They shit their pants so I don't have to.

I think extract below puts the Western front in context.

On the Western fronts, in any case, the losses were relatively minor, a few hundred thousand here or there at most. My starting figures will be somewhat arbitrary: I have no choice, since no one agrees on them. For the total Soviet losses, I’ll stick to the traditional number, the twenty million cited by Khrushchev in 1956, while noting that Reitlinger, a respected British author, finds only some twelve million, whereas Erickson, a Scottish scholar who’s just as reputable if not more so, comes to a minimum figure of twenty-six million; thus the official Soviet number neatly splits the difference, give or take a million. As for the German losses – in the East alone, that is – one can take as a starting point the even more official and Germanically precise number of 6,172,373 casualties between June 22, 1941, and March 31, 1945, a figure compiled in an internal report of the OKH (the Army High Command) that surfaced after the war, but one that includes both the dead (more than a million), the wounded (almost four million), and the missing (i.e., dead plus prisoners plus dead prisoners, some 1,288,000 men). So let us say for the sake of simplicity two million dead, since the wounded don’t concern us here, including, thrown in for good measure, the additional fifty thousand or so men killed between April 1 and May 8, 1945, mainly in Berlin, to which we still have to add the roughly one million civilians believed to have died during the invasion of eastern Germany and the subsequent population movements, giving us, let’s say, a grand total of three million German dead. As for the Jews, you have a choice: the traditional number, even though few people know where it comes from, is six million (it was Höttl who said at Nuremberg that Eichmann had told him this; but Wisliceny asserted that Eichmann had said five million to his colleagues; and Eichmann himself, when the Jews finally got to ask him the question in person, said somewhere between five and six million, but probably closer to five). Dr. Korherr, who compiled statistics for the Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler, totaled up close to two million as of December 31, 1942, but acknowledged, when I discussed the matter with him in 1943, that his baseline figures were unreliable. Finally, the highly respected professor Raul Hilberg, a specialist in the matter and one who can hardly be suspected of holding a partisan stance, at least not in favor of the Germans, reaches, after a dense, nineteen-page demonstration, a final count of 5,100,000, which more or less corresponds to the opinion of the late Obersturmbannführer Eichmann. So let’s settle for Professor Hilberg’s figure, which gives us, to summarize:

Soviet dead. . . . . . . . . . . 20 million
German dead . . . . . . . . . 3 million
Subtotal (for the Eastern Front). . 23 million
Endlösung. . . . . . . . . . . . 5.1 million
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26.6 million, given that 1.5 million Jews have also been counted as Soviet dead (“Soviet citizens murdered by the German-Fascist invaders,” as the extraordinary monument in Kiev so discreetly puts it)

Now for the math. The conflict with the USSR lasted from June 22, 1941, at 03:00, until, officially, May 8, 1945, at 23:01, which adds up to 3 years, 10 months, 16 days, 20 hours, and 1 minute, or, rounding off, to 46.5 months, 202.42 weeks, 1,417 days, 34,004 hours, or 2,040,241 minutes (counting the extra minute). For the program known as the “Final Solution,” we’ll use the same dates; before that, nothing had yet been decided or systematized, so Jewish casualties were for the most part incidental. Now let’s average out one set of figures with the other: for the Germans, this gives us 64,516 dead per month, or 14,821 dead per week, or 2,117 dead per day, or 88 dead per hour, or 1.47 dead per minute, on average for every minute of every hour of every day of every week of every month of every year for 3 years, 10 months, 16 days, 20 hours, and 1 minute. For the Jews, including the Soviet ones, we have about 109,677 dead per month, which is 25,195 dead per week, 3,599 dead per day, 150 dead per hour, or 2.5 dead per minute, over the same period. Finally, on the Soviet side, that gives us some 430,108 dead per month, 98,804 dead per week, 14,114 dead per day, 588 dead per hour, or 9.8 dead per minute, for the same period. Thus for the overall total in my field of activities we have an average of 572,043 dead per month, 131,410 dead per week, 18,772 dead per day, 782 dead per hour, and 13.04 dead per minute, every minute of every hour of every day of every week of every month of every year of the given period, which is, as you will recall, 3 years, 10 months, 16 days, 20 hours, and 1 minute

Taken from this

It's very unlikely that Russia would have been able to single-handedly push Germany out of every occupied territory in Europe and stifle local resistance afterwards.

Fucking Melvin.

Nah, I'm sure native languages would prevail.

There is little to no proof the Nazis would have held on to their Western European conquests if they had won the war. And it is doubtful Stalin would have advanced through Western Europe unless the Western Allies would have been totally obliterated already. So it's more likely neither Allied nor Russian troops would have changed the languages spoken in Western Europe.

/another history nerd

d-day landing meant that americans would get to share brits' and soviets' victory spoils, even though americans did absolutely nothing in ww2.

/history nerd.

A real history nerd wouldn't be using logical fallacies to make a "point."

Yeah, that's at least true for us from Finland and most of the Baltic countries.

/Finn

This. Us the west are so uneducated (should I say brain-washed?) on this subject.

They shit their pants, "so dass du nicht in deine Hosen scheißen musst."

German grammar Nazi, with correct grammar here. 'Scheiße in deiner Hose', means "Shit in your pants". "Shit in your pants!" (as an imperative), means "Scheiße in deine Hose!"

I love how this got upvoted strongly whereas the other guy who offered a translation was downvoted for being a dick, even though all vivakyuss did was run "shit in your pants" through a translator, and sinews actually provided the correct German.

how appropriate; german grammar nazi here. ;)

And this is how it begins.

This is for you. But I'm sure the grammar is incorrect. ;)

You know, IIRC, the ß has actually been removed from official dictionaries, but people still use it.

Hey guys, a GRAMMAR NAZI!

if you don't know shit about German syntax, just don't.

That's what I always say! If you don't know something, don't even try!

Fuck trying and FUCK YEAR!

Ugh shut up.

My father-in-law was USN, joined at 17. Was in the Pacific for the last year or so of WWII (USS Wildcat), then was in Kwajalein for the atomic tests. He's said many times that the Prinz Eugen was the most beautiful ship he'd ever seen.

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Bottled. Tightly. He was a sweet, kind, caring man who loved his family, and acted as if he had never been to war. He never spoke of it to any of us, and would quietly avoid anything (TV shows, books, events) that might spark his memories.

When I stood on the beaches of Normandy near the water, then looked up to the area where the cover would have been, it really hit me what they had to do. We are talking a good 100 yards of nothing but squishy sand, while "Hitlers Buzzsaws" were firing all around you. It really put into perspective what these guys were asked to do, and they did without second thought because "it was the right thing to do." Thats also why today I honor them by flying them to see the WWII memorial in DC. I helped form our local Honor Flight hub, and am currently a board member today. Every single one of the vets I talk to says they would do it again, and that they just did what had to be done. Amazing people.

I wish I could do that today at my regular job. I wouldn't have a hard time picking who went and who didn't.

I can say that in jest because I've BTDT. (Desert Storm veteran).

No, that was his real name. His siblings included a Ruth, a Rolland, and a Sigourney, though.

The "shell-shocked" condition was first given that name because it was believed to be caused by the effect of explosion shock waves on the nervous system. It seems only logical that the name was changed once people understood it better.

No, but the description of "The Tunnel" sounds accurate.

oh my god. that's terrifying.

there is no stopping an army like that.

Well done.

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I don't think all is well. I know this is the internet and all. Getting offended and pissed is pretty pointless but making light of the heroism these guys went though is a douche move, especially today.

I don't think the original post or picture intended to do that but the Photoshopped picture totally does.

RIP Grandpa. Thanks for fighting in WW2 so EtchSketch has the freedom to make fun of you.

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maybe some other day that's funny, but kinda not so much today.

What do you mean for us? Those were soldiers from a galaxy far, far away.

Did you even look at the picture?

Hey, they didn't all die.

If you want to appreciate what you have, look beyond the states in that war. For every US soldier that died fighting in WW2, there were roughly 30 from the Soviet Union.

I have incredible respect for the soldiers who fought, even though I am against war as a whole and have far less respect for those politicians who so carelessly have made the decision to go to war throughout history. For those who lived, for those who died, for those that lived but will never be the same again as when they left.

I also have respect for those left at home, every day hearing a knock at the door or a phone ringing, and desperately hoping "please, PLEASE don't let that be about my child/husband."

For those that did not fight, but were caught up in the battle as civilians and victims of the war, and those that fought the war at home.

Even for those of the opposing side, who were simply people like anyone else, mothers, fathers, children, brothers, sisters, who may have simply wanted to fight for their country or had no choice.

Everyone loses something in a war. I'd like to hope they're all remembered.

When I was playing through Call of Duty 2, I played the level with the U.S. Rangers climbing the cliff faces. At the end of that level they play a speech by the president describing the bravery of those men, and it hit me: they did that. The U.S. Rangers landed on a cliff face out of boats and climbed up the fucking wall on ropes while nazis shot down at them. I almost cried.

Keep in mind, some (like my grandpa) enlisted as young as 17yo.

I agree. After WWII we just fought wars to get money.

You need more upvotes.

Surely the guys were brave, but the guys that sent them to their deaths.. War is about profit, and lives are dispensable.

But... They don't even know what they've been doing in Afghanistan and Iraq. How smart is that?

That's kind of redundant logic. "Don't have to" != "have to not".

Brought my dad to tears in the theater. That's saying a lot.

It was a shite movie, however the first 15 minutes were truly awesome in the true sense of the word. It's a pity the movie became a comic book fantasy after the oh so brutal introduction. Could have been a great movie.

Mac A also got his ass fired. Brilliant tactician or not, you don't tell the President of the United States to go piss up a rope. That's just not a good career move.

It was?

So was the Desert Storm for the most past.

He was not. He passed away from a stroke in the early 80s.

He never spoke about the experience, except for one time, when I was able to 'interview' him for a history project. He talked about it to me frankly then, but spared me the gory details because I was only 11 or so.

Here's an interesting story: He related his most scary story to me and it wasn't the landing at Normandy. It was at the end of the war when things were being mopped up. He got caught behind Russian lines as he was scavenging for food for his platoon. At that time, there were many military leaders that wanted to continue the war and start fighting against Russia. I think all sides knew it, so he was worried when he got caught.

Thankfully, they just let him go.

I agree with sioh. There wasn't neccesarily any honour in doing what you were ordered to do.

But the sheer amount of bravery is incredible. I am grateful for that, and while I doubt I'll ever have the opportunity/need to prove myself in a similar situation, this will always be one of my ultimate measures of what it is to be a brave person.

This was mine for a while.

Mine too :)

I did the same, except it reminded me every day not to bitch when times got rough, because I'd never be in a situation as shitty as the one these guys went through.

Mine's similar...

That seems a bit gratuitous.

Never tell me the odds!

I doubt they knew at the time what their odds were.

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I've always wondered why they didn't carry shields. I know it's too heavy for normal use, but for landing it kind of makes sense. Those landing craft are basically sitting ducks.

I'm pretty sure they had absolutely no idea what the percentages of staying alive were.

But... they didn't know that they had less than a less than 50% chance of making it out OK. In fact I think they greatly underestimated the defenses at Omaha Beach. They thought it would be somewhat similar to the other beaches, I think.

It's a world war 2 term that a lot of pilots used. When inflated; the jacket gave you a bosom that reminded onlookers of the gorgeously goodlooking actress Mae West - and especially her rig. I think that was about as profane people got back then.

what a scene.

yeah. WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE?

Do I want to watch this video ? Yes. Am I scared of shitting my pants? Yes.

Very wise words, but never forget the inverse. You can do monstrous atrocious things when you don't have a choice.

Please correct me if I am wrong, for I am by no means an expert. I listened to an NPR story about war, and how the Army dehumanizes its soldiers by training them to comply with every order or something like that. It's late, and I can't think. Does this make sense?

relevant documentary