N1104 On the morning of June 6, 1944, the sea off Normandy was crowded with ships and the sky thundered with planes as Allied soldiers stormed the beaches of France. The largest invasion in history was underway. For months the Germans had waited, unsure where the blow would fall, and now their worst fears materialized. Yet … Read more
Mildred Gillars was born Mildred Elizabeth Sisk on November 29, 1900, in Portland, Maine. Her parents were Vincent Sisk and May Huittson. After their divorce, she moved with her mother to Ohio, where her mother remarried Robert Bruce Gillis, and young Mildred took his surname. Restless and ambitious, she dreamed of a life beyond the … Read more
Stoję na podwórku naszego bloku z wielkiej płyty w Nowej Hucie. Mam na imię Paulina Kowalska, trzydzieści dwa lata, i patrzę, jak moje życie zamienia się w dym. Strażacy później orzekną: zwarcie instalacji elektrycznej w kuchence. Proszę pani, zdarza się, ale dlaczego do cholery mnie to musiało spotkać? Wyrwałam z mieszkania dzieci, Lilkę, siedem lat, … Read more
In 1943, as the Second World War consumed Europe, two men stood on opposite sides of a hidden struggle. One sought dominion over the continent. The other was seen by millions as a protector of the innocent. The battlefield between Pius XII and Hitler was Rome, the Eternal City. The opening of the Vatican archives … Read more
The Third Reich sold the world an image of the pure German family. At the very top, wives were hidden, mistresses were funded by party money, and one woman was erased so completely that Germany never knew she existed. Adolf Hitler was one of the most photographed men on earth. His face appeared on stamps, … Read more
When West Germany appointed a new Inspector of Panzer Troops in 1967, the officer responsible for its tank forces bore one of the most famous names in German military history. His name was Heinz Günther Guderian. A generation earlier, his father had helped build Hitler's Panzer force, led it across Europe, and later became Inspector … Read more
When Germany surrendered in May 1945, the Hitler Youth vanished almost overnight. Its flags, uniforms, and emblems were hastily buried or burned. The Allied powers, shocked by the depth of indoctrination among German children, moved quickly to dismantle every trace of the organization. On October 10, 1945, the Allied Control Council formally outlawed the Hitler … Read more
Few personal possessions belonging to Adolf Hitler survive today, despite his worldwide fame during his lifetime and the enduring fascination with him eight decades after his death. Many objects in circulation were official presents given to him by individuals or organizations. These were not truly personal items, and most were likely examined once and then … Read more
In 1941, as Nazi forces occupied Paris, a French intelligence file was opened under a code name: Westminster. The agent's number was F7124. The agent, according to the file, wore couture. Her name was Coco Chanel. She had built the most famous fashion house on Earth. For decades, that file stayed buried — not lost, … Read more
On January 12, 1948, a 44-year-old historian died of cancer in a hospital in Hanover. His name was Hans Gerd von Rundstedt. Weeks earlier, his father had been allowed to leave a British prison camp to sit at his bedside before being taken back to England. That father was Gerd von Rundstedt, the German army's … Read more