#the two fedors

[virto-the-weirdo]

Waru's clone puberty sketches

Here's a compilation of sketches abt Waru and his clone puberty. For those unaware, its a concept in which clones gain more individual features and phisically differentiate from Fedor.

So one new feature is he now has braces due to his teeth suddenly deciding to screw with the mouth authority.

The other new feature is he became rly small. Like, now he's shorter from all the clones. I'm talking goblin/gremlin energy. He will bite your ankles. He's coming for them. He's running after you. Oh no he's already he-

Anyhow heres a comic which highlights the contrast in height between him and Brolly.

And here is a page with general clone puberty Waru doodles.

He's funny.

Also I have a certain comic abt Waru and Felix in this scenario that explains why Waru has bandages in the bottom two sketches but that's for another few posts.

[luvfy0dor]

Good day! How are you doing? I'm back with a small request. A reader keeps three kitties at home, but no one knows about it. What would happen if Chuya or Fedor stopped by to visit for the first time and three different big fluffy cats met them on the doorstep? Thank you for your artwork. They really are so awesome.

I hope I've made the right request. Have a great day!

“Guess I'll Just Stumble on Home to my Cats !! ♡” - Chuuya Nakahara x Gn!Reader ੈ✩‧₊��

Warnings; i like describing really enormous cats, which is made obvious, some swearing, it's pretty silly

Description; Chuuya interacting with cats.

A/n; Bro I love cats sm I was so excited to do this request my bsf and I have matching cats theyre both orange and named garfield, but I'm gonna do a second part with fyodor! I just wrote a whole lot for Chuuya so I thought I'd separate it : ] OH ALSO TYSM FOR THE COMPLIMEBTS FJEJSJDJ ❤️❤️💖💖

• Chuuya is definitely more of a dog person, but that doesn't mean you'll never find him lying on your couch, hat over his face and a cat or two (or three) loafed on his chest.

ೃ⁀➷

You decided to invite Chuuya over for dinner in celebration of receiving a promotion at your job. You liked being able to share such an exciting moment with the people you loved, and Chuuya was absolutely one of them.

Chuuya had yet to venture to your house, not because he didn't want to, but because it was really hard to find time for anything recently. He had been very busy with work, and the distance from your place to his work or his house was rather inconveniencing. But, he wanted to join you for dinner, so that was just what he was gonna do.

So, there he stood, a small flower bouquet in hand and dressed in his usual classy clothing. He almost hesitated to ring the doorbell, but he pushed his pointless worries aside. There was nothing to be nervous about, after all. It was dinner with his lover, how scary could it be?

"It's unlocked!" You shout from the kitchen, cleaning everything up and plating the food. He twists the door nob and pushes it open, walking in before tripping. He caught himself, but he looked down, wondering what you could have possibly left on the floor right next to the door. Instead of finding a shoe or clothing item, he saw a fluffy black mass peeking up at him through it's furry coat. It meowed at him, skittering away into the kitchen. He was very confused as to where you had gotten a cat, you've never told him about this! He chalked it up to cat sitting before following in the cats footsteps and heading into the kitchen. He found you shooing the cat away very politely, waving it off towards to other room; and much to his surprise, it obeyed.

Chuuya had not once seen a cat so obedient, he always thought of cats as careless and independent animals, but apparently they listened just as well as dogs if trained right. Your eyes lit up when they landed on your boyfriend, then on the flowers, making your heart melt. "Aw, Chuuya! You're too sweet to me, you didn't have to bring me flowers!" You say, approaching him, he sighs and puts an arm around you, pulling you into a hug. "I know, but it's the least I could do for you, I mean you're making me dinner." He says, kissing your forehead and handing you the flowers.

"Still though. Thank you, Chuuya." You say excitedly, walking towards the cabinets and grabbing a vase, filling it up about a fourth of the way with water. "Yeah, it's no problem, doll. Hey, uhm, you never told me you had a cat around." He says with a slight laugh. You turned to him, furrowing your eyebrows before a look of realization came over your face. "Oh! I'm sorry, yeah, I have three cats." You gave him a grin, which widened when you saw his surprised face.

"Do you not like cats? I'm sorry, I should have told you." You say, straightening out your shirt. "No! No, it's alright, darlin', it just caught me by surprise, you know? I'm more of a dog guy..." He murmurs, hugging you and looking over your shoulder at the food. "That looks really good though." He compliments, gently cupping your cheek. You thank him and guide him aside with your hand on his waist in order to bring the vase to the dining room table. He jumps upon feeling something furry rub up against his pant leg, looking down to see an entirely different cat. He stares at the furry animal before hesitantly squatting down to pet it.

Running his fingers across the felines head, he smiled a bit, scratching it behind the ears before standing up to wash his hands. The cat, however, did not take no more for an answer. It butted it's head against Chuuyas calf, purring as it did so. Chuuya rolled his eyes and looked at it again, resisting the urge to pet it and have to wash his hands all over again. You return to the kitchen to grab the plates, setting them at the dinner table with a smile. Chuuya follows you out, the cat following him, like a train. Chuuya sits across from your seat and watches you situate yourself, a sort of love struck expression on his face. You notice and blush, a small and breathy laugh escaping your lips.

Chuuya is snapped from his adoring gaze by what feels like a trillion pounds of bricks being dropped into his lap, causing him to let out a loud "oomph." You look at him with confusion and concern and Chuuya looks down at his lap, seeing a massive and utterly colossal, prodigious, party-sized ass cat loafing in his lap. How it even jumped up onto him was entirely out of his scope of knowledge. You peered under the table and saw your largest cat on your boyfriends lap, making you frown.

"I'm sorry about him, he's on a weight loss journey, I promise." You apologetically say, getting up to remove the stupendously sized cat from Chuuyas thighs, gently plopping him down on the floor. He nods in response, putting his hands up defensively. "It's not a big deal, I promise. He looks like he's got the spirit to get to that goal." He says, remote enthusiasm in his voice. You nod with a smile. "He definitely does. I think you'll get along with all three of them well, I think they already really like you, especially (cat #3's name)." He smiles a bit and nods, taking a bite of his food, humming in satisfaction. "You're such a great chef, doll. Did you have the cats pick fresh herbs and spices or somethin'?" He playfully says, making you scoff.

"I wish those cats could help out. They're wonderful for moral support and occasional obstacles, though." You sarcastically reply. He smiles. "Do they actually knock stuff off of tables? I've heard a lot of cats like to do things like that, or sitting on keyboards?" You nod, taking another bite of your food. "Yeah, they've done it a couple times, they knocked pepper all over the place once and when they hopped down on the floor none of them could stop sneezing. I felt so bad for them." You say, reminiscing on all the times your animals inconvenienced both you and themselves with their antics.

Chuuya laughs a little, resting his head against his knuckles. "What poor little things they are, huh?" He laughs, looking at the three cats that were now sprawled out on the couch. You nod. "Maybe they just need another parental figure." You say, glancing at him out of the corner of your eye. He looks over at you, his cheeks slightly red and his lips parted. "What, do you want me to be their second/father?" You nod with a grin. "If you'll accept the offer." You smile, sipping on some water.

Chuuya smirks, leaning back in his chair and adjusting the sleeves of his shirt. "Obviously I'm going to, I would never deny you." He says, his pearly white teeth flashing as he speaks. Everything about him really was perfect to you, especially his willingness to be included in your little cat family. "Great, hopefully they'll learn to be a gentleman just like you." You say, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek and leaning into him.

A/n; dawg I'm posting this from a movie theater this movie is kinda boring and I gotta be here for 2 ½ more hours send help. Also if I flop again I'm crying tbh (Edit) WALKED OUT THAT BITCH LAST NIGHT W OLD ERAS TOUR MOVIE MERCH BECAUSE I WASNT ABLE TO GO SEE IT ORIGINALLY AND GET IT SO ALL IS WELL

[mncxbe]

Hi, I really like your work, you are very reverent and diligent with each submission. I would also like to ask you to write a story where the reader gained weight and started to feel insecure in society, relationship with her boyfriend ( could it be Chuya, Dazai, Fedor?). Thank you so much. I hope I got the message across. Have a great week!

anon you're so polite omg- I love this idea hhh. Hope you like it♡♡

10:43♡

𝑫𝒂𝒛𝒂𝒊, 𝑪𝒉ū𝒚𝒂, 𝑭𝒚𝒐𝒅𝒐𝒓 𝒙 𝒇𝒆𝒎!𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓

𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: light angst/ fluff♡

𝑻𝑾: mentions of eating disorders and poor body image

𝑫𝒂𝒛𝒂𝒊

this man does not care about your weight. like at all; he thinks you're beautiful either way

that's why he's so surprised when you tell him you're insecure

he hears you out and tries his best to soothe you

from then on he's really supportive and always reassures you that gaining a few pounds doesn't make you less worthy in his eyes

secretely keeps track of how much you eat because he doesn't want you to neglect your diet or develop an eating disorder

"Bella..." he sighed as soon as you were done talking. For the first time since the two of you started dating, Dazai looked hurt, chocolate brown eyes shadowed with sorrow.

His sad expression only worsened your mood. Your breath hitched, words stuck at the back of your throat as you felt the tears pooling at your lashline.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have said all that. It's stupid" you muttered, averting your gaze from his but he quickly hooked a finger under your chin, making you face him.

"My love I'm not mad at you for telling me that. I just... wish you'd told me sooner"

Indeed, during the past few weeks Dazai had noticed your unusual behaviour; you weren't that affectionate towards him, always spending hours on end in front of the mirror, checking yourself out, eating less. At first, Dazai assumed that your appetite reduced because of the high temperatures during summer; after all, he himself ate less during those months, but when you refused to shower or sleep with him he knew something was wrong.

So he sat you down on the couch and asked you what it was all about. You hesitantly told him about how you've started feeling self conscious about your body, how you've gained weight and struggled to lose it, to be the pretty for him.

As you spoke, you noticed Dazai's expression slowly darken. He couldn't comprehend what you were saying. You, ugly? You, his sweet girl, not feeling worthy of his love just because you gained a few pounds? You, starving yourself every day because you thought he'd rather have you not eating than being chubby?

Despite how much your words affected him, this wasn't about him; so he wiped every trace of sadness from his expression and smiled.

"I wish you'd told me sooner. I could've helped you, you know?" he continued

"But how? Really Dazai this isn't your fault. You can't help me with this" you sniffled, wiping your nose with the back of your hand; which caused a mellow laughter to roll past your boyfriend's lips.

His hand slid up your cheek, thumb lightly tracing over your cheekbone as he held your gaze.

"I know bella, but I could've reminded you that to me you're the most beautiful woman. If you wanna get back in shape that's alright, but don't put too much pressure on yourself, ok?"

You gave a weak nod and his smile widened. Kissing your tears away, his arms snaked around your frame, pulling you flush against him. Your head came to rest against his chest, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat lulling you into a peaceful state.

"Thank you Osamu. I think really needed you to say that" you eventually spoke up and he chuckled, gently threading his fingers through your hair.

"Anytime bella, Anytime"

𝑪𝒉ū𝒚𝒂

just like his partner in crime, Chuya is also surprised when you confess you're insecure about your weight

he starts rambling on about how today's society pushes unrelalistic beauty standars on women and all that

threatens to "deal with" whoever calls you fat or makes you feel self conscious about your weight

but after he calms down a bit he reminds you that you're gorgeous either way

like hell, he even likes you more like this honestly. he adores your curves

It's been around half an hour since your boyfriend started his diatribe and he showed no sign of stopping. What started off as a simple conversation- you telling him that you've developed an insecurity abour weight- ended up with him ranting and raving about beauty standards and how low society has become.

"Seriously now, it's fucked up" he decalred as he downed the last sips of wine; red liquid tinting his lips crimson. "I mean, really. You're absolutely stunning as you are. You don't need to look like those models in magazines."

"I don't want that Chuu I just..." you stammered, fumbling for words.

"I know sweetie. You wanna lose a few pounds and if you really want that I'll support you. After all, it's kinda my fault you gained weight, right?" he asked with a chuckle "Considering all the dinners I took you to..."

His comment lightened the mood, a little smile creeping on your face. "You know it's not your fault honey, really. I just need to be more careful with what I eat in general"

Chuuya sighed, placing the empty glass on a table nearby. He took your hand in his, fingers gently intertwining with yours. "Look sweetie, if you wanna lose weight it's ok. But please know you don't need to do this to be beautiful, because you already are. You're my pretty girl"

A gentle smile rose to his lips as he leaned in to place a kiss on your forehead. "And if anyone else tells you that you're not I'll personally teach them a lesson. You can count on me sugar."

His tender words managed to soothe your soul a bit so you nodded, returning the smile.

"You know Chuu, you don't have to go that far"

"I'll go as far as you want me to baby"

For a brief moment, his cloudy gaze slid down your body, taking in your frame; sparkling. His arm snaked around the small of your back, pulling you closer as his wine tinged lips found the crook of your neck, tracing idle kisses along your skin. You gasped lightly at the sudden closeness, causing your boyfriend to chuckle.

"Now lemme show you exactly how much I adore you, sweetheart"

𝑭𝒚𝒐𝒅𝒐𝒓

he's actually the one who brings up the subject of your weight

he notices that you've been more reserved lately, that you haven't eaten that much so he asks you to talk about it

and when you tell him you're insecure about the weight you gained he thinks it's utterly ridiculous

naturally, he doesn't voice his thoughts, not wanting to make you feel worse than you do already

instead, he takes your hand in his and kisses it gently and reassures you that to him you'll always be the most beautiful woman. so you needn't worry about gaining weight

The cup of steaming tea stood untouched on the nightstand, lavender steam raising from its surface. Beside you on the silky sheets, your partner sighed.

"So... myshka. Are you going to tell me what's going on or do you plan on keeping it to yourself?"

You shrugged, still not facing him. "What do you mean? Everything is alright my dear"

Your voice feigned nonchalance but Fyodor caught the faint trace of worry; he shifted closer to you, wrapping an arm around your waist.

"Come on now, don't be difficult. I know you and I can tell when something's wrong, so please talk to me" his breath fanned over the shell of your ear, comforting, as his hand traced over your hip.

He could feel your body tense under his touch and he reluctantly pulled his hand away. "Please myshka"

He sounded defeated, sadness lacing his voice. Guilt started seeping into your soul and you finally turned around to face him.

"Look, it's nothing just... one of my colleagues at work pointed out that I got a bit fat and it's been on my mind"

A faint chuckle rolled past your boyfriend's lips upon hearing your words. Wrapping an arm around your shoulder, he pulled you closer to his frame.

"Oh you silly girl" he smiled, fingers gently lacing in your hair "You really got upset over something like that?"

A faint blush tinted your cheeks and you hid your face against his chest. "Don't laugh at me please. I know it's silly but... she was right, you know?

"It's not silly my dear. I'm just surprised it got to you. And what if you gained a bit of weight? You're just as beautiful as you've always been"

"You don't have to say that just for my sake"

"But I'm not" he chuckled "I say it because it's true. Now don't worry your pretty head over it." He used a finger to gently raise your chin, making you face him "Just sleep for now"

Peppering your face with kisses, he squeezed your waist tighter.

His saccharine affections managed to lull you into a deep slumber; Fyodor always had this effect on you, gently coaxing all the bad feelings out of you as if scooping them with a spoon and tossing them in the deep blue sea to be drowned forever.

"Thank you dear" you muttered, lips curling into a mellow smile. "I love you"

"I love you too, myshka" he sighed, kissing you once again before closing his eyes.

[kasagia]

❄️️Warm my heart pt. 8 (end)❄️️

Pairing: Aleksander Morozova/ The Darkling x fem! heartrender! reader Summary: Winter Fiesta at Christmas? Great idea. After all, there is no better opportunity to end the drama that has been going on between you and the general than at a huge ball thrown by Lantsov. Word Count: 3,6k Taglist:@aoi-targaryen @budugu @flostvs1508 @chelseyyouraverageluigi ~•♤♤♤•~ Aleksander Morozova’s Masterlist ~•♤♤♤•~ ~•♤♤♤•~ Part 7 ~•♤♤♤•~

You liked Christmas, but the winter fete that preceded it was a terrible event.

Especially since this year you weren't leaving to visit your brother right away, and in the next few hours you were going to find out whether the man you gave your heart to was really an immortal, power-hungry monster who would stop at nothing to achieve his goal.

In hindsight, you would probably prefer to endure the snark and rudeness of your grandparents and your siblings.

You took a shaky breath as you walked out of the Little Palace. At the exit, you met Fedyor and Ivan, who reconciled after Ivan promised to meet his family. The bastard knew it would be impossible this year, so he agreed, but as long as Fedyor is happy about it, then you are too.

Fedor's worse half separates from you as they reach the great hall of the king's palace.

You and Fedyor blend in with the crowd of other Grisha. You manage to grab a glass of champagne and sip it while watching the people around you. You unconsciously look at Alina, which Fedyor immediately notices.

"Are you waiting for the big show?" he asks, referring to the little show of power Alina and Aleksander were about to do.

Luckily, you missed out on being a circus monkey at the party this year (you suspect Aleksander didn't want to anger you more), so all you had to do was try to get through the last few hours as pain-free as possible.

"I can't wait." you say sarcastically, grabbing something sweet from the snack table. Out of the corner of your eye, you notice your friend smirking. "What is it? What did you do?"

"I? Nothing at all," he lies, leaning on the table and grabbing something to eat.

"I know you too well for you to lie to me. I've seen this conspiratorial smile more than once. What's going on?" you ask, looking at him carefully and expectantly.

Before you can push him further to speak, Genya joins you, saving the man from your further investigation. She shows you some Inferni tricks. When you look away, they both exchange knowing glances, and Fedyor silently thanks her for saving him.

"You look pretty." Genya comments, turning to you as the three of you eat the sweets. Take advantage of the opportunity while you can. In the Little Palace, you rarely ate anything other than those nasty herrings. "I like your earrings. Moonstone, right?"

"David made them for me. Initially, they were supposed to be… something else, but he had enough material to make me earrings as well."

"Yes, he is very talented. And what was most of it he spent on making?" she asks curiously as you three walk to a more distant part of the room where there are much fewer people.

"A ring."

"A ring? I don't see any on your finger."

"It wasn't supposed to be for me. Christmas gift." you explain vaguely.

The ring was supposed to be for Aleksander... no proposal or anything else. He recently lost his ring, so you asked David to make him a new one, practically the same as his old one but with a piece of moonstone inside.

"Oh, I see. You know, David told me that the moonstone has… a very special meaning," she says teasingly.

"Really? And how often do the two of you talk like that?" you ask just as teasingly, and she blushes too.

You both laugh, and only now do you notice that Fedyor has also disappeared somewhere, leaving you and Genya alone.

"May I ask who that special gift is?"

"I... I haven't decided yet." you tell her what is actually true.

This evening was to decide everything. That evening, Aleksander was to put his plan into action. If he really decided to use Alina in his plans... you had a backup plan ready. Which you hoped you wouldn't have to use.

You notice Aleksander as soon as he enters the room.

And you are speechless at the sight of him.

At the sight of his black kefta embroidered with red threads.

He gives you a short, meaningful look and goes to greet the royal family. You turn immediately towards Genya with a questioning look, and she simply shrugs.

"He wanted a matching kefta." she explains, but she frowns at your growing excitement. "But I want you to be careful. He's… a powerful man. Even if you tamed him a little."

You are going to deny her words, defend him, and say that he is not as bad as everyone makes him out to be, but you are speechless for the second time when soon after Alina enters the room in a black kefta with gold embroidery.

You shake your head, laughing bitterly.

"Apparently not." you say, staring at Alin with envy. The bitter bile of jealousy and hurt wells up inside you as you try to focus on your anger rather than the tears welling up in your eyes.

Genya stares at her as surprised as you, searching for someone in the crowd.

"I don't understand… after all…"

"Don't worry, I understand." you say firmly and coldly, making the redhead shiver. You ignore her, staring at Alina as she approaches Aleksander from behind, surprising him when she smiles sweetly at him. "And I'm not going to be part of this fucking threesome."

You leave Genya alone before she can say anything. You don't stay for the Alina and General show. You just walk out, pushing your way through the crowd and finding the back exit where the fewest guards are patrolling. All you wanted was to disappear into the shadows.

Aleksander looked for you frantically after Alina approached him. But he doesn't see you anywhere. You left Genya alone, and he wasn't able to spot you in the crowd.

He did his little show with the Sun Summoner and left her with her friends. He moved quickly towards the exit, catching Genya's gaze. The woman immediately followed him. They both left the room and went into the corridor, where Fedyor was already waiting for them.

"What happened there?" he asks them furiously. "Who gave her that damn kefta? That wasn't the plan."

"Um… David saw Baghra leaving the Grand Palace."

Aleksander frowns in anger at Fedyor's words. He clenches his fists and takes a few breaths to calm himself down. His mother always had to destroy everything that was good. He should've predicted it.

"And where is she now?" he asks through gritted teeth.

"Baghra?" Fedyor asks hesitantly as Genya gently moves towards him.

"Y/N!!" they both tremble when they hear him shouting. Shadows circle him, giving him an even more ominous look. He sighs when he sees the fear in their eyes, and with a wave of his hand, everything returns to normal. “I meant Y/N.” he says more calmly, slightly embarrassed by his sudden outburst.

"We do not know. David followed her, but she vanished from his sight."

"Vanished?" Fedyor nods. Aleksander immediately thinks of his mother. Only she and he knew the exact location of the hidden corridors in the Grand and Little Palace. She had to take you. Convince you finally that he is a monster. "I want our men at every exit gate around the castle, at every exit and entrance, and at the sewers that lead from here. As soon as you see her, you are to capture her and alert the rest."

"Baghra or Y/N?"

"Both!" he says angrily, walking towards the exit of the palace. "And you two are to guard the Sun Summoner. I don't want her to disappear too."

He doesn't go far before Ivan catches up with him with the news that there was an attack on Alina. He freezes in his steps. It cannot be split.

He can either look for you or protect the Sun Summoner.

And the choice is simple for him.

You kept your hand pressed tightly to your mouth to keep from making any sound as you walked down the hall of the Grand Palace. Tears flowed freely from your eyes, somehow making their way through your hand and into your mouth so you could taste the saltiness of your defeat.

He chose Alina. Actually, both of you, but what difference did it make? You made it clear to him that you wouldn't be just another pushover in his life, just another face among many others. You wanted everything or nothing. Nothing half-hearted, no half-truths, and no being THE OTHER WOMEN.

As you walk and cry, you don't notice something suddenly moving in the shadows, and listening to the heartbeat of someone who might be hiding in a secret passageway in the hall is the last thing on your mind right now.

That's how someone grabs you tightly by the arm in an aching hug and drags you along with them to the hidden exit of the castle. You struggle and freeze, both shocked and irritated, as you see who caught you.

"Baghra? What the hell do you want?" you ask irritably, not wanting her to see you like this. You pull your hand from her grip and wipe the remaining tears from your face.

"I'm helping you, child. Do you think Aleksander won't send people after you who will lead you back to him like some pet?"

"I don't need your help." you growl, backing away from her in anger.

"You think so? So c'mon. Go, run away by yourself. I am sure he will find you. Maybe he will even put a collar on you too. You, Alina and Aleksander will have so much fun together."

You stand still, listening to her words like poison. You shake your head and turn to face her, watching her smirk with spite.

"You know what? I'm not surprised that he... that he thinks what he's doing is right. If he told me even a little bit of the truth about himself, then I know how you treated him. How you shaped him. So don't be surprised that your son became what he became when all you showed him was how to take advantage of other people and how to not care about anyone but his own goals and needs. Maybe if you hadn't run away from all those who are supposedly not worthy of your attention and hadn't taught him the same things, he would have turned out completely differently. Maybe if you saw him as something more than a creator of the fold, a Black Heretic, everything would be different. And don't worry. I can handle everything perfectly on my own."

You leave her in the secret corridor and don't look back as you return to the main halls of the Grand Palace.

Aleksander was furious. No one saw you, no one could find you. He ran out of the Little Palace and headed straight for the stables. You had to sneak out somehow. He hoped that maybe he would ride his horse around the area and find you.

He doesn't wait for the horseboy. He approaches his horse and saddles it quickly and expertly. He has his foot in the stirrup when he hears movement near the entrance.

"Are you going somewhere?" you ask, leaning against the entrance with your arms crossed.

He freezes, blinking a few times, making sure you're not some sort of vision, ghost, or other creature tormenting him. When he realises you're standing there in your body, he jumps off his horse and runs towards you. He hugs you to his chest and buries his nose in your hair. He lets out a shaky breath, inhaling your scent.

"Saints, where have you been?" he asks, not letting you move away from him. He needs to feel you close.

"On the way. Far from here. I turned back when I heard that there was an attack on Alina. Did anything happen to anyone?" you ask worriedly, moving away from him. He doesn't let you go far, just enough to look at him.

"I… I don't know." he admits, embarrassed, and you frown, looking at him in disbelief.

"How don't you know?"

"I left. I left Ivan, Fedyor, and Zoya in charge. I… I had to find you."

His confession makes your heart melt, and you bite your lips, holding back the sudden urge to kiss him. Your brain gets back on track as you start to think again about how your friends and other Grisha handle another attack on Sun Summoner.

"We have to come back to them." you tell him as you somehow manage to get out of his grasp and turn towards the exit.

"Wait... please." he says this and quickly overtakes you, blocking your only escape route. You stare into his dark eyes for a moment before shifting your gaze to his horse, which is watching the two of you closely. He doesn't let you take your eyes off him for long. He gently grabs your chin and forces you to meet his pleading gaze. "Talk to me."

"About what? We have nothing to talk about." you say, glaring at him defiantly.

Common sense screams at you to run away from him. He wasn't just the red flag; he was the whole red carpet. But how can you leave him when those dark eyes look at you so pleadingly, when he clings to you like to the anchor, like to the only thing that holds him sane?

"If that were true, you'd be on your way, far away. I know you could get through all those people I put on guard, even me. If we didn't have anything to talk about, I… I wouldn't be looking for you like a mad man, leaving the Little Palace in such a situation without my supervision. You know that."

"Why are you wearing a kefta with red embroidery? Why did Alina replace her blue one with a black one? You can't have a cake and eat it at the same time, Aleksander. I want... I want to be the only one for you... as you are the only one for me, even though this shouldn't happen. Even though I know what you did, but... I can't help seeing you as... as someone more than my general or the Darkling. I... please, just don't prove me I am that naive to love you."

You lift your head to look at him just as he leans down to capture your lips with his.

You stand there in shock for a moment, but you respond to his kiss with equal parts fervour, passion, and need. He wraps one hand around your waist, and the other gently cups your cheek, tilting your head to a different side to give him better access to your mouth. You moan into the kiss, grabbing the lapels of his kefta and pulling him even closer to you.

The thought occurs to you that he looks good in red.

His cold fingertips tease the hot skin of your neck as he begins to undo the buttons on your kefta. A shiver runs through you as you break away from him, realising that you two still have a few more things to explain before you can finally let yourself lose yourself in him.

"Wait, wait." he listens to you and immediately pulls away from you, his eyebrows furrowing in concern. He licks his lips and is about to ask you a question when you interrupt him. "Nothing happened. You didn't do anything wrong; I just need to know. What about Alina? And the fold?"

"She means nothing to me. She is nothing compared to you. She is just a means to an end, and I… might have changed my plans a little bit."

"What do you mean?" you ask, crossing your arms. He sighs and looks at you for a long time before answering.

"I'm not known for making noble decisions. But know that everything I do—everything I wanted to do—I did for Grisha's sake. And I admit... these were not good for everyone. I wanted to seduce Alina. Make her trust me, make her rely only on me, and take advantage of her. But then I promoted you. I needed help with the papers—someone who wouldn't question my authority and for whom Grisha's well-being was as important as mine. And you ruined all my plans after the first day when you argued with me about sending our people through the fold. I... for the first time in hundreds of years, I had someone who wasn't afraid to say what she thought. Someone who respected my opinion even if she didn't agree with it. I felt that… that I didn't have to be this monster around you, that I didn't have to keep up my image. That I don't have to be a Darkling for you to respect me. And I know I'm far from being a good man, but with you... with you, I remember what I was like before all this happened, before this whole thing with the fold. What I was fighting for. What I believed in. I thought that that man died a long time ago, but with you, I am... I can be just my old self. The one I really missed. The only one of many of my... well, version of myself that I didn't play or create for survival purposes. I live with you. Not just keep fighting to survive for the better times. So please believe me that when I say I love you, I say it from the deepest truth, from the remnants of my heart that I still have after the centuries I have lived. The remnants that you picked up and brought back to life, my little almighty heartrender. You don't have to want me back. I don't suspect you will… just please don't leave. Don't leave me again alone in my darkness."

And what can you say? What can you do other than go up to him and kiss him like you've never kissed anyone else? You don't know who is more surprised—you, him, or that damned horse neighing in the background, ruining your perfect moment. But you don't care. You kiss your shadow summoner and try to convince him that, from now on, he will never be alone. At least as long as you breathe.

"I have something for you," you say later that night as you lie in his arms in his bed.

After your little make-out session, you returned to the Little Palace and took care of everything. Baghra was gone, Alina was safe (with Mal returning after Aleksander had abandoned his search for the deer), and everyone in the palace had somehow survived another attack.

"I don't need anything except for you to stop squirming so much," he murmurs into your neck, tightening his grip on you as you try to reach for your kefta, which is discarded on the floor next to the bed.

"Aleksander!” you squeal, laughing when he touches the sensitive spot on your waist, making you tickle. "Don't you dare." you say, seeing his malicious look. "I'm serious. Tickle me, and I'll fly out the door, not caring who sees me naked."

"I'll remember that." he huffs, offended, and buries his face in your neck. His beard tickles your skin, and even more tickles your sensitive skin, where he left a few hickeys on it.

You somehow manage to reach into your kefta and take out a canvas pouch. You place it on Alexander's chest, smiling excitedly as he pulls away from you gently and takes the item, examining it in his hands.

"What is it?"

"Your Christmas' gift. Open it."

He doesn't question your order. He pulls you towards him so that you're sitting between his legs and leaning against his chest. He hugs you, holding you close to him and resting his chin on your head as he opens his pouch and selects a ring. You feel him hold his breath, and his heart speeds up.

"Don't worry; I'm not proposing to you. I'm not crazy enough to do it so quickly. Besides, I'm quite a traditionalist when it comes to this. I'll wait for my ring. I just know you lost yours somewhere and… I thought it would be a nice gift."

"Is this a moonstone?" you nod at his question.

"Do you like it?"

He doesn't answer. He places a kiss on your head and hands you the ring. He sticks out his left hand, obviously wanting you to put it on his finger.

You do it with trembling hands. It looks good on his finger. And the possessive thought crosses your mind that he is truly yours now.

"I have nothing for you, milaya. You'll have to wait before I pick up your gift from David and Genya." you turn around in his arms with a smile.

"I already have my gift. You let me warm your heart. That's all I wanted." he gives you that charming smile and kisses you. You smile against his lips, feeling his arms around you again as he pins you to the mattress to shower you with kisses again, hickeys and all his attention, whispering against your skin with every kiss how much he loves you and needs you.

And in the morning, you find a beautiful black kefta with red embroidery and a ring that matches the one you gave him. And as you hear his heartbeat against yours, you decide it's the best Christmas you've ever had.

[whencyclopedia]

Battle of Smolensk in 1941

The Battle of Smolensk in 1941 ended in victory for Nazi Germany and its Axis allies against the USSR's Red Army during Operation Barbarossa in the Second World War (1939-45). Smolensk on the Dnieper (Dnepr/Dnipro) river was the traditional gateway to Moscow but was captured by the end of July using a combination of tank and infantry divisions.

The Axis forces had used a large pincer movement to encircle the Red Army west of Smolensk. After the battle, around 340,000 prisoners were taken, and the Russian capital was now in the invaders' sights. Progress through the USSR had come at a high cost in men and material, though, while the Red Army remained ready and willing to fight on. The Battle of Smolensk and its high rate of attrition revealed that the Blitzkrieg ('lightning war') tactics of using fast-moving armoured divisions with air and infantry support while attacking on a narrow front could not work in the longer term in the vast spaces of the Soviet Union.

General Guderian, 1940

Imperial War Museums (CC BY-NC-SA)

Operation Barbarossa

Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), the leader of Nazi Germany, was confident after swift victories in the Low Countries and France in 1940, that he could make even greater territorial and resource gains in 1941 by attacking the USSR. The Nazi-Soviet Pact, signed between Germany and the USSR back in August 1939, was shown to be a mere agreement of convenience until Hitler was ready to wage war in the east. Hitler, as he had always promised, was determined to find Lebensraum ('living space') for the German people, that is, new lands in the east where they could find resources and prosper.

Operation Barbarossa, the code name for the attack on the USSR, was launched on 22 June 1941. The overall objective was to smash the USSR's Red Army west of the Western Dvina and Dnieper rivers and take control of several key cities, which would give Germany and its Axis allies access to natural resources from Leningrad (Saint Petersburg) to Ukraine. The invading force, made up of German, Slovakian, Italian, Romanian, and Finnish forces, amongst others, consisted of 3.6 million men in 153 divisions, 3,600 tanks, and 2,700 aircraft (Dear, 86). The overall commander was Field Marshal Walter von Brauchitsch (1881-1948). With the largest army in history, Hitler assured his generals that victory would come before the winter.

The Axis force was divided into three army groups: North, Centre, and South. At the Battle of Białystok-Minsk in June-July 1941, four Soviet armies commanded by General Dmitry Grigorevich Pavlov (1897-1941) were overwhelmed by Army Group Centre commanded by Field Marshal Fedor von Bock (1880-1945). The invaders sped through Soviet-occupied eastern Poland and Belarus using the Blitzkrieg tactics that had served them so well in Poland and Western Europe. Blitzkrieg involved a combination of massive air support with artillery bombardments and fast-moving armoured and motorised infantry divisions. With Minsk captured by a giant pincer movement (Zangenangriff), Bock's two main panzer commanders, Heinz Guderian (1888-1954) and Hermann Hoth (1885-1971), sped on eastwards. The next target was the city of Smolensk on the Dnieper.

Map of Operation Barbarossa

Simeon Netchev (CC BY-NC-ND)

Continue reading...

[bruceburgdorf]

Soldiers willing to commit suicide to kill Hitler

Rudolf-Christoph von Gersdorff

Alex von dem Bussche-Streithorst

Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin

Eberhard von Breitenbuch

That it had been difficult to recruit people within the resistance willing to sacrifice their life in a one on one assassination attempt on Hitler’s life was a culmination of a number of reasons.

Firstly, it had been concluded long before the plotting of the events of 20th July 1944 that to remove Hitler from power would require persons in key positions to seize control of the German government in Germany and the territories it controlled. Given this would be such a huge undertaking for a relatively small number of conspirators, hardly anyone could be considered dispensable.

A second point was the difficulty in getting within close proximity of Hitler; despite mass public support, Hitler knew he had opposition within Germany and the army and had been weary of assassination for several years. By the 1940’s his plans for travel were known only by his inner circle and those on a need to know basis.

A third point to consider was the risk it imposed to family members; the Sippenhaft guilt clause imposed by the Nazis could see close family members arrested of those who committed crimes against the state. Those fighting at the front were particularly vulnerable.

—

Rudolf-Christoph von Gersdorff was an intelligence officer based at Army Group Centre on the Eastern Front along with key conspirators Henning von Tresckow and Fabian von Schlabrendorff. The three men had lobbied their group commander Fedor von Bock to persuade him to act against Hitler over the Commissar Order; the orders to kill the Communist officials within the Soviet army.

Gersdorff was due to attend a display of captured weaponry on Heroes Memorial Day at the Zeughaus Armoury in Berlin on 21st March 1943. The event would be attended by Hitler, Himmler, Göring, Keitel and Dönitz. Tresckow asked Gersdorff if he would be willing to kill Hitler with a bomb during the exhibition and he agreed.

Gersdorff had obtained a substantial amount of fuses and explosives through the Abwehr captured from the British. British fuses were used in preference to German fuses because they were small and silent but unfortunately took longer to detonate.

Gersdorff had planned to accompany Hitler around the display where the bomb would explode and kill those in close proximity including himself. On the day of the exhibition, Gersdorff primed the bomb inside his pocket but Hitler arrived that day very distracted and was completely uninterested in the display, leaving the building after just two minutes and Gersdorff was left to rush off and diffuse the bomb.

He unfortunately would never have a similar opportunity although the explosives would be used in later assassination attempts over the following year. Gersdorff managed to escape detection after the July plot and his involvement was unknown until after the war of which he survived.

After the war he was shunned by not only his fellow officers but also by his US captors, being told that his willingness to follow his own conscience presented a danger to them and was held until 1947 whereas other officers who had simply followed orders were released sooner.

—

A second suicide bombing attempt was planned later in 1943 with the resistance having learned lessons from the failings of the previous attempt. Alex von dem Bussche-Streithorst was a young officer, who after witnessing the mass murder of Jews in Ukraine, was happy to give his life to kill Hitler.

Bussche was to model proto-types of new uniforms in front of Hitler and the new plan would involve Bussche embracing Hitler, then holding him in position until the bomb exploded. What couldn’t have been predicted was that the new uniforms would be destroyed in an allied bombing raid and the event would be postponed until January 1944.

Frustratingly, Bussche was by this point prohibited from taking part by in the event by his commanding officer and just a few days later he would lose his leg in the war, removing him from further involvement in the conspiracy.

—

Not wanting to miss the opportunity to kill Hitler at the display of new uniforms, the conspirators searched for a replacement for Bussche and another young officer, Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin, son of conspirator Count Ewald von Kleist-Schmenzin, volunteered to shoot Hitler while he was in close proximity for which he knew his fate would have been instant death by Hitler’s bodyguard. When he asked his father whether he thought he should take the opportunity he was told yes. Kleist-Schmenzin would wait on standby for several weeks but Hitler kept postponing the event and therefore the assassination attempt with it.

Kleist-Schmenzin would play an active role on 20th July 1944, assisting in the arrest of the traitor to the plot, Friedrich Fromm. He was imprisoned but later had the charges dropped against him for lack of evidence (Fromm had been executed himself on 21st July). His father however would be tried and executed in April 1945.

—

A forth opportunity arose a few weeks later, by now March 1944, when another officer and conspirator at Army Group Centre, Eberhard von Breitenbuch, was due to travel to Hitler’s Berghof with their commanding officer, who he was aide to. Breitenbuch planned to use the opportunity to shoot Hitler there.

Knowing he would need to follow the standard procedure of removing his belt and pistol holster, he would conceal a second pistol in his pocket. The event began as planned but in yet another turndown for the resistance, aides on that day were not permitted into the room with Hitler and the opportunity was one again lost.

Breitenbuch also went undetected as a conspirator but was still based at Army Group Centre where Tresckow would take his own life on 21st July 1944.

These would not be the last of the assassination attempts made before the 20th July of that year and during that time the conspirators including Claus von Stauffenberg were working tirelessly to recruit as many people as they could.

[tadhgbarakat]

the principle of impenetrability (n.) no two bodies can share the same space at the same time, and matter holds its ground. touch the wall—it will not let you through.

aviso de conteúdo: tortura, violência contra menores.

No escuro absoluto do porão, o único som além da própria respiração é o tilintar da corrente que o prende pelo tornozelo.

Nas paredes, o verde escuro do sacro cardo há muito se tornou preto, mas os traços de cada um dos aons ainda resiste ao teste do tempo. Através da magia, o cômodo é à prova de sons.

A única luz no ambiente é não mais que um fio, se esgueirando entre as frestas da porta no topo das escadas sem nunca o alcançar.

Seus olhos rapidamente se acostumam–o problema é o nariz.

O quarto cheira a mijo e coisa pior e, sem uma mísera janela para abrir, o ar lhe parece denso e pegajoso, grudando nas paredes de seus pulmões e o fazendo engasgar com o fedor.

Seu fedor. Quando tinha sido a última vez que tomou um banho?

Baixar os olhos nada faria, então tateia o próprio corpo até encontrar o tecido áspero das próprias vestes. Os trapos tinham mais rasgos que podia contar, e era como se nunca tivessem sido lavados. O tamanho o surpreendeu–a camisa era uma coisinha mirrada e ainda assim lhe ficava grande, e seus ossos pontiagudos sob o toque.

Não se lembrava o porquê tinha sido mandado ao porão daquela vez e, sem saber se era manhã ou noite, não tinha esperança alguma de acompanhar a passagem dos dias.

Qual a sua idade? Levou a mão até a gola, e um único detalhe o situou no tempo: o botão tinha sido arrancado pelas mãos do avô, então só podia ter mais que seis anos.

Duas mãos, firmemente envoltas ao redor de seu pescoço. Ali no escuro, fechar as pálpebras era evocar a imagem mental. Sacode a cabeça tentando afastá-la, sem sucesso–não quer ser tocado.

Apoiado contra a parede, encarar a escuridão é a única maneira de a afastar. Sente, com um arrepio, que a escuridão o encara de volta.

Seu corpo parece pesado, o porão frio. Só o que quer é dormir. Com a pouca força de vontade que lhe resta, conjura a lembrança da canção de ninar na voz de uma mulher desconhecida, e esta o embala até cair no sono.

Acordou de modo abrupto, como se o adormecer no sonho o tivesse puxado de volta à realidade. O coração batia em marcha acelerada–o despertar o tinha arrancado não de um pesadelo, mas de uma lembrança. Sequer tinha sonhado com o avô daquela vez, mas a imagem mental era suficiente. Aquela era mais uma memória da qual o inconsciente o tinha protegido até então, e agora vinha à superfície como uma visita incômoda, sem lhe dar opção que não a receber. Não era a primeira, mas havia algo de diferente daquela vez–uma sensação na boca do estômago, talvez, e tentar a engolir só o fez provar a própria bile.

Levou a mão até o peito e encontrou a de Vincent ali pousada, o corpo quente aninhado ao seu enquanto dormia.

Em um segundo, a presença do príncipe o acalentou, seus corpos entrelaçados uma constância bem-vinda. No seguinte, já não estavam se tocando.

De alguma maneira, estava agora debaixo da cama. Tinha a atravessado, e a sensação parecida com a de romper a tensão da superfície de um lago não durou mais que um momento. O colchão tinha sido como névoa, mas o chão ainda era sólido sob suas costas, e Tadhg o atingiu com um baque surdo.

O ranger da armação da cama e o resmungo aborrecido de Vincent anunciaram que ele tinha despertado.

❛ I'm here. ❜ Anunciou tão logo o ouviu chamar seu nome, entregando a localização no mínimo peculiar. Esticou a mão para tocar a madeira que agora lhe servia de teto, mas esta parecia perfeitamente sólida sob seus dedos. ❛ And you're not going to believe what just happened. ❜

intangibilidade (n.) a habilidade de tornar o próprio corpo ou objetos em contato temporariamente imateriais, permitindo atravessar barreiras sólidas sem resistência.

↳ para @aldanrae personagens citados: @princetwo

[moonsychase]

THE END

The bonfire burns faster than Commissioner Kuromaku has time to utter his desperate pleas for the erroneous judgment of the remaining citizens of their town.Juliette looks at him with skepticism, opens a box of damned matches and strikes one of them.Dr. Dante watches this with a certain sadness, feeling an unpleasant pain in the shoulder blades, the knife of the previously executed maniac left a painful wound.Well, even the closest friend can turn out to be a traitor worse than a smiling maniac.Priest Fedor victoriously looks into his eyes, closes his Bible, and then nods his head to his accomplice."I'M NOT A MAFIA!IT'S HIM!"The commissioner does not have time to utter a warning, he hears two clear shots.Before he dies, he only sees two pairs of eyes, those who seemed incapable of harming, much less killing.The commissioner's glasses fall off his face, shattering.

The Mafia won

[ledalife]

“I am a dreamer. I know so little of real life that I just can’t help re-living such moments as these in my dreams, for such moments are something I have very rarely experienced. I am going to dream about you the whole night, the whole week, the whole year. I feel I know you so well that I couldn’t have known you better if we’d been friends for twenty years. You won’t fail me, will you? Only two minutes, and you’ve made me happy forever. Yes, happy. Who knows, perhaps you’ve reconciled me with myself, resolved all my doubts.”

White Nights - Fedor Dostoyevsky

[sweet-cuddlebug]

(Translated from Russian to English. Original post on the official accounts of 13 Cards on VK and Telegram(and probably others but I only have those two))

//

⚡⚡⚡ We announce the premiere date of the long-awaited animated series “13 Cards” from the Phoenix studio - a spin-off of the Russian hit comic book “Land of Kings”, which became the best-selling in the country in 2021.

❤ SO, THE PREMIERE WILL TAKE PLACE...... March 13th! New episodes will be released exclusively on Okko on the 13th every month.

“13 Cards” is a comical story about how different archetypes live under one roof. Fyodor, like any teenager, wanted an easy life, so that others would do all the boring duties like cleaning and studying for him. The wish came true, and he had 8 clones at his disposal, summoned from a magical deck of cards. Only Fedor did not expect that each card is a unique personality with its own ambitions, and none of his clones is going to wash the dishes. The doubles turned out to be completely unadapted to life in the real world, but they flatly refuse to return to the magical world.

//

HELLO??? CAN I SCREAM ABOUT THIS TO SOMEONE ?? IT WILL FINALLY ARRIVE

[foreverfreebsd]

The new chapter makes me hope that the final fight will be between Rampo and Fedor. Imagine these two will fight not in strength, but in intelligence. Rampo will once again prove his importance and inseparability from the ADA.

And we will again remember Fedor’s phrase about how even an ordinary person, when defending his home, is stronger than any esper.

[muzantropic]

Two worlds (collage). Fedor Buravlev, 2015

[tanasha-not-yet]

Some names you like and some you hate? (Gimme reasons for why you hate those names)

russian edition because im russian

--- Names i Like ---

Fedor, Petr, Sergey. Cool names, lots of Rs, sounds basass

Zhenya & Sasha - genderneutralllll rahhhhhshhshhhhhh !!!!!!!!!!11 its rare, i think the only other name that can be applied to both genders is Mishel

Arseny. Beautiful. My lost cousin's name i accidentally guessed when choosing a male nickname for my vk page in 2019 or so

Farhan. Stunning name

Svetlana??? like there needs to be at least one girlname here right;

YAROSLAV + VLADISLAV + STANISLAV + VACHESLAV + ROSTISLAV. IM NOT TAKING CRITICISM. THESE ARE PERFECT fun fact : one of these is the name of my school IT teacher and he had two brothers and both of their names are in the list too. peak comedy

Samir is a very cute name <3 <3 <3

GOSHA. THIS NAME MAKES ME WANNA EXPLODE. THE CUTEST NAME IN THE WORLD. LIKE. GOSHA. WOW. SOMEONE PUT THESE PRECIOUS SOUNDS IN SUCH A BEAUTIFUL ORDER. THIS IS . I FEEL FEELINGS ABOUT THIS NAME. like its even pleasant to say outloud wtff..

Tanasha is a wonderful name. Name your first son with it.

--- Names i Disike ---

Timur because he bullied me at school. Fuck you, Timur, the only thing i remember is how i punched you with my giant heavy backpack

ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Kirill. and the Kirills i know arent very kind.

people here really dont like Nikita but like???? normal name, perfect for localizing Naruto if you asked me.. but whatever. no i dont dislike it i just ran out of ideas

[bvd11975]

Her mentors practiced counting bullets out in the field. While Adrian slacked at times, due to being the tank between the two and often entering close quarters combat, Joshua never did. Primarily being a sniper to watch over Adrian, he knows the importance of what a missed shot means better than most. Especially since sniper rifles aren't often made with a large ammo capacity.

She grew up watching him in action, tracking Adrian and relaying his sights. Reminding her when to reload if he noticed she had neglected to do so. It was something Nestor took over doing before she was old enough to be permitted a gun (outside of emergency situations in her childhood). When Joshua would venture down to investigate in person with Adrian, she'd scope with Fedor and learned the value of always accounting for the whole picture when it came to a potential battlefield.

[whencyclopedia]

Battle of Białystok-Minsk

The Battle of Białystok-Minsk in Jun-Jul 1941, which involved the encirclement of entire Soviet armies positioned near each city in Poland and Belarus, respectively, was one of the first victories by Nazi Germany and its Axis allies against the USSR's Red Army during Operation Barbarossa in the Second World War (1939-45). Over 330,000 Soviet prisoners of war were taken, and the route to Moscow opened.

German Armoured Vehicles, Belarus, 1941

National Digital Archives, Poland (Public Domain)

Operation Barbarossa

Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), the leader of Nazi Germany, was confident after swift victories in the Low Countries and France in 1940, that he could make even greater territorial and resource gains in 1941 by attacking the USSR. The Nazi-Soviet Pact, signed between Germany and the USSR back in August 1939, was shown to be a mere agreement of convenience until Hitler was ready to wage war in the east. The Pact had awarded the USSR control of the eastern half of Poland, Bessarabia, Finland (which successfully resisted), Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Germany took western Poland, gained certain resources delivered by the USSR, and ensured Hitler did not have to fight on two fronts while he attacked Western Europe. Hitler, now determined to find Lebensraum ('living space') for the German people, that is, new lands in the east where they could find resources and prosper, launched Operation Barbarossa on 22 June 1941. The overall objective was to smash the USSR's Red Army and take control of several key cities, which would give Germany and its Axis allies access to natural resources from Leningrad (Saint Petersburg) to Ukraine. The invading force, made up of German, Slovakian, Italian, Romanian, and Finnish forces, amongst others, consisted of 3.6 million men in 153 divisions, 3,600 tanks, and 2,700 aircraft (Dear, 86). The overall commander was Field Marshal Walter von Brauchitsch (1881-1948). With the largest army in history, Hitler assured his generals that victory would come before the winter.

Operation Barbarossa involved three Axis army groups: North, Centre, and South, commanded respectively by Field Marshals Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb (1876-1956), Fedor von Bock (1880-1945), and Gerd von Rundstedt (1875-1953). There were also three air force groups. The front stretched from the Baltic to the Black Sea. The overall objective of the first phase of Operation Barbarossa was to eliminate the Red Army west of the rivers Dvina and Dnieper (Dnepr/Dnipro).

As Hitler had predicted, the Axis forces won several quick victories. Air supremacy was achieved within a few days after some 2,500 Soviet aircraft were destroyed, mostly on the ground. Axis troops moved through the defences according to their Blitzkrieg ('lightning war') plan of combining air support with fast-moving armoured and motorised infantry divisions. The Red Army was surprised not by the attack but the scale and speed of it. As Army Group Centre raced forward at a pace of 37 miles (60 km) a day, the first major victory came at the double battle of Białystok-Minsk. The battle involved the encirclement and defeat of two cities: Białystok, close to the northeastern border of Soviet-occupied Poland, and Minsk in Belarus.

Map of Operation Barbarossa

Simeon Netchev (CC BY-NC-ND)

Continue reading...

[geritsel]

Fedor Karlovich Burkhardt - Siberian landscape with two caper grouse, 1908