Craig Hill Media and Consulting
Germany
January 27, 1945 – Auschwitz is liberated
On January 27, 1945, Soviet troops enter Auschwitz, Poland, freeing the survivors of the network of concentration camps—and finally revealing to the world the depth of the horrors perpetrated there. Auschwitz was really a group of camps, designated I, II, and III. There were also 40 smaller “satellite” camps. It was at Auschwitz II, at Birkenau, established in … Continue reading
December 29, 1940 – London is bombed during the ‘Blitz’, resulting in almost 3,000 civilian deaths
The Battle of Britain, or the Blitz, was an intense bombing campaign in England in World War II by the German air force, the Luftwaffe. The Blitz took its name from the German word Blitzkrieg, meaning ‘Lightning War’. Prior to the attacks on England, the German air force had spent a month attempting to decimate … Continue reading
December 22, 1989 – The Brandenburg Gate between East and West Berlin is opened for the first time in nearly thirty years
Berlin, the capital city of Germany, was divided following World War II. With the development of the Cold War, tensions began to increase between the Soviet Union which controlled the East, and the western allies which controlled West Berlin. The border between East and West Germany was closed in 1952, but people continued to defect … Continue reading
December 15, 1961 – Adolf Eichmann, ‘Chief Executioner of the Third Reich’, is sentenced to death for his war crimes
Adolf Eichmann was a member of the Austrian Nazi party in World War II. After his promotion to the Gestapo’s Jewish section, he was essentially responsible for the extermination of millions of Jews during the war. He is often referred to as the ‘Chief Executioner’ of the Third Reich. Eichmann escaped from a prison camp … Continue reading
November 20, 1945 – Nuremberg trials begin
Twenty-four high-ranking Nazis go on trial in Nuremberg, Germany, for atrocities committed during World War II. The Nuremberg trials were conducted by an international tribunal made up of representatives from the United States, the Soviet Union, France and Great Britain. It was the first trial of its kind in history, and the defendants faced charges ranging from crimes against … Continue reading
Australia most expensive country for international students
Australia has been ranked as the most expensive country for international students, but the falling Aussie dollar could spark a boom in new arrivals. Australia beat the US, Britain, Germany, Canada and Hong Kong as the most expensive destination for international students, costing an average $US38,000 ($41,500) a year in fees and living costs, according … Continue reading
December 25 1914 Christmas Truce
On December 25th 1914, just after midnight on Christmas morning, the majority of German troops engaged in World War I ceased firing their guns and artillery and commenced to sing Christmas carols. At certain points along the eastern and western fronts, the soldiers of Russia, France, and Britain even heard brass bands joining the Germans … Continue reading
November 11 1918 World War I ends
On November 11th 1918, at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, the Great War ended. At 5 a.m. that morning, Germany, bereft of manpower and supplies and faced with imminent invasion, signed an armistice agreement with the Allies in a railroad car outside Compiégne, France. The First World War left … Continue reading
November 9 1938 Nazis launch Kristallnacht
On this day in 1938, in an event that would foreshadow the Holocaust, German Nazis launch a campaign of terror against Jewish people and their homes and businesses in Germany and Austria. The violence, which continued through November 10 and was later dubbed “Kristallnacht,” or “Night of Broken Glass,” after the countless smashed windows of … Continue reading
October 15 1917 Mata Hari executed
On October 15th 1917, Mata Hari, the archetype of the seductive female spy, was executed for espionage by a French firing squad at Vincennes outside of Paris. She first came to Paris in 1905 and found fame as a performer of exotic Asian-inspired dances. She soon began touring all over Europe, telling the story of … Continue reading
September 17 1916 The Red Baron Manfred von Richthofen shoots down his first plane
On September 17th 1916, the German air ace Manfred von Richthofen, known to history as the “Red Baron,”shot down his first enemy plane over the Western Front during World War I. Richthofen, the son of a Prussian nobleman, switched from the German army to the Imperial Air Service in 1915. He became the star pupil … Continue reading
September 5 1972 Arab terrorists take Israeli hostages at the Olympics
On September 5th 1972, in the early morning hours, six members of the Arab terrorist group known as Black September dressed in the Olympic sweat suits of Arab nations and jumped the fence surrounding the Olympic village in Munich, Germany, carrying bags filled with guns. Although guards spotted them, they paid little attention because athletes … Continue reading
June 28 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinated
On June 28th 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie were shot to death by a Bosnian Serb nationalist during an official visit to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo. The killings sparked a chain of events that led to the outbreak of World War I by early August. On June 28, 1919, … Continue reading
June 3 1990 Bush and Gorbachev end second summit meeting
On June 3rd 1990, President George Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev ended their three-day summit meeting with warm words of friendship, but without any concrete agreement concerning German reunification.Bush and Gorbachev held their second summit conference in Washington, D.C. The main topic of conversation was the future of a reunified Germany. Communist rule … Continue reading
May 14 1955 Warsaw Pact formed
The Soviet Union and seven of its European satellites sign a treaty establishing the Warsaw Pact, a mutual defence organisation that put the Soviets in command of the armed forces of the member states. The Warsaw Pact, so named because the treaty was signed in Warsaw, included the Soviet Union, Albania, Poland, Romania, Hungary, East … Continue reading
May 6 1937 Airship Hindenburg explodes in New Jersey
On May 6th 1937, the German airship Hindenburg, the largest dirigible ever built, exploded as it arrived in Lakehurst, New Jersey. Thirty-six people died in the fiery accident that has since become iconic, in part because of the live radio broadcast of the disaster. The dirigible was built to be the fastest, largest and most … Continue reading
March 14 1879 Albert Einstein Born
On March 14th 1879, Albert Einstein was born, the son of a Jewish electrical engineer in Ulm, Germany. Einstein’s theories of special and general relativity drastically altered man’s view of the universe, and his work in particle and energy theory helped make possible quantum mechanics and ultimately, the atomic bomb. After a childhood in Germany … Continue reading
Soccer: Germany Knocks Out Turkey (2008)
German defender Philipp Lahm’s 90th minute goal sealed a 3-2 win over an injury-plagued Turkey on Wednesday night in the UEFA Semifinal. Three times European champions Germany are now assured of a spot in the finals in Vienna on Sunday. Germany striker Miroslav Klose had nudged his side into the lead on 79 minutes after … Continue reading
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