Today's Itinerary and Activities
Day 10: July 15
Today we were introduced to the politics behind Allied strategy for ending the war and then walked the urban battlefield of Groningen to consider the problem of freeing the city without destroying it. We also considered how the war experience in the Northern provinces differs from the Dutch experience in the south.
Today we were introduced to the politics behind Allied strategy for ending the war and then walked the urban battlefield of Groningen to consider the problem of freeing the city without destroying it. We also considered how the war experience in the Northern provinces differs from the Dutch experience in the south.
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The Battle for GroningenOur guide Joel Stoppels walked us through the City of Groningen, step by step through this urban battlefield, pointing out crucial decision-making points and sharing stories that have become local lore.
The Eems river is where the German soldiers could escape and return to Germany, which is why the Canadians must cut them off at Groningen. This is a decision point for a commander to gain information about the enemy intentions. Are they going to hold the city and fight or try and escape? How do you teach about significant decision-making points in a war? There is a theme of justice and restraint on revenge that runs through this last chapter of the war, when enemy soldiers are surrendering. We consider that how we behave after a war, how we end a war, is not just about the victims of war but about all of society, about building the kind of society we want to have. So how do we deal with the Germans? |
The lessons learned from Ortona serve Canada well in Groningen, where the fighting house-to-house requires a specific tactical approach. The infantry clears out each house and the tanks roll through afterwards. We must put men in each room of each house to ensure that German soldiers can't backfill the area.
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Classroom questions
When in the war are the German troops thinking about leaving the cause?
To what extent would the German escape be to return home to protect their own families?
How many kinds of courage are there?
What is the difference between a German soldier doing his job the way Canadian soldiers were, and a Nazi?
What does the fact that certain battles are iconic tell us about ourselves?
If the battle in the archive had been extended and the Germans had not surrendered, what would the city of Groningen have lost?
To what extent would the German escape be to return home to protect their own families?
How many kinds of courage are there?
What is the difference between a German soldier doing his job the way Canadian soldiers were, and a Nazi?
What does the fact that certain battles are iconic tell us about ourselves?
If the battle in the archive had been extended and the Germans had not surrendered, what would the city of Groningen have lost?