For me, I never fully comprehended what Imperial nationalism was, and how it completely corrupted Japanese society until I got some first-hand knowledge of their history and modern culture.

It really made me understand beyond the superficial Hollywood level why Japanese pilots were so easily persuaded to dive bomb themselves into an enemy aircraft carrier, or commit suicide rather than be captured, and why millions of civilians of all ages were willing to arm and fight mile-by-mile to the death if their homeland was ever invaded.

Studying how it came about over centuries of ancient history, and then getting a personal taste of the fallout a few generations later definitely impacts my view of WW2.