EUROPEAN HISTORYSIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES

We chose to work on major European events of the XXth century :

- life during World War Two

- Reconstruction after WW2

- Propaganda during the Cold War

- Autumn of the nations

- The feeling about European Union

Students mainly looked for witnesses, documents and made presentations in Poland in March 2013.

This work was very interesting for students and for teachers as well. Especially talking about Cold War and the differences in everyday life between Eastern and Western countries. Recent history is needed to understand our world today, and it appeared that few students really knew what had happened 30 years ago. Working on it, talking to witnesses made things more concrete.

Here is a sum up of the debate which took place after the students’presentations.

About the living conditions during WWII, we noticed many common points : food rationing, curfew, bombing, black market, children set to the countryside… Norway, Poland and France were invaded by the Nazis.

But in Poland things were worse for different reasons : the Shoah took place in Poland ; German camps were set there. There were ghettos for Jews. Around 99% of the polish jews died during this period.Krakow was the German capital of Eastern Europe. Polish people bowed to Germans like slaves. Farmers gave all their food to Germans.They couldn't go to the cinema, couldn't use cars, paidphones...Universities were closed. They used to have classes in private flats secretly...Monuments,factories, houses, in both countries were destroyed but we can report that Germans bombed all the north of Norway because they didn't want to leave anything for Russians.

From London, French and Polish resistance started to be organized. The Norvegian government was also established in this town. They tried to motivate people to fight against the advancing German invasion.Post-War period:

Reconstruction

American helped the 3 countries (Marshall Plan).After the war, France and Norway were under the influence of Americans.who were seen as heros. They called them Öthe SavioursÜ.Of the 68's generation, this situation changed specially during the Vietnam War.In Poland, at the beginning Americans were their enemy but after a while they tried to look like them! However, they appeared Evil in Poland.

Cold War propagandaStudying propaganda during the Cold War was very interesting because Poland was not part of the same camp. Obviously our points of view are different.

After World War II, Communist Terror started for the polish population. They were very scared (spies, denouncements...). They missed food and they were very poor. Americans, English and Russians drew the polish borders without any consultation with the polish government. Everything belonged to the nation (no private companies). They imposed an economic plan. The Church was also persecuted. They couldn't travel; it was very difficult for them to get a visa. People tried to escape their country to find a life of freedom.

In France and Norway, it was different.The births exploded (baby boom).The Economy continued to grow up with stable governments. Work for everyone!! They were free to go anywhere.They lived under Democracy.

The autumn of nationsThis was a major event for Poland who became free in 1989. The first free elections took place, it has since been a democracy.In France and Norway people haven’t always understood how important this was. Some people followed the news intensely, but the majority knows something has happened, but when ? Where ? Why ?

European feelings

Poland belongs to the European Union since 2004, France since 1957 but Norway isn't a member state of the EU.Polish people have a very positive point of view about European union. They have benefited from the EU and have joined it recently.French people are mostly in favour of EU except for the common currency because of the growth of prices in everyday life.Norvegian people think EU is good, but not for their country, for others !