Battle of StalingradThe Battle of Stalingrad (Schlacht von Stalingrad ˈʃlaxt fɔn ˈʃtaːlɪnˌgʁaːt; Сталинградская битва; 23 August 1942 - 2 February 1943) was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II where Nazi Germany and its allies unsuccessfully fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (later renamed Volgograd) in Southern Russia. The battle was marked by fierce close-quarters combat and direct assaults on civilians in air raids, with the battle epitomizing urban warfare.
Operation BarbarossaOperation Barbarossa (Unternehmen Barbarossa; Operatsiya Barbarossa) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. It was the largest land offensive in human history, with around 10 million combatants taking part. The operation, code-named after Frederick Barbarossa ("red beard"), a 12th-century Holy Roman emperor, Crusader, and German king, put into action Nazi Germany's ideological goal of conquering the western Soviet Union to repopulate it with Germans.
InternmentInternment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply mean imprisonment, it tends to refer to preventive confinement rather than confinement after having been convicted of some crime. Use of these terms is subject to debate and political sensitivities.
Hitler YouthThe Hitler Youth (Hitlerjugend ˈhɪtlɐˌjuːɡn̩t, often abbreviated as HJ, haːˈjɔt) was the youth organisation of the Nazi Party in Germany. Its origins date back to 1922 and it received the name Hitler-Jugend, Bund deutscher Arbeiterjugend ("Hitler Youth, League of German Worker Youth") in July 1926. From 1936 until 1945, it was the sole official boys' youth organisation in Germany and it was partially a paramilitary organisation.
Siege of LeningradThe siege of Leningrad (Блокада Ленинграда; Leningrader Blockade; Leningradin piiritys) was a prolonged military blockade undertaken by the Axis powers against the Soviet city of Leningrad (present-day Saint Petersburg) on the Eastern Front of World War II. Germany's Army Group North advanced from the south, while the German-allied Finnish army invaded from the north and completed the ring around the city. The siege began on 8 September 1941, when the Wehrmacht severed the last road to the city.
ReichsmarkThe Reichsmark (ˈʁaɪçsˌmaʁk; sign: R︁M︁; abbreviation: RM) was the currency of Germany from 1924 until 20 June 1948 in Trizone, where it was replaced by the Deutsche Mark, and until 23 June 1948 in the Soviet occupation zone of Germany , where it was replaced by the East German mark. The Reichsmark was subdivided into 100 Reichspfennigs (Rpf or R︁₰). The Mark is an ancient Germanic weight measure, traditionally a half pound, later used for several coins; Reich (realm in English) comes from the official name for the German state from 1871 to 1945, Deutsches Reich.
Battle of CreteThe Battle of Crete (Luftlandeschlacht um Kreta, Μάχη της Κρήτης), codenamed Operation Mercury (Unternehmen Merkur), was a major Axis airborne and amphibious operation during World War II to capture the island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, with multiple German airborne landings on Crete. Greek and other Allied forces, along with Cretan civilians, defended the island. After only one day of fighting, the Germans had suffered heavy casualties and the Allied troops were confident that they would defeat the invasion.
KruppThe Krupp family (see pronunciation) is a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, noted for its production of steel, artillery, ammunition and other armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG (Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp after acquiring Hoesch AG in 1991 and lasting until 1999), was the largest company in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century, and was the premier weapons manufacturer for Germany in both world wars.
Paul von HindenburgPaul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg (ˈpaʊl ˈluːtvɪç hans ˈantoːn fɔn ˈbɛnəkn̩dɔʁf ʔʊnt fɔn ˈhɪndn̩bʊʁk; abbreviated ˈpaʊl fɔn ˈhɪndn̩bʊʁk; 2 October 1847 – 2 August 1934) was a German field marshal and statesman who led the Imperial German Army during World War I. He later became President of Germany from 1925 until his death. During his presidency, he played a key role in the Nazi seizure of power in January 1933 when, under pressure from his advisers, he appointed Adolf Hitler as Chancellor of Germany.
DesertionDesertion is the abandonment of a military duty or post without permission (a pass, liberty or leave) and is done with the intention of not returning. This contrasts with unauthorized absence (UA) or absence without leave (AWOL ˈeɪwɒl), which are temporary forms of absence. In the United States Army, United States Air Force, British Armed Forces, Australian Defence Force, New Zealand Defence Force, Singapore Armed Forces and Canadian Armed Forces, military personnel will become AWOL if absent from their post without a valid pass, liberty or leave.
