germans don't focus much on WW2 by the way, but don't take my word for it. A good movie on the topic (a German movie, by the way, from a German perspective) is "The Nasty Girl." (True story, by the way, nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Film.)
Quite obviously that you know nothing about Germany and Germans. The whole focus of history lessons in Germany is on the Nazi Dictatorhip and the preceding Weimar Republic to its full extent. How it was possible and with all the terrible atrocities. And basically all other topics of history lessons in Germany are put in relation to the most terrible time of history. Basically the solely aim of history lessons in Germany is on making it impossible that this can ever happen again. Not only are history lessons focused on this aim, it's also the case for our German (literature) lessons. In contrast to some other nations we have learned from our history.
Moderator cut: Personal attack if you really think that Germans don't focus on WW2 and the Nazi dictatorship in history lessons. But you are not alone, many Americans think that Germans don't learn much about this part of their history. I guess the reason is that many Americans are uncomfortable to be confronted with negative aspects of their own history.
OUR version of The Battle of New Orleans (war of 1812, not the Revolutionary War) was by --sigh--Johnny Horton. OMG, was he cute! But I just listened to Lonnie's version and it's good too. I'll have to see what else he sang. And that we never got over here!
Quite obviously that you know nothing about Germany and Germans. The whole focus of history lessons in Germany is on the Nazi Dictatorhip and the preceding Weimar Republic to its full extent. How it was possible and with all the terrible atrocities. And basically all other topics of history lessons in Germany are put in relation to the most terrible time of history. Basically the solely aim of history lessons in Germany is on making it impossible that this can ever happen again. Not only are history lessons focused on this aim, it's also the case for our German (literature) lessons. In contrast to some other nations we have learned from our history.
Moderator cut: Personal attack if you really think that Germans don't focus on WW2 and the Nazi dictatorship in history lessons. But you are not alone, many Americans think that Germans don't learn much about this part of their history. I guess the reason is that many Americans are uncomfortable to be confronted with negative aspects of their own history.
First of all, personal insults are against the TOS and I should probably report this post but I'll let it slide.
My comments about German education about WW2 were tongue in cheek - I thought that was obvious, given the link I posted to Faulty Towers ("Don't mention the war!") but I guess you didn't catch my humor.
I also linked to the excellent movie ( a German movie based on true events) called The Nasty Girl. To me, this movie really captures the WAY many Germans tend to view WW2 history - at least that's been my experience with the Germans I have known. It captures the conflicting emotions which include a deep sense of shame, as well as anger at the other generations that ushered in this travesty, as well as a deep and earnest commitment to never, ever allow such a poison to flourish.
I lived in Germany for several years, by the way, and had many German friends during that time. This was 25 years ago and I am sure that some things have changed (I've noticed changes myself during my visits back to Germany over the years). I have also found Germany history, music, art, and architecture fascinating for decades (and not just WW2) and have really delved into it. So I do know a thing or two about Germany and Germans. (Beautiful country by the way, and I think both Germans and German food are often underappreciated!) Of course, there's a lot more to learn if one's inclined. Personally I've spent enough of my life around Germans and Germany and would rather explore some other cultures but hey, that's just me.
For instance, I much prefer the UK to Germany - and I am looking forward to visiting that beautiful region again!
My comments about German education about WW2 were tongue in cheek - I thought that was obvious, given the link I posted to Faulty Towers ("Don't mention the war!") but I guess you didn't catch my humor.
The EU doesn't have much of an appetite for British humour nowadays, Boris and the Monsieur Hollande comment being a case in point.
I was taught in in university, but not at school. In school we're generally taught about the history of the country itself, events that actually took place within Britain. Foreign Wars and conquests rarely came into it.
Nice folk song but it is about the War of 1812, not the American Revolutionary War. That war is probably even more overshadowed then the American Revolution because it takes place at the same time as the Napoleonic Wars. In fact, the Battle of New Orleans was in the same year as the Battle of Waterloo (1815), guess which one the British remember today?
Americans remember the War of 1812 more of course, but even 1812 is way overshadowed by the Revolution, the Civil War and later, WW2. It is for Canadians that the War of 1812 is the bigger war.
The irony of the Battle of New Orleans was that it was fought (January 8-18, 1815) AFTER the Treaty of Ghent was signed December 24, 1814 to end the War of 1812. The news of the treaty had however not yet reached America and it still needed ratification from the US congress.
I seem to remember a little bit in school. But yeah we have millennia of history the USA (well European settled USA) has only been 2 minutes.
History by definition is the record of the past as recorded in written documents. Anything prior to the first written accounts of the area that we now call the USA is considered to be prehistory. So technically, US history only began a few hundred years ago, at least in a recorded sense.
Britain also has thousands of years of history, Celts, Stonehenge, Skara Brae, etc. But our history only officially began in 55BC, when Julius Caesar wrote about the island and its inhabitants during his invasions.
When it comes to history classes, is the ACW ever talked about? If so, what kind of view do they take on it? Considering we are good friends now I would imagine it wouldn't be talked about in an overtly negative way but just imagining a British history teacher being all "Then those bloody yanks decided to rebel and become our enemies, they were evil!!" makes me laugh lol.
What is the ACW?
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All we ever got of Lonnie Donegan was this 
