A Histroy Lesson From Tifa

A History Lesson From Tifa

This morning, my sister was watching television as we were eating our morning tea before church.  On Australian TV (that is the channel that is fed through tv1), there was an old couple talking about World War II. 

My sister turned to me and asked me if knew the reason for World War I.  My dad would be upset for me to say this, but history facts sometimes slip from me.  Since she is a bright girl, always yearning to learn more and studies constantly, I figured I could trust what she was to say.  I told her I forgot. 

“It is because of Samoa,” she explained to me.  “Great Britain and Germany were fighting over who had control of Samoa and it started WWI.”  It didn’t sound right to me.  But I knew in history lessons we sometimes have a little fractured tales of what happened to benefit our country.  She continued, “Isn’t it neat that a small country like Samoa caused such a big event.  Not cool, but interesting.”  She is a very, very bright year 8 student if you couldn’t tell. 

I was puzzled as I headed over to church, and afterwards I decided to do research.  Research in Samoa is different than what I would do in America.  In America I might open up a book, or go to the coffee shop to use the internet (I never had internet at home).  Here, I turn to one of the volunteers who seems to know everything, Tifa. 

Tifa, is a volunteer in Colorado who is quite possibly one of the smartest people in the world, next to my dad.  (This is why he would be upset with these facts slipping though my head.)  Whenever I have a question about anything, I send her a quick text.  (Thank goodness for free texts!)  When there was  problems with the American government, she is the one who kept me in the news, when I had questions about happenings in Upolu, she always knew.  That’s why I knew, today’s question she would be able to help me with. 

“Great Britain and Germany did fight over Samoa, but it was the assassination of a Duke in Austria that started WWI,” she responded.  It was coming back to me.  But I was still confused on if Samoa had a role in this war. 

“New Zealand troops acting on behalf of Great Britain was able to peacefully assume control of Western Samoa as a result of declaring war on Germany.”

So Samoa wasn’t really the cause of this war, at least in our American eyes. 

I did mention this factoid I learned from my sister to one other volunteer, and she responded by saying, “Well Samoa does have some good cocoa.”