HISTORY IN IMAGES: Pictures Of War, History , WW2: German Soldiers, German Army During WW2: ALL COLOR (LARGE) IMAGES

(PLEASE CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO SEE THEM LARGER)

(Image: Hugo Jaeger)

Heinrich Himmler in Warsaw. 1939

German tanks in Russia

Germans with a Pak 35/36 gun on the street of a Russian city

(Source: Bundesarhiv (Bundesarchiv) / 146-1970-018-54.)
Oberfeldfebel Rudolf Kruger (Rudolf Krüger), holder of the Knight's Cross He was awarded the Knight's Cross of October 5, 1941 while serving in the 6th company of the 32nd Infantry
Regiment.

(Image by George Silk)

An injured German soldier in captivity

(Image By Andre Zucca)

German soldiers march through a conquered Paris. June 1939

(Image By Hugo Jaeger)

German army on the move in Europe. 1940

Afrikakorps. German and Italian military vehicles in North Africa on the move

The tank belongs to the 22nd or 23rd Panzer Wehrmacht. The photo was taken in the Kalmyk steppes to the north of Stalingrad, in September 1942 (Source: Bundesarhiv (Bundesarchiv) / 169-0367, 169-0368).

A German paratrooper in full battle dress

(Source: Bundesarhiv (Bundesarchiv) / 169-0165, 169-0166, 169-0163.)
German soldiers socialise with Ukrainian women. Poltava. Ukraine. September 21, 1941

(Image: Hugo Jaeger)
Injured German soldiers recuperate in hospital

The Stuka Dive Bomber. JU 87.

When the German campaign in North Africa ended. German helmets.(Image: Eliot Elisofon)

(Image: Hugo Jaeger)
Berlin parade in 1939 to celebrate Hitler's fiftieth birthday

(Image: Hugo Jaeger)
Image of same parade

(Image: Hugo Jaeger)
German soldiers in Bulgaria. 1941

(Image: Hugo Jaeger)
Bulgaria. 1941

This guy is an officer from the Waffen SS Totenkopf Division

Russia. The Germans cross a stream

Crossing a wooden bridge

German soldiers firing a 37 mm Pak 35/36 anti-tank gun at Russian trucks. A town in Russia

Hitler would have frowned at this. A German war correspondent socialises with Russian women.

The initially dreaded German JU-87 (Stuka Dive Bomber)

A German observation post

German sea plane Arado 196 A 3 touches down

German soldier keep watch over a column of Russian POW. 1943.

1943. New Wehrmacht recruits being given their kit

German soldiers walk down the street of a German city

Morning toilet by Wehrmacht men at a railway station

North Africa. German soldiers fire the MG 34 machine gun

Hermann Goering takes salute from SS soldiers

German airmen prepare to fly the HE 111

Wounded soldiers being flown to Germany

These German soldiers rest by the road side

The two German generals have a conference

Spanish volunteers in the 25th Division of Wehrmacht. Formed in Madrid, 24.06.1941, on 20.10.1943 they were sent to the Eastern Front and was later disbanded.

Motorcyclists from the 21at Panzer Division in North Africa

German soldiers pass a well in Russia

Germans move in Russia.

Mass grave of German soldiers in Russia

Winter. Late 1941. Picture taken from the turret of a German tank as the army column moves in the harsh Russian winter towards Moscow. The flag has been placed on the tank's turret so that German planes can identify them.

German soldiers listen to the radio in Russia

German soldiers gratefully warm themselves up at this bonfire. In Russia

Ducking and moving in the trench

Occupied France

A priest conducts funeral service at Stalingrad

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