World War Facts - World Wars were horrific conflicts in human history, but they were also full of weird and bizarre happenings.
This article contains some of the most interesting and lesser-known world war facts - World War I and World War II
Table of Contents
1. Poland had a bear that served in the military
Wojtek the Bear was a Syrian brown bear who served in Poland's army during WWII.
In 1942, he was adopted by the 22nd Artillery Supply Company of the 2nd Polish Corps.
The bear was granted the rank of private at first, but quickly advanced to corporal.
Wojtek was a morale booster for the military. Throughout the war, he followed the Polish army, including the Italian Campaign.
During the Battle of Monte Cassino, he carried ammunition boxes and hauled a supply cart.
"Soldier Bear" was Wojtek's nickname. He was originally from Syria, and an Iranian child exchanged him for food.
2. Millions of Germans were imprisoned and killed because they didn’t fit the image of the ‘perfect’ German
The Nazis classified Germans as belonging to the "Aryan" race, which they considered to be the "master race."
The Nazis glorified Aryans as blondes with blue eyes who were athletic and tall.
Millions of Germans were imprisoned and slaughtered by the Nazis as a result of:
- The Holocaust was a state-sponsored persecution and murder of about six million European Jews, as well as at least five million additional victims.
- Forced displacement resulted in the deaths of nearly 500,000 ethnic Germans.
- The "euthanasia" of 173,500 disabled Germans
- Repression, terrorism, retaliation, and other cold-blooded murders
Among the other victims of the Nazis were: Prisoners of war, Romany, Jehovah's Witnesses, Homosexuals, French, Dutch, Serbs, Slovenes, and Czechs.
3. Some countries remained ‘neutral’ in World War 2
During World War II, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland remained neutral.
Andorra, Estonia, Ireland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Monaco, Portugal, San Marino, Vatican City, Turkey, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Afghanistan were among the other neutral countries.
By making economic concessions to the belligerents, neutral countries maintained their independence.
4. Around 64 million people died in World War 2
The total number of individuals killed in World War II is estimated to be between 70 and 85 million.
This figure includes both military and civilian personnel, as well as those who died as a result of war-related factors like sickness and starvation.
The precise number of victims is difficult to determine, as estimates differ depending on the source and technique.
WWII was the deadliest military battle in history. It was a global war that occurred from 1939 until 1945. The Allies and the Axis powers were opposed to each other during the conflict.
The Soviet Union had the highest number of fatalities of any one nation, with estimates ranging from 22 to 27 million deaths.
Other estimations are as follows:
- 10 million military deaths
- 7 million civilian fatalities
- 21 million people have been injured.
- 7.7 million people are missing or imprisoned.
Many citizens died as a result of genocide, massacres, mass bombings, disease, and starvation.
5. The Victoria Cross award was given to war heroes
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the most prestigious and highest honor in the British honors system.
It is given to personnel of the British Armed Forces for displaying extraordinary bravery in the face of the enemy.
Queen Victoria founded the VC in 1856 at the request of her consort, Prince Albert.
It is only given in extraordinary circumstances, for deeds of outstanding bravery performed under direct enemy fire.
The VC may be bestowed posthumously. Recipients are frequently regarded as heroes.
During WWII, 182 awards were given to many heroes.
6. Attack on Pearl Harbor
Japan conducted a surprise attack on the US Naval facility in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941.
The attack killed 2,403 military personnel and injured 1,178 others.
It also destroyed 19 US ships, including eight battleships, and damaged 300 US aircraft.
353 Japanese aircraft from four heavy ships carried out the attack. Among the aircraft were:
- 40 torpedo planes
- 103 level bombers
- 79 fighters
- 131 dive bombers
The most major result of the attack was the entry of the United States into World War II.
Germany and Italy declared war on the United States just days after the bombing. In response, the United States declared war on Germany and Italy.
The attack was plotted by Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku.
He previously studied at Harvard and worked as Japan's naval attaché in Washington, DC.
7. Atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
In 1945, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan:
- Hiroshima - On August 6, 1945, at 8:15 a.m., the first "Little Boy" bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. The bomb was dropped by the Enola Gay, a B-29 bomber.
- Nagasaki - On August 9, 1945, at 11:02 a.m., the second "Fat Man" bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. The bomb was dropped by another B-29 bomber, the Bockscar.
In Hiroshima, between 90,000 and 146,000 people were killed, whereas in Nagasaki, between 60,000 and 80,000 people were killed.
Approximately half of the fatalities occurred on the first day. Thousands more were killed as a result of radiation poisoning later on.
8. France had more tanks, guns, and men than Germany in 1940
France had more tanks than Germany in 1940
France had 3,254 tanks on the northeast front in Western Europe, whereas Germany had 2,439 tanks.
In terms of numbers, quality, and firepower, France's tanks outnumbered those of Germany.
France had approximately 3,200 tanks and automatic machine guns, whereas Britain had 600 and Germany had 3,500.
However, France fell in 1940 mostly due to three factors:
- Failure of Intelligence
- Inadequate operational and tactical performance
- Ineffective strategic leadership
France had about 5,800 tanks in total, with many of them stationed abroad, in active reserve, or in second line.
9. Mahatma Gandhi tried to send a message of peace to Hitler
In 1939 and 1940, Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of the Indian independence struggle, wrote two letters to Adolf Hitler.
Gandhi, who called for nonviolent resistance to the Nazis, requested that World War II be ended.
He addressed Hitler as a "friend" and stated that he did not believe the German ruler was the "monster" depicted by his opponents.
Gandhi's first letter was written from his ashram in Wardha, Maharashtra, on August 23, 1939.
People had urged him to write to Hitler for the "sake of humanity," he said.
He refused the proposal, however, because he considered any writing to Hitler to be "an impertinence."
Because of a British government intervention, the letter was never delivered.
10. A Japanese soldier took 30 years to surrender after World War II
Hiroo Onoda, an Imperial Japanese Army intelligence officer who fought in WWII, did not surrender until 1974 because he did not realize the war had finished in 1945.
He fought for about 30 years and was stationed in the forest of one of the Philippines' islands.
Local farmers provided Onoda and his fellow soldiers with bananas, coconuts, and rice.
They murdered 30 island residents while avoiding police shootouts. Yuichi Akatsu, one of the other soldiers, surrendered to Filipino forces in 1950.
The news of Japan's capitulation did not reach everyone at the same time. A small proportion of the million and a half Japanese soldiers who served in WWII became holdouts after the war ended.
