Rare images of the Battle of the Bulge in World War II
From December 16, 1944, to January 25, 1945, American, British, Canadian, Belgian, and French troops fought to stop the last major German offensive of World War II, which began in the densely forested Belgian Ardennes. Although the Allied troops ultimately…
Historical photos of German prisoners of war in Norway, 1945
The German occupation of Norway began on April 9, 1940, after German troops occupied the neutral Scandinavian country of Norway. It ended on May 8, 1945, after the surrender of German troops in Europe. During this entire period, Norway was…
Ready to jump: German paratrooper before deployment in France
The Wehrmacht’s paratroopers were considered an elite unit, known for their discipline, physical fitness, and strategic importance. In June 1944, during the Allied invasion of Normandy, they were a crucial part of the German defense. A striking image shows a…
The story of the Luftwaffe helpers: Young people in the shadow of war
The story of the Luftwaffe helpers: Young people in the shadow of war In March 1945, as World War II drew to a close, three young Luftwaffe auxiliaries were captured by the U.S. 3rd Armored Division near Giessen. This scene…
Racial education classes at a school for German girls, 1943
German students take part in racial education classes in 1943. The three groups depicted on the poster are (from top to bottom) the “East Baltic race,” the “Eastern race,” and the “Dinaric race.” All three groups were considered sub-races of…
The long road to reconstruction in Dresden, 1945–1970
During the last winter of World War II, the city of Dresden in East Germany suffered severe destruction from air raids. Many people were killed, and an ongoing debate arose about the background and impact of the attack. Dresden was…
Legendary Showdown: The Rise and Fall of the German Battleship “Admiral Graf Spee” (1937)
In the stormy seas of the late 1930s, the German battleship Admiral Graf Spee was a formidable force. Launched in 1934 and commissioned in 1936, it represented a breakthrough in naval engineering. With its sleek design, high speed, and powerful cannons, the Admiral…
East German soldier helps a young boy sneak over the Berlin Wall, 1961
An East German soldier helps a young boy secretly cross the Berlin Wall, August 13, 1961. This is a photograph of an East German soldier helping a young boy cross the newly constructed Berlin Wall on the day it…
World War II: German rations and the nutrition of the troops of the Third Reich
Image credit: Food for thought – Curses in chalk: “God punish England” reads the inscription on the anti-aircraft gun behind the soldiers as they eat from their mess tins. The barely legible writing on the rifle barrel reads: “Always shoot…
How Charles Coward saved Jewish prisoners from the Nazis and became known as the “Count of Auschwitz”
After being captured by the Germans in 1940, Charles Coward spent the rest of World War II as a prisoner of war, but still rescued hundreds of Jewish prisoners from Auschwitz. LSU Law Digital Commons Charles Joseph Coward testified as…