Polls: Public opinions (and very poor knowledge) of World War II. '40% of high school seniors think the US fought with the nazis against the Russians in WW2.' - Filmmaker Ken Burns.
Latest hand-picked WWII news. See also: Nazism: Fourth Reich, History Tours, Hitler and Nazi controversies, Anne Frank Diary.
21% of young Germans do not know the name of Auschwitz or what happened there
A survey carried out two days before Holocaust Memorial Day shows more than a fifth of young Germans do not know the name of Auschwitz or what happened there. 21% of people aged between 18 and 30 quizzed about the most notorious Nazi extermination camp had not heard of it, the survey revealed. And almost half of all those canvassed by the Forsa research institute said they had never visited a concentration camp despite the fact Germany has made all of those on its soil permanent memorials to the dead.
(dailymail.co.uk)
Survey: 11% of Austrian teens think Hitler "did many good things for the people"
Austrians are shocked by a new survey which shows that 11% young people think Adolf Hitler was not all bad and that he did "did many good things for the people". The country was taken over by Hitler - himself an Austrian by birth - in 1938. Welcomed by euphoric crowds at the time, post-war Austrian retreated to a psychological comfort zone whereby they classified themselves as the 'first victims' of the Nazi regime. Perhaps more sinisterly, in a statement that harks directly back to the Nazis, 18% declared that "Jews have now, like before, too much influence over the world economy".
(dailymail.co.uk)
80% of all Americans have "little" or "some" knowledge of the Memorial Day (Article no longer available from the original source)
What is Memorial Day? A new poll reveals the United States is in danger of forgetting. 80% of all Americans have "little" or "some" knowledge of the holiday. Just 20% claim to be "very familiar" with the day's purpose, which is to honor those who have died while fighting the nation's wars. In response, The National WWII Museum has unveiled a new website mymemorialday.org featuring 10 ways to honor those who have fallen in the service of their country.
(sacbee.com)
Survey: Young Canadians and military history - 37% knew very little, 9% nothing at all about WWII (Article no longer available from the original source)
Most young Canadians know little or nothing about most of the wars their countrymen have served in. 67% admitted they knew very little or nothing at all about the First World War, and, not surprisingly, the ignorance peaked with the Korean War (82% knew nothing or very little). Even for the best-known conflict, the Second World War, 37% knew very little and 9% knew nothing at all.
But there is some hope, since 80% expressed at least some interest in learning more about Canada's veterans, though their interest was likelier to be moderate than strong. In addition, 80% said websites were a good way for them to get information about Canada's military history.
(montrealgazette.com)
Survey: 10% of Germans want new Führer with a iron first, 17% think Jews have too much influence
World War II ended 65 years ago, but Germans still cling to the prejudice and racism which the Nazi party identified with. A poll by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation for Political Education discovered that 10% of Germans wants "a new Fuehrer to lead the country with an iron fist". 25% expressed racist opinions, and 15.9% somewhat understood why a Führer needed to be appointed. 58% claimed that Germany needed to restrict the traditional Muslim lifestyle - and 17.2% thought that "Jews have too much influence in the world today".
(ynetnews.com)
Germany: Only 19% fully aware of the scale of forced labour used by the Nazis
Only 19% of Germans are aware of the full scale of the use of forced labour by the Third Reich. Just 13% of Germans over 65 correctly estimated the number of people forced to work in atrocious conditions for the Nazi war machine at over 13 million, a poll by Infratest-Dimap revealed. Those aged 19-49 knew better, with 23% answering correctly. 80% of 14-18 year-olds were interested or very interested by the topic, but only 28% said it was taught enough in history classes.
(expatica.com)
American journalists do not recognize the iconic Iwo Jima flag raising photograph
Recently Ron Grossman took a survey in the newsroom, asking colleagues to identify the iconic World War II photo of the raising of the American flag on Iwo Jima. While some recognized the image, others couldn't quite place it. "I know I ought to know it. It was in the movie, Flags of Our Fathers," one co-worker said. Some, seeing military uniforms, figured out it must be a war photo. Maybe Vietnam? One suggested it was D-Day. Journalists are probably more attuned to history than many people who have less motivation to keep up with the past (almost 25% of 17-year-olds couldn't identify Adolf Hitler in a survey).
(chicagotribune.com)
Vast majority of British WWII veterans agree: This isn't the Britain we fought for
3 years ago Nicholas Pringle asked WW2 veterans to send in their experiences about Britain. The 150 replies, published as a book, reveal the profound disillusion. "I sing no song for the once-proud country that spawned me, and I wonder why I ever tried," wrote a sailor. "My patriotism has gone out of the window," said another. Immigration tops the list: "Our country has been given away to foreigners while we, the generation who fought... are having to sell our homes for care." Many are bewildered by a multicultural Britain that they were never consulted about. "Our British culture is draining away... and we are almost forbidden to make any comment."
(dailymail.co.uk)
UK poll reveals: Kids think that Auschwitz was a theme park and Hitler was a football manager
A survey by a veterans charity has revealed that school children (aged 9-15) are increasingly ignorant of the history of World War II, with 1 in 20 believing Adolf Hitler to be a national football team coach of Germany and 1 in 6 thinking that Auschwitz is a theme park. 1 in 20 said that the Holocaust was the celebration of the end of the war, 1 in 12 thought The Blitz was a huge cleanup operation after the war, 25% believed that D-Day stood for "Dooms Day" and "recalled" that a nuclear bomb was dropped on Pearl Harbour. 40% of children did not know that Remembrance Day was 11 November, while 12% thought the McDonalds logo was the symbol of Remembrance Day.
(ibtimes.co.uk)
UK students: Auschwitz is either a type of beer, a country bordering Germany, or a type of bread
A survey of 1,000 secondary school pupils aged 11-16 revealed that 10% were not sure what Auschwitz was. 10% thought the infamous Nazi camp was a country bordering Germany and 2% thought it was a brand of beer. A further 2% identified Auschwitz as a religious festival, while a worrying 1% believed it was a type of bread. The poll also found that 60% did not know what the Final Solution was, with a 20% thinking it was the name given to the peace talks which ended the Second World War.
(sky.com)
1941 Pearl Harbor attack fading from American consciousness (Article no longer available from the original source)
When approached at Greenville's Colonial Mall, more than a dozen people refused to comment on the significance of the Pearl Harbor attacks, citing a lack of knowledge about the events that day. Others said they knew the raid on Pearl Harbor was a defining moment in history, but they did not know many details about it. "I think that is when we were attacked by the Germans or something like that," one middle-aged lady said. 15 of 27 people said they did not know the anniversary of Pearl Harbor was coming near, and 8 of those 15 did not know what took place at Pearl Harbor.
(reflector)
Germany: 25% say there were positive aspects to 1933-1945 Nazi rule (Article no longer available from the original source)
A poll showed a quarter of Germans believe there were some positive aspects to Nazi rule - a finding that comes after a talk show host Eva Herman was fired for praising Nazi Germany's attitude toward motherhood. Pollsters asked whether National Socialism also had some "good sides such as the construction of the highway system, the elimination of unemployment, the low criminality rate and the encouragement of the family." Any praise of the 1933-1945 Nazi dictatorship is taboo in Germany. The poll showed that old people had the highest regard (37%) for aspects of the Nazi era. Those who grew up right after WWII were the least enthusiastic (15%).
(iht)
The forgotten lessons of WWII: Nazi Victory not bad say 33% in Russia
7 years ago, I helped to conduct a poll of students in 4 Russian cities with dismaying results. Only 34% knew when the war began; 93% said American, British and French forces had aided the Red Army in the capture of Berlin in 1945; and 81% knew nothing about the Nuremberg War Crimes Trial. The situation has probably gotten worse since then. Only 20% of students in Krasnoyarsk could say anything about the events of June 22, 1941. Worst of all, young people are beginning to think differently: When asked what would have happened to the USSR in the event of a Nazi victory, 33% of students in Moscow said the defeat would not have had any negative consequences.
(rian)
40% of germans think Third Reich had some positive aspects
Many germans hold unfavourable views about the Third Reich, according to a poll. 21% think Nazism was completely negative, while 40% think it had some positive aspects. Adolf Hitler became Germany`s chancellor in 1933, as the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP). Hitler established a fascist regime, relied on propaganda, and attempted to expand Germany`s "living space." World War II began in Sept 1939, when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. The conflict killed more than 55 million. Following Hitler`s suicide, field marshall Alfred Jodl surrendered to the Allied forces in May 1945. Page includes stats from 1991 and 2007.
(angus-reid)
Holocaust was a myth - 28% of UK youngsters not sure
A survey has shown that nearly a third of UK youngsters are not sure if the Holocaust was a myth. Asked whether it was a "myth", "had happened but its scale had been exaggerated", or that "six million Jews had been killed", 28% of 18-29 years old responded that they did not know. And the overall percentage of people who answered that they did not know was 17%. Auschwitz survivor Freddie Knoller felt the results were "frightening". 4% believed that the extent of the atrocities had been deliberately exaggerated by pro-Israel groups.
(ejpress)
70% of Japanese have no knowledge about Tokyo war trials (Article no longer available from the original source)
About 70 percent of Japanese voters have little or no knowledge about the Tokyo war crimes tribunal, an event that led to the start of Japan's postwar history. 53% of the respondents were aware the International Military Tribunal for the Far East took place after World War II, but they did not know any further details. And 17% said they didn't even know the Tokyo tribunal was held. Ignorance of the trial was greater among younger respondents.
(asahi)
Public thinks Holocaust sparked World War II (Article no longer available from the original source)
Report: Dutch people know more about WWII than is often thought. But the level of knowledge about the war among under 25s is a cause for concern. People aged 65 and older knew more than younger people. Men also knew more about the period than women, but this might be because men are more interested in war. 83% thought incorrectly that the Holocaust led to war between the Axis and the Allied powers. The Final Solution has become synonymous with the war itself. There was ignorance about how many died during WWII. The highest combined civilian and military losses were the Soviet Union (25M), China (11M), Germany (7M), Poland (6.8M) and Japan (1.8M).
(expatica)
Jewish group warns Nazi ideas alive in world
Plans by an Iranian newspaper to publish cartoons making light of the Holocaust showed that Adolf Hitler's ideas remained alive in Islamic societies, the Simon Wiesenthal Center said. "They're following the classic formula of Adolf Hitler, which says if there's a problem, it's the fault of the Jews," Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder of the Wiesenthal Center. Hier spoke after Iran's largest selling newspaper, Hamshahri, announced it was holding a contest of cartoons about the Holocaust. The competition was a response to cartoons of the Islamic Prophet Mohammed printed in Danish newspapers that have sparked angry and violent protests across the Islamic world.
(turkishweekly.net)
American Opinion About Hitler During World War II
What did Hitler`s contemporaries think? Using feature stories and editorials from the New York Times, this paper tracks American opinion of Adolph Hitler from 1940 to 1945 - during Second World War. By 1940, many people saw Hitler as a great intellectual, and many news stories focused on Hitler`s character and personality.
(iusb.edu)
Celebrating Soviet heroism - 60th anniversary
Russia, which suffered the most in terms of human casualties in the Second World War, celebrates the 60th anniversary of the victory over fascism. More than 27 million Russians, about 14% of the country's population, died fighting for their motherland. Britain lost only 0.6% of its population. U.S. casualties were even lower - about 0.3% of its population. The Soviet war dead account for 40 per cent of all those killed in the War. In all, 8,66,800 Red Army officers and soldiers were killed in action. A recent opinion poll showed that 60% of the Russian people attributed the victory to Stalin's military genius.
(hinduonnet)
Negative Attitudes Towards Jews Widespread in Germany
Negative attitudes towards Jews are widespread in German society today, though keeping the memory of the Holocaust strong has grown, according to a new survey. 52% of Germans assert that Jews are exploiting the memory of the Holocaust for their own purposes. Only 43% of Germans know that the Nazis killed six million Jews during World War II, though that finding represents an improvement over the 1994 survey when 36% correctly cited the 6 million figure.
(ajc)
See also:
Nazism: Fourth Reich
History Tours
Hitler and Nazi controversies
Anne Frank Diary.