dirkdeklein
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The German operation to liberate Benito Mussolini from captivity in September 1943, commonly known as the Gran Sasso raid or Operation Eiche (“Oak”), remains one of the most studied commando actions of the Second World War. Beyond its tactical novelty, the raid highlights the interplay between military planning, political symbolism, and propaganda in a period
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The Pacific War (1941–1945) reshaped Southeast Asia and subjected millions to brutal occupation under Imperial Japan. Among the most harrowing stories is that of Batu Lintang camp, located on the outskirts of Kuching in Sarawak, Borneo. Originally a British military barracks, the Japanese converted it into an internment and prisoner-of-war (POW) camp after their conquest
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I could fill this blog with the horrendous pictures of that day, or of the “Where were you on 9/11 stories?”, But we have all seen the pictures numerous times. And to where you were that day? I leave that up to yourselves to reminisce on that. I rather focus on the victims today. This
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When the rain falls, my face gets wet. When the sun shines, it blinds my eyes. When the snow falls, I want to go out and feel the crunch of the fresh new snow beneath my feet. When it is muddy, I get dirty. When I am hungry, I eat. When I am thirsty, I
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If you did not know the man in the photograph, you would think he was a loving family man, doting on his daughter. However, since we know the man is Joseph Goebbels, the dynamic of this photo changes. Goebbels did portray himself as a good family man and a loving father. Clearly, he had no
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Ankie Stork was a Dutch resistance fighter during the German occupation of the Netherlands. She saved thirty-five Jewish children from the Nazis by hiding them in several locations in the town of Nijverdal during World War II. She acted as part of Utrecht’s Kindercomité (Utrecht Children Committee), a Dutch resistance group based in Utrecht. Louis
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On September 10th, the sky was clear,A Monday like so many others here.The sun shone bright, the air was still,And time moved on with its steady will. The city hummed, the world unaware,Of the storm of sorrow that soon would tearThrough streets of steel and hearts of stone,Leaving scars where hope had once grown. People
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This is a historical blog however not so much about a big historical event but more a personal historical tale, which I was reminded of today. In 1991 hardly anyone had heard about Andre Rieu, I know I didn’t. My Mother was getting remarried and I had told her that I would pay for the
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(originally published September 21 2023) The last two nights, I watched the documentary Ordinary Men—The Forgotten Holocaust (now streaming on Netflix). It is a German documentary film by director Manfred Oldenburg and producer Leopold Hoesch from 2022. The documentary examines how and why thousands of ordinary Germans participated in mass atrocities as members of Nazi
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In the past, I had written a few posts about Kasteel (castle) Hoensbroek in the Netherlands and its young inhabitants. However, the photographs are so heartwarming that I thought it would be nice to do one more post. The photos were taken on 2 March 1945. Dutch children entertained GIs in the famous castle. The
History of Sorts 
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