Walk Through the 6 most affected sites of the WW II in Europe

                       

                                             SIX WORLD WAR II SITES IN EUROPE     

As many know September 1st, 1939, is generally considered to be the start of World War II in Europe.

It all began with an German invasion on Poland after which Britain and France declared war on Germany in the next 2 days.

The estimate of fatalities is around 50 - 85 million and so this war is often described as the deadliest conflict in human history.

Here is a walk through of the six World War II sites in Europe.......



1. Krakow - Auschwitz, Poland

At Auschwitz concentration camp, the atrocities against deported Jews changed the definition of human monstrosity forever. Millions of Jews were gassed to death. The railway tracks, barbed wires, personal belongings of the victims all narrate horrifying tales of Nazi cruelity. In Krakow, synagogues were destroyed, Jews were rounded up, but one man rekindled the faith in humanity - OSKAR SCHINDLER, he saved nearly 1200 jews by providing them employment in his factory.

2. Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Initially,  The Netherlands stayed neutral in the war but it was invaded by Germany on May 10, 1940. Five days later, it surrendered to the Germans. During the four - day campaign, about 2300 Dutch soldiers were killed and 7000 wounded. ANNE FRANK was born in Amsterdam. During World War II, she hid from the Nazis with her family in a secret annexe in a canal house which is now a museum. Frank did not survive the war but her dairy is one of the most poignant accounts of the war.

3. Warsaw, Poland

Warsaw was completely bombed and destroyed during World War II. On Black Monday ( September 25, 1939 ), 500 tons of high explosives bombs and 72 tons of incendiary bombs were dropped, and there was heavy artillery shelling. Jews were rounded up and forced into a ghetto. Overall, Warsaw suffered approximately 25,800 civilian deaths. The Warsaw of today is an exact restoration of what it was before the war.

4. Berlin, Germany


Berlin was the capital of Nazi Germany and was air raided 363 times during the World War II. The Americans dropped 23,000 tons of bombs, and the British, 45,517 tons. The bombings continued relentlessly. By May 1945, nearly 14 per cent of Berliners had fled the city.


5. Normandy, France

On June 6, 1944 ( called as D- Day ), more than 156,000 American, Canadian and British Forces and 20,000 vehicles mustered their might, landed on a 50 mile stretch of beaches to push the Nazis out of Western Europe. This operation is Code Named as OPERATION OVERLORD, the Battle of Normandy was on the the largest amphibious attacks in history and is often called as the beginning of the end of World War II.

6. London, England

London was in the eye of the war storm and history will never forget the Blitz. The German bombers appeared in London's skies on September, 7, 1940 and for 57 consecutive days London was bombed. During the blitz, 18000 tonnes of high explosives were dropped on England killing a total of 18,629 men, 16,201 women and 5,028 children.

Jeni & Santo