On May 1, 1945, victorious Russian troops hoisted the Red Flag from the Reichstag, the heart of the Third Reich. The day after, Supreme Warlord Adolf Hitler shot himself in a death pact with Eva Braun. Germany surrendered unconditionally on May 5.
Soviet estimates for the battle of Berlin are 81,116 killed/missing and 280,251 wounded, with German casualties as high as 458,080 killed and 479,298 captured. Civilian losses may have been as much as 125,000. These figures are surely high for the German side, but an undoubtedly catastrophic loss of life occurred at the close of this titanic conflict.
Not that anyone cares, but I respect the German Army and soldier of the 1940s, the Deutsche Heere, though their cause was bad. I respect the Russian soldiers too, who took the grisly fight to conclusion.Very brave men, to put it mildly.
May 9 is fast upon us and with it the Russian Victory Parade. Will RF forces achieve significant victory over the weekend? Unlikely. But readers, let's not forget this "rule." It goes like this, do not go to war against Russia. It ends badly, see Napoleon and Der Fuhrer.
Cheers,
LSP
10 comments:
Indeed. Never forget, the enemy gets a vote too.
It's been amusing here in the sacred socialist city of New York to watch our press go all in on war with Russia.
Comrade, war is always moral when Democrats are in charge.
Never fight a land war in Asia... (-The Princess Bride)
Well said, RHT.
Yes, Comrade Anon.
It always seems to go badly, LL. But not to worry, this time we've got the Big Guy to command us, and Darth Austin and Rainbow Milley.
One of the most telling photographs of the war was the tossing of German battle colors into a pile during the Moscow victory parade. Nothing says "You lost, Fritz," like your standard in a pile on the ground.
I read and recently read againthat Germany lost 90% ! of its infantry attacking Russia.
They took a right beating, Sgt., and there it was, laid out on Red Square. Curiously, many of the colors were taken from museums where they'd been put for safe keeping. Or something like that, they remain today in a Moscow museum.
It was just horrific, Kid. We know this and we weren't even there. Curiously, had just this conversation with my eldest today, who had NO IDEA of the numbers lost, and he's in the Army. What can I say, they don't teach history.
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