There was no shortage of horrors during the Second World War. The event that gave the world concentration camps also gave us the Rape of Nanking, the firebombing of Dresden, and the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These nightmarish scenarios generally occurred when one group had power over another and used that power to murder indiscriminately.
However, the frontlines themselves weren't exactly a picnic. As pictures of the war show us, the rank-and-file soldiers on every side faced conditions that most of us can't even imagine. Forced marches were commonplace, and life on the frontlines was a constant nightmare that left many men broken in more than just the physical sense. And then there was the fighting.
The battles of World War II were often apocalyptically brutal thanks to improvements in artillery, tanks, and other weapons of war. There were many bloody skirmishes during the conflict, but perhaps none as terrible as the Battle of Stalingrad. This infamous battle could be more accurately called a siege. It took place from August 23, 1942, to February 2, 1943 - a total of five months, one week, and three days. In terms of the number of soldiers involved, it was the largest single encounter in WWII, and proved to be a turning point in the Eastern Front. The German military massively overextended itself in an ultimately fruitless attempt to capture Stalingrad. Had it succeeded, the world would look very different today.
Read Full Article »