Russia had the most WWII casualties, with nearly 21 million people killed.1)
During the Holocaust, it is believed that 1.5 million children died. Approximately 1.2 million were Jewish, with tens of thousands being Gypsies.2)
80% of Soviet boys born in 1923 did not survive WWII.3)
The Allies dropped 3.4 million tons of bombs between 1939 and 1945, an average of 27,700 tons each month.4)
Russia and the Red Army were accused of various war crimes, including systematic mass rape (the Red Army reportedly raped over 2 million German women) and genocide.5)
Many concentration camp inmates were beyond aid even after the Allies arrived. In Bergen-Belsen, for example, 13,000 prisoners died after liberation.6)
Within six weeks of liberation, over 2,500 of the 33,000 Dachau survivors perished.7)
Most historians think that WWII began on September 1, 1939, when Germany invaded Poland. Others think it started when Japan invaded Manchuria on September 18, 1931. Some experts believe WWII is a continuation of WWI with a pause in between.8)
The SS used the bogus identity Max Heiliger to open a bank account in which they deposited money, gold, and jewellery stolen from European Jews.9)
The Conflict of the Atlantic, which lasted from 1939 to 1945, was the longest battle of WWII.10)
Nasos was the initial acronym for the National Socialist Party.11)
“Nazi” is short for “Nationalsozialist”.12)
During WWII, around 600,000 Jews served in the United States military services. More than 35,000 people were killed, injured, kidnapped, or went missing. Approximately 8,000 people were killed in action.13)
With over 80,000 American losses, the Battle of the Bulge is the greatest and bloodiest battle for US forces to date.14)
During the Siege of Leningrad, more Russians (military and civilian) died than American and British soldiers combined during WWII.15)
Approximately 12 million individuals were slaughtered by the Nazis, roughly 6 million of them were Jews slain in the Holocaust (“whole burned”).16)
9,000 “wind ship weapons” comprising paper and rubberized silk balloons carrying incendiary and anti-personnel bombs to the United States were launched by the Japanese during WWII. More than 1,000 balloons were launched, reaching as far east as Michigan. The only casualties stemming from a balloon bomb were six Americans (including five children and a pregnant lady) on a picnic in Oregon.17)
The swastika is a sacred emblem that dates back thousands of years. It is derived from the Sanskrit term for a hooked cross, which was utilized as a sign of fertility and good fortune by ancient cultures. It has been discovered in Greek, Egyptian, Chinese, Indian, and Hindu temple ruins.18)
Vice-Admiral Onishi proposed the Japanese Kamikaze (“divine wind”) tactic on October 19, 1944, in an attempt to counter the technical superiority of invading American forces. Although the exact number is unknown, roughly 2,800 kamikaze pilots were killed. They sank 34 US ships, damaged 368 others, killed 4,900 sailors, and injured 4,800 more.19)
In 1935, British engineer Robert Watson-Watt was developing a “death ray” that would use radio waves to kill enemy aircraft. His “killing ray” instead evolved into radar—or “radio detection and ranging.20)
A large number of Jews were subjected to cruel medical experimentation. For example, physicians would use X-rays to examine the effect of different dosages on sterility in men's testicles and women's ovaries. Nazi physicians would routinely shatter bones to test how many times they could do it before a bone couldn't mend.21)
Experiments were carried out to ascertain the impact of air pressure on the human body. Inmates were injected with various medications and illnesses, and limbs and muscles were severed and chopped for transplantation experiments. Today, mentioning or using Nazi research is deemed unethical.22)
Dr. Josef Mengele (the “Angel of Death”) utilized roughly 3,000 twins, predominantly Romany and Jewish youngsters, for his horrific genetic experiments. Only around 200 people survived. His experiments included connecting one twin's eyeball to the back of the other twin's head and putting dye into children's eyes.23)
Jehovah's Witnesses were persecuted and murdered in German concentration camps with Jews and Gypsies.24)
On January 20, 1942, the Wannsee Conference in Berlin decided to adopt the “Final Solution”, or Die Endlosung. Heinrich Himmler was its principal architect.25)
The phrase “Final Solution to the Jewish Problem” was first used in an 1899 communication to Russian Tzar Nicholas concerning Zionism.26)
Many historians feel that the Conflict of Stalingrad (1942-1943) was not only the deadliest battle in history (800,000-1,600,000 deaths), but also a watershed moment in European WWII.27)
On September 2, 1945, Japan signed a surrender deal on the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, thereby ending WWII.28)
Anne Frank and her sister perished at the concentration camp of Bergen-Belsen in March 1945, one month before the camp was liberated in April 1945. 29)
Almost 50,000 individuals perished throughout its lifespan. Following the evacuation of the camp, British forces burnt it down to prevent the spread of disease.30)
Despite the dangers, thousands of individuals contributed to the Jews' survival. Denmark, for example, rescued their whole community. Raoul Wallenberg (1912-1947), Oscar Schindler (1908-1974), and Chiune Sugihara (1900-1986) rescued thousands of lives.31)
Between 1940 and 1945, the United States' defense spending grew from $1.9 billion to $59.8 billion.32)
During WWII, the Air Force was a component of the Army and did not become a separate branch of the military until after the war.33)
A private earned $21 per month in 1941. A private earned $50 per month in 1942.34)
During WWII, over 650,000 Jeeps were produced. In addition, American companies manufactured 300,000 military aircraft, 89,000 tanks, 3 million machine guns, and 7 million rifles.35)
The Enola Gay became well known for delivering the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, but the identity of the B-29 that struck Nagasaki is hardly recognized. Bock's Car was called for the plane's customary pilot, Frederick Bock.36)
During WWII, the Germans utilized the earliest jet fighters, including the Messerschmitt ME-262. They were, however, established too late to affect the outcome of the conflict.37)
General Karl Becker, the creator of the most powerful artillery cannon ever built and utilized in WWII, dubbed it Karl. The massive cannon, which was largely used against the Russians, could fire a 2.5 ton round over three miles. The shells were 24 inches diameter and had a penetration depth of eight to nine feet.38)
During WWII, the abbreviation BAM stood for “Broad-Assed Marines”, meaning female Marine Corps members. The males, on the other hand, were dubbed “Hairy-Assed Marines” by the ladies.39)
In Berlin, the SS conducted a brothel called “The Kitty Salon” for foreign diplomats and other VIPs. It was wiretapped, and 20 prostitutes were indoctrinated and trained for many weeks. They had been specially trained to get information from clients through seemingly benign interactions.40)
WWII led to Europe's demise as an international power center, and the development of the United States and Russia as superpowers. This laid the groundwork for both the US-USSR cold war and the nuclear age.41)
To escape the German-sounding moniker, hamburgers in the United States were called “Liberty Steaks” during WWII.42)
There were 96 ships moored at the time of the Pearl Harbor assault. Eight warships were sunk or severely damaged during the combat.43)
The “Beast of Belsen”, Joseph Kramer (1906-1945), was a commander at Bergen-Belsen. When questioned if he “felt anything” while seeing and participating in the murders of thousands of men, women, and children, Kramer answered he didn't since he was just doing his job. Later, he was killed for crimes against humanity.44)
With 352 “kills”, German fighter pilot Erich Hartmann (“the Blond Knight”) is the ace of all fighter aces from all nations.45)