Feb.25, 2010
(edited from the article in Washington Post)
A renegade former member of Germany's World War II Kriegsmarine (navy), who thwarted plans to wreck the French port of Bordeaux by retreating Nazi forces, has died at the age of 91.
Heinz Stahlschmidt was serving as a petty officer when he was ordered to help prepare the destruction of the city's port facilities as the Germans pulled out ahead of advancing allied troops.
Instead, he set off an explosion in the bunker holding detonators and time fuses for the planned demolition, preventing mass carnage in the port area and, according to some historians, possibly saving up to 3,500 lives.
Stahlschmidt, who was long considered a traitor in postwar Germany, stayed in Bordeaux, taking the name Henri Salmide and working in the port fire department. But he struggled for a long time to win recognition in his adopted country.
"I could not accept that the port of Bordeaux be wantonly destroyed when the war was clearly lost," Stahlschmidt told Reuters in a rare interview in 1997.
Stahlschmidt said he blew up the bunker after being contacted by the Resistance who promised to hide and protect him in return.
He received the Legion d'Honneur in 2000 and wore the decoration when he revisited his home city of Dortmund for the first time in 2001.
A spokeswoman for the Bordeaux mayor's office said he would be buried at the city's cemetery on Saturday where a representative of the city hall would be in attendance.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Frustrating Tactics
Feb.22nd, 1940
Sea War, North Sea:
Dutch destroyers "Lebrecht Maass" and "Max Schultz"(I know nu-sink!), while trying to avoid an attack by German aircraft, run onto mines laid by a British submarine.
I imagine this created quite the headlines. Not only by the German attack, but the unfortunate accidental damage by their own allies tactics.
Feb.24th, 1940
Politics, Germany:
Plans for the invasion of Western Europe are revised. The main focus of the offensive is changed to the Aredennes region after a suggestion by General Erich von Manstein. The bulk of the German Army's armored units are allocated to this radical plan.
At first, the General Staff argued against the plan, stating that the failure in the Ardennes during The Great War caused the invasion of France to be bogged down, the same could happen again. Proponents of the tactics of Blitzkreig, using armor and air-power in a sudden lightning strike, pointed at the success in Poland for support of the plan. It would allow them to completely bypass the defenses in the Maginot Line, a miles long system of bunkers that could keep the Germans from ever entering France. The bulk of the German Army's armored units are allocated to this radical plan.
In the years before Hitler came to full power, Manstein at first resisted indoctrination into the Nazi party, even issuing a memo against using pro-Aryan racial profiling for indoctrination into the army. In the early war-years to come he frequently butted heads against Hitler's ideas, especially those of a tactical nature, but he soon came around a full 180, kowtowing to pretty much all of Hitler's ideas. He then maintained that the military advisers should refrain from interceding in political matters and even in matters of higher strategy, claiming that these matters were Hitler's responsibility. The General Staff's task, he argued, was to produce the operational planning necessary to realize Hitler's goals and no more.
In the late-war years, this would setup the eventual lack of power that Generals in the field were able (or not able in most cases) to employ any kind of effective tactics.
Sea War, North Sea:
Dutch destroyers "Lebrecht Maass" and "Max Schultz"(I know nu-sink!), while trying to avoid an attack by German aircraft, run onto mines laid by a British submarine.
I imagine this created quite the headlines. Not only by the German attack, but the unfortunate accidental damage by their own allies tactics.
Feb.24th, 1940
Politics, Germany:
Plans for the invasion of Western Europe are revised. The main focus of the offensive is changed to the Aredennes region after a suggestion by General Erich von Manstein. The bulk of the German Army's armored units are allocated to this radical plan.
At first, the General Staff argued against the plan, stating that the failure in the Ardennes during The Great War caused the invasion of France to be bogged down, the same could happen again. Proponents of the tactics of Blitzkreig, using armor and air-power in a sudden lightning strike, pointed at the success in Poland for support of the plan. It would allow them to completely bypass the defenses in the Maginot Line, a miles long system of bunkers that could keep the Germans from ever entering France. The bulk of the German Army's armored units are allocated to this radical plan.
In the years before Hitler came to full power, Manstein at first resisted indoctrination into the Nazi party, even issuing a memo against using pro-Aryan racial profiling for indoctrination into the army. In the early war-years to come he frequently butted heads against Hitler's ideas, especially those of a tactical nature, but he soon came around a full 180, kowtowing to pretty much all of Hitler's ideas. He then maintained that the military advisers should refrain from interceding in political matters and even in matters of higher strategy, claiming that these matters were Hitler's responsibility. The General Staff's task, he argued, was to produce the operational planning necessary to realize Hitler's goals and no more.
In the late-war years, this would setup the eventual lack of power that Generals in the field were able (or not able in most cases) to employ any kind of effective tactics.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Current Events: Economy
Just to give a sense of perspective on how long it could take for the current economic recession to level off, I ran across some headlines dealing with the recent debate over how the EU will handle the bailout of Greece's failed economy to prevent their government from going bankrupt. Greece has protested against Germany about how the bailout is being mishandled and the publicity is embarrassing, stating that Germany never properly paid all the reparations owed to them since WWII. Germany on Wednesday rejected Greek accusations that Berlin had failed to properly compensate Greece for Nazi occupation in World War Two, saying it had provided billions of euros worth of aid.
So 70 years later and there are still misunderstandings and conflicting opinions over money claimed as taken and what was owed, paid, etc.
The current world economic crisis will likely take at least as long to sort out.
So 70 years later and there are still misunderstandings and conflicting opinions over money claimed as taken and what was owed, paid, etc.
The current world economic crisis will likely take at least as long to sort out.
The story of the Iwo Jima photo
On Feb. 19, 1945, Associated Press photographer Joseph Rosenthal accompanied the early waves of a 70,000-man U.S. Marine force ordered to seize Iwo Jima, a 7.5 square miles of black volcanic sand about 660 miles south of Tokyo.
The island, defended by 21,000 Japanese troops, held airstrips that were needed as bases for American fighter planes and as havens for crippled bombers returning to the Mariana Islands from missions over Japan.
He was 33, when in 1/400th of a second, he shot the most memorable photograph of World War II, a simple, stirring image of five Marines and one Navy corpsman raising the flag at Iwo Jima. The Iwo Jima Memorial in Newington is based on his photo.
We remember Iwo Jima for two good reasons, the AP has reported. One is that it was the costliest battle in Marine Corps history. Its toll of 6,821 Americans dead, 5,931 of them Marines, accounted for nearly one-third of all Marine Corps losses in all of World War II.
The other is Joe Rosenthal’s picture.
It has been called the greatest photograph of all time. It won the Pulitzer Prize. As a photograph, it derives its power from a simple, dynamic composition, a sense of momentum and the kinetic energy of six men straining toward a common goal.
But Rosenthal, who died in 2006 at age 94, battled a perception that he somehow staged the flag-raising picture, or covered up the fact that it was actually not the first flag-raising at Iwo Jima.
Rosenthal’s story, told again and again with virtually no variation over the years, is this:
On Feb. 23, 1945, four days after D-Day at Iwo Jima, he was making his daily trek to the island on a Marine landing craft when he heard that a flag was being raised atop Mount Suribachi, a volcano at the southern tip of the island.
Upon landing, Rosenthal hurried toward Suribachi, lugging along his bulky Speed Graphic camera, the standard for press photographers at the time.
Rosenthal wrote in Collier’s magazine in 1955:
“I thought of trying to get a shot of the two flags, one coming down and the other going up, but although this turned out to be a picture (Marine photographer) Bob Campbell got, I couldn’t line it up. Then I decided to get just the one flag going up, and I backed off about 35 feet.
“Here the ground sloped down toward the center of the volcanic crater, and I found that the ground line was in my way. I put my Speed Graphic down and quickly piled up some stones and a Jap sandbag to raise me about two feet (I am only 5 feet 5 inches tall) and I picked up the camera and climbed up on the pile. I decided on a lens setting between f-8 and f-11, and set the speed at 1-400th of a second.
“At this point, 1st Lt. Harold G. Shrier ... stepped between me and the men getting ready to raise the flag. When he moved away, (Marine photographer Bill) Genaust came across in front of me with his movie camera and then took a position about three feet to my right. ‘I’m not in your way, Joe?’ he called.
“‘No,’ I shouted, ‘and there it goes.’
“Out of the corner of my eye, as I had turned toward Genaust, I had seen the men start the flag up. I swung my camera, and shot the scene.”
Rosenthal didn’t know what he had taken. He certainly had no inkling he had just taken the best photograph of his career. To make sure he had something worth printing, he gathered all the Marines on the summit together for a jubilant shot under the flag that became known as his “gung-ho” picture.
And then he went down the mountain. At the bottom, he looked at his watch. It was 1:05 p.m.
Rosenthal hurried back to the command ship, where he wrote captions for all the pictures he had sent that day, and shipped the film off to the military press center in Guam. There it was processed, edited and sent by radio transmission to the mainland.
On the caption, Rosenthal had written: “Atop 550-foot Suribachi Yama, the volcano at the southwest tip of Iwo Jima, Marines of the Second Battalion, 28th Regiment, Fifth Division, hoist the Stars and Stripes, signaling the capture of this key position.”
At the same time, he told AP correspondent Hamilton Feron, that he had shot the second of two flag raisings that day. Feron wrote a story mentioning the two flags.
The flag-raising picture was an immediate sensation back in the States. It arrived in time to be on the front pages of Sunday newspapers across the country on Feb. 25, 1945.
Rosenthal was quickly wired a congratulatory note from AP headquarters in New York. But he had no idea which picture they were congratulating him for.
(article adapted from The New Britain Herald-no author)
For more story behind this account, check out the movie by Clint Eastwood, "Flags Of Our Fathers". This photo has claimed to be the most used and published photo of all time.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Atlantic War, Feb. 15th & 16th
Feb. 15: Hitler gives orders for unlimited U-boat action. Commanders are ordered to stop supplies of food and war materials to Great Britain from the United States. Any ship which is likely to come under British control can now be torpedoed without warning. The policy was already in effect, evidenced by the sinking of Danish, Dutch, Norwegian and Swedish ships for a few days preceding the order.
This action was a direct result of a change in the U.S. Neutrality Act back in November which allowed countries to purchase arms from private suppliers on a 'cash-and-carry' basis, where they pay for any weapons and then transport them using their own vessels. Given Britain's command of the Atlantic sea-lanes, this act is clearly intended to benefit the Allied nations.
Feb.16: The British destroyer HMS Cossack rescues 299 British seamen held prisoner on the Altmark, a supply ship for the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee sunk some weeks earlier. The prisoners had been taken from captured merchant ships. After the sinking of the Graf Spee, the Altmark sailed for Europe, taking a route near the Artic to avoid detection. Incredibly, the Norwegians who stopped and searched her, found neither the concealed guns nor the prisoners. Two British destroyers then chased her into Jossing Fjord. The Altmark attempted to ram the Cossack, allowing several members of a British boarding party to leap aboard. The Altmark then ran aground and the rest of the Royal Navy party joined them. Four German crewman were killed in the following firefight. One prisoner said, "It was a hit-and-run affair along the decks and round corners. You can imagine our joy when we heard an English voice shouting down 'The Navy's here!'"
Since the Cossack violated Norway's neutrality, Germany accelerates its invasion preparations, believing that Britain is planning more military actions in Norway.
This action was a direct result of a change in the U.S. Neutrality Act back in November which allowed countries to purchase arms from private suppliers on a 'cash-and-carry' basis, where they pay for any weapons and then transport them using their own vessels. Given Britain's command of the Atlantic sea-lanes, this act is clearly intended to benefit the Allied nations.
Feb.16: The British destroyer HMS Cossack rescues 299 British seamen held prisoner on the Altmark, a supply ship for the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee sunk some weeks earlier. The prisoners had been taken from captured merchant ships. After the sinking of the Graf Spee, the Altmark sailed for Europe, taking a route near the Artic to avoid detection. Incredibly, the Norwegians who stopped and searched her, found neither the concealed guns nor the prisoners. Two British destroyers then chased her into Jossing Fjord. The Altmark attempted to ram the Cossack, allowing several members of a British boarding party to leap aboard. The Altmark then ran aground and the rest of the Royal Navy party joined them. Four German crewman were killed in the following firefight. One prisoner said, "It was a hit-and-run affair along the decks and round corners. You can imagine our joy when we heard an English voice shouting down 'The Navy's here!'"
Since the Cossack violated Norway's neutrality, Germany accelerates its invasion preparations, believing that Britain is planning more military actions in Norway.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
First known science fiction television program
Feb.11th, 1938
Today in 1938, the first known science fiction television program was produced by the BBC. It was a live broadcast adaptation of the play “R.U.R.” and was the only science fiction program the BBC produced before it was forced to shut down because of World War II. When the BBC resumed production in 1946, it broadcast a live performance of “R.U.R.” that had been specially adapted for television.
“R.U.R.” is a play by Czech writer Karel Capek. The acronym that make up the play’s title stood for Rossum’s Universal Robots. The word “robot” was coined especially for the play by Capek’s brother Josef. It comes from the word “robota,” which literally means “serf labor” in Czech, Slovak, and Polish and also carries the connotation of drudgery or hard work.
Capek’s robots are human beings that are assembled, much like automobiles, out of factory-made biological components. They are a stripped-down version of humanity, however, containing only the components that are necessary for labor. Since they are not paid for their labor, the robots soon compromise most of the workforce and become the basis of the economy.
The robots eventually rebel, killing all of the natural-born humans but one, whom they recognize as a fellow laborer. When they realize that the humans they killed destroyed the formula for making new robots, they charge the last surviving human with figuring out how to recreate it. He is unsuccessful.
Two of the robots, however, develop human feelings and fall in love with each other. Through these two, the world will be repopulated with feeling, caring robots – in essence, humans. A science fiction explanation for the 'Adam & Eve' story.
The broadcast’s cultural legacy is tremendous, having paved the way for future television science fiction programs like "Star Trek", “Doctor Who”, "Battlestar Galactica", and adaptations like “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” which in turn have helped spread the joys of science fiction throughout the world.
Today in 1938, the first known science fiction television program was produced by the BBC. It was a live broadcast adaptation of the play “R.U.R.” and was the only science fiction program the BBC produced before it was forced to shut down because of World War II. When the BBC resumed production in 1946, it broadcast a live performance of “R.U.R.” that had been specially adapted for television.
“R.U.R.” is a play by Czech writer Karel Capek. The acronym that make up the play’s title stood for Rossum’s Universal Robots. The word “robot” was coined especially for the play by Capek’s brother Josef. It comes from the word “robota,” which literally means “serf labor” in Czech, Slovak, and Polish and also carries the connotation of drudgery or hard work.
Capek’s robots are human beings that are assembled, much like automobiles, out of factory-made biological components. They are a stripped-down version of humanity, however, containing only the components that are necessary for labor. Since they are not paid for their labor, the robots soon compromise most of the workforce and become the basis of the economy.
The robots eventually rebel, killing all of the natural-born humans but one, whom they recognize as a fellow laborer. When they realize that the humans they killed destroyed the formula for making new robots, they charge the last surviving human with figuring out how to recreate it. He is unsuccessful.
Two of the robots, however, develop human feelings and fall in love with each other. Through these two, the world will be repopulated with feeling, caring robots – in essence, humans. A science fiction explanation for the 'Adam & Eve' story.
The broadcast’s cultural legacy is tremendous, having paved the way for future television science fiction programs like "Star Trek", “Doctor Who”, "Battlestar Galactica", and adaptations like “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” which in turn have helped spread the joys of science fiction throughout the world.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Google Earth depicts WWII bomb damage
Google Earth no longer just takes you around the world. It takes you back in time. A new historical image feature uses old surveillance photos taken during World War II to show bombing damage to more than 35 European cities and towns, then offers current satellite photos for comparison. Images available include the Polish city of Warsaw; the German city of Stuttgart, hit by more than 50 air raids during the war; the devastated Italian city of Naples; and Lyons, France, in a region that was a center of the resistance movement against the Nazi occupation.
The photos were taken by Royal Air Force and U.S. Air Force pilots during the war and show the locations before and after bombing. Many had to be reconstructed from damaged originals, according to Google.
To see the pictures, download Google Earth and click the clock icon in the upper status bar.
The photos were taken by Royal Air Force and U.S. Air Force pilots during the war and show the locations before and after bombing. Many had to be reconstructed from damaged originals, according to Google.
To see the pictures, download Google Earth and click the clock icon in the upper status bar.
WW2 bomb-scare in modern England
Feb.8th, 2010: Several roads in Sheffield city center were closed after pieces of cast iron found in a builder's yard sparked a bomb alert. Police initially thought the pieces of iron were World War II tank shells and army bomb experts were called to remove them from the Sussex Street yard. A cordon was put in place and two small business premises were evacuated. Nearby roads were closed but they were later reopened.
During the war, nearby Fitzalan Square library staff and the public used the library basement during air raids, and many female librarians were on 'fire watch' on the roof in tin hats. Although the building itself was not bombed, Fitzalan Square was hit and the aftershock caused the library foyer's marble floor to crack. The crack is still visible today and runs almost the full length of the foyer.
People living near Cemetery Road in Dereham, Norfolk, were asked to leave their homes last Tuesday while the army disposed of a bomb from the war. No damage was caused by the controlled explosion but the immediate area was evacuated for safety reasons. Builders working on a new house in Dereham discovered the bomb on Monday afternoon. An army bomb disposal team from Colchester in Essex was called in, but they decided to wait for light on Tuesday before detonating the device. Last month, Colchester's bomb disposal team were called to 23 incidents, many involving old ordnance being dug up as new developments are built.
After all these years, they are still finding remnants of the Blitz.
During the war, nearby Fitzalan Square library staff and the public used the library basement during air raids, and many female librarians were on 'fire watch' on the roof in tin hats. Although the building itself was not bombed, Fitzalan Square was hit and the aftershock caused the library foyer's marble floor to crack. The crack is still visible today and runs almost the full length of the foyer.
People living near Cemetery Road in Dereham, Norfolk, were asked to leave their homes last Tuesday while the army disposed of a bomb from the war. No damage was caused by the controlled explosion but the immediate area was evacuated for safety reasons. Builders working on a new house in Dereham discovered the bomb on Monday afternoon. An army bomb disposal team from Colchester in Essex was called in, but they decided to wait for light on Tuesday before detonating the device. Last month, Colchester's bomb disposal team were called to 23 incidents, many involving old ordnance being dug up as new developments are built.
After all these years, they are still finding remnants of the Blitz.
Post WW2 Malnutrition program becomes Anti-obesity program
Feb.8th, 2010
A federal program that began in 1946 to remedy the shocking malnutrition among World War II recruits is being transformed into ground zero in the nation's new war against obesity. This program and a several others that feed more than 31 million children a day will be at the center of a new anti-obesity campaign that first lady Michelle Obama will roll out Tuesday.
A federal program that began in 1946 to remedy the shocking malnutrition among World War II recruits is being transformed into ground zero in the nation's new war against obesity. This program and a several others that feed more than 31 million children a day will be at the center of a new anti-obesity campaign that first lady Michelle Obama will roll out Tuesday.
Goodnight LORAN
Feb.8th, 2010
The U.S. Coast Guard on Monday afternoon will shut down Loran-C (short for long range navigation system), that has guided mariners and aviators since World War II. The death blow came last May when President Obama called the system obsolete, saying it is no longer needed in an age in which Global Positioning System devices are nearly ubiquitous in cars, planes and boats. Shutting it down will save the government $190 million over five years, Obama said. But supporters of Loran say the nation's increasing reliance on GPS has increased the importance of maintaining Loran as a backup. GPS systems today are used not only for navigation, but also to provide precise timing for ATM machines, cell phone towers, water plants and other enterprises, and positioning information for precision-guided weapons for the military. GPS disruptions can be costly to business, dangerous for travelers, and debilitating to the military. The Department of Homeland Security says it is currently reviewing the nation's critical infrastructure "to determine if a single, domestic system is needed as a GPS backup."
"The continued active operation of Loran-C is not necessary to advance this evaluation," DHS said.
The U.S. Coast Guard on Monday afternoon will shut down Loran-C (short for long range navigation system), that has guided mariners and aviators since World War II. The death blow came last May when President Obama called the system obsolete, saying it is no longer needed in an age in which Global Positioning System devices are nearly ubiquitous in cars, planes and boats. Shutting it down will save the government $190 million over five years, Obama said. But supporters of Loran say the nation's increasing reliance on GPS has increased the importance of maintaining Loran as a backup. GPS systems today are used not only for navigation, but also to provide precise timing for ATM machines, cell phone towers, water plants and other enterprises, and positioning information for precision-guided weapons for the military. GPS disruptions can be costly to business, dangerous for travelers, and debilitating to the military. The Department of Homeland Security says it is currently reviewing the nation's critical infrastructure "to determine if a single, domestic system is needed as a GPS backup."
"The continued active operation of Loran-C is not necessary to advance this evaluation," DHS said.
A note on the blog's main picture
When I first put up the main header picture, showing an American squad in front of a knocked-out panzer holding up a trophy Nazi flag, I had reservations. It was chosen in a hurry, and from a limited image gallery I had available at the time, and I asked myself, was it obvious that these guys were Americans? Was the flag a little too pro-Nazi? Does it really encapsulate all that is WW2 in a single image? Well, not too sure on that last one, but the others were answered by my realization that one particular person in the group... is black. And the Nazi army definitely didn't allow them (with exception that they did conscript manual labor personel from North Africa). I honestly did not notice him until today, which just proves I'm color-blind in this regard. Plus, along with our having a black president, it makes the statement that racial relations have come a long way since the war, which was when the equality movement really got rolling (a whole decade before Martin Luther King) and there will be future posts to highlight those moments of history. I may change the image from time to time, but for now it stands.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
German Army Logistics
A quick thought on the tactical capabilities of the German Wehrmacht (Army) during 1940. Most of their artillery, troop supplies, ammunition, etc., was all transported using horses. A standard division (between 10,000-20,000 men) had on average 4000-5000 plus horses, which consumed up to 50 tons of hay everyday, which also required constant maintenance and extra transport. They had to keep enough manpower and supplies on hand to just check the harnesses and tackle and make sure there were vets to keep the horses healthy and treat injuries and illness, and also to make sure the horses were groomed, watered, exercised, and rested properly. The wagons and carts also needed regular repair and maintenance. All of this made the effective speed of an attack relatively slow in comparison to the Allied armies that came later in the war, despite the German tactic of blitzkrieg used earlier on against Poland, Western Europe, and soon to come in the Eastern Front of the Soviet Union. The harsh Russian winter and very wet, marshy spring and fall were to bog down the Wehrmacht enough that Hitler's wish for an easy and quick victory proved a pipe-dream.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Allied Politics
Feb. 5th, 1940: The Allied Supreme War Council decide to intervene regarding Germany's interest in Norway, also protesting the Soviet Union invasion of Finland. This vague and indecisive policy relies on the cooperation of Norway and Sweden. The main motivation is the Allied desire to deny Germany access to Swedish iron ore supplies, which pass through the ice-free port of Narvik in Norway.
The equivalent of this act today is much like our tenuous relationship with Saudi Arabia regarding the rest of the Arab states versus Israel, or the diplomacy with Pakistan and their involvement against the Taliban in the Afghanistan war. The United States policies prove ineffective in bending these countries to democratic ideals.
The equivalent of this act today is much like our tenuous relationship with Saudi Arabia regarding the rest of the Arab states versus Israel, or the diplomacy with Pakistan and their involvement against the Taliban in the Afghanistan war. The United States policies prove ineffective in bending these countries to democratic ideals.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Norman Rockwell
Today, Feb. 3rd, is his birthday. He was one of the older generation I mentioned in an earlier post, born in 1894. His illustrations for magazine covers and posters became the epitome of everyday American life. He even did a couple for the war effort, always staying as neutral and soft as possible since most of his work was of a kinder, gentler nature. The only exception I've found over the years is the included image.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Sam's Story
Occasionally on this blog, I wanted to highlight one particular soldier's story. I came into contact with him a few years ago, and he related his tale of personal war experience first-hand and later sent his memoirs to me. Too long and far too detailed to reproduce here, I thought it would be nice to parallel some of these world-shaking events seen by one young man who lived it.
In 1939 he turned 14, which was graduation from public school for him. It was also the time a boy graduated from the Jungvolk to the Hitler Youth, both required organizations for all young children. Yes, he was in Germany, and he had no choice but to follow his country's path bent on destruction.
He was raised from a modest, borderline poor household, but had loving parents and siblings. His hometown was in Thuringia, a region just north of Bavaria in central Germany. A small milltown did not have many opportunities in the 1920s and 30s, but his family did not starve as some citizens did at that time. He liked to read adventure stories similar to Indiana Jones of today.
His father was skeptical of the Third Reich, being an injured veteran of The Great War during heavy fighting in the Ardennes Forest (later the focus of the largest battle of WW2 and perhaps in all history, The Battle Of The Bulge). This skepticism was kept quiet as publicly doubting the leaders of Germany amounted to high treason. Sam saw a neighbor hauled away by the Gestapo to the camps for his beliefs.
Upon the invasion of Poland in September of 1939, the radio propaganda painted a picture of border unrest, with the Poles attacking border guards and persecuting the German citizens. In actuality, these were trumped up allegations, SS soldiers were disguised as Poles and were routing out the Jewish farmers along the border, as well as 'attacking' their own patrols.
Sam was excited and scared at the prospect of war, not wanting to become a soldier himself and be forced to live far away from family. He believed the war would end soon and that he would never be old enough to fight.
In 1939 he turned 14, which was graduation from public school for him. It was also the time a boy graduated from the Jungvolk to the Hitler Youth, both required organizations for all young children. Yes, he was in Germany, and he had no choice but to follow his country's path bent on destruction.
He was raised from a modest, borderline poor household, but had loving parents and siblings. His hometown was in Thuringia, a region just north of Bavaria in central Germany. A small milltown did not have many opportunities in the 1920s and 30s, but his family did not starve as some citizens did at that time. He liked to read adventure stories similar to Indiana Jones of today.
His father was skeptical of the Third Reich, being an injured veteran of The Great War during heavy fighting in the Ardennes Forest (later the focus of the largest battle of WW2 and perhaps in all history, The Battle Of The Bulge). This skepticism was kept quiet as publicly doubting the leaders of Germany amounted to high treason. Sam saw a neighbor hauled away by the Gestapo to the camps for his beliefs.
Upon the invasion of Poland in September of 1939, the radio propaganda painted a picture of border unrest, with the Poles attacking border guards and persecuting the German citizens. In actuality, these were trumped up allegations, SS soldiers were disguised as Poles and were routing out the Jewish farmers along the border, as well as 'attacking' their own patrols.
Sam was excited and scared at the prospect of war, not wanting to become a soldier himself and be forced to live far away from family. He believed the war would end soon and that he would never be old enough to fight.
Japan and formation of the Axis Powers
The Anti-Comintern Pact was concluded between Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan (later to be joined by other countries) on November 25, 1936 and was directed against the Communist International (Comintern) in general, and the Soviet Union in particular. In case of an attack by the Soviet Union against Germany or Japan, the two countries agreed to consult on what measures to take "to safeguard their common interests". They also agreed that neither of them would make any political treaties with the Soviet Union.
On November 6, 1937, Italy also joined the pact, forming the group that would later be known as the Axis Powers. Italy's decision was more or less a reaction against the failed Stresa front, the Franco-British initiative of 1935 designed to keep Nazi Germany from extending beyond her present borders. In particular, both nations tried to block "German expansionism", especially the annexation of Austria, which was also in Italy's best interests to prevent.
In 1939, Adolf Hitler was preparing for war. Though he was hoping to acquire Poland without force (as he had annexed Austria the year before), Hitler was planning against the possibility of a two front war. Since fighting a two front war in World War I had split Germany's forces, it had weakened and undermined their offensive; thus, played a large role in Germany losing the First World War. Hitler was determined not to repeat the same mistakes. So, he planned ahead and made a pact with the Soviets - the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact.
Japan continued to plot war against either the Soviet Union or the Western democracies, assuming Germany would occupy their potential European enemies.
On November 6, 1937, Italy also joined the pact, forming the group that would later be known as the Axis Powers. Italy's decision was more or less a reaction against the failed Stresa front, the Franco-British initiative of 1935 designed to keep Nazi Germany from extending beyond her present borders. In particular, both nations tried to block "German expansionism", especially the annexation of Austria, which was also in Italy's best interests to prevent.
In 1939, Adolf Hitler was preparing for war. Though he was hoping to acquire Poland without force (as he had annexed Austria the year before), Hitler was planning against the possibility of a two front war. Since fighting a two front war in World War I had split Germany's forces, it had weakened and undermined their offensive; thus, played a large role in Germany losing the First World War. Hitler was determined not to repeat the same mistakes. So, he planned ahead and made a pact with the Soviets - the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact.
Japan continued to plot war against either the Soviet Union or the Western democracies, assuming Germany would occupy their potential European enemies.
The Pact of Steel
Known formally as the Pact of Friendship and Alliance between Germany and Italy, was an agreement between Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany signed on May 22, 1939.
The Pact consisted of two parts: the first section was a declaration of trust and cooperation between Germany and Italy, while the second, a "Secret Supplementary Protocol" encouraged policies concerning the military and economy.
It was Italian leader Benito Mussolini who dubbed the agreement "the Pact of Steel", after being told that its original name, "the Pact of Blood", would likely be received poorly in Italy.
The Pact consisted of two parts: the first section was a declaration of trust and cooperation between Germany and Italy, while the second, a "Secret Supplementary Protocol" encouraged policies concerning the military and economy.
It was Italian leader Benito Mussolini who dubbed the agreement "the Pact of Steel", after being told that its original name, "the Pact of Blood", would likely be received poorly in Italy.
More Perspective
The world in late 1939, early 1940, was not a complicated place in comparison to our time. Television had just been invented (one of the earliest broadcasts was Hitler opening the Olympic Games of 1936). Rockets were only the dreams of Flash Gordon comics and matinee movies. To see news of the world, rather than listen to it on the radio or read it in the newspaper, one had to go to the movie theater for the weekly cine-news reel. The tank was a nearly secret weapon that few outside the military had ever heard of, much less seen. The automobile was a luxury for nearly everyone in the U.S., even more so in lesser developed nations like Poland and Italy.
Half of adults were born in the late 1800s, having lived through the latter years of the Victorian Age, spent their rebellious youth during the Roaring 20s, and lost their wealth in the Great Depression. Chances are every family had a father or uncle who served in The Great War of 1914-1918, the war to end all wars. A few had lost a child to that war, and these were the oldest who maybe held political or economic power.
Very few had ever tried a hamburger, fast-food was not a coined term yet, and Mc'Donalds had just barely opened their first restaurant in 1940. Coca-cola was the largest soft-drink brand, and Pepsi was just barely on the rise after the Depression. Games were either a trip to the ballpark or a few rounds of Monopoly or a hand of cards. Most people lived in rural farm country, and suburbs were any area not inside a city rather than attached to one.
Airplanes were new technology, and cross-oceanic flights were mainly for the mail. The first air-passenger services were in the mid to late 30s mainly between Germany and South America, and those were by zeppelin balloons, taking several days to cross the Atlantic. Most travel to Europe and back was done by ship which took a week to go one way.
American politics did it's best to avoid the rest of the world's problems, much less try to police them. Britain and Japan still had an empire. Russian communism had barely started. Germany was riding a tide of world popularity after being one of the poorest nations after the Great War, to becoming the most affluent nation that the popular crowd wanted to visit or invest in.
"Gone With The Wind" had swept the Oscars for 1939. "Wizard Of Oz" had created a rising star and "Over The Rainbow" was one of the most popular songs. Frank Sinatra had just been discovered. People danced to real big bands. Record players had barely become portable. Audiotape didn't exist. Superhero action stories were of cowboys, spacemen like Flash Gordon, and Superman.
A jar of peanut butter cost 19 cents, a loaf of bread 8 cents. Kellogs Corn Flakes 25 cents for three boxes. A gallon of gas was 10 cents. Cost of an average house was $3800, and a years wage averaged $1700. If you could afford it, a new car cost $700.
Headlines of 1939:
-71 people die across Victoria in one of Australia's worst ever bush fires(identical to a headline this last year).
-Dictator Francisco Franco conquers Madrid, ending the Spanish Civil War.
-Albert Einstein writes President Franklin Roosevelt about developing the Atomic Bomb using Uranium. This led to the creation of the Manhattan Project.
-La Guardia Airport Opens in New York.
-The independent republic of Czechoslovakia is dissolved (more German political subterfuge).
-Regular television broadcasts began in the United States.
-America amend the Neutrality Acts to allow sending military aid to countries in Europe.
-Continuing drought conditions in the North Eastern US cause mass crop failure and hardship.
-Following the Royal Commission recommending the formation of Arab and Jewish States, Palestinians revolt.
-Germany and Italy sign "The Pact Of Steel".
-Russia Invades Finland .
-Nazi Germany attacks Poland on September 1st , and France, Australia and the United Kingdom declare war on Germany. This is the start of World War II .
Half of adults were born in the late 1800s, having lived through the latter years of the Victorian Age, spent their rebellious youth during the Roaring 20s, and lost their wealth in the Great Depression. Chances are every family had a father or uncle who served in The Great War of 1914-1918, the war to end all wars. A few had lost a child to that war, and these were the oldest who maybe held political or economic power.
Very few had ever tried a hamburger, fast-food was not a coined term yet, and Mc'Donalds had just barely opened their first restaurant in 1940. Coca-cola was the largest soft-drink brand, and Pepsi was just barely on the rise after the Depression. Games were either a trip to the ballpark or a few rounds of Monopoly or a hand of cards. Most people lived in rural farm country, and suburbs were any area not inside a city rather than attached to one.
Airplanes were new technology, and cross-oceanic flights were mainly for the mail. The first air-passenger services were in the mid to late 30s mainly between Germany and South America, and those were by zeppelin balloons, taking several days to cross the Atlantic. Most travel to Europe and back was done by ship which took a week to go one way.
American politics did it's best to avoid the rest of the world's problems, much less try to police them. Britain and Japan still had an empire. Russian communism had barely started. Germany was riding a tide of world popularity after being one of the poorest nations after the Great War, to becoming the most affluent nation that the popular crowd wanted to visit or invest in.
"Gone With The Wind" had swept the Oscars for 1939. "Wizard Of Oz" had created a rising star and "Over The Rainbow" was one of the most popular songs. Frank Sinatra had just been discovered. People danced to real big bands. Record players had barely become portable. Audiotape didn't exist. Superhero action stories were of cowboys, spacemen like Flash Gordon, and Superman.
A jar of peanut butter cost 19 cents, a loaf of bread 8 cents. Kellogs Corn Flakes 25 cents for three boxes. A gallon of gas was 10 cents. Cost of an average house was $3800, and a years wage averaged $1700. If you could afford it, a new car cost $700.
Headlines of 1939:
-71 people die across Victoria in one of Australia's worst ever bush fires(identical to a headline this last year).
-Dictator Francisco Franco conquers Madrid, ending the Spanish Civil War.
-Albert Einstein writes President Franklin Roosevelt about developing the Atomic Bomb using Uranium. This led to the creation of the Manhattan Project.
-La Guardia Airport Opens in New York.
-The independent republic of Czechoslovakia is dissolved (more German political subterfuge).
-Regular television broadcasts began in the United States.
-America amend the Neutrality Acts to allow sending military aid to countries in Europe.
-Continuing drought conditions in the North Eastern US cause mass crop failure and hardship.
-Following the Royal Commission recommending the formation of Arab and Jewish States, Palestinians revolt.
-Germany and Italy sign "The Pact Of Steel".
-Russia Invades Finland .
-Nazi Germany attacks Poland on September 1st , and France, Australia and the United Kingdom declare war on Germany. This is the start of World War II .
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