World War 2
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The sinking of the Titanic may be history’s most infamous maritime disaster and the torpedoing of the Lusitania, the most notorious wartime naval tragedy. Yet, both—with death tolls of approximately 1,500 and 1,200, respectively—are overshadowed by the fate of the MV Wilhelm Gustloff. On January 30, 1945, the German ocean liner was struck by torpedoes…
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Below is the testimony of Rudolf Höss, taken on Monday, 15 April 1946, during the Nuremberg Trials. Morning Session DR. KAUFFMANN: With the agreement of the Tribunal, I now call the witness Hoess. [The witness Hoess took the stand.] THE PRESIDENT: Stand up. Will you state your name? RUDOLF FRANZ FERDINAND HOESS (Witness): Rudolf Franz…
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When Reinhard Heydrich was severely injured after the assassination attempt on him, Operation Anthropoid, Himmler ordered his personal physician,Karl Gebhardt, to attend to Heydrich’s injuries. Initially the recovery appeared to go well. Theodor Morell, Hitler’s personal physician, suggested the use of sulfonamides ,which was a new antibacterial drug,, but Gebhardt, assuming that Heydrich would recover,…
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Max Heiliger did a lot more than just launder money for the Nazis. Stolen banknotes and jewellery along with Holocaust victims’ dental gold, wedding rings, and even scrap gold melted down from spectacles-frames flooded into the Max Heiliger accounts, filling several bank vaults by 1942. So who was this Max Heiliger? Basically, he was a…
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The number 12 is significant in religious, mythological and magical symbolism, generally representing perfection, entirety, or cosmic order in traditions since antiquity. It is also the number of full lunations in a solar year, thus the number of months in a solar calendar, as well as the number of signs in the Western and the…
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In January 1942, Kenesaw Mountain Landis (1866-1944), the national commissioner of baseball, wrote a letter to President Roosevelt in which he asked if professional baseball should shut down for the duration of the war. In what came to be known as the “green light” letter, Roosevelt responded that professional baseball should continue operations, as it…
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We all know the story of Anne Frank but unfortunately Anne wasn’t the only teenage who died in the camps. Helga Deen another teenage girl who lived in the Netherlands also died as result of the Nazi ideology and she also wrote a diary. Helga Deen (6 April 1925 – 16 July 1943) was the…
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As long as a name is mentioned, no one will be forgotten. is a quote I saw on the Joods Monument website(Jewish Monument) and it is so true. Sometimes I find it hard to find the inspiration and right words to remember those millions who were murdered, but just mentioning their names is sometimes enough…
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It is often said that we should not speak ill of the dead, but in this case, an exception is justified. Joseph Mengele was, beyond any doubt, one of the most evil men who ever lived. Although as a Doctor he was supposed to look after people and first do no harm. The Hippocratic Oath…
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Nowadays we take it for granted that we can conduct in peaceful protest, as a means to highlight our grievances. However in Nazi occupied Amsterdam during World War 2 any form of protest could be and would be considered an act of resistance which could lead to being jailed and even death. On August 5,1940…
History of Sorts 