In Germany the colonial period is taught, for example https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Conference and global maps. The German colonies are hardly mentioned, Germany lost them all 100 years ago, and I don't think many Germans could name the countries/regions even. The https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herero_Wars ("systematic extermination of native peoples") isn't taught.
I wasn't aware of this exact plan either, but to the defense of my history teacher / curriculum:
It was made very clear that millions of civilians died (even when not counting the concentration camps) due to the war of extermination (Vernichtungskrieg)
Non-German in Germany. I get the impression that everyone knows that one holocaust very shamefully, but not any of the other ones. Or the one that's happening right now. (In fact, I could get deported for this comment if the police had nothing better to do. Oh well.)
And in New Zealand they also didn't teach us about the way our ancestors holocausted the Māori.
Holocausts happen with alarming regularly in history, and the side doing one usually ends up winning, except, you know, that one time. I wish I understood what factors make people so unable to reason about them or even acknowledge them. Business as usual bias? Ego defense? I think the German teaching that there was only one and there will never be another falls under denial.
The way you can't talk about Palestine in Germany feels like the way you can't talk about Hacker News moderation on Hacker News, except, you know, the life and death of about 6 million Muslims are at stake.
