World history is replete with a huge number of wars that affected almost all continents and most of the previously existing and existing states. Each of them is studied in detail by historians, scientists, and politicians, however, despite scrupulous studies, various monographs devoted to a particular conflict, interesting facts about wars remain largely unknown to a wide audience.
One of the most bloody and large-scale in the entire history of the existence of mankind was the Second World War of 1939-1945, which affected more than 60 of the states existing at that time. The main participants were members of two coalitions - the Axis Countries (Germany, Italy, Japan) and the Anti-Hitler Coalition (USA, UK, USSR, China).
Interesting facts about the war of 1941-1945
At the very beginning of the war, the United States from the outside observed the unfolding events, not entering the war, until December 7, 1941, Japan defeated the American fleet, based in Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.
After that, the United States became a full member of the anti-Hitler coalition. But almost immediately, the Americans faced significant difficulties: they needed to conduct training and pilot training, preparing them for military operations in the Pacific Ocean. To do this in the open ocean was not possible because of the danger from German submarines. Then the American command decided to conduct testing of takeoffs, maneuvers and landings on aircraft carriers on the Great Lakes. Especially for this, 2 steamboats were converted. During the exercises, more than 18 thousand pilots were trained and about three hundred aircraft were lost due to accidents. That is why at the bottom of the Great Lakes there are so many fragments of this military equipment.
Hawaiian dollar - what is this currency?
The attack on the US military base led to the emergence of the "Hawaiian dollar." The government urgently seized all dollars from the population, replacing them with banknotes bearing the large inscription “HAWAII”.
This maneuver was made in case of a possible capture of the islands by the Japanese: if this happened, a currency that would have no value would fall into the hands of the enemy.
"Camel Luck"
Interesting facts about the war of the two coalitions give an idea not only of endurance and the ability to make difficult decisions by the Allied command, but also of ingenuity and an extraordinary approach in the fight against the enemy. So, the German tankers who fought in North Africa, started an unusual tradition - to move "for good luck" a handful of camel dung. The Allied forces, having noticed this trend, began to produce anti-tank mines that disguised themselves as such heaps and destroyed more than one enemy tank. Having guessed the maneuver of the opponent, the Germans began to go around the untouched manure. But here, too, the Allies showed their imagination by creating mines that looked like heaps of manure already with traces of the tracks that passed through them.
Carrot Diet and Vitamin A
What other interesting facts about wars show the eccentricity of the thinking of the Allied command? A striking example, the effect of which has been preserved in our time, is the legend of vitamin A, which supposedly is found in large quantities in carrots and directly affects the improvement of vision and skin condition. In fact, the amount of carrots eaten does not directly affect good vision and healthy skin. This myth was invented by the British, who developed a radar with which pilots could see German bombers at night. To the enemy did not guess about the invention, the military distributed newspaper publications on the carrot diet of pilots.
Tamerlane's grave and war: is there a connection?
The fact that there is a connection between fiction and reality can be learned by studying some interesting facts about the war. 1941, June 21 - Soviet scientists discovered the grave of the famous Turkic commander Tamerlane, discovered in Samarkand. According to one legend, opening the grave will lead to war. On June 22 of the same year, the Germans attacked the USSR, thereby unleashing a war called the Great Patriotic War. However, such an unusual circumstance among scientists is considered only a coincidence, since according to available data, the plan of German attack on the USSR was approved long before 1941.
Interesting facts about World War II: animals and their role
The theater of military operations of 1941-1945 unfolded on the territory of the USSR and received the name of the Great Patriotic War. During the conflict, a huge number of people who fought for the liberation of their homeland from the Nazi invaders died. However, not only human resources were involved in hostilities.
Interesting facts about the war of 1941-1945 indicate that animals were actively involved in the fighting. Soviet cynologists trained dogs, the purpose of which was to destroy German tanks. They practically did not feed the dogs, accustoming them to the fact that they can get food under the model of the car. Thus, already trained dogs with TNT and explosive devices attached to them fled to enemy tanks during the battle, undermining them and themselves. There is still debate about the effectiveness of this method of fighting the enemy.
Sometimes, an unexpected find for history buffs becomes interesting facts about the great war. For example, it is known that in addition to dogs, camels also took part in the Great Patriotic War ... To be more precise, the camels were the draft force for the cannons in the 28th reserve army formed in Astrakhan during the battles for Stalingrad. Due to the lack of equipment and horses, the Soviet military were forced to catch wild camels and tame them. About 350 animals took part in hostilities. Most of them died, but two camels even reached Berlin together with the Soviet army. Surviving animals were sent to zoos.
Interesting facts about the war of 1945, or rather about a significant day on June 24, when the Victory Parade took place in Moscow, tell the layman about the remarkable event of this grand procession: one of the participants in the parade carried a dog on a tunic.
It was not a simple dog, but the famous Gilbras, who during the mine clearance operations in European countries discovered about 150 shells and 7000 mines. But on the eve of the holiday, Gilbras was wounded and could not pass at the Parade among the rest of the representatives of the school of military dogs. That is why Stalin gave the order to carry him through the Red Mercy on his tunic.
Coca-Cola in the USSR?
Interesting facts about the war also illuminate the unknown side of diplomatic relations between the USSR and the USA, in particular, between their prominent political figures. So, during the war in Europe, there was a meeting between Marshal of the USSR Georgy Zhukov and US Army General Dwight Eisenhower, during which the General treated Marshal Coca-Cola.
Zhukov appreciated the drink and turned to Eisenhower with a request to deliver it to headquarters. In order to avoid rumors regarding the worship of the Soviet general for such a vivid symbol of American imperialism, Zhukov asked that Coca-Cola be discolored. This wish was transferred to the beverage factory through President Harry Truman. Chemists managed to discolor Coca-Cola, which in the amount of 50 boxes was delivered to the marshal in ordinary bottles with a red star and a white cap.
How "Fanta" appeared
However, this is far from the only episode related to Coca-Cola. Interesting facts about the wars tell how “Fanta” actually appeared.
Even in the early years of World War II, the German representative office of the bottling plant for this drink was left without ingredients that were supplied from the United States. In search of an alternative, the Germans began to produce another product, using food waste (milk whey and apple cake) for this. The drink received the unpretentious name "Fanta" - short for "fantasy." There is still an opinion that the director of the plant and the inventor of the drink was the Nazi - Max Kate. But this is not true, he was not a Nazi. After the war, Kate got in touch with Coca-Cola's main office in the United States, and the company's ownership of the plant in Germany was restored. The leaders did not abandon Fanta, which had already managed to gain great popularity, and continued its production on a par with Coca-Cola.
30 years later
30 years after the Great Victory of the Allies in the war, a rather symbolic event occurred: in July 1975, the American Apollo spacecraft and the Soviet Soyuz were to dock over Moscow, during which an exchange of handshakes by astronauts was supposed. However, the calculation of the meeting place was made incorrectly, and a handshake took place over the Elbe River, where 30 years earlier, a meeting of American and Soviet soldiers was held.
All these interesting facts about the wars, little known to the general public, show the opposite side of the events and sometimes illuminate curious or unusual cases that are woven with a bright ribbon into the tale of heavy military everyday life.