30 ‘facts’ about World War II that just aren’t true

A conflict as wide-ranging and destructive as World War II naturally gives birth to a number of urban legends and myths that become "common knowledge" - despite not actually being true. Many have been refuted numerous times, and some exist only as…

A conflict as wide-ranging and destructive as World War II naturally gives birth to a number of urban legends and myths that become “common knowledge” – despite not actually being true. Many have been refuted numerous times, and some exist only as rumors or fringe conspiracy theories held to by a few outsider scholars. World War II was a complex global struggle, that took the lives of many, and it can be hard to know what legends about this war and this period of history are actually true, and which are completely false.


These myths and urban legends about World War II, range from Hitler’s jubilant jig to the conspiracy theories that say FDR knew Pearl Harbor was about to be bombed. First we look at what the myth is, then at the reality – which sometimes is stranger than the myth itself. These World War Two facts and fictions will surprise and enlighten you.

Need more World War 2 information? Check out the war’s pivotal battles, most influential people, and the many films telling the stories of WWII.

30 ‘Facts’ About World War II That Just Aren’t True

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