Colditz Castle, German Schloss Colditz,  German prisoner-of-war camp in World War II, the site of many daring escape attempts by Allied officers. The castle sits on a steep hill overlooking the Mulde River as it flows through the small Saxon town of Colditz, about 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Leipzig. A former residence of the kings of Saxony, the castle was… Read more »

World War II was the most destructive conflict in history. It cost more money, damaged more property, killed more people, and caused more far-reaching changes than any other war in history. The country with the largest number of WWII causalities was Russia, with over 21 million. For every five German soldiers who died in WWII,… Read more »

The numbered tattoos that have today become an identifying mark of Holocaust survivors originated in Auschwitz, the largest Nazi concentration camp in Europe. There, incoming prisoners went through the infamous selektion (selection process). An SS officer would sort the prisoners into two lines: those sent to the right were immediately killed in the gas chambers, those sent to the left were put… Read more »

Audie Murphy became a national hero during World War II as the most decorated combat soldier of the war. Among his 33 awards was the Medal of Honour, the highest award for bravery that a soldier can receive. In addition, he was also decorated for bravery by the governments of France and Belgium, and was… Read more »

It was horrific. The siege of Leningrad (the modern-day St. Petersburg) lasted almost two and one-half years and cost the lives of an estimated 1,000,000 city residents. It began on September 8, 1941 when German troops completed their encirclement of the city. As his blitzkrieg rushed towards Moscow, Hitler made the strategic decision to bypass… Read more »

Ludwig Beck was born in Biebrich, Germany, on June 29, 1880. He joined the German Army and by 1933 became Adjutant General of the army. Two years later he was promoted Chief of General Staff.   Beck opposed attempts by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party to takeover the army. In 1938, he sent an emissary to London in an attempt to get Neville… Read more »

Educated at West Point, George Smith Patton (1885-1945) began his military career leading cavalry troops against Mexican forces and became the first officer assigned to the new U.S. Army Tank Corps during World War I.  Promoted through the ranks over the next several decades, he reached the high point of his career during World War… Read more »

The Battle of Iwo Jima  a major battle in which the United States Armed Forces landed on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. The American invasion, designated Operation Detachment, had the goal of capturing the entire island, including the three Japanese-controlled airfields (including the South Field and the Central Field, to provide a… Read more »

The USS Arizona Memorial, located at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii, marks the resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors and marines killed on the USS Arizona BB-39 during the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 and commemorates the events of that day. Unlike many of the other ships sunk or damaged that day, the Arizona could not be fully salvaged, though the… Read more »

Prior to America’s entry into World War II in December 1941, individual Americans volunteered to fight against the Axis powers in other nations armed forces. Although under American law, it was illegal for United States citizens to join the armed forces of foreign nations and in doing so, they lost their citizenship, Many American volunteers… Read more »