Canadians In Germany Consider War Commitments Canadian teachers caravanned into Germany to study the role of Canada in the war from the air by examining bomber command. As we began our day we were faced with very difficult decisions, these were the decisions which faced our leaders near the start of the Second World War. We were asked to consider the role that bombing should take in total war. As teachers we examine these questions while considering our pedagogy and how we might help our students to confront the past in order to gain an appreciation for the challenges that faced the leaders of the era. It is quite surprising to learn the amount of commitment which Canada was willing to make to the war effort, and to learn that this was determined early in the war. When working with students on Canada’s role there are many ways to look at possible alternatives including role playing the decision makers of the era and asking the students to determine what types of commitment Canada should make, how much we are willing to sacrifice, and the morality of the decisions. Most people would squirm a little when forced to consider what and who should be targeted for bombing, or how long, or how much we should spend, but these are the realities of the past and it is critical to examine them.
We also need to consider that with actions come consequences. War has both of these in abundance! Consider the fact that bomber command, for which Canada provided thousands of men, was to target not just the enemy fighting forces, but their means of production…. this means factories yes, but also the people who work at them. Nearly everyone began to squirm a bit more when we discussed the direct targeting of civilians. What incredible ethics questions. Then consider cause and consequence, how would we expect the Canadian populous to react to this knowledge? How would the Germans react? How would the airmen themselves react knowing who they targeted? While at the Reichswald Forest Commonwealth Cemetery shortly afterwards we heard the biography of an airman who survived being shot down, but who had been beaten to death by some citizens and an SA man. No question that the people who felt they were targeted reacted. This knowledge led to some great seminars where we confronted our own ethical boundaries. We role played the Canadian cabinet and it’s decision to commit to total war from the air. This was a great example of how to engage our students, how to challenge their thinking, and how to give them an opportunity to seek/gather data to make their decisions as informed as possible. Our final seminar had us consider the memorializing of the era of the Second World War. On this tour we have seen memorials of many kinds including Canadian, Polish, and Dutch cemeteries each giving us an example of a different way to memorialize wartime losses. Though creating a memorial would seem so simple on the surface, actually more questions were raised today than decisions rendered. We have seen many memorials discussed in our own communities, but with far fewer implications. This is a great exercise which requires a great deal of research on many levels. This is a very effective exercise which encourages teachers to incorporate the Historical Thinking precepts. Though the day had fewer stops that did not make it any less stimulating. Well done planners and facilitators! Larry Mikulcik Teacher, William Derby School Strasbourg, Saskatchewan
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AuthorsParticipating educators and high school students share reflections on their professional and personal experiences during and after the program. Some posts link to the Gregg Centre for the Study of War and Society's blog, Studeamus bellum causa pacis. Archives
August 2015
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