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It also looks to me Belgium is forgotten, isn't it? It's mostly Britain, France and Germany remembered in Europe (The US is more associated with WW2 I think).

pjc50 8y ago
Belgium didn't have a chance to do much actual fighting, in both wars it was conquered almost immediately. Belgium would also rather not talk about its period of colonial genocide.
- _Codemonkeyism 8y ago
  a.) Proportionally the Belgian civilians and the country suffered most. b.) Yes.
Steve44 8y ago
> It also looks to me Belgium is forgotten, isn't it? I think a lot of people in the UK are well aware of the Menin Gate at Ypres and their Last Post ceremony. There are so many places and incidents in history that they can't all be remembered with equal vigour. Some will be less prominent than others, it doesn't necessary mean they are forgotten.
RugnirViking 8y ago
As a school child in the UK when learning about the world wars we took a trip directly to belgium, not france. We visited flanders fields in ypres, and menin gate. We were taught a great deal about belgian involvement, and most of the impression I got very much included belgium as central to the fighting. Of course, that might be a UK perspective, given we got into the war as a result of german invasion of belgium, but also the incredibly famous poem 'flanders fields' and the symbol of the poppy from belgian fields suggests to me that this understanding continues into adulthood for most people here. For reference, we barely covered world war 2 at all. The latest thing I recall learning about in history at school was the weimar republic and the leadup to world war 2, but they didn't attempt to teach what actually happened dring the course of the fighting. (presumably because it was far too complicated and all over the world to paint a consistent picture to schoolchildren) - It was mainly about the political situation in germany such as the beer hall putsch and communist bavarian uprising. It also has to be said I am relatively young and a lot of this occured around 12 years ago so older people may have a different picture from their schooling, but I have seen nothing that leads me to believe that - older people tend to have great respect for these things as well.
jerry40 8y ago
Also I hope couple of the oldest european historians can remember that little country on the East, I forgot its name...

pjc50 8y ago

Belgium didn't have a chance to do much actual fighting, in both wars it was conquered almost immediately. Belgium would also rather not talk about its period of colonial genocide.

_Codemonkeyism 8y ago
a.) Proportionally the Belgian civilians and the country suffered most. b.) Yes.

Steve44 8y ago

> It also looks to me Belgium is forgotten, isn't it? I think a lot of people in the UK are well aware of the Menin Gate at Ypres and their Last Post ceremony. There are so many places and incidents in history that they can't all be remembered with equal vigour. Some will be less prominent than others, it doesn't necessary mean they are forgotten.

RugnirViking 8y ago

As a school child in the UK when learning about the world wars we took a trip directly to belgium, not france. We visited flanders fields in ypres, and menin gate. We were taught a great deal about belgian involvement, and most of the impression I got very much included belgium as central to the fighting. Of course, that might be a UK perspective, given we got into the war as a result of german invasion of belgium, but also the incredibly famous poem 'flanders fields' and the symbol of the poppy from belgian fields suggests to me that this understanding continues into adulthood for most people here. For reference, we barely covered world war 2 at all. The latest thing I recall learning about in history at school was the weimar republic and the leadup to world war 2, but they didn't attempt to teach what actually happened dring the course of the fighting. (presumably because it was far too complicated and all over the world to paint a consistent picture to schoolchildren) - It was mainly about the political situation in germany such as the beer hall putsch and communist bavarian uprising. It also has to be said I am relatively young and a lot of this occured around 12 years ago so older people may have a different picture from their schooling, but I have seen nothing that leads me to believe that - older people tend to have great respect for these things as well.

jerry40 8y ago

Also I hope couple of the oldest european historians can remember that little country on the East, I forgot its name...