The T-34 and other things I never learned in school

[bliskucha]

I wonder how many of you out there know (because I never learned it in school) that what really won the war for the Soviet Union against Germany (aside from the notoriously harsh Russian winter) was the T-34 tank. It put the German Panzer to shame, and was considered the best tank in the world. It's referred to as a Soviet Tank, but in fact, it was built and designed by a Ukrainian in the Kharkiv tractor factory. His name, Y.O. Paton.

Here's a site about that:
http://www.infoukes.com/history/ww2/page-26.html

It's interesting how Ukraine gets so little credit where she is do. I posted under Food & Drink that, for example, the world thinks Borscht is Russian. As well, people think 25 million Russians died in World War II. In fact, something again I never learned in school, 10 million of them were Ukrainian. Gee, so in the early 30's, Stalin starved 10 million Ukrainians, and ten years later, Hitler killed 10 million Ukrainians. Does anybody ever discuss how in a period of ten years, 20 million Ukrainians died horrible deaths. Not to mention the 2.2 million Ukrainians sent to German "labor camps" that were actually horrific concentration camps. And lastly, I also never knew that Hitler considered the Ukrainians, along with the Jews, "untermensch"- sub-humans, as well as all Slavs.
Hmmm. Stalin on the one side, Hitler on the other. Never learned any of this in school.

[Nickolas]

Kathy,

Now communism is taught in almost all western university
faculty of art programs as the new model of thought.

Tanks are not necessary.

[albatros]

yeah and them commies fluoridate the drinking water too

(dr Strangelove flashback)

[johnstruthers]

Nikolas, where do you get that crap? Don't lay those things out there like little mines, be specific: Name a University, a professor, a course, a textbook. Otherwise, quit making those nutso claims.

[bliskucha]

Hello Kathy,
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas as well. I want to thank you for yor very informative reply to my post. The stories that I hear of that period of history are almost impossible to comprehend--but I'm finding that I'm learning more about history now through my own readings than I ever did from a textbook in high school.
Thanks again and happy new year!

[Nickolas]

The information and comment is for Kathy.

[Nickolas]

Bliskucha,

It's funny, I felt the same thing talking about history to my friends recently.

I mentioned if I wrote the same history exams I did at University 10 years ago,
I would probably fail. The reason being is that much of the knowledge (new information)
I understand now comes from the internet,
not a particular history text, stamped and approved by committee, from university.

I am definately learning more about history via the Internet, chat rooms (first-hand sources),
web sites, Ukraine.com and so on, than I ever did at Simon Fraser University - one of Canada's
top ranked institutions of secular knowledge.