General History Questions thread
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I'm trying to be nice here, but you're really making it ****ing difficult. Are you really this clueless? How the **** would anyone know if some Soviet soldiers, among the OVER MILLION THAT TOOK PART, during the battle that lasted OVER FIVE MONTHS might have sung a song or two, even during a fight? Obviously singing isn't a normal part of WW2-era warfare, but it is impossible to rule it completely out. Only thing we know is that it wasn't widespread enough that it would have been reported up the chain of command.djogloc02 said:
I imagine some would have sang in combat to calm themselves down, talked to a few people who served in Iraq/Afghanistan who had some people in their units that did it. Something familiar to calm their nerves in the chaos of war.
LOL. Go read the book Stalingrad of Anthony Beevor, he actually gives the lyrics for the most popular song in the Red Army during the battle of Stalingrad.djogloc02 said:
Of course they didn't sing during firefights, but most of the time they and the Germans were besieging each other, and they had plenty of time to sing. To most units someone with an accordion was atached, and they surely used those.
http://youtu.be/Fq3EcpFGpKc?t=2m32s
Reminds me of this: http://youtu.be/oxS7uFNX4sk?t=1h2m7sIlilsa said:
And yes that is during the battle of Stalingrad.
Actually there's a long list of songs famously written and sung during the war (s). There's a good lot of examples of songs written in the trenches of WW1, too. But most evident of the "singing soldiers'" nature, are a good number of famous songs modified by the fighting soldiers.
There's the italian version of the russian Katyusha, for example, "Fischia il Vento" (The wind blows) that was written by a partisan fighter, later killed in 1944.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Dc-Le3f34M
Or the many versions of the German song Lili Marleen - sometimes with modified lyrics, like this satyrical version written by an allied soldier fighting in Italy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXl_xzqIRgk
Or the SAS version
No reason to believe soviet soldiers didn't have their own soldiers' song as well
There's the italian version of the russian Katyusha, for example, "Fischia il Vento" (The wind blows) that was written by a partisan fighter, later killed in 1944.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Dc-Le3f34M
Or the many versions of the German song Lili Marleen - sometimes with modified lyrics, like this satyrical version written by an allied soldier fighting in Italy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXl_xzqIRgk
Or the SAS version
Lilli Marlene (SAS)
There is a song
we always used to hear
Out in the desert,
romantic soft and clear
Over the ether came the strain,
that lilitng refrain
Each night again,
of poor lilli Marlene
of poor Lilli Marlene
Refrain
Then back to Cairo
we would steer
And drink our beer,
with ne'er a tear
And poor Lilli Marlene's boyfriend
will never see Lilli Marlene
Check your ammunition,
check your guns are right,
Wait until a convoy comes
creeping through the night
Then you can have some fun, my son
And know the war's almost won
And poor Lilli Marlene's
boyfriend will never see Marlene
Drive onto an airfield,
thirty planes ahead
Belching Ammuniton
and filling them with lead
A flamer for you,
a grave for Fritz
Just like his planes,
he's shot to bits
And poor Lilli Marlene's boyfriend
will never see Lilli Marlene
Afrika Korps has sunk
into the dust
Gone are his Stukas,
his tanks have turned to rust
No more will we hear
the soft refrain
That liliting strain,
It's night again
And poor Lilli Marlene's boyfriend
will never see Lilli Marlene
There is a song
we always used to hear
Out in the desert,
romantic soft and clear
Over the ether came the strain,
that lilitng refrain
Each night again,
of poor lilli Marlene
of poor Lilli Marlene
Refrain
Then back to Cairo
we would steer
And drink our beer,
with ne'er a tear
And poor Lilli Marlene's boyfriend
will never see Lilli Marlene
Check your ammunition,
check your guns are right,
Wait until a convoy comes
creeping through the night
Then you can have some fun, my son
And know the war's almost won
And poor Lilli Marlene's
boyfriend will never see Marlene
Drive onto an airfield,
thirty planes ahead
Belching Ammuniton
and filling them with lead
A flamer for you,
a grave for Fritz
Just like his planes,
he's shot to bits
And poor Lilli Marlene's boyfriend
will never see Lilli Marlene
Afrika Korps has sunk
into the dust
Gone are his Stukas,
his tanks have turned to rust
No more will we hear
the soft refrain
That liliting strain,
It's night again
And poor Lilli Marlene's boyfriend
will never see Lilli Marlene
No reason to believe soviet soldiers didn't have their own soldiers' song as well
I heard that Erica had multiple versions as well; the Romanians had their own version and IIRC the Finns or Hungarians too.
And a Hungarian version too, called Rózsika (=Rosie).
Big two handers were usually carried on a horse or by a lackey, because if you had the money for a huge sword, you probably had money for at least one of those too. Other than that, as far as I know, big-ass swords like a Zweihänder usually weren't sheathed, but carried in hand/on the shoulder much like a polearm. As for carrying smaller weapons on your back, I can't see much practical use in it, maybe only when climbing or in a cramped area.funk said:
DarthTaco said:
My grandfather held and recited the Rosary Beads when in combat (had it in his left hand while bracing the front grip of his B.A.R.). Not sure how good singing is in combat as it can give away your location in certain situations, but some nations didn't care about making noise (like WW2 Germans, who were known to actively yell out to each other in combat, preferring fast and information over secrecy of location).
Agreed. However, this might lend weight to the statement by Kesselring that the Americans were at their best in the offensive (where sometimes silence and stealth is good due to the ability to penetrate the enemy's lines unnoticed and flank fire on them) but poor in the defensive.
Singing is best for on the march and in-between fighting.
They certainly speak a Slavic language, but they're pretty mixed actually.
A mix of Slavic, Germanic and Celtic peoples.
Considering the Hallstatt culture was concentrated in the vicinity, they're a diluted Celtic people with settlers from all around.
A mix of Slavic, Germanic and Celtic peoples.
Considering the Hallstatt culture was concentrated in the vicinity, they're a diluted Celtic people with settlers from all around.
Of course, one has to also ask the question: What does it mean to be Slavic? Many people would say it's about speaking a Slavic language, thus anyone who has a Slavic language as a native language is a Slav. Hence, Czechs are most certainly Slavs indeed. Genetically, there are no pure people in general, so they're not pure "genetical Slavs" either, and there's no such thing as a true "genetical Slav" (or "genetical Germanic", "genetical Turkic" etc) in the first place. And, as mentioned by Tancred, their culture has been heavily influenced by the Germanic one (and perhaps to some degree by the Hungarians, though that would be even truer for the Slovaks), but still is Slavic by default.
Well they mostly had rather good soldiers, but their high command and leadership were quite worthless, and supplies and equipment were often inadequate.
Their navy and air force were good too.
Their navy and air force were good too.
IIRC the Royal Navy kicked their asses.
But that doesn't mean they were bad.
But that doesn't mean they were bad.
