If you have been through high school, the odds are good that you know a little bit about World War II. You may have even talked with a family member about it, what they saw, experienced and how it impacted their life. In Europe, there are many sites that you can visit to learn even more about the biggest world war the planet has ever seen. Involving more than 30 countries and 100 million people around the world, the Second World War was one of the most widespread wars of our time. If you are studying a master of arts in military history, here are a few of the must-see sites from the war that you can find in Europe.
Arnhem Bridge in Netherlands
To some, it seems like just a bridge, but this bridge was the site of the Battle of Arnhem. The battle was very important in the war and was the subject of many books and the movie, “A Bridge Too Far”. The bridge was ultimately destroyed to keep German supplies from getting to their destination.
Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory in Poland
If there is one place that you should visit, it would be the enamel factory that Schindler used to save many Jews during the Second World War. Schindler is regarded as a hero and even though most of the factory no longer stands, the administration building is there and there you will find the Krakow Museum of Contemporary Art and Historical Museum of the City of Krakow.
Warsaw Ghetto in Poland
The city of Warsaw in Poland is worth visiting to begin with, but if you are looking for a place to learn more about how the Nazi’s controlled the area, Warsaw should be first on the list. The deadliest Ghetto created by the Nazi’s during that time saw more than 380,000 people crammed into small rooms that contained up to 8 people in many cases. Many of the buildings have remained untouched for the last 60-70 years.
Bletchley Park in England
If you are specifically interested in the code breaking that happened during the war, Bletchley Park is the place to visit. Setup by the British and used as a central location for code breaking, it was easily the largest area specifically used to break Axis communications during the war.
Normandy, France
It will be hard to talk about the Second World War without talking about Normandy, France. The beaches were used by the allies to move the balance of the war in their favor back in 1944. Across the five beaches, the Americans, French, British and Canadian armies changed the tide of WWII in Europe.
Studying the military history of the world can be an enlightening experience. If you are looking to acquire your military history degree, you are likely to learn about many of these places on the list. The areas are rich in history and will provide a great backdrop for reports and other educational papers that you may be required to write.
