I didn't even learn about it. It was a shock to learn that they invaded Poland together. Huge swathes of WWII simply never entered my consciousness. It went something like this (see if you can list all the untruths):
Hitler took Czechoslovakia because the Czechs were ok with appeasement. They found out that it didn't work. Stupid idiots.
Hitler then took Poland because Polacks were morons and charged tanks with cavalry.
Hitler then took France because the French were too weak and demoralized to fight.
Then there was the great victory at Dunkirk!
Then the great victory of the Battle of Britain.
Then the USSR was invaded, but no idea why. When I became an adult and started studying the whole war, this was one of the big unanswered questions. It looked like Hitler had Europe wrapped up, why would he do something stupid like this? (Hint: the entire point of the war was for the Germans to seize the food- and energy-producing areas of the USSR.)
Then, Stalingrad was a great loss, but how I was fuzzy on.
Somewhere in here the French resistance, which was made up of artists, writers, and an attractive woman. Absolutely no violent rednecks who provoked reprisals AT ALL.
Then, D-Day, the most momentous thing that ever happened in American history! Basically, the war started June 6, 1944.
USA USA USA
Then Germany fell, and Patton should have taken Berlin but was stopped by the cowards in command.
The end.
No, really, that was it. That's what I knew for a long time.
I didn't even learn about it. It was a shock to learn that they invaded Poland together. Huge swathes of WWII simply never entered my consciousness. It went something like this (see if you can list all the untruths):
Hitler took Czechoslovakia because the Czechs were ok with appeasement. They found out that it didn't work. Stupid idiots.
Hitler then took Poland because Polacks were morons and charged tanks with cavalry.
Hitler then took France because the French were too weak and demoralized to fight.
Then there was the great victory at Dunkirk!
Then the great victory of the Battle of Britain.
Then the USSR was invaded, but no idea why. When I became an adult and started studying the whole war, this was one of the big unanswered questions. It looked like Hitler had Europe wrapped up, why would he do something stupid like this? (Hint: the entire point of the war was for the Germans to seize the food- and energy-producing areas of the USSR.)
Then, Stalingrad was a great loss, but how I was fuzzy on.
Somewhere in here the French resistance, which was made up of artists, writers, and an attractive woman. Absolutely no violent rednecks who provoked reprisals AT ALL.
Then, D-Day, the most momentous thing that ever happened in American history! Basically, the war started June 6, 1944.
USA USA USA
Then Germany fell, and Patton should have taken Berlin but was stopped by the cowards in command.
The end.
No, really, that was it. That's what I knew for a long time.