What really happened in the world from 1939 to 1945? I wasn't present, even my ancestors took part only in a miniature of what really happened. Africa as a whole didn't feel the storm as Europe did.
So how do I know so much about it, despite having ancestors that didn't really participate actively in the fiasco?. The internet would be a reasonable answer, but that's a broad view.
For me, books and movies did the trick, and none other than Schindler's List made it feel as though I was in Poland and a Jew.
Source- Fair use from Wikipedia
History is a template to learn from and make necessary correction. This movie not only retold history it enshrined it in my heart.
The persecution of the Jews in Nazi occupied territory at that time could not be compared to any in the history of wars. Although the movie is brutal in its telling, the truth cannot be washed down especially when the director is Steven Spielberg.
When I first saw this movie, I asked myself could all these have happened all were there some added for the sake of viewers and my answer was no. I think some where even removed to save the public the heart break that would ensue.
This movie only covered a tip of the sufferings the Jews endured, it follows a sad tale of a German industrialist who tried to save Jews.
War is traumatic, my grand father fought in the Nigerian civil war from 1967 to 1970. The tales he told me was unbelievable. Now I compare that to a world war and I'm left with my head shaking, no wonder Ukraine gets me nervous.
If I were a Jew in Nazi territory back then, I don't know what I would have done. Some people complained that the Jews didn't fight back. I think I would have lost the will to fight back too. Thank goodness for humanity and the intervention by the west.
The Germans as this movies showed weren't all bad. Their military and authoritative government defaced the good and loving German population. Good thing this story of Oskar Schindler resonate through the atrocities committed by the German SS.
I'm glad that the story had a good ending as Schindler saved up to a thousand Jews and helped paint a better picture of the regular German.
History like I stated earlier should be learned from, what happened in Poland and other Nazi territory should not be repeated in Ukraine. The thoughts of the Ukraine people spured me to write this particular piece and I hope as all wars end, this should follow suit.
Check out more movies based on true story on the cine TV Contest page.