Worldcrunch
Updated June 22, 2024 at 10:20 a.m. Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Nazi Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II. It was launched on this day in 1941, and aimed to conquer Soviet territory, defeat the Soviet military, and ultimately establish German dominance in Eastern Europe. Why did Germany launch […]
Olaf Scholz has refused to dissolve Germany’s parliament, even though his coalition suffered a major defeat at the European elections. The Chancellor’s weakened position comes at a bad time for Europe, where the union’s other major power, France, is also in a fragile state.
Can the surge of the far right in Europe pave the way for Donald Trump’s victory in the United States in November? Or will a majority of Americans reject a convicted former president running for office? Though political patterns are hard to detect, young voters play an important role in what comes next, writes political scientist Dominique Moïsi in French business daily Les Echos.
Updated June 6, 2024 at 12:20 p.m. The major military operation during World War II, also known as “D-Day”, occurred 80 years ago on this day in 1944, marking the beginning of the end of Nazi Germany’s control over Western Europe. Why was D-Day significant? D-Day was a significant turning point in World War II. […]
Updated May 27, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. The invasion of Dunkirk started on this day in 1940, during the early stages of World War II. Approximately 338,000 Allied troops were evacuated from Dunkirk, including more than 200,000 British soldiers, during the evacuation codenamed Operation Dynamo. What was the invasion of Dunkirk? The invasion of Dunkirk […]
In Germany, support for the far-right AfD party is dwindling while its French counterpart, the Rassemblement National of Le Pen, is leading the polls. Opposed trajectories that stem from very different approaches: German radicalization vs. French “dédiabolization.”
Updated May 16, 2024 at 11 a.m. The Warsaw Uprising officially ended on this day in 1943, when the remaining Jewish fighters were killed or captured by German forces. What was the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising? The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising was a military operation by the Jewish resistance during World War II aimed at resisting the […]
Updated May 6, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. The Hindenburg caught fire on this day in 1937, while attempting to land at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey, USA. What was the Hindenburg? The Hindenburg was a German zeppelin airship that was built in the 1930s. It was the largest airship ever built and was […]
Updated May 2, 2024 at 1:15 p.m. The iconic war photograph of the raising of the flag over the Reichstag was taken on this day in 1945. Why was the raising of the flag over the Reichstag significant? The image showing a Soviet soldier raising the Soviet flag on the roof of the Reichstag building […]
Updated April 30, 2024 at 12:15 p.m. On this day in 1993, tennis icon Monica Seles was stabbed by a deranged fan of her rival during a tennis match in Hamburg, Germany. Who was Monica Seles? Monica Seles is a former professional tennis player who was ranked world No. 1 and won nine Grand Slam […]
Updated April 25, 2024 at 11:450 p.m. On this day in 1945, Allied troops entered Milan and other major Italian cities, signaling the end of fascist rule and the Nazi occupation. The Italian resistance movement played a significant role in the liberation of the country. What was the fascist regime in Italy? The fascist regime […]
It’s not the passage of time or overcoming hardship that makes you wise, but rather the effort to keep your mind truly open.
While Germany’s Scholz has chosen to walk a tightrope, France’s Macron has made a major U-turn on. While differences between Berlin and Paris are not new, the intensifying war in Ukraine has changed the situation.
Updated March 19, 2024 at 12:30 p.m. The meeting between West Germany’s Willy Brandt and East Germany’s Willi Stoph on this day in 1970, was part of Brandt’s “Ostpolitik” (Eastern policy), which aimed to improve relations between West Germany and East Germany. Who were the leaders of East and West Germany in the famous 1970 […]
As Western leaders criticize Netanyahu and his war in Gaza, the Israeli Prime Minister apparently remains fully confident in forging ahead with a hardline that leaves a brutal human toll.
Beyond the embarrassment for the German military, and Moscow’s exploitation for propaganda purposes, the deeper significance of the intercepted conversations is in how far European unity remains on the war in Ukraine.
Apple’s announcement that it has discontinued its car project is bigger than it may seem. It is a serious admission that a car revolution is not as close as we thought — and really good news for German automakers.
Germany has been shaken by a study showing that sexual abuse has been widespread and systematic within the German Protestant Church, which has 19 million members. Now it is time for society to wake up to the fact that Protestantism is not superior to Catholicism when it comes to abuse.
Neville Tranter and Nikolaus Habjan, global stars of the puppet world, are performing in Berlin. Their caustic satire about Austria is definitely not for kids. It shows why hand puppets are not only hot right now, but they’re also incredible actors capable of convening the magic of theater at its utmost.
The 19th-century publishers of classic Fairy Tales like Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel were also renowned academics who established a way of working that offers important lessons for the modern world.
As the far-right propagates a simplified and emotionally resonant message, the lack of coordination and a shared vision among the “non-far-right” strengthens the far-right’s illusion of representing the entirety of “the people.”
Sure, some men don’t want to be outshined. But there’s also the reality that so many women have internalized the myth of the beautiful admired woman, they often don’t understand their failure in love of such beauties, when it’s actually much like their own.
In Germany, the Ministry for Family Affairs came up with a strategy to combat loneliness: university chairs, initiatives and even a “loneliness barometer.” But one no-filter boomer writer for Die Welt says it’s all unnecessary — and today’s young people should focus on having more children and stop pathologizing every feeling.
Updated Jan. 5, 2024 at 12:00 p.m The German Workers’ Party is founded in 1919, which a little over a year later changed its name to the Nazi Party. Who founded the German Workers’ Party? The German Workers’ Party (DAP) was founded in Munich in the hotel Fürstenfelder Hof by Anton Drexler, along with Dietrich […]
After two months of war, experts in Ukraine are starting to consider what plan could work to restore the local infrastructure and economy, looking at the experience of Germany, Japan and Italy — countries that went down in history for their economic miracles after being destroyed by war.
Updated Jan. 2 2024 at 12:00 p.m. Billed as “the trial of the century,” the case begins against Richard “Bruno” Hauptmann, accused of kidnapping and killing the 20-month-old son of renown aviator Charles Lindbergh. Who was Richard “Bruno” Hauptmann? Bruno Hauptmann was a German immigrant who was accused of breaking into famous aviator Charles Lindbergh, […]
Sooner or later, Hamas’ reign in Gaza will come to an end. What will happen then? An Israeli occupation? The handover of power to local stakeholders? There are clear parallels with Germany’s situation after World War II.
Young people across Europe are drinking less, which is driving a boom in non-alcoholic alternatives, and the emergence of new, more complex markets.
The latest season of Germany’s largest festival celebrating the adventure writer Karl May ended with a record audience. Over 430,000 visitors watched the adventures of the Native American character Winnetou, despite criticism of the story’s problematic legacy from some sections.
Trashing politics and politicians is a classic tool of populists to seduce angry voters, and take countries into quagmires far worse than the worst years of democracy. It’s a dynamic Argentina appears particularly vulnerable to.
The debate over the war in Israel is raging on social media. In this divisive atmosphere, it is impossible to call out anti-Semitism in Muslim communities or on the right wing without being applauded by all the wrong people. What Germans are failing to acknowledge is how much the country’s own history has to do with this.
Can Europe play a role in the current conflict in the Middle East? During the recent visit to the region by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, it appeared clear that Gulf States are in a much better position to negotiate a possible solution.
The Germany-made thriller has made it to the “top 10” list of the streaming platform in more than 90 countries by breaking away from conventional tropes and mixing in German narrative techniques.
The author set off on a three-week vacation trip across Europe in an electric car. Would the charging infrastructure be enough to get all the way, or would they end up stranded without battery, far from home?
More than 6,000 collaboration cases have already been filed in Ukraine — but how does the law distinguish between wilful collaboration and simply trying to survive? And what should happen to the guilty?
Since last year, over half of the fish in the river have died, and Germany’s environment minister has said that Poland has not done enough to prevent a repeat of the incident. Now the Oder, which runs through the Czech Republic, Poland, and Germany, is experiencing fish death en masse once again. Was this catastrophe doomed to repeat itself? Reporters from German newspaper Die Zeit and Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza looked for answers.
Marder infantry fighting vehicles, Leopard 2 tanks, thousands and thousands of rounds of ammunition: the armament company Rheinmetall is running flat-out, around-the-clock to supply Ukrainian forces. For the first time, Die Welt was granted access to the production floor at the Rheinmetall factory, which is churning out arms as quickly as it did during the depths of the Cold War.
June is the best time to spot a dragonfly. Here’s why it’s worth looking for one common species.
Stunning images of the attack of Nova Kakhovka dam, which had been described as a strategically important target, serve as a reminder that military forces in past wars have set off similar disasters to take out dams’ power.