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A 1944 colourised photograph of FDR. The president had been worn down by the war at this point, and died soon after. (Histomania) On this day in 1941, American president Franklin D. Roosevelt (or FDR) delivered his state of the union address. In the groundbreaking speech, FDR enumerated Four Freedoms that he believed all human…
Mussolini surrounded by armed guards in the 1920s, prior to embracing his infamous quasi-military outfit. (Wikimedia Commons) On this day in 1925, Italian Fascist Benito Mussolini abruptly announced his transition from democratically-elected Prime Minister to cartoonish dictator. For his first years in power - after coming to prominence with his March on Rome in 1922…
A German machine-gunner moves towards the front lines during the winter of 1944. (GFP) On this day in 1944, remnants of the German army attacked the advancing Allies in the final German offensive of WWII. Codenamed Operation Nordwind by the OKH (High Command of the German Army), the operation was inspired largely by Hitler's misguided…
Canadian casualties are removed by stretcher bearers during the fighting in Ortona. (UrbanToronto.ca) On this day in 1943, the 1st Canadian Division captured the Italian town of Ortona from Axis forces. Aside from being a strategically significant sea port on the East coast of Italy, Ortona was one of the key German strongholds on the…
Mongolian soldiers during the Battle of Khalkhin Gol. (Wikimedia Commons) The Western narrative of WWII often forgets much of what happened in the far East. Although the Pacific Campaign gets a considerable amount of American attention, many readers and researchers focus largely on the North African and European theatres. Most sources agree that WWII began…
Hitler (R) with Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini (L). Mussolini's "hands on" approach to military leadership - which Hitler emulated - ended up handicapping both Axis armies. (Wikipedia) On this day in 1941, Nazi German leader Adolf Hitler appointed himself leader of the Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH), or High Command of the German Army. The…
The memorial at Drobitsky Yar. (Wikimedia Commons) On this day in 1941, men of the German Wehrmacht (regular army) massacred 15,000 Jewish people in Drobitsky Yar, a ravine on the outskirts of Kharkiv, Ukraine. Although the circumstances of the massacre are not completely clear, the general historical consensus is that Wehrmacht units invading Ukraine (then…
The Graf Spee in Montevideo, heavily damaged and about to be scuttled. (Pinterest) On this day in 1939, the German Kriegsmarine (Navy) heavy cruiser Admiral Graf Spree was on a "commercial raiding mission" off the coast of Uruguay and Argentina. Before WWII's start, the Graf Spee had been authorized to sail around the South Atlantic…
A copy of Raczyński's Note. (Polish Government) On this day in 1942, the Polish government-in-exile delivered Raczyński's Note - an official report on the Holocaust - to 26 Western governments engaged in WWII. Polish resistance member Jan Karski had smuggled secret information documenting Nazi war crimes to London, where it was reviewed by horrified Polish…
A Supermarine Spitfire (front) and Hawker Hurricane (rear). The two fighter plane variants were the RAF's main weapons during the Battle of Britain. (Wikimedia Commons) In the summer of 1940, things looked very, very bad for the Allies of WWII. Poland and most of Eastern Europe were in Axis hands; France had just capitulated; and…
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