Whats Up With The Locals Admiration For Hitler?!

[transam]

The gf works as a maid for an elderly German who has told her a few things that haven't sat right with me. One being that the Germans didn't start the war. Shame my dad never go to meet this guy.

, perhaps ex SS eh.

[raro]

I also came across this Nazi admiration from Thais, usually not so well educated ones.

Much more worrisome is a standard reply by Japanese of all walks of life who raise their glass and toast "next time without the Italians" once they learn that I am German . At first I thought it was a joke, but nope, they mean it.

[LuukKoeyKorat]

As a Kraut, this response never ceases to totally surprise and dismay me. Don't they teach the reality and horrors of Nazism in the classroom? Of the effects of WWII ? Is the subject ignored in general history lessons in Thai schools? Any other Germans have the same experiences as me?

take a wild guess what a German like me experienced during a decade in the Middle East

Obviously heaps of admiration for originating from the country of Porsches, Benz & BMW..... ;-)

[DocN]

I also came across this Nazi admiration from Thais, usually not so well educated ones.

Much more worrisome is a standard reply by Japanese of all walks of life who raise their glass and toast "next time without the Italians" once they learn that I am German . At first I thought it was a joke, but nope, they mean it.

Unfortunately not ONLY poorly educated ones....

[kennedy]

I also came across this Nazi admiration from Thais, usually not so well educated ones.

Much more worrisome is a standard reply by Japanese of all walks of life who raise their glass and toast "next time without the Italians" once they learn that I am German . At first I thought it was a joke, but nope, they mean it.

All walks of life?

[Jingthing]

...

Much more worrisome is a standard reply by Japanese of all walks of life who raise their glass and toast "next time without the Italians" once they learn that I am German . At first I thought it was a joke, but nope, they mean it.

That surprises me having had limited experiences with Japanese people but obviously not as a German. I hope you are mostly talking about much OLDER Japanese, anyway.

[robblok]

I also came across this Nazi admiration from Thais, usually not so well educated ones.

Much more worrisome is a standard reply by Japanese of all walks of life who raise their glass and toast "next time without the Italians" once they learn that I am German . At first I thought it was a joke, but nope, they mean it.

Can you blame them, who wants the Italians in their team

But if they are dead serious its worry some. I would think that Europe would not start a war again neither would any country that had a lot to loose.

[Naam]

It was a European War between Europeans and peoples of European origin. The general population of Thailand and Asia have as much interest in European wars as Europeans have in Asian wars between Asians.

It was a world war actually and Asia was VERY involved in it.

The part involving Hitler was European, he is the subject matter, not the Japanese involvement.

...ahm...since he is the one person and Germany being the one nation that is basically responsible for WW2...which part didn't involve Hitler?

the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor

[Naam]

As a Kraut, this response never ceases to totally surprise and dismay me. Don't they teach the reality and horrors of Nazism in the classroom? Of the effects of WWII ? Is the subject ignored in general history lessons in Thai schools? Any other Germans have the same experiences as me?

take a wild guess what a German like me experienced during a decade in the Middle East

Obviously heaps of admiration for originating from the country of Porsches, Benz & BMW..... ;-)

actually the admiration of Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen and Treblinka surpassed the admiration of German automotive engineering. but most unsettling was once in a while the added blame "you Germans didn't do a thorough job."

[cdnvic]

Is this at all about Thailand anymore? Either keep it relevant or it's getting closed. I'd rather do that than suspend people for trying to re-fight WW2 again.

[lemoncake]

I could be wrong, but from memory, i read that during WW2, Thailand was going to join with Hitler, but was warned by USA if they do, USA would drop a nuke.

Off topic, but probably not true since the war in Europe ended on 7th May 1945, first nuke dropped on 6th August 1945.

Jan 25, 1942 Thailand declares war on the United States and England

They were already on the same side.

Yep it's ringing more bells, they declared war but has not yet sent any troops and USA warned them or something along the lines (may be someone can dig up some facts)

From memory of what I read, Thailand did consider that part of its involvement as an embarrassment and hence it's been erased from Thai history and education

[Shot]

He was short (by western standards). He had black hair, and a bad haircut. What’s not to like.

[thenervoussurgeon]

most Thais dont know who Hitler really was ,to them he was just some bloke they have seen pictures of.

[transam]

1st page in and its about fascism and nazis.

This threads doomed I feel.

The topic is about the Nazi leader in essence.

[DP25]

It was a European War between Europeans and peoples of European origin. The general population of Thailand and Asia have as much interest in European wars as Europeans have in Asian wars between Asians.

It was a world war actually and Asia was VERY involved in it.

But Thailand wasn't that involved in it. They were technically allied with Japan, but they didn't do much real fighting (only 5,000 military deaths during the entire war, mostly from disease), they weren't carpet bombed like Japan, their cities weren't invaded and burned to the ground like in China, and there was no famine like in the rest of SEA. They didn't suffer the same horrors that almost every other country that participated did. People don't grow up with stories of their parents and grandparents fighting or suffering during that time period like in other countries. It sounds crazy because WWII is such a huge deal to most of the world, but Thailand it's basically a forgotten war.

[TomTao]

My mother's grandfather was a German Jew who fought for Australia in WW2, I was appalled when the teacher at a school where I did some part time teaching started talking about what a great man Hitler was, the teacher spoke English so I told her some of Hitler's grimmer achievements in the concentration camps, the students listened to the translation with a look of shock on most faces, any talk of admiration stopped after that.

[rene123]

Hitler WAS a great leader. He was also a very good artist. Unfortunately, he was also a megalomaniac with delusions of grandeur... and not so different than an ex-leader of Thailand. His radical ideas about a superior race were not so much different than some radical Islamic groups. Hitler came along at a time when Germany was being depressed by the Allied leaders and the Germans were justifiably upset. There have been a few other parallels in history.

[Jingthing]

Hitler WAS a great leader. He was also a very good artist. Unfortunately, he was also a megalomaniac with delusions of grandeur... and not so different than an ex-leader of Thailand. His radical ideas about a superior race were not so much different than some radical Islamic groups. Hitler came along at a time when Germany was being depressed by the Allied leaders and the Germans were justifiably upset. There have been a few other parallels in history.

He wasn't such a good artist. If he had been, he would have been admitted to art school in Vienna and history would changed entirely.

[Lancelot]

Maybe the Thais admire Hitler, but Hitler didn't admire them. Hitler didn't have much use for any race besides his idea of Aryan folk.

You have to laugh, admiring a guy that wanted to exterminate them.

You couldn't make this stuff up

[Morakot]

most Thais dont know who Hitler really was ,to them he was just some bloke they have seen pictures of.

Probably most people around the world nowadays don't really know either.

[Silom]

Today I saw a tour bus, on the back Che Guevara and a huge Nazi swart sticker on the side, nicly airbrushed.

Who cares...they put Manchester and Liverpool stickers together on their cars.

Whats up you asking... serious?

[kennedy]

I think the Thais like him because he is such a hansum devil.

Edited January 23, 2013 by metisdead
: Bold font removed, again. Please stop posting using bold/odd fonts.

[Takeo]

Everything seems to have gone a little off topic, but I just thought Id mention that I work in an international school and they cover WWI and WWII. It must be said that when asking at the start of the module 'who was Hitler' I had 3 hands go up out of a class of 21. My feeling is they dont know anything about it.

It is not as some people are suggesting a lack of interest, is more history I feel is not something taught very well here in general unless it is told in a certain way.

Thailand did have an involvement in WWII, much like people have mentioned with the Japanese occupation, as a result declaring war on Britain and France but not the USA, which when it came to retributions being paid after WWII, the USA made sure Thailand got off lightly. The main focus also was Japan fighting British and French troops in Burma, Lao, Cambodia and Vietnam, giving land gained to Thailand as a agreement for being occupied.

Sure Nazi Germany and Thailand might not have had a direct link, but it certainly was a world war involving most corners of the globe (mainly due to colonial links).

[Fauchky]

Honestly, how many Thais actually understand the reality and tragedy of the nazis? This is not the UK or USA where The History Channel has a constant rotation of Hitler documentaries. Is the Holocaust even taught in non-international schools?

Edited January 23, 2013 by Fauchky

[SteeleJoe]

I could be wrong, but from memory, i read that during WW2, Thailand was going to join with Hitler, but was warned by USA if they do, USA would drop a nuke.

There's a lot I'm slightly tempted to add to this thread - the subject of WWII including Thailand's participation being something I know something about - but I won't bore anyone with all that; however I have to say that I'd be quite interested to know where Lemoncake read that extraordinary...errr...stuff above.

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa ap

[SteeleJoe]

It was a European War between Europeans and peoples of European origin. The general population of Thailand and Asia have as much interest in European wars as Europeans have in Asian wars between Asians.

It was a world war actually and Asia was VERY involved in it.

The part involving Hitler was European, he is the subject matter, not the Japanese involvement.

...ahm...since he is the one person and Germany being the one nation that is basically responsible for WW2...which part didn't involve Hitler?

Some historians would argue that WWII began with the Japanese in 1937. Regardless, it's hardly as if Hitler was responsible for their war-making or the cause of it; their geo-political ambitions and (at least from their perspective and not without some basis) their very survival as the nation state they'd become required military expansionism and war with the US. And THAT was clear in the 30s...

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa ap

[simple1]

I could be wrong, but from memory, i read that during WW2, Thailand was going to join with Hitler, but was warned by USA if they do, USA would drop a nuke.

Off topic, but probably not true since the war in Europe ended on 7th May 1945, first nuke dropped on 6th August 1945.

The nuke was in the making, soooooooo the threat could be real eh.

No, The Manhattan Project was top secret, no way the US would have even mentioned the technology to the Thais. In any case it wasn't until the Potsdam declaration in July 1945 that the Japanese were warned to surrender unconditionally or face ‘prompt and utter destruction.’

[SteeleJoe]

I could be wrong, but from memory, i read that during WW2, Thailand was going to join with Hitler, but was warned by USA if they do, USA would drop a nuke.

Off topic, but probably not true since the war in Europe ended on 7th May 1945, first nuke dropped on 6th August 1945.

The nuke was in the making, soooooooo the threat could be real eh.

No, The Manhattan Project was top secret, no way the US would have even mentioned the technology to the Thais. In any case it wasn't until the Potsdam declaration in July 1945 that the Japanese were warned to surrender unconditionally or face ‘prompt and utter destruction.’

Correct. The US hardly went around using the atomic bomb as a threat - it's a ridiculous notion.

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa ap

[lemoncake]

I could be wrong, but from memory, i read that during WW2, Thailand was going to join with Hitler, but was warned by USA if they do, USA would drop a nuke.

There's a lot I'm slightly tempted to add to this thread - the subject of WWII including Thailand's participation being something I know something about - but I won't bore anyone with all that; however I have to say that I'd be quite interested to know where Lemoncake read that extraordinary...errr...stuff above.

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa ap

Please do add whatever you know, because as i said already 3 times, i do not recall full details of events of what i read.

[Somtamnication]

Beats me why the admiration, but this is a school in Chiang Mai a couple of years ago.

Oh, and the school administration was "unaware" of this during the school festivities. My question is, in picture 1, why is Lennon seen as Hitler? Mr. Bean? sigh