Not to be rude by implying there is nothing interesting, I do think this war was a great tragedy, but it was also a good event in many ways. But what is the reason(s) for such interest as some of you have?

I go through many phases of interests and my main interest in World War 2 was the strategy involved. I've recently watched a few movies on World War 2 (The Great Escape, Saving Private Ryan, etc) and it seemed like a very interesting topic to research. I wasn't dissapointed.

Listening to stories told by my grandfather and trying to find out more of what he did as well as his brothers.

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"They wrote in the old days that it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country. But in modern war there is nothing sweet or fitting in your dying. You will die like a dog for no good reason."

i would say the many documentarys on TV when i was younger. One of the major things that REALLY got me going for it was as i got older i studied the reasons of the war...it seems like there has never been a war where there was such definition of good and evil.
I found it fascinating how evil came so close to winning..but good triumfed fully in the end. also war is terrible...but WW2 (and the US revolution, US civil war for that matter) had the best reason's to be fought...WW2 was completely necessary. Where as you look at say Vietnam...and you think what was the point again? oh it was a communist state..that's rather weak (but i still wouldn't have dodged the draft)
Plus it was the largest war ever fought so thats a biggie too hehe
Also the war was fought fully in the air, on land, and at sea on such a large scale it boggles my mind...IT'S JUST REALLY INTERESTING LOL

[This message has been edited by Ron (edited 13 March 2001).]

Some of my reasona are: I had at least 5 relatives that fought in the war, luckily none were killed.

I know many vets from both sides of the battlelines.

I love history.

My mother got me interested in WW2 by showing me my grandfathers western-union telegrams, photos, and his medals.

Watching the movies/TV shows and Documentaries.

This is about the easiest I can make my answer.

A grandad in the war and a dad that collected many books and films about ww2 got me hooked.

My interests are however, limited to groundforces, especially German units. Although my family fought the germans in Rotterdam, their organisation, weaponry and tenacity intrigues me

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*** We shall not retreat, nor shall we surrender. If we cannot stay here alive, we shall stay here dead***

It's the passion dude!! WW2 was mentally crazy because so many people were fighting to hard for their cause. I mean you got Kamikazes, nazis, death camps, huge tanks and all that shit. 56 nations battling it out for survival, that's great fucking hisory guys!!!!!

Other conflicts just don't have the passion of WW2.

[This message has been edited by Peppy (edited 14 March 2001).]

I just think everything about it was interesting. The strategy, battle plans, technology, and the fact i had about 3 or 4 relatives fighting with the United States. I don't know how someone could find it not interesting. Of course it was a great tragedy but it helped out many countries when it was finally over.

I sort of got into WWII because of my boyfriend (he belongs to the forum : "Ron" ) he's very much into this war. So from listening to him I learned quite a bit. I had always been interested in history and now at college I'm a history minor and I'm taking a class on US History and we're giving some special focus to the war. I've been studying for about a month and I've managed to absorb quite alot.

Thats great Nikki, and we are learning from you too.

It's simply the event which shaped the world we know today.
The horror and violence may attract in the manner of horror movies and/or novels - that is, something repellant which nonetheless fascinates, but I am fascinated by aspects such as the cultures in conflict - varying moral codes, world views and ideologies battling to alter the world order for the forseeable future...
Also, the manner in which WW2 altered the world in its aftermath, not only because the Axis was defeated, but the changes such as the declines of the European colonial empires, the changes in American culture due to the exposure of thousands to the cultures of European nations and the move toward an urban rather than rural society...
It's just so much MORE than a conflict of arms and armed men!

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Novus Ordo Seclorum

ager I have to agree with this because in many ways, this war helped shape our nation and others in positive ways. Technology, weapons, tactics, and much more. And that's what makes it so intersting as well, just being so influencial!

i think it's fasinating plan and simple

I am so peppy you are an get out of here

what did peppy do? did he do something wrong...or do you just disagree with him?

watch your mouth in the future I don't enjoy profanity. Okay. Thanks.

Message for JoCon--no need to have that tone on anyone, as far as I can see Peppy didn't do a thing but answer the asked question.

Also, no need for so many posts with short answers--believe me they all will fit well enough on one post. I forget to add things from time-to-time and will do back-to-back postings.

Dont take this the wrong way or as a personal attack, its just suggestions. These is great need for EVERYONE to be civil while posting. I would not have answered on this one but for the reason that this needed to be said.

Otherwise, I suggest you having fun here like everyone else.

[This message has been edited by C.Evans (edited 31 March 2001).]

So you dont like people using profanity? I don't think the rest of us quite enjoy people antagonizing others. This site is for discussions, meaning theres no reason to get mad at anyone else. If you want to respond, do it respectufully and try to understand where the person is coming from.

JoCon: I think you should stop being so critical of others and focus on the point of this site.......discuss the topics, learn, and as Evans said before, have fun with all of it.

OK, I think we all got it. Lets stop arguing, and Peppy, try to tone it down a little, ok?

OK guys I'll tone it down with the cursing, but I still mean what I said, WW2 was a "passionate" war, people actually fought for beliefs, unlike todays conflicts like the gulf war or the US involvement in Yugoslavia.

What do you think is less passionate nowadays and in the Gulf War and such than from WWII?

I'm saying that the participants in WW2 truly believed they were fighting for more than their own survival. They believed they were fighting for the very existance of their culture, their people and their nation. This sort of determined passion and widespread sacrifice did not exist in the Gulf war. I am not saying Gulf War vets didn't secrifice. I am saying that they knew that win or lose, the US way of life was not threatened. In WW2, there was a different sense of urgency about what would happen to your people if your country lost the war.

[This message has been edited by Peppy (edited 02 April 2001).]

I feel the same way. A lot of previous wars were fought with so much more passion such as the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. I still think soldiers today fight with their hearts, but not with the passion that our ancestors had.

I still also agree that there are many veterans of recent wars that did sacrifice and try their hardest to fight for what they believed in. And I have no personal experiance in any such battle, but I just dont feel the same passion as in history. But thats only from reading, not first hand accounts.