Key figures

Future communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu in the Targu Jiu prison camp, 1943

nicolae ceausescu ww2

Nicolae Ceausescu (second from left, with jacket) pictured with other detainees in the Targu Jiu concentration camp, sometime in 1943. A shoemaker, Ceausescu joined the Communist party in 1932, at only 14 years old, and gained a reputation as an agitator and a thug. Between 1936 and 1944, Ceausescu spent …

Adolf Hitler with Marshal Ion Antonescu at Wolfsschanze, 1942

adolf hitler ion antonescu

Adolf Hitler with Romanian Prime Minister, Marshal Ion Antonescu (center, saluting), at the Wolf’s Lair (Wolfsschanze) in February 1942. On the left of the image is Dr. Paul Schmidt, chief interpreter of the German Foreign Ministry. During the meeting, Adolf Hitler assured Marshal Antonescu that he personally guarantees Hungary and …

Field Marshal Erich von Manstein on the Kerch front in May 1942

field marshal erich von manstein

The Battle of the Kerch Peninsula was a conflict between Axis Forces (Germany and Romania) and the Soviet Union, which took place between December 1941 – May 1942. Germany’s victory in May 1942 allowed them to focus on the ongoing siege of Sevastopol (which was captured one month later), and …

Heinz Guderian, tank warfare pioneer and leading commander in WW2

heinz guderian world war two

Generaloberst Heinz Guderian, a World War I veteran, was one of the pioneers of tank warfare in Germany. Guderian studied this concept between 1922 and 1928, becoming a leading expert on tanks despite not setting foot into one before 1929 (due to the Versailles treaty restrictions). Because of the same …

King Michael I of Romania with Adolf Hitler in Berlin, 1940

King Michael Romania Adolf Hitler

On August 23rd 1944, King Michael I of Romania (pictured here with Adolf Hitler at the New Reich Chancellery in Berlin, 1940) staged a coup to overthrow Romania’s head of state and Hitler supporter, Marshal Ion Antonescu. With the tides of the war turning and with the Soviets already inside …

Hermann Goering and flying ace Adolf Galland reviewing documents

hermann goering

Hermann Goering, Reichsmarschall and Supreme Luftwaffe Commander, with flying ace Adolf Galland, Lieutenant General of the Luftwaffe, reviewing documents. Date and location of the picture are unclear, although the photo was likely taken in 1941. Galland was one of the legendary pilots of WW2. He survived being shot down four …

Erwin Rommel with British POWs during Dunkirk evacuation

erwin rommel

Field Marshal Erwin Rommel (the “Desert Fox”) with British POW’s at the French port of St Valery-en-Caux during the Dunkirk evacuation (1940). Erwin Rommel was a distinguished officer in World War One and one of the central figures of World War Two. In WW2, Rommel earned a reputation as one …

President Roosevelt smoking and drinking during a fundraiser in 1938

franklin roosevelt smoking drinking wine

US President Franklin Roosevelt smoking and drinking white wine, as he is listening to a speech during a Democratic Party fundraiser on November 1st, 1938. Franklin Roosevelt was also known to enjoy Martinis, as well as cocktails and mixed drinks. Book suggestion ⤵️ 📖 No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor …

Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler in Munich, June 1940

benito mussolini adolf hitler munich

Benito Mussolini meets Adolf Hitler in Munich, with the Italian leader having traveled to discuss the French armistice request on June 18th, 1940. Although Mussolini intended to gain a hefty share of spoils from the French, Hitler did not want to discuss it. What’s more, the Fuhrer declared that he …