IrishGunner

Nice thread. Thanks for sharing. Now I have to go find a bit of chocolate!

Nicely done! Egészségedre

In memory of the Hero City of Stalingrad and Marshal Chuikov: Today is the 70th Anniversary of the end of the battle of Stalingrad - and today, Volgograd is again named, "Stalingrad" NY Times article... http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/01/world/europe/volgograd-named-stalingrad-again-at-least-sometimes.html?ref=europe&_r=1&

Don't you mean "mental institution"?

Ralph is the expert. But I can Google! http://www.stalbansraid.com/

As I said, no doubt Stalingrad figured into the choice of a DSC. Few foreigners received a DSC in WW2. Bernard Montgomery only received a DSM. I am not intending to take anything away from Chuikov for his fight at Stalingrad. Of course, I'm " over thinking" into the question as well. However, in January 1944, US Ambassador Harriman sent several cables to Washington complaining of a Soviet "runaround" on several proposals from the Tehran Conference, as well as on several proposals sent by Washington to the military attache MG Deane. Having been in the attache business myself and having worked in Washington, it is easy for me to imagine someone saying, "Look the one year anniversary of Stalingrad is coming up; let's toss Chuikov a DSC as a symbol of how important we view the Soviet war effort and hopefully, that will help things on the political front." I think that's the "reason" you seek for why he's on this list. I guess with both of our "humble opinions", we both win!

Well, Stalingrad probably figured into the equation, but it was by no means the "main" reason. US awards to foreigner senior officers are mainly political in nature. A gesture. A token. Probably during the visit of a US military delegation. That's why the citations are vague. I wouldn't "think" too much into this...unless you have documented evidence that it was specifically for Stalingrad.

No BBQ. But it was the northernmost battle of the Civil War. St. Alban's Raid by Confederate raiders. Aided and abetted by Canada - some argue that also means tacit recognition of the Confederacy by Britain.

Paul, I appreciate your perspective; it's a very worthwhile approach. But with all due respect, even your "attempt to strip away the veneer of interpretations placed at a later time" is nothing more than your own interpretation. Unless we have actually participated or witnessed first-hand an event, it's merely "interpretation" no matter what attempt we make to be "purely" objective. While you may not agree; actually, I'm advocating your approach with this thread. Conventional historical interpretations put little importance on the Balkan Wars. I am arguing, even if in a feeble way, that the facts suggest something more... That Europe did not just "stumble" into war in August 1914; that events surrounding the Balkan Wars show that some powers were already contemplating war...and that circumstances surrounding the Balkan Wars were more than a sideshow, but rather essential tinder to the ultimate conflaguration. I realize your view on this may be different - as others have argued above as well; however, I'm curious about your statement regarding Poincare. In keeping with the timeline (I'm trying to not jump ahead chronologically - we have a lot of ground to cover before the Guns of August); Poincare was Prime Minister, but was elected French President on 17 January 1913. What are your views of his policies in 1913 that put Europe on the course to war?

Deal! Although, I prefer to learn more about the Fenian Raids.

Horsing around? That's extreme concentration to be ready to fire the next round!

You see, here's the problem. Mustard is mustard. Not BBQ sauce. Mustard and pastrami. Not pulled pork. Mustard and a hot dog. Not brisket. Mustard (German only) and a bratwurst. Not ribs. Mustard has no place anywhere near BBQ. Hell, that bright yellow stuff you use in SC is barely even mustard. Leave it in New York (or Milwaukee). We need to start a BBQ thread and rescue your carbine!

Here's the citation: dated Jan '44 - seems to be for "everything" Awarded for actions during the World War II: The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Lieutenant General Vasilii Ivanovich Chuikov, Army of the U.S.S.R., for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy, in action against our common enemy, Germany, in World War II. Lieutenant General Chuikov's outstanding accomplishments, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest traditions of the Armed Forces of the Allied Nations. General Orders: War Department, General Orders No. 3 (January 6, 1944) Action Date: World War II Service: Foreign Rank: Lieutenant General http://militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=22856

Since there is not a Franco-Prussian War forum, I thought I'd put this here... This was from today's online edition of the UK's Guardian; this day in military history: "On 28 January 1871 Paris surrendered to the Prussians ending the Franco-Prussian war. Paris, under siege for over four months, had been heavily bombarded. This photograph, with the Arc de Triomphe in the distance, shows the destruction along the Champs-Elysees. The exact date is unknown, but it is thought to have been taken during the Paris Commune in March 1871."

one should be careful of looking at events with a hindsight which the protoagonists of the time did not possess. Isn't that what "historical research" is all about?

Thanks Bernhard - that makes sense; I had seen them called "drill uniforms" somewhere, but couldn't remember.

An Unteroffizier from 1.Thüringisches Feld-Artillerie-Regiment Nr.19; feldgrau shoulder strap shows bomb and number. Anyone able to read the name? Edited to add update from Chip: "I think the name is Kurt Felzer and he is from the 2.Sächsisches Fußartillerie Rgt. Nr. 19. Notice the Saxon shaped shoulder straps."

A pre-war rekrutenzeit photo of Kgl. Sächs. 1. Feld-Artillerie-Regiment Nr.12 with dunkelblau; the regimental cypher is easily seen under magnification. Great Sachsen pickelhaube. Anyone know what the white duty fatigue uniform was called?

Shall we discuss Canada's war obssession... AKA "We won the War of 1812!" :lol: :lol:

Keep your powder dry... 'cause when I'm in SC... I eat my pork naked! Mustard is for New Yorkers! I prefer a NC or KC style sauce.

One thing I will concede. There is no such thing as "good" BBQ north of the Carolinas.

Good points. Not many civil wars resulted in scenes like this afterwards. Reconstruction and the post-war period were still difficult - there was a lot to rebuild, repair, and reconcile - physically and psychologically. But when northerners and southerners poke each other today - it's "good natured" for the most part.

For all intents and purposes, I left my hometown of Williamsport, PA when I was 18. I recall a few veterans' memorials growing up, but they were just "things" around town. In September of last year my mother died and I had a few days to wander alone around my hometown - and I came upon what is now called the Lycoming County Veterans Memorial Park. Williamsport is the government seat of Lycoming County - this park did not exist when I was growing up... It opened around 1998 I think and has eight monuments honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice during each of the major wars in the 20th century and beyond. There is a particular WW2 flavor, with a propellor and torpedo from the WW2 sub USS Torsk in addition to the monuments for each war. And a M60A3 tank. Here is the WWI monument...

I've been thinking about threads that would be interesting as we edge closer to the 100th Anniversary of the outbreak of The War to End All Wars. Of course, there are the solemn and impressive memorials on the battlefields themselves like the Menin Gate or even the Cenotaph in London. Traveling around Europe, I recall seeing simple monuments in many villages to the hometown "heroes" - the fallen and veteran sons of the village. There are a couple websites that record these monuments across the UK and Germany. While perhaps not as prolific as Europe, these monuments also exist in the US - and I suspect in Canada as well. So, let's post photos of the WWI monuments in your hometown...and preserve another virtual monument to the soldiers of the Great War.