History

General history issues, although a lot will be about WW2

  • (Originally published 29 April 2022) The title of this blog does not refer to the verse in the bible in the book of Exodus chapter 16 verse 15, “And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto…

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  • (Originally posted on April 9,2017) The executions carried out on April 9, 1945, at the Flossenbürg concentration camp represent one of the final acts of repression by the collapsing Nazi regime. Occurring just weeks before the end of World War II in Europe, these killings targeted prominent figures connected—directly or indirectly—to resistance against Adolf Hitler.…

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  • What’s in a name? My last name would indicate that I would be someone of a small stature, however with my 1.90 m (6′ 2.8″) I could not be considered small by any stretch of the imagination. The same can be said about Charles Coward one of World War II‘s biggest heroes despite his name.…

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  • The Jigsaw in Auschwitz

    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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  • Dachau in Words

    Dachau Concentration Camp was the first of the Nazi concentration camps established in Germany. It opened in 1933, shortly after Adolf Hitler became Chancellor, and it operated until its liberation by American troops in 1945. Situated just north of Munich, Dachau served as a model for other concentration camps that followed. Initially, Dachau held political…

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  • The Rwandan Genocide, which took place over a horrifying span of 100 days from April 7 to July 19 1994, stands as one of the most brutal and rapid genocides in modern history. An estimated 800,000 to 1 million Tutsi and moderate Hutu were slaughtered in a planned campaign of mass murder orchestrated by the…

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  • Buchenwald

    Buchenwald concentration camp was established in 1937. Thousands of people were imprisoned there, primarily political prisoners and those classified as “asocial.” Following Kristallnacht in November 1938, approximately 10,000 Jewish men were sent to Buchenwald, most of whom were released after about one month. By 1943, many prisoners were forced to work in nearby munitions factories…

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  • On April 6, 1906, the first animated film recorded on standard picture film, Humorous Phases of Funny Faces, was released. Running just three minutes, this silent short was created by British-American film pioneer J. Stuart Blackton. The film presents a sequence of simple yet inventive scenes, including a dog jumping through a hoop and a…

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  • “Let Legend Mark Me King” is a song by the legendary actor Christopher Lee, best known for his roles in classic horror films and as Saruman in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. However, he also had a lesser-known but impressive career as a heavy metal vocalist in his later years. This particular track comes…

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  • Gustav Mahler is one of the most famous classical music composers and conductors of all time. Yet, his music was considered as degenerate by the Nazi regime, and was therefore banned in Germany and all the occupies territories. It was not because Mahler was a bad composer but because he was Jewish. However the Nazis…

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