Caen Day 12

I feel like I've been here forever, yet, at the same time, like I just got here...like two weeks ago (ha ha ha).

So, today we went to the Caen Memorial, which was this huge museum that is all about WWII in its entirety, which was nice in that we got to see every element besides just the Normandy Battle (Remember: it lasted longer than just the landings! 100 days, people. 100 days).

Oh, and I should mention: I didn't take any pictures today. Sorry, for those who like them a lot. It was a museum...I never feel comfortable taking pictures in a really big museum. Unless it's for airplanes (The one in Dayton is big on my list!)

The Memorial (museum in Caen) starts by talking in great detail about the years preceding the War, focusing on France and Germany, but also mentioning Russia. But there is also an exhibit about the Great Depression and the stocks chrashing everywhere. How when the dollar basically became worthless, Germany was in bad shape. You see, the debts that Germany was paying off (because the Allies made them pay a LOT of money in the Treaty of Versailles (treaty of WWI)) was dependent on the US dollar. Ooopps. Not good. More future ammo for Hitler to get people to like him in Germany.

Then, for the first time since coming to France, Italy was mentioned. But, for only one sentence. It gave the year that Mussolini came into power. Yeah...I'm pretty sure that Italy played a part in the war, but I have yet to learn about them. School fails me once again. American high schools should really stop teaching just Columbus, Native Americans, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and two weeks on WWII. Come on! Let's break it all up. Let's learn a little bit of everything. Such a waste. Not that I didn't enjoy history class. But it's really annoying that you learn every year since first grade through high school "Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492 on the Pinta, Santa Maria, and the..." You get the idea.

Moving on to the Dark Years for France in the museum. Basically it was the time after France and Britain declared war on Germany because they invaded Poland. And France got ready for war with Germany.

And then we have the "Phony War", in which France and Germany stood at their border and didn't really fight each other.

But, the bad thing for France is that they were getting ready for another WWI. But, this was not going to be another "Great War", with chemicals and trenches. They sent their children to the country-side (the British did this too. Remember "The Chronicles of Narnia"? This is why Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are on the train at the beginning of the first movie!!! Anyway, there was even a gas mask for an infant on display. Wow. Yep, don't assume that the war will be the exact same thing as the last big one. New time, new objectives, new war.

The Surrender of France. I won't say much on this...mostly because I have notes on this from class and I'm running out of time tonight. Basically, France: cut into 2 parts; new leader who is generous and nice to the Nazis; people who collaborated with Germany, people who were forced to collaborate, and the people who were part of the Resistance...both in France and those who escaped to Britain to fight as a new army: The Free French Soldiers with General Charles De Gaulle.

There were other displays: how the French people had to give up their pleasures in life because they were forced to support Hitler. Rationing. Working in plants and factories, just like we did in the US and the people in Canada did for our effort in the war...probably England too (I was bombarded with information, I can't remember everything, okay?).

Other than just France, there were displays on what was happening in Russia with Stalin and Churchill in England (though I think the ones on England were lacking. Whatever). And then I saw something American. I saw a display about Pearl Harbor...and it was in GREAT detail! It was basically a whole room that explained what Japan was doing: basically they wanted to take over land like Hitler, but it was...the...oh I forget the exact word! And how Japan, without any warning, bombed Pearl Harbor. So, in summary, we declared war on Japan. And Germany, who was allies with them, declared war on us four days after the attack.

Then, a display on the horrible state Russia was in and how Hitler decided to start attacking them. Ha. Bad move. Russia then switched sides. So not only did Hitler have the good USA to deal with, but he also had to now fight against Russia. I really think that was a stupid move.

I'm told that historians agree with me. My guides on all my little trips have said the same thing: "Historians agree that Hitler made two big mistakes that ensured his defeat: his attack on the Soviet Union (Russia) and the Normandy Landings. In regards to Hitler making a mistake with the Normandy Landings, you should know (or remember) that Hitler did not think that the Allies would land at those specific beaches, because they are a long way away from England...thus a ridiculous place to land. But, the Allies knew that it was ridiculous. So, they did the ridiculous in order to catch Hitler by surprise. Actually, when the landings were happening, Hitler was fast asleep and the people were afraid to wake him up. And, even a few days after, Hitler thought that it was a phony landing meant to distract him from a bigger, real landing at another sight. Nope.

And there was a display about the Holocaust. Utterly horrible. There were items from the Jewish families. There were statistics that boggled the mind...especially the display about the mass murder of the children. The children that arrived at the concentration camps and were immediately murdered in the gas chambers because they wouldn't be able to do the other worthless work that the Nazis would inflict on the Jews who were tortured in the camps.

And there was a display all about the gypsies. Apparently, according to the museum, Hitler wasn't gun-ho on killing the gypsies. Maybe in comparison to the Jews, but I don't believe that he would have ever become chummy with them.

What disappointed me the most was that the Christians and Catholics and the people who hid Jews were not mentioned once. Those people who were arrested and taken to those same concentration camps.

And, what else? There was so much in there. I can't remember. The last display was about the Battle of Normandy: the landings and the other days (100). Disappointed, again, that this is where everything seems to end. It's like "You do realize that other things happened after the Battle of Normandy, right?"

But I forgive them. This museum is in Normandy. It is their history. I can handle that.

We watched another movie in the museum that was a good summary of the whole building. Then we (me and four other girls) went outside and went down into the German bunker. At the end of the bunker, before the exit, was a projection of Anne Frank.

Okay, time to go.