okay, i live in Canada, and my Aunt recently got back from USA, i forget which state this was in, but she went to a D-day museum and the first thing she saw was a sign saying this. “commemorating all WW2 war efforts 1942-1945.” my aunt was confused because anyone who knows anything about the war knows it started in 1939. So she asked the person at the front desk why it said that, and the person said “becasue the war started in 1942, when america started fighting the Germans.” my aunt got so mad she asked for her refund and left. My point is, does the USA honestly think that WW2 started in 1939 and if they weren’t in it it didn’t happen? I would really like to hear an Americans thought on this.
Wow, that is somewhat pathetic.
of course it is, its america, i just want to hear an american’s thoughts on this, maybe even a prof thoughts about this, i just wanna see if americans honestly think that it can not be a war unless they are in it.
Well, it was 1939 when Poland was invaded and, I believe, that is when the war started. The actual starting date is more than likely argued.
it was, but america doesn’t think it starts until they go into the war, the war started on september 1 1939, no one knew it was a world war, but even though no one knew it was a world war at the time, thats wtill when it started.
"The start of the war is generally held to be 1 September 1939 beginning with the German invasion of Poland; Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later. Other dates for the beginning of war include the Japanese invasion of Manchuria on 13 September 1931;[5] the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War on 7 July 1937;[6][7] or one of several other events.
Others follow A. J. P. Taylor, who held that there was a simultaneous Sino-Japanese War in East Asia, and a Second European War in Europe and her colonies. The two wars merged in 1941, becoming a single global conflict, at which point the war continued until 1945. This article uses the conventional dating.[8]
The exact date of the war’s end is not universally agreed upon. It has been suggested that the war ended at the armistice of 14 August 1945 (V-J Day), rather than the formal surrender of Japan (2 September 1945); in some European histories, it ended on V-E Day (8 May 1945). The Treaty of Peace with Japan was not signed until 1951.[9]"
-Wikipedia article on “Wold War II”
Just something I found on the starting date…
Exactly, since none of those dates say 1942, obviously, no one with a brain thinks it started then. proving that that museum is mentally retarded.
No offense but maybe learn to spell and type properly before calling others “retards”.
This might sound contradicting to my original posts, but the USSR couldn’t do that, the red army under Stalins command could
A) The Red Army was the USSR’s main army
B) Stalin led the USSR
C) Wrong thread, you’re looking for the german section
yes, i fixed it, thank you fro pointing that out, i will delete it now, and personally, i beklieve it should have been consdered a “world war” when russia joined, which was before america, so eitehr way, world war 2 did not start in 1942, i honestly want to find out the contact information for that meuseum and force them ti change it.
The reason that the museum had posted the sign indicating 1942, was that for America, this was when our direct participation in WWII began. The Museum’s point of view (Being an American Museum hosting mostly Americans) was of that time. It wasn’t meant to indicate that this is the actual beginning of WWII, just of our part in it as active combatants. This particular American is of the belief that the war began when Germany annexed Austria. even though there were no shots fired, it was certainly aggression. Sophocles may have some other thoughts on the subject… these are just mine. 
Since all of the present posters to this thread are newcomers, may I point out that this forum is intended as a congenial gathering place for exchanging ideas, and information. Its not a mosh pit, civility is expected, as are good manners. Topics might tend to wander a bit, but do try to remain as close as possible, otherwise things will get muddled.
I see, thank you for notifying me as i am a new comer, and thank you for your opinion on the dates posted by the museum.
You are very welcome, always happy to help. If you have any questions, or encounter any problems in using the site, feel free to pm me, or any of the site’s staff.
(not trying to cause n argument or anything) but why did he person say that that was when he war started instead of “thats when america joined” when my aunt asked her?
1942 would be an odd start even for the most Amero-centric historians as WWII began for the United States in December 7, 1941. Germany declared war on the U.S. on Dec. 15, 1941–but even so–the U.S. Navy was fighting a low intensity naval battle with U-boats as early as late 1940…
Perhaps the plaque is slightly misread or misstated as the term of WWII and has more to do with the Western Allied efforts to invade and liberate “Fortress Europe” culminating in D-Day? As early as 1942 there were plans for a limited, perhaps hopeless, invasion of France called Operation Sledgehammer largely being trumpeted by the American high command…
thank you for your input on the matter, i will try to find the museums website if they have one and post it so you people have more information. Becasue i agree i also thought maybe they were only commemorating d-day, but it said 1942-1945 as in thats when the war was.
Oh, thanks for the extra information on America’s war efforts.
Okay, I found out some more information, it is in New Orleans and when i typed in “D Day museum New Orleans” into google.ca, i went to the first option, so as i said i would do, here is the site http://www.ddaymuseum.org/
TG. Doesn’t having a “start date " of 1942 instead of 1939 sort of undermine the reason for having a museum in the first place ( of course i haven’t seen the sign in question ) Seeing that the US was a active supporter of the Commonwealth with lend lease etc under Roosevelt from the begining . I suppose that 42 was the " official” date after Pearl . Seems to me its kind of like telling 1/2 the story of WW2. But of course its your countys history , not mine