#Großdeutschland

[deutschland-im-krieg]

German grenadiers from the Heer (German army) Großdeutschland division on the streets of the city in the Battle of Rostov-on-Don, July 1942. Excellent view of their personal equipment

[carbone14]

Véhicule blindé de transport de troupes Sd.Kfz. 251 de la Division Großdeutschland (Division d'infanterie mécanisée) – Offensive Kaunas – Opération Bagration – Wilkowischken (aujourd'hui Vilkaviškis) – Lituanie – Août 1944

©Bundesarchiv - Bild 101I-732-0137-14

[masha-nikita]

Some sketches

◆German soldiers in France, 1939. ◆A German patrol captures a Soviet soldier. ◆British soldiers learning bayonet fighting. ◆Großdeutschland Division soldiers. ◆Red Army soldiers in a trench.

[captain-price-unofficially]

"Großdeutschland" Division tanks in action against Soviet forces in the late spring of 1944

[lego-man-speer]

Nuremberg Defendants: Part 3, Baldur von Schirach - Leader of the Hitler Youth

The next part of my Nuremberg Defendants series! Unfortunately I couldn't get this out in time for von Schirach's birthday, but regardless I've finally gotten around to writing it.

To check out the previous parts to my series (including the separate post I made about Rudolf Hess), click the names below!

Rudolf Hess

Alfred Rosenberg

Joachim von Ribbentrop

-Baldur Benedikt von Schirach was born on the 9th of May 1907 and was born to an American mother and a German-American father. Interestingly, Schirach was in fact more American than he was German. His first language was English and did not learn German until around the age of 5-7 (sources differ on this). Schirach had three siblings in total: two sisters and a brother who committed suicide in 1919 (aged 19).

-Schirach was too young to have served in the First World War, yet nationalist ideas were drilled into him through his nationalistic parents. After the war, Schirach's father was dismissed as the Director of the Weimar Court Theatre and was renamed the National Theatre. Anyone who was a critic of the Weimar regime was welcome at the Schirach's home. This would be how the young Schirach came to meet Hitler (who was still then merely a preacher). Schirach was so impressed by Hitler that he wrote a poem about him (and many more in the future) and had it published in a newspaper (he later considered this poem one of his 'bad poems'). Hitler became a sort of father figure for the young Schirach.

-Schirach joined the NSDAP on his 18th birthday in 1925. At university, Schirach studied German Studies and Art History before dropping out to dedicate more time to the Nazi movement. Schirach's mother hoped that he would take a different path in life however. She had expected her son to stay in the US and work for his great-uncle's bank or go into American politics.

-At the age of 24 Schirach was made leader of the Hitlerjugend, from here Schirach would go on to become Reichsminister for Youth Education and then Youth Leader of the Reich. Soon every youth organisation would have to yield to Schirach.

-Hitler saw little use of the Youth since they were unable to vote, whereas Schirach took a different view. The Hitler Youth would take up the free time of German kids, allowing them to be fully indoctrinated by Nazi ideology. It was Schirach's idea in 1932 to gather every available member of the Hitler Youth for a mass rally in Potsdam in 1932. This was done to impress Hitler.

-As Youth Leader, Schirach always claimed that joining the Hitler Youth was voluntary, however this was never really the case. Those who did not want to join (or whose parents forbade them from joining) were shut out and would later be disadvantaged when choosing a school or career.

-In 1932 Schirach married Henrietta Hoffmann, the daughter of Hitler's personal photographer Heinrich Hoffmann). Together they had four children: Angelika, Klaus, Robert and Richard. His wife later divorced him in 1949.

-In the Second World War, Schirach voluntarily joined the army and served in the invasion of France in 1940. Schirach served in the Großdeutschland Infantry Regiment as a Junior NCO before being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant, being an Infantry Platoon Commander. He was later awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class for bravery. He saw about two months active service before being recalled by Hitler for a new task.

-In 1940 Schirach was made Gauleiter of Vienna. His first task as Gauleiter was to calm the bitterness that had grown under his predecessor Josef Bürckel. Bürckel was not a well-liked and was referred to as “Beer-leiter Yokel”. He was often “drunk, brutal and boorish”. At first, the people of Vienna were pleased to see Schirach. His successor as leader of the Hitler Youth was Arthur Axmann.

-As Gauleiter of Vienna, Schirach played an active role in the Holocaust. In total he deported 75,000 Viennese Jews to concentration camps. He tried to convince that he knew nothing of the Holocaust, however documents have since suggested otherwise. In October 1940, Schirach complained to Hitler of 50,000 Viennese Jews who had to be “taken off his hands”. In March 1941 he demanded of Himmler that he immediately recommences the deportations that were briefly suspended. In a 1942 speech, Schirach enthused of a “Jew-free Vienna” by the autumn of that year. Although Schirach complained about the conditions under which Jews were deported, he was very much in support of the deportations.

-Schirach's wife tried to appeal humanity to Hitler at the Berghof after witnessing an incident in Amsterdam in which Jewish women and children were being taken away. This resulted in a huge quarrel between the two and Frau von Schirach was never invited to the Berghof again.

-As the war came to end and when Vienna could no longer be held, Schirach fled to Tyrol while instructing those still in Vienna to fight till the last man. While in hiding he went by the Alias 'Richard Falk', a crime novel writer, before handing himself over to the Allies.

-At Nuremberg he was the youngest defendant (aged 38). He was indicted under two counts of the Nuremberg indictment, count 2 (Crimes Against Peace - by building up the Hitler Youth) and count 4 (Crimes Against Humanity). Schirach, like the other war criminals at Nuremberg, rejected the validity of the Tribunal until after seeing the atrocity videos (as well as some convincing from Albert Speer to apologise). He was found guilty of Crimes Against Humanity and sentenced to 20 years in Spandau Prison.

-Schirach completed his 20 year sentence on midnight 1st of October 1966. During his sentence in prison he suffered from problems with his right eye and needed surgery to save it. This surgery was however unsuccessful and Schirach was left blind in that eye. Henriette had tried to lobby lowering her ex-husband's sentence but was unsuccessful (and unlike other prisoners, Schirach had no one else to lobby for his release). After his release, Schirach gave a few interviews both in German and in English and released his memoirs “Ich glaubte an Hitler” (I Believed in Hitler).

-From 1971 until his death, Schirach resided in Kröv where he was cared for by two former BDM leaders. He died of coronary thrombosis on the 8th of August 1974, aged 67. His gravestone read “Ich war einer von Euch” (I was one of you). His gravestone was removed in 2015, just four years after the removal of Rudolf Hess's gravestone.

OBLIGATORY MENTION: This post is purely educational and is in no way supportive of any right-wing ideologies.

[francaistoutsimplement]

Liste de massacres perpétrés par les allemands en France durant la Seconde Guerre mondiale

Juin 1940

le 7

Airaines (Somme) : exécution sommaire du capitaine N'Tchoréré, officier français refusant d'être séparé de ses camarades officiers blancs, par un feldwebel allemand du 25e régiment d'infanterie allemande.

Beaufort-en-Santerre (Somme) : une trentaine d'hommes du 41e régiment d'infanterie sont capturés, rassemblés dans un champ et passés par les armes.

le 8

Dromesnil (Somme) : l'armée allemande exécute, en violation de la Convention de Genève de 1929, les soldats africains de l'armée française qu'elle avait faits prisonniers. Monument commémoratif dans le village.

le 10

Erquinvillers (Oise) : tirailleurs sénégalais massacrés.

Cressonsacq (Oise) : soldats guinéens massacrés sur le territoire de la commune.

le 11

Cressonsacq : Massacre du bois d'Eraine, les soldats allemands de la 10e Panzerdivision, dont le Panzergrenadier-Division Großdeutschland, massacrent la totalité des Africains de la 4e division d'infanterie coloniale et du 24e régiment de tirailleurs sénégalais faits prisonniers.

le 17

Clamecy (Nièvre) : 44 tirailleurs sénégalais et nord-africains sont fusillés ; l'un d'entre-eux parvient malgré tout à s'enfuir mais est rattrapé et tué à Oisy18.

le 19

Sillé-le-Guillaume (Sarthe) : des soldats allemands assassinent quatorze prisonniers noirs appartenant au 208e régiment d’artillerie légère coloniale19.

le 20

Chasselay (Rhône) : plusieurs dizaines de soldats sénégalais prisonniers (104 tués, 37 blessés, 856 disparus) sont exécutés par la division SS Totenkopf20.

Domptail (Vosges) : 28 à 33 soldats français sont fusillés par des soldats allemands21.

Lentilly (Rhône) : les SS de la division Totenkopf massacrent 18 tirailleurs sénégalais prisonniers.

Champagne-au-Mont-d'Or (Rhône) : Les SS de la division Totenkopf massacrent 12 tirailleurs sénégalais prisonniers.

Éveux (Rhône) : les SS de la 3. SS-Panzer-Division Totenkopf massacrent 13 tirailleurs sénégalais prisonniers.

( source wikipédia)

[pinturas-sgm-tanques]

1944 09 Romania, Tiger I mit zimmerit Pz Div GD - Vincent Wai - box art Trumpeter

Pz.Gren.Div. Großdeutschland 

[enig-og-tro]

The last desperate defensive positions of the 'Großdeutschland' panzergrenadiers in the Heiligenbeil Pocket, East Prussia 1945

[stivi-sahara]

by Stivi

21.09.2024

Gruß von der Ritterkreuzsiedlung Großdeutschland an das USMC .

[deutschland-im-krieg]

Major Walter Pössl, Kommandeur I./PzRgt "Großdeutschland" with his Knights Cross (RK) around his neck, Russia, 1943. Also his Iron Cross 1st Class (EK1) on lower left chest with his wound badge (Vervundetenabzeichen) underneath. On his right chest is his German Cross in Gold (DKIG). On his right sleeve you can just see his cuff title Großdeutschland (Greater Germany). Only certain elite Heer (Army) and Waffen-SS units were allowed to wear a cuff title featuring the name of their regiment or division

[kultur-wandel]

The Battle Of Tuntenhaus

Film: The Battle Of Tuntenhaus (1991)Das “Tuntenhaus” war eines der 1990/1991 in der Mainzer Strasse in Ostberlin besetzen Häuser. Ca 30 schwule Aktivisten versuchten hier herauszufinden, wie Kollektivität im real existierenden Großdeutschland gelebt werden kann. Gestört wurden sie dabei v.a. von den Neo-Nazis, welche die Hausbesetzer*innen der Mainzer Str. und ihre Nachbarn terrorisierten und…

[best-hohenzollern-ruler]

Round 1: Johann Sigismund vs Friedrich Wilhelm IV

Johann Sigismund (r. 1608-1619)

Converted to Calvinism, which led to Prussia being a bi-confessional state.

His marriage to Duchess Anna of Prussia officially created the state of Brandenburg-Prussia. Though said partnership, he also acquired the territory of Juelich-Kleve.

As his reign continued, his alcoholism consumed him. Schiller notes a particular incident involved him punching the ear of a prospective step son, ruining the chance for marriage. As his heath declined, he was described as halfway between life and death.

Friedrich Wilhelm IV (r.1840-1861)

A staunch romanticist, Friedrich Wilhelm was responsible for some of the most magnificent buildings in Germany. The Orangery Palace in Potsdam, the Old National Gallery in Berlin, and the renovation of the Hohenzollern Castle were all constructed during his reign.

His reign was interrupted by the terror of the People's Spring. Although the king initially conceded to the revolutionaries in Berlin, once things were settled, he swiftly crushed the uprising.

Perhaps his most famous statement is his refusal of "the crown from the gutter" offered to him by the Frankfurt Parliament. The King did initially favor a Großdeutschland solution with a Habsburg at the helm, though luckily he soon came around to the superior idea of a Prussian led union. (Note: May be too divisive - T)

We here at the Kreuzzeitung must pay a special tribute to Friedrich Wilhelm IV. After the Revolutions of 1848, he assembled a group of conservative noblemen to help combat any further revolutionary fervor. It was that group that founded this esteemed paper, so for that, we thank him.

[nando161mando]

Beware⚠️

198 – a combination of 19 and 8 or S and H, meaning "Sieg Heil."

1919 – represents SS, short for “Schutzstaffel”, probably the most infamous paramilitary organization in the Third Reich. It was responsible for some of the most heinous crimes against humanity in World War II.

74 – GD or “Großdeutschland/ Großdeutsches Reich” refers to the 19th-century idea of a German state that includes Austria, also an unofficial term for Germany after the annex of Austria in 1938. "Großdeutsches Reich" was the official state designation of the Third Reich in the last two years of the war.

28 – BH is an abridgement for "Blood & Honor," a German Neo-Nazi network that nowadays is prohibited.

444 – yet another representation of letters, DDD stands for "Deutschland den Deutschen (Germany for the Germans)". Other theories point out that it also might refer to the Four-Column-Concept of the far-right party NPD (National Democratic Party of Germany). This concept is the NPD’s strategy for winning over political power in Germany.  

14 or 14 words – is a numeric combination used by Nazis all over the world, but especially in the USA and by some German groups. The exact 14 words of this code are: We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children. A statement coined by deceased American white supremacist David Eden Lane. “Our people,” of course excludes everyone who is not deemed “white.”

Other common numeric dogwhistles:

88 - Representing of "Heil Hitler" and often paired up with 14, 99% of the time you see specifically 1488 it's a dogwhistle

1350 - the racist statistics meme in regards to incarceration rates of African-Americans

[captain-price-unofficially]

Tigers from Panzergrenadier Division "Großdeutschland" near Iași, Romania, April 1944.

[jefferylorangerstuff-blog]

Germany's Most Fierce Division: Großdeutschland | "From Sector to Sector...

[totallyjazzed]

My first Vic3 Singleplayer Game, Part 1

I decided to play as Austria, as they’re a big power but nothing is really expected of them, here’s how it went.

First, I did a little trolling by getting Bavaria and Hesse-Kassel into my market, cutting Prussia off from the valuable Rhineland.

I decided to play peacekeeper for a while, stopping Prussia from gobbling up the smaller german states, this went reasonably well.

The third war put Prussia on the economic back foot, as France occupied the Rhineland and refused to make peace, causing Prussia to lose Great Power status.

I had a new mission.

The day came, and I was able to sway both the Russians and the British to my side, all the while Prussia was *still* at war with the French. Four Great Powers versus one Not-So-Great Power hardly seemed fair.

Nevertheless, war was declared, and frankly, they got fucked,

I became the sole unification candidate, planning on unifying Germany when my truce expired...but I never got a truce.

It was even messier than the previous war...

...but my allies and I were able to just waltz into Berlin.

And Großdeutschland entered the world stage.

In 1857, a new country arose.

The Americans immediately tried to kill me...

...but nothing became of it.

I didn’t conquer any more, wanting to focus on my economy, and boy did I!

On a mission to find the source of the Nile, I was jumpscared.

Throughout this playthrough I had been battling the Aristocrats and the Catholic Church, here’s one of their many failed attempts to frighten me.

I noticed that forming Germany had really bolstered my economy.

And I was finally able to solve racism forever.

This, of course, was a great boon to my economy.

I tried, unsuccessfully, to abolish the monarchy, I was being held back by the leader of the Armed Forces...

The year was 1878, and people finally forgave me for the whole “Germany” thing.

But more importantly, my nemesis was defeated.

The Kaiser, as it happens, was an eighty-six year old arrogant mentally ill opium addict who everyone hated.

I worked tirelessly to improve Austria for the people.

And it certainly paid off.

And then, without the aid of a ninety-nine year old Irishman, the monarchy crumbled.

There were some...troubling developments.

But overall, Germany was doing well for itself, being the third most populous country in the world.

Five years came and went without incident, and the monarchy seemed gone forever.

On the way, a New chancellor was elected, with a fantastically German name and a fantastically German moustache.

Finally, I decided to annex my puppets Krakow and Montenegro, who both gave up without incident.

Which gives Germany its current borders, as of 1/1/1887.

I elected to put the game on hold after this, for this had taken me around six hours.

I will likely return for the other fifty years in a second post.