Josef Stalin is remembered for many things – establishing a brutal dictatorship over the Soviet Union, his determination to create a buffer zone in Eastern Europe and thus close the iron curtain, the capriciousness and cruelty of the security system he set up and brutalising terror of the gulag system. It is, therefore, not surprising that Stalin’s wit and raw intelligence are rarely focused on. But […]
WW2
When did the Second World War end in Europe? And when did the Nazi German government surrender? You’d be forgiven for saying ‘on the same day’, and most people would suggest Victory in Europe Day (8 May 1945 in most countries, but celebrated on 9 May 1945 in the Soviet Union) as the most obvious day. Alternatively, it could be 7 May 1945 – the day […]