Throughout the history of combat, there are only a few examples of military formations that were as effective as the famous winged hussars. This elite of the Polish cavalry was ruling the battlefields from the 16th to the 18th century. It had remained unbeaten for 125 years, even against enemies with crushing numerical superiority.
On October 1, 1943, one of the boldest and most glorious actions in the history of the Polish Underground State during World War II took place. Members of the Armia Krajowa (Home Army) sabotage unit carried out a daring operation on the streets of Warsaw, killing Ernst Weffels, a Gestapo officer working at Pawiak prison, who was infamous for his almost animalistic cruelty towards the imprisoned inmates.
The Chancellor of the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler, was the target of at least 42 documented assassination attacks not only during the Second World War, but also earlier, in the 1930s, when he took over power in Germany.
He was attempted to be shot, blown up by detonation of explosives, simulated a fatal car accident, poisoned, and derailed in his armored train.
Below we present the story of probably the most effective sniper in history, the Finnish soldier Simo Häyhä, nicknamed “The White Death” by his enemies. During the Winter War between Finland and the USSR between 1939 and 1940, Simo killed over 500 Russians using mainly a simple sniper rifle. His methods of conducting concealed warfare have passed into legend, and the heroic Finn remained a national hero and a model for future generations of soldiers until the end of his life.
German pilot Manfred von Richthofen is considered the greatest fighter ace of World War I. Before his death on April 21, 1918, he managed to achieve 80 confirmed victories, and the squadron he commanded was unrivalled. His deadly effectiveness, daring courage, and honorable conduct made the Red Baron one of the icons of the Great War and a hero for future generations of aviators.
Charles XII Wittelsbach was the last king of Sweden to continue the tradition of conquests initiated by his ancestors. Endowed with immense military talent, he was called the “Viking King” because of his appearance and courage displayed on the battlefields. His life and reign were short, and his death ended Swedish supremacy in northern Europe.
The story of the vulgar and simultaneously comical letter written by the Cossacks to the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed IV in the 17th century.