HISTORY IN IMAGES: Pictures Of War, History , WW2: WEHRMACHT GERMAN ARMY IN RUSSIA: LARGE STUNNING COLOR IMAGES

All the images are from the Eastern Front

Russia. A battle rages

Seems like a scene out of 'Apocalypse Now'. The grim war zone is the Ostfront

In the early days of Barbarossa many many Russian soldiers surrendered. They were badly treated by the Germans and most left to starve. There are reports that many Russian POW turned cannibalistic to survive.

Fighting on a street in a Russian town

Street fighting in a Russian town

A German soldier uses a flame-thrower to flush out Russians from a bunker

Early days of German invasion of Russia. Stuka Dive Bombers (JU 87) roar over the Russian skies

Russia burns as the German move in

Scorched earth policy. Leave nothing useful behind for the enemy. Burn it all.

German army in Russia

This German soldier seems to have found his soul-mate in Russia.

Like these two German soldiers. Hitler and Stalin would have foamed at the mouth seeing this image.

The ubiquitous German motor-cyclist messenger

A German tank moves through war zone

A convoy of the elite Waffen SS troops

Letter from home?

A kind-hearted German soldier in Russia?

A German super-gun fires

Points To Ponder

WHY WAS THE FIGHTING ON THE RUSSIAN FRONT SO FIERCE DURING WW2?

It is difficult to distinguish between the quality of both the German and Russian soldiers. Both were motivated by their love for their motherland. But there were others factors that drove the two sides to such desperate fighting.

One, both sides knew that this was a no-holds bar war. Not fighting was thus not an option.

Second, both Hitler and Stalin had squads that killed any deserter. Turning away from fighting was just not possible.

Thus was seen some of the most bitter, brutal and desperate fighting on the WW2 eastern (Russian) Front.

Quotes....

"Naturally the common people don't want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country."
--Hermann Goering