Little Known Facts of War Time

This is a sculpture by Jerzy Bohdan Szumczyk in Gdansk, a Russian soldier raping a pregnant woman, was removed after only one day — most mentions of these incidents had been and are still silenced in the formerly occupied Central European countries.

~ One of the sad facts that I have learned  in researching wartime material and which blew my mind was related to Hungary: approximately 360,000 babies were born (estimated) after the Second World War as result of rape by the “liberating” Red Army soldiers in Hungary. Considering the fact that not all atrocities resulted in babies, the number of rapes committed must be way, way higher. Historians researching the topic believe that there were at least 800,000 to 1 million incidents happening. The population of Hungary was about 8.5 million at the end of the War. This means that at least 20% of the female population fell victim to rape. The problem had such gravity that the government lifted the ban on abortions and made those and treatment for STDs free of charge and widely available. Still, about 360,000 babies were born.

~ When a generation of men went to fight the war, more than a million women took their place in the workforce. They worked long hours, often in poor conditions and with dangerous chemicals. The so-called 'canaries' were women who worked with TNT, which gave them toxic jaundice and turned their skin yellow. These effects lasted long after the war.

~ The youngest British soldier in WWI was 12 years old:

Sidney Lewis was just 12 years old when he lied about his age and joined the army during World War One. He was one of thousands of eager underage boys who enlisted and ended up fighting alongside their adult counterparts on the front. Some were motivated by patriotism, but for others it was an escape from their dreary lives. Britain let 250,000 underage soldiers fight in World War One.

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In World War II, British soldiers got a ration of three sheets of toilet paper a day. Americans got 22

 

The Siege of Stalingrad resulted in more Russian deaths (military and civilian) than the US and Britain sustained (combined) in all of World War II

What do these four things all have in common?

 

Well during WWI they were all known by German names and all of them had their names changed!

In the top left there is a cute little Dachshund. The name is obviously German, so at a time in the United States when anti-German sentiment was running high their name became “liberty dogs”! The same goes for the Hamburger, renamed “Liberty Steak”, and the Frankfurter was renamed “Liberty Sausage”. I do like the idea of someone asking for a “Liberty Sausage and  Liberty Steak” whilst walking their Liberty Dog (It sounds very American to my Canadian ears!)

 

The photo in the bottom left is of King George V, the British King during WWI. The King and his family came from the House of Saxe-Coburg, after his grandmother Queen Victoria married the German prince Albert in 1840. The Royal Family were known by the German name of Hanover. So during WWI, like the United States, anti-German sentiment was running high in the UK and it wasn’t seen as appropriate for the British monarch to carry a German family name. So in 1917 the family name was changed to Windsor, which is carried by the Royal Family to this day.

 

Interesting side note: King George V and Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany were on opposite sides of the war. But in fact they were cousins and they notoriously disliked each other. It did not help to bring about peace and may have prolonged the hostilities.

 

 

             During World War II, the largest Japanese spy ring was actually located in Mexico.

 

          The mortality rate for POWs in Russian camps in WW2 was 85%.

Odd Facts about Hitler:

 

Hitler was selected as Time Magazine's Man of the Year in 1938

1) Hitler liked American Cheerleading and was actually inspired by them
Hitlers famous "Sieg Heil" or "Heil Hitler" gesture was inspired by an ancient Roman Salute but the actual saying Sieg Heil, or Hail Victory, Hitler’s close friend Ernst Hanfstaengl, known to Hitler as “Putzi states that in the year of 1923, Hitler was a massive fan of football college games and their accompanying marches, and the “Sieg Heil!” shout was based on the cheerleaders’ techniques.

2) Hitler had Feminine Handwritting
Carl Jung, an eminent psychologist was asked to comment on an example of Hitler’s handwriting he announced it was “typically feminine.”

3) Hitler had a big Sweet Tooth
When Hitler was living in Vienna he would spend what little money he had left over on Sugary Treats and Cakes.
Hitler’s sweet tooth persisted into his later years: the aforementioned Putzi, then his piano-player, reported seeing him pile sugar into a glass of expensive red wine at a society dinner.

4) Hitler had a phobia of Dentists
On one occasion, it is reported that Hitler insisted on drawing out a root canal operation over eight days to spread out the pain.
As a result of his dentist fear (and probably his sweet tooth as mentioned above) Hitler had pretty bad oral hygiene. He had awful breath, a multitude of abscesses and even gum disease. In 1944, records show Hitler required a total of 10 fillings.

5) Hitler liked to sleep in.
Many say Hitler would always stay in bed and would, as a rule, never get out of bed before 11am.
This could be explained by the fact that Hitler suffered from insomnia and would often toss and turn until four in the morning. Other have suggested his irregular sleeping patterns—as well as a tic with his eyes—are signs that Hitler was showing symptoms of early-onset Parkinson’s disease.

6) Hitlers first love was a Jewish Girl
Whilst growing up in Vienna, Hitler fell in love with Jewish Stefanie Isak.
The young Hitler never said a word to Isak, instead preferring to pencil down his feelings. According to Hitler’s close friend August Kubizek, the young Hitler planned to kidnap Isak and kill them both by jumping into the Danube with her, but he eventually relented and let her be.

7) Hitler was addicted to cocaine
Hitler’s physician Theodor Morell began prescribing Hitler cocaine in 1944. Hitler took the cocaine via an inhaler, twice a day, and also used cocaine eye drops.
The prescription was given to help with Hitler’s poor sinuses and throat. But the repercussions of some historians say the cocaine could have affected Hitler’s decision making, rendering him susceptible to paranoia and fits of rage.

8) Hitler Suffered from Flatulence
Morell was a bit of a mystic and his medical practises were what one might call radical for their time. Hitler charged him with finding a cure for his longstanding gastrointestinal problems. Morell eventually managed to sort out Hitler’s bowels, prescribing him a concoction of amphetamines and gun lubricant, along with soothing chamomile enemas. But he was known to be pretty stinky.

9) Hitler had injections of Bull testicle extracts
Morell used extracts from young bulls’ prostates and testicles to kick start Hitler’s libido.

10) Hitler Loved Disney
In 2008, a war museum in Norway exhibited artwork depicting Disney characters it claimed had been drawn by Hitler himself. The paintings included Bashful and Doc from the 1937 Disney film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs—which was one of Hitler’s favorite films—and they were all signed A.H.
 

 Additional Facts:

Adolf Hitler nearly drowned when he was four years old but was saved by a local priest.

In January 1894 four year old Adolf Hitler was playing tag with his friends when he accidently fell into a river and nearly drowned before a local priest saved him. Obviously the priest didn't know what Hitler would do in the future and it's interesting to wonder if the priest would still have saved the young boy or let him drown if he had known the future. This wasn't Hitler's only brush with death since during World War I British soldier Henry Tandey had his gun pointed at a wounded Hitler but decided to spare him and Hitler nodded his thanks before wandering off. Who knows how history would have turned out if the priest didn't save Hitler or Henry Tandey had not been so compassionate and killed him.

 

 

By the way, Hitler's birth name was

Alois Schicklgruber.  He was illegitimate. At the time of his conception his mother considered an abortion.

 

The Noble Jew:

Did you know? In 1904, Hitler had become seriously ill and bedridden due to a lung ailment. He even had to leave school and stay home sick. Once there, his family doctor Eduard Bloch, a Jewish-Austrian practicing in Linz, fixed him up.

When Hitler’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1907, Bloch tended to her as well, until she passed away on the December of that year. Due to their poor economic circumstance, Bloch had worked for the Hitler family for reduced prices, and sometimes didn't even take any money at all.

For his generosity, an 18-year-old Hitler granted Blouch his “everlasting gratitude.” At the time, Bloch probably didn’t realize how powerful Hitler’s “gratitude” would come to be.

In 1908, Hitler could only express it by sending Bloch hand-made gifts. But in 1937, he personally ensured that Bloch would never be sent to a concentration camp, and had him and his family protected. He referred to Bloch as the “noble Jew.”

Copyright:
Hitler had a copyright to his likeness, so that, any time it was used, he was entitled to royalties. For example, when his face was placed on Germany's stamps, he made a royalty from every stamp sold.
He also used his position in government to sell copies of his book, Mein Kampf. At some point, it was mandated that every German couple be gifted a copy of this book upon wedding. Of course, this is a fantastic way to guarantee a steady stream of book sales.
 
Hitler's last Will and Testament:

 As I did not consider that I could take responsibility, during the years of struggle, of contracting a marriage, I have now decided, before the closing of my earthly career, to take as my wife that girl who, after many years of faithful friendship, entered, of her own free will, the practically besieged town in order to share her destiny with me. At her own desire she goes as my wife with me into death. It will compensate us for what we both lost through my work in the service of my people.
 What I possess belongs - in so far as it has any value - to the Party. Should this no longer exist, to the State; should the State also be destroyed, no further decision of mine is necessary.

My pictures, in the collections which I have bought in the course of years, have never been collected for private purposes, but only for the extension of a gallery in my home town of Linz on Donau
It is my most sincere wish that this bequest may be duly executed.

 I nominate as my Executor my most faithful Party comrade, Martin Bormann. He is given full legal authority to make all decisions. He is permitted to take out everything that has a sentimental value or is  necessary for the maintenance of a modest simple life, for my brothers and  sisters, also above all for the mother of my wife and my faithful co-workers who are well known to him, principally my old Secretaries Frau Winter etc. who have for many years aided me by their work.

 I myself and my wife - in order to escape the disgrace of deposition or capitulation - choose death. It is our wish to be burnt immediately on the spot where I have carried out the greatest part of my daily work in the course of a twelve years' service to my people.

Given in Berlin, 29th April 1945, 4:00 a.m.
Signed:

     
A. Hitler

Signed as witnesses:
Dr. Joseph Goebbels
Martin Bormann
Colonel Nicholaus von Below