When the Soviets finally did invade and went to each house looking for German soldiers I found it very interesting that they were constantly asking for watches and schnapps. These are obviously very different things. I just am not sure the point of taking both men and women’s watches. It seemed almost like a trophy…
“Send Them Home Crying” – Destiny Crucible
1943 proved to be a critical point in the outcome of the Second World War. The Germans faced numerous setbacks and defeats in almost every war they fought that year. The first change was the sinking of German U-boats. Prior to 1943, German U-boats continuously sunk Allied convoys in the Atlantic. However, this trend changed…
Denying Defeat
Chapter 16, “To Unreason and Beyond,” is another clear example of the Third Reich’s utilization of architecture, technology, and propaganda to influence and misguide public opinion. The chapter begins with a speech by Goebbels following Germany’s crushing defeat at Stalingrad. Goebbels, as the Third Reich had done throughout the entirety of the war, refocused…
Soviets in Berlin
In school I was taught that after the Battle of Berlin the Allied forces, represented by the Russian Red Army, valiantly walked into Berlin thus unshackling the Germans from the Nazi regime. However, as Lucy Ash exposed in her BBC article, the truth was not so simple. As Soviet forces took the city, it is…
THE “DAISIES” LOSE
8 May 1945 is a very important day in European history. It signified the unconditional surrender of the “Daisies” in Berlin. The Red Army occupied many city centers and celebrated their victory over the “Daisies”. Berliners continued, for the most part, to resume their normal activities. They were forced to begin to rebuild and find…
Battle of Berlin
The Battle of Berlin was a turning point for Germany. The bombing of Berlin deatroyed the homes of over a half a million people and injured almost 10,000. The author highlights the power and strength of the German airforce and Berlin’s defenses; less than 4,000 Germans were killed. Despite strong defenses, Berliners were affected by…
The Battle of Berlin – The Beginning of the End
During the duration of the war, the Luftwaffe had superior air power which gave the German people a sense of security. During the battle of Berlin, it’s outstanding that the causalities and displacement remained as low as it did. According to Moorhouse, under ten thousand people were homeless and less than four thousand had died….
Rioters comprised of aggitated wives congregated in Rosenstrasse. Women demanded for their husbands back from being imprisoned at the collection camp. Some thought that this women’s protest possibly helped assure that some prisoners would not go to the gas chamber. I found this incidence significant because it was one of the only protests in Nazi…
Hope for the Future
Although there was violence leading up to the Nazi surrender and the Soviet occupation of Berlin, a sense of almost calm and a restoration of relative peace, according to Moorhouse, seemed to install itself over the city. This is an intereting point I wish he made in more than just the epiloge because of the…