Soviet Ww2 Quotes

Such a suspicion of metanarratives was evident in the destruction of the Pruitt-Igoe Project which had promised much, based on modernist stories of emancipation, progress, and reason, and had failed. At a grander level it can be seen in many post-WW2 responses to the failures of science (the atom bomb, the green revolution), Marxist political movements (the Soviet Union, China), or capitalism (the free market, development). Grand claims for "reason" and "rationality" had often led to horrendous consequences.

While the triple wheel suspension gave a smoother ride, it also meant the interleaved wheels were susceptible to becoming fouled with mud and snow. If this clogging were allowed to freeze on the Eastern Front, it set like concrete and jammed up the wheels, leaving the Tiger completely immobilised. The Soviets soon discovered that the Tiger was vulnerable to the Russian winter and timed their attacks for the early hours, when they knew that enemy vehicles had been frozen solid during the night.

The essence of my happiness is fighting for the happiness of others. It’s strange, why is it that in grammar, the word "happiness” can only be singular? That is counter to its meaning, after all. … If it turns necessary to die for the common happiness, then I’m braced to.

It is rather amazing that the Finns appeared not to have realized that their refusal to participate in operations against the Soviet Union after they had secured the lost territories at East Karelia that the achievement of their own goals was totally dependent on Germany achieving its goal of destroying the Soviet Union. Germany’s failure to do so, either because of a military defeat or because of a negotiated settlement would jeopardize Finland’s position. If Germany lost the war, the very existence of Finland came into question. It therefore made virtually no difference what the Finnish war aims were as they were intrinsically linked to those of Germany. It is nevertheless extraordinary that the Germans did not press the Finns for more definite answers regarding their participation in achieving the two main German objectives: operations against Leningrad, and the cutting of the Murmansk railroad. The failure to do so became a major bone of contention and should have been anticipated. Carl von Clausewitz wrote: ‘no war is begun, or at least no war should begin, if people acted wisely without first finding the answer to the question: what is to be attained by and in war?