HISTORY IN IMAGES: Pictures Of War, History , WW2: Waffen SS: Rare Images

Liebstandarte soldiers at Taganrog

Waffen SS in action

Totenkopf men at Demyansk. 1941 winter.

SS men cleaning their weapons

SS troops in Poland. September 1939

Waffen SS soldiers fighting outskirts Pabianice

SS soldiers fighting on the outskirts of Pabianice

Captured Polish postal workers escorted SS Heimwehr Danzig

Captured Polish soldiers escorted by men from the SS Heimwehr at Danzig

Totenkopf Division action western front. May 1940

Waffen SS of the Totenkopf Division in action on the western front. May 1940

Totenkopf men fighting in France

Liebstandarte troops in Greece. April 1941

SS men cower as they are under Soviet fire

Waffen SS soldiers 80 mm mortar fighting Narva

Waffen SS soldiers using the 80 mm mortar during the fighting at Narva

Totenkopf men attacking Russian positions

Waffen-SS troops in Budapest during the dying moments of the conflicts

Das Reich troops move into Kiev

Troops from the Das Reich Division fighting at Yelnia

SS assault troops at Caen, Normandy fighting the British. 1944

July 5, 1943. Libstandarte soldiers Zitadelle Offensive

July 5, 1943. Men from the Libstandarte move during the Zitadelle Offensive

Waffen SS men in occupied Kharkov

Killing a Soviet Commissar

SS soldiers fire Red Army positions Cherkassy

SS soldiers fire at Red Army positions at Cherkassy

SS troops escape Korsun-Cherkassy pocket

SS troops escape from the Korsun-Cherkassy pocket

Liebstandarte hitting Soviet positions 150 mm gun at Prokhorovka

Men from Liebstandarte hitting Soviet positions with a 150 mm gun at Prokhorovka

Liebstandarte Division men campaign Greece

Two Liebstandarte men during the campaign in Greece

Tiger tank Liebstandarte Division during Zitadelle Offensive

A Tiger of the Liebstandarte Division during the Zitadelle Offensive

Liebstandarte soldiers ride motor-cycle through destroyed Russian village

Liebstandarte men ride a motor-cycle through a destroyed Russian village

Machine gun post at Narva

Defensive position at Narva

SS troops Panther tank during Ardennes Offensive

SS troops on a Panther tank during the Ardennes Offensive

Sepp Dietrich surrounded Greek POW refugees

Sepp Dietrich surrounded by Greek POW and refugees

A SS soldier chats up Russian women at Belgorod

Viking SS Division soldiers Korsun-Cherkassy

Viking SS Division soldiers at Korsun-Cherkassy

These SS troops are welcomed into the Soviet Union

Men from the Totenkopf Division at Kharkov

Viking Division SS grenadiers tankers Korsun. 1944

Viking Division SS grenadiers and tankers at Korsun. 1944

SS: The Blood-soaked Soil - Battles of the Waffen-SS

By GORDON WILLIAMSON

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