Wilhelm Pieck was a communist activist and East German politician. He was born in 1876 and was educated as a carpenter. In 1894 he joined the German Timber Workers Association and the wood-worker’s federation. As a member, he became increasingly political and in 1895 he joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany. He rose throughContinue reading “September 7th: The Death of Wilhelm Pieck and Update”
Tag Archives: Today in History
September 6th in German History: The Munich Massacre
Germany has seen its fair share of terrorist attacks. Political and religious extremists have multiple times killed Germans so as to create fear or make a perverse point. However, less common are attacks on German soil that have targeted non-Germans. One such attack was the Munich massacre, which ended on September 6th, 1972. On SeptemberContinue reading “September 6th in German History: The Munich Massacre”
September 5th in German History: The Birth of Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb
During the Second World War, all branches of the German military committed war crimes to some degree. Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb was a member of the old guard of the Wehrmacht who was fired by Hitler and who claimed to to have been innocent. He was born on September 5th, 1876. Leeb was born inContinue reading “September 5th in German History: The Birth of Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb”
September 4th in German History: Fritz Todt is Born
A few days ago, I discussed Albert Speer. Speer was catapulted to the height of his power by the death of another man, Fritz Todt. Todt was the Minister for Armaments and Production before his death in 1942. He was born on September 4th, 1891. Todt was born in Baden, in the south of Germany,Continue reading “September 4th in German History: Fritz Todt is Born”
September 3rd in German History: France and the UK begin the blockade of Germany
In every war Germany has fought with the UK, the Royal Navy has been able to cut off Germany from oceanic trade. WWII was no different. On September 3rd, two days after Germany invaded Poland, Great Britain and France used their navies to stop the passage of trade vessels to German ports. The initial phaseContinue reading “September 3rd in German History: France and the UK begin the blockade of Germany”
September 2nd in German History: Germany Annexes the Free City of Danzig
For nineteen years the Free City of Danzig was an independent city-state inside of the Polish-controlled Danzig corridor between Germany and its exclave of East Prussia. It stood as a reminder of Germany’s defeat in WWI and saw a great deal of tension between its German and Polish populations. In 1939, Germany demanded that PolandContinue reading “September 2nd in German History: Germany Annexes the Free City of Danzig”
September 1st in German History: The Death of Albert Speer
Albert Speer was a German architect and industrialist who was responsible for armaments organization during the latter years of WWII. During the decades after the war, he was often credited with significant increases in German weapons production and with being less brutal than other Nazis. He died on September 1st, 1981. Speer was born inContinue reading “September 1st in German History: The Death of Albert Speer”
August 31st in German History: The Gleiwitz Incident
One of the realities of international relations is that even the most bellicose of nations need justification, however flimsy, to initiate war. When Germany invaded Poland on September 1st, 1939, the stated pretext was a series of Polish attacks on German military installations. The most significant of these attacks was the Gleiwitz incident, which sawContinue reading “August 31st in German History: The Gleiwitz Incident”
August 30th in German History: The Battle of Tannenberg
In the first months of WWI, both the Eastern and Western Fronts were very mobile. In the west, Germany advanced into Belgium and France outflanking their enemy and occupying valuable territory. In the east, Russian, German, and Austrian armies clashed, the use of railways enabling the easy movement and concentration of forces. The initial RussianContinue reading “August 30th in German History: The Battle of Tannenberg”
August 29th in German History: German Reich Dissolves the Danish Government
The first years of the Second World War saw Germany quickly overrun most of Western and Eastern Europe. These nations were placed under harsh occupations which saw freedoms restricted and reprisals carried out against any who resisted. However, not all conquered nations were so harshly treated, at least initially. Denmark, which surrendered within six hours,Continue reading “August 29th in German History: German Reich Dissolves the Danish Government”
German History 