Ghazala Posted 11 February , 2014 Share Posted 11 February , 2014 This was in The Times today.... Fewer than half the Britons questioned in a poll had any idea that US and Canadian troops fought in the First World War. Barely more than a third knew that Australia and New Zealand were involved. The level of ignorance revealed by the survey even extended to what side countries fought on. More than half the respondents did not know that Turkey fought on the German side, despite the notoriety of the abortive invasion of the Gallipoli peninsula. The research, carried out in Britain and six other countries, showed that knowledge of the conflict was largely limited to the fighting on the Western Front, according to the British Council, which commissioned the study. Only 38 per cent of British respondents knew that North America was involved in the war, despite the fact that Canada as a dominion declared war on Germany in August 1914, and the US joined the war in April 1917. About 67,000 Canadian troops and 114,000 from the US were killed. Even though the involvement of Australian and New Zealand troops in the Gallipoli campaign is ingrained on their national consciousness, only 35 per cent of British people were aware that they took part. More than 61,000 Australians were killed in the war and 18,000 New Zealanders. There was also widespread ignorance about what side some countries fought on. Although 41 per cent of people surveyed in the UK correctly said that Turkey fought with the enemy, 43 per cent thought that it was neutral or not involved, and 15 per cent thought that it fought alongside the UK. Asked about Russia, 47 per cent correctly said it was on the Allied side, while 24 per cent said that it was neutral and 28 per cent that it fought on the German side. Other misconceptions were perhaps more understandable. Fifty-three per cent thought the Netherlands fought with the Allies, although it was neutral (41 per cent knew that). Only 9 per cent correctly said that what is now Rwanda and was then part of German East Africa fought against the Allies. Similar confusions were found elsewhere. In India one of the countries surveyed, along with France, Germany, Egypt, Russia and Turkey 27 per cent thought that it fought against Britain. In fact more than 1.4 million Indians fought as part of the British forces. The report also revealed the extent to which the war influences overseas views of the UK. Asked about the UKs role in the war, 45 per cent of people questioned in India and 28 per cent of those in France and Russia said that it had a positive effect on how they viewed the UK. However, 34 per cent in Turkey and 22 per cent in Egypt said it had a negative effect the legacy of factors including the Balfour Declaration, committing Britain to establishing a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine, and the Sykes-Picot Agreement, which divided up the Middle East between Britain and France. John Worne, the British Councils director of strategy, said: Our research shows that the things we in the UK know and remember the most from the First World War are the harrowing images and iconic stories from the Western Front and rightly so. But we shouldnt forget that the war touched many other parts of the world. Even a hundred years later a person from the UK travelling for business or pleasure will find the war still influences the way people overseas view the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 11 February , 2014 Share Posted 11 February , 2014 I confess to having had to check a couple of times what role Italy played in the Great War. I would have hesitated before defining Holland's status. And was not Russia's role towards the end of the war, after the Revolution, neutral? Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 11 February , 2014 Share Posted 11 February , 2014 Even a hundred years later a person from the UK travelling for business or pleasure will find the war still influences the way people overseas view the UK. Certainly I have found that those people in Saudi who had even heard of T E Lawrence viewed him in a very different light to the way he is portrayed over here! And took a different slant on British involvement. And once on business in Vienna I was told "If you lot hadn't intervened we might still have an emperor" - it was said in a tone of regret! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelS Posted 11 February , 2014 Share Posted 11 February , 2014 No questions on Japan's involvement then. Is there any mention of the survey's demographics & how many were questioned? NigelS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelS Posted 11 February , 2014 Share Posted 11 February , 2014 Full details of the survey (downloadable as a pdf) can be found on the British Councils website Remember the World not the war - ( Snow warning: there's a foreword by Danny boy) an appendix on the methodology gives: The British Council commissioned YouGov to carry out an online survey among the adult (over 18) populations of Egypt, France, Germany, India, Russia, Turkey and the UK. All surveys were launched simultaneously in September 2013 to minimise the risk of external international events affecting responses. The results were weighted to be nationally representative of age, gender and region. Country SampleEgypt 1,081France 1,029Germany 1,070India 1,022Russia 1,019Turkey 1,052UK 1,215Total 7,488 on a quick glance through, there doesn't seem to be any mention of how the online participants were selected though; there appears to be some good maps, statistics and other information (for the war, as well as the survey) with sources, and the expected fancy graphics/charts etc displaying the survey's results. Wonder now much that cost? NigelS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghazala Posted 11 February , 2014 Author Share Posted 11 February , 2014 On business in Vienna I was told "If you lot hadn't intervened we might still have an emperor" - it was said in a tone of regret! Perhaps they should put some of the blame on Gavrilo Princip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghazala Posted 11 February , 2014 Author Share Posted 11 February , 2014 Certainly I have found that those people in Saudi who had even heard of T E Lawrence viewed him in a very different light to the way he is portrayed over here! I have been told by friends that his name is spoken of with pride when they travelled to Wadi Rum in the Jordanian desert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khaki Posted 11 February , 2014 Share Posted 11 February , 2014 'sic transit gloria mundi' khaki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 11 February , 2014 Share Posted 11 February , 2014 I have been told by friends that his name is spoken of with pride when they travelled to Wadi Rum in the Jordanian desert. Not the case in Rabigh where he had his HQ, at least not when I was based there leading a team on the refinery. However apart from pilgrims Saudi was never fond of foreign tourists and so possibly show a different face to people than in Jordan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 11 February , 2014 Share Posted 11 February , 2014 'sic transit gloria mundi' khaki Gloria Tuesday was a lot more fun. This story is also in today's Tottygraph; I tend to be quite relaxed about it. It matters to people who worry about it, but then again how many people can name their MP or tell you the names of more than five African countries? The older I get, the less I worry about what people don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 11 February , 2014 Share Posted 11 February , 2014 Gloria Tuesday was a lot more fun. This story is also in today's Tottygraph; I tend to be quite relaxed about it. It matters to people who worry about it, but then again how many people can name their MP or tell you the names of more than five African countries? The older I get, the less I worry about what people don't know. Yes it's when you start worrying what they do know (especially if they wear blue uniforms or are revenuers) that you start to live in interesting times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J T Gray Posted 11 February , 2014 Share Posted 11 February , 2014 Surely you have to be fairly clued up on WW1 and African geography to know that Rwanda was part of German East Africa? I knew what side GEA was on (there's a big clue!), but knowing that Rwanda was part of it? No, not till I read that! Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghazala Posted 11 February , 2014 Author Share Posted 11 February , 2014 how many people can name their MP or tell you the names of more than five African countries? Robert Syms, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hone Posted 11 February , 2014 Share Posted 11 February , 2014 I agree with Broomers. You only have to watch 'Pointless' to be amazed at the gaps in peoples' basic general knowledge. Assuming that their 'surveys of 100 people' are properly conducted there are jaw dropping moments in nearly every episode: only 66 out of 100 people could apparently identify a photograph of President Obama, for example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scalyback Posted 11 February , 2014 Share Posted 11 February , 2014 The German war in Africa is rarely mentioned I think as they had the better of us! Not a defeat in any sense of the word but resources tied up by a few thousand germans was a thorn in the side of the mighty british empire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 11 February , 2014 Share Posted 11 February , 2014 Doing a job in Brazil a some years ago I had a great deal of difficulty convincing the (well educated) Brazilian liaison manager that her country had been in WW2 let alone WW1. She was incredulous that Portugal had been in WW1 (how could they be so stupid?" was her first response but after another glass of the excellent local rum "ah well they're Portuguese after all" which says a lot about some Brazilian Portuguese stereotyping). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scalyback Posted 11 February , 2014 Share Posted 11 February , 2014 I agree with Broomers. You only have to watch 'Pointless' to be amazed at the gaps in peoples' basic general knowledge. Assuming that their 'surveys of 100 people' are properly conducted there are jaw dropping moments in nearly every episode: only 66 out of 100 people could apparently identify a photograph of President Obama, for example. Depends on your general knowledge Don't ask me about music or football! My girlfreind can name all African countrys, the past names of a given african area and what tribes are in that area, She is afterall an expert on imigration issues! When does general knowlage become specialist knowlage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 11 February , 2014 Share Posted 11 February , 2014 The German war in Africa is rarely mentioned I think as they had the better of us! Not a defeat in any sense of the word but resources tied up by a few thousand germans was a thorn in the side of the mighty british empire. Your comment is applicable to only to GEA but not to GWA, the Cameroons or Togo Land. Britain's main objective was achieved very quickly in all the German African colonies - destroying the wireless stations which combined with the cutting or sequestering of intentional telegraph cables destroyed most of Germany's connections to the wider world (and among other things) crippled much of her blockade running and commerce raiding capability outside European and North Atlantic Waters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghazala Posted 11 February , 2014 Author Share Posted 11 February , 2014 Not The Great War but I felt I should mention it here. In the 80s I was on exercise at SHAPE in Mons with a US female Master Sergeant. Over a coffee she asked me if the Brits had fought in WW2! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scalyback Posted 11 February , 2014 Share Posted 11 February , 2014 The wireless was a big plus for the empire but Lettow-Vorbeck was a thorn in the empires side. Not a lot of people know that By the way Mr C could I ask you some information on tank banks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 11 February , 2014 Share Posted 11 February , 2014 The wireless was a big plus for the empire but Lettow-Vorbeck was a thorn in the empires side. Not a lot of people know that By the way Mr C could I ask you some information on tank banks. Ask away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scalyback Posted 11 February , 2014 Share Posted 11 February , 2014 Will PM you in the morning, away from my notes this evening. Very grateful for help. Thank you. Back on topic, when the survey mentions russia is this in the context of allies(they do get a mention in Balckadder) or any questions on the wider role we played in Russia in 1919 onwards. Even the fact the war technicaly carried on til 1921, A lot of people I talk to are under the impression everyone packed up in November 1918 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 11 February , 2014 Share Posted 11 February , 2014 Even the fact the war technicaly carried on til 1921, A lot of people I talk to are under the impression everyone packed up in November 1918 . In some places well after 1921 except I think that legally it wasn't the war, merely the same people fighting in the same place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin_sole Posted 11 February , 2014 Share Posted 11 February , 2014 As my dad used to say "Everything is obvious once you know it". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khaki Posted 11 February , 2014 Share Posted 11 February , 2014 Robert Syms, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia..... How many people can tell you the names of five families in the same street these days, sometimes the immediate neighbors are unknown to them. khaki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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