VE Day is one of those most historic days, but as this article reveals, VE Day was met with mixed feelings by both the major and minor players.
This was because the end of the conflict in Europe was a cause for joy, but also a reminder of the continuing war against Japan, the suffering of the preceding years and also the instability which had led to the war.
KS 2-3
Examine these mixed feelings by contrasting the joy of VE Day with the hardships of the Home Front. A good resource for this can be found at www.learningcurve.gov.ukhomefrontdefault.htm.
KS 4-5
Students at GCSEand A-level might consider some even more challenging issues. For example, the BBC People’s War website (www.bbc.co.ukdnaww2) contains numerous entries from veterans of the war in the Far East and their feelings that theirs was the forgotten war. Many were upset when they heard about the celebrations of VE Day. Other tough questions might also be considered. The National Archives Learning Curve challenges students to consider the question: “How strong was the wartime alliance?”
(www.learningcurve.gov.ukcoldwarG2default.htm), echoing the tensions between Churchill and Stalin, which are raised in this article.
KS5
Consider the question of how the Allies achieved their victory in the Second World War. One of the leading experts in the field sets out his views at www.bbc.co.ukhistorywarwwtwohow_the_allies_won_01.shtml
