dirkdeklein
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I had a great interview with Kevin Harrison, a budding author, about his book- Churchill’s ACES – Sealion Returns-. We discussed how difficult it is for new authors to get a book published nowadays, but also of course about his book and the inspiration behind it. Operation Sealion was the plan by Nazi Germany to…
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Nicolas Jacques Pelletier occupies a unique and somewhat grim place in French history as the first person executed by guillotine. While his crime may have been unremarkable in the annals of criminal history, the method of his execution symbolized a turning point during one of the most turbulent times in France: the French Revolution. Pelletier…
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I saw a Holocaust picture in the shape of jigsaw earlier today, which inspired me to write this poem. I don’t know of there were any jigsaws in Auschwitz, but the thought intrigued me. In a corner of barrack, cold and bare,Lay pieces of cardboard, torn with care—A jigsaw, faded, frayed with time,A scattered prayer…
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The Nazi regime, targeted numerous groups during its reign from 1933 to 1945. Among those persecuted were Jehovah’s Witnesses, a Christian denomination whose beliefs and practices placed them in direct opposition to Nazi ideology. Unlike many other victims of the regime, Jehovah’s Witnesses were not targeted based on race or ethnicity, but because of their…
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The Holocaust did not start at the start of World War II, although this is what many people believe. The foundation for the Holocaust, was laid out long before that. There had been Anti-Semitism in Europe and other parts of the world for centuries. However, during the Weimar Republic in Germany, the seeds were planted…
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North Holland was the only province to have a Regional Sabotage Division (GSA). This was a resistance unit within the Internal Forces (Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten), composed of experienced members of the Ordedienst (OD), the Raad van Verzet (RVV), and the Landelijke Knokploegen (LKP) under the command of Colonel Wastenecker. The GSA was involved in seizing and…
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I cannot decide which is worse, the crimes of Auke Bert Pattist or his remorselessness. Also, the fact that some people saw him as a hero—depresses me. Auke Bert Pattist was born in 1920. In 1943 he voluntarily entered the Waffen-SS. As an officer, he would be involved in arresting and ill-treating a large number…
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The Sachsenhausen concentration camp, located in Oranienburg, Germany, was one of the key sites in the Nazi system of terror. Established in 1936, it became a training ground for SS officers and a model for other camps. Over the course of its operation, Sachsenhausen held more than 200,000 prisoners—including political opponents, Jews, Roma, Soviet prisoners…
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Many Eastern European nations are diverting their guilt in the Holocaust by saying that they were occupied. To me, that is like the German Nazis saying “We didn’t know.” Croatia cannot claim they were occupied. The Independent State of Croatia was ruled by the Croatian fascist Ustaša movement. The Ustaša immediately embarked on a campaign…
History of Sorts 