PN1501

When the German Army launched Operation Barbarossa on June 22, 1941, its invasion of the Soviet Union presented a situation unlike anything it had faced in Poland, France, or the Low Countries: female combatants among the enemy ranks. The war on the Eastern Front was an ideological conflict, with German National Socialism on one side … Read more

When the war in Europe ended in 1945, there was an almost unseemly scramble for the secrets of the defeated Nazi regime. The obvious prizes, such as scientific experts and technology, are well known, with Britain, France, the United States, and the Soviet Union competing directly as the Cold War began to unfold. But there … Read more

When the war in Europe ended in 1945, there was an almost unseemly scramble for the secrets of the defeated regime. Scientific experts and Nazi technology were obvious prizes, and Britain, France, the United States, and the Soviet Union competed directly as the Cold War began to unfold. But there was also a scramble to … Read more

Joachim Peiper was born in Wilmersdorf, Germany, on January 30, 1915, into a middle-class family. His father had served as an officer in the German Imperial Army in Africa and, during World War I, in the Ottoman Empire. After the war, Peiper's father was active in Freikorps paramilitary groups, including the suppression of the Polish … Read more

Reinhard Heydrich was born on March 7, 1904, into an ordinary middle-class family. His father, Richard, was an opera singer and composer. The young Heydrich played the violin and took part in sports such as fencing and swimming. His father was not very political but was staunchly nationalistic, with great reverence for the state and … Read more