[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents World War II Plus 70 Years: Seminar and Discussion Forum
First session: September 1, 2009. Last date to add: September 2, 2015.
Reading assignment: New York Times articles delivered daily to students on the 70th anniversary of original publication date. (Previously posted articles can be found by searching on keyword “realtime” Or view Homer’s posting history .)
To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by freepmail. Those on the Realtime +/- 70 Years ping list are automatically enrolled. Course description, prerequisites and tuition information is available at the bottom of Homer’s profile. Also visit our general discussion thread

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Selections from West Point Atlas for the Second World War
German Invasion of Russia – Operations, 22 June-25 August 1941
The Mediterranean Basin
The Far East and the Pacific, 1941 – The Imperial Powers, 1 September 1939

[icwhatudo]

Interesting reading about the Finns. Could someone with more knowledge explain if they were true allies of Germany or just “enemy of enemy (Soviet Union) is my friend”?

[CougarGA7]

• "One notices immediately how irresolute the Führer is concerning the further direction of the operation. Constantly vacillating between the ideas and objectives. From the situation conferences one comes out knowing nothing more than when one went in." - Major Gerhard Engel, Hitler's army adjutant

• "This confirms my old judgment that [Army Group] North is strong enough to carry out its own task. [Army Group] Centre must concentrate all its strength to destroy the mass of the enemy. [Army Group] South is sufficiently strong to complete its task and maybe even help [Army Group] Centre." - Franz Halder after assessing that the remaining Soviet strength had reached the end of its mobilization strength

• 3rd Panzer Division notes that sending its trucks to the eastern rail-heads often results in them sitting idle for days while they wait for trains with supplies to arrive.

• After some shuffling around the Stavka of the Supreme High Command [Stavka Verkhnogo Glavnokomandovaniia - SVGK] is formed with Stalin as the Supreme High Commander.

• Reinhardt's XXXXI Motorized and XXXVIII Army Corps advance along the Kingisepp-Krasnogvardeisk axis in an attempt to reach the Narva-Leningrad railroad.

• XXIV Panzer Corps finishes the elimination of the Roslavl pocket claiming 38,000 prisoners

[BroJoeK]

August 8-9

"Thousands of Jews from Dvinsk, Latvia, are transported to the Pogulanka Forest and murdered."

"Members of the Latvian SS practice their marksmanship in preparation for future assignments.
The German occupation of Latvia in July 1941 not only filled the jails with political prisoners but also produced some 80,000 men for this SS legion.
These troops were used in the campaign against the Soviet Union, and they actively participated in the killing of Jews and Communists.
The most lethal Latvian killing unit, the Arajs Commando, killed some 30,000 Latvian Jews."

"Three Jewish men are hanged in Ternopol, Ukraine, in 1941.
They were killed either for having disobeyed German orders or in retribution for any offense someone in the Ternopol Jewish community committed.
Placards were often hung around the necks of the executed, to intimidate the living and provide a neat rationale for the executions.
Bodies of the murdered might be left hanging for days, until the Nazis felt that the local citizenry had had time to absorb the 'example.' "