OCTOBER 10 - DAILY CHRONICLES OF HISTORY

OCTOBER 10

1941

Wehrmacht forces attacked Moscow.  The Second and Third Panzer Groups of the German army converged at Vyazma on this day and encircled the environs of Moscow.  Four Soviet armies (the 19th, 20th, 24th and 32nd) were encircled in a large pocket just west of the city but continued to fight the Germans. The Wehrmacht had to dispatch 28 divisions in an effort to eliminate Soviet resistance. However, the use of these reinforcements seriously depleted the offensive towards Moscow.  Ultimately, the Germans failed in their objective to take Moscow. Hitler was so furious that he dismissed his commander-in-chief, Walther von Brauchitsch (on December 19, 1941). 

1944

MESSAGE TO PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT FROM MARSHAL STALIN AND PRIME MINISTER CHURCHILL (no.331)  "In an informal discussion we have taken a preliminary view of the situation as it affects us and have planned out the course of our meetings, social and others. We have invited Messrs Mikolajczyk, Romer and Grabski to come at once for further conversations with us and with the Polish National Committee.   We have agreed not to refer in our discussions to the Dumbarton Oaks issues, and that these shall be taken up when we three can meet together. We have to consider the best way of reaching an agreed policy about the Balkan countries, including Hungary and Turkey......." CHURCHILL  (and) STALIN  (October 10, 1944)

Gypsy Children Gassed to Death:   On October 10, 1944 the Nazi Germans systematically murdered 800 Gypsy children. - about a hundred children between the ages of nine and fourteen years old. Though Jews were singled out for extermination, the Gypsies were also targeted. The Nazi Germans considered the Gypsies as "carriers of disease" and "unreliable" to do any work.  During the war about 1.5 million Gypsies were murdered by the Nazis. Even after the end of World War Two, the Gypsies were disregarded when they tried to obtain compensation as victims of the Holocaust.  The German government denied them on the grounds that the Gypsies were not victimized because of their race, but that they were considered criminal elements.

OCTOBER 9 - DAILY CHRONICLES OF HISTORY

OCTOBER 9

1940

St. Paul's Cathedral Bombed:  On October 9, 1940 the German Luftwaffe targeted St. Paul's Cathedral in London in a bombing raid.  The first bombing attack targeted the high altar of the Cathedral, while the second bomb was dropped on the north transept, leaving a large gaping hole in the floor above the crypt.   The Luftwaffe attempted several attacks on St. Paul's Cathedral - September 12, 1940,  December 29, 1940, April 17, 1941.  Though the bombs caused great damage, the Cathedral survived intact, and the morale of the British people did not waver.  According to the writing of Lisa Jardine, "...Wreathed in billowing smoke, amidst the chaos and destruction of war, the pale dome stands proud and glorious—indomitable. At the height of that air-raid, Sir Winston Churchill telephoned the Guildhall to insist that all fire-fighting resources be directed at St Paul's. The cathedral must be saved, he said, damage to the fabric would sap the morale of the country."

1975

Sakharov won Nobel Peace Prize:    On October 9, 1975 Andrei Sakharov was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.  The Nobel Committee cited him as "a spokesman for the conscience of mankind.." and recognized Sakharov's dedication to advancing the cause of human rights as the basis for "genuine and enduring international cooperation."  The Soviet government refused to allow him to travel to Oslo to accept his award and in his stead, his wife Yelena Bonner attended the ceremony and read a speech on his behalf.  Sakharov wrote in his Nobel lecture, entitled "Peace, Progress, Human Rights", in which he called for an end to the arms race,  respect for human rights, protection of the environment, and in particular the establishment of real, formative international cooperation.  The Soviet Union considered Sakharov as a traitor and referred to him as   "Domestic Enemy Number One". Andrei Sakharov was a Russian nuclear physicist and became renowned for having designed the RDS-37, a code name for Soviet thermonuclear weapons. Since the 1950s, he became very worried about the moral and environmental implications of nuclear warfare and became an activist against nuclear proliferation.  A key turning point in his political activism came in 1967, when the topic of anti-ballistic missile defense became a focal point in US–Soviet relations.  He dispatched a secret letter to the Soviet leadership  detailing the global consequences of a nuclear war, pleading that they need to "take the Americans at their word" and accept their proposal for a "bilateral rejection .... of the development of anti-ballistic missile defense".  Moreover he requested permission to publish his manuscript supporting his views. The Soviet leadership ignored his letter, denied his proposal from being published in the Soviet press,and prevented him from initiating a public discussion of ABMs.

2005

Presidential Election in Poland:  The elections were held on October 9 and October 23, 2005 when Lech Kaczynski defeated his rival Donald Tusk.  Aleksander Kwaśniewski, had served two five-year presidential terms but was not able to run for a third term.  The two candidates, both center-right on the political spectrum, led the poll in the first round, as was expected.  But since neither received 50 percent of the vote, a second round of voting was held on October 23 at which Kaczyński received 54.04 percent of the vote.  One of the biggest controversies of the election was the legacy of Józef Tusk, the grandfather of  Donald Tusk.  The record shows that Jozef Tusk was embroiled in the "Wehrmacht affair" before being drafted into the German army in the latter stages of World War II.   Even in modern Poland, having had a family member serving in the German army is severely criticized.

OCTOBER 8 - DAILY CHRONICLES OF HISTORY

OCTOBER 8

1918

Greatest Soldier of World War I:   On October 8, 1918,  Alvin C. York, US Corporal was reported to have killed over 20 German soldiers and captured an additional 132.   York took over the head position of his small battalion, fighting in the Argonne Forest in France. When the Germans fired on his unit, several troops were killed including a superior officer.  Several other soldiers in York's unit began firing while advancing toward the German line.  Apparently the Germans thought they were surrounded and about ninety of them surrendered to the Americans.  On the way back to his unit, York took additional German prisoners bringing the total up to 131.   Yorks military exploits and bravery later earned him the United States Congressional Medal of Honor.

1939

Annexation of Poland:  By Hitler's decree, the Western provinces of Poland, with a population of 10 million and an area of 91 000 km2 together with the cities of Poznań, Gdynia, Toruń, Bydgoszcz, Łódź and Katowice were incorporated into the Third Reich. The remaining territory was placed under Nazi German administration, of about the same same size and inhabited by about 11.5 million Poles. It was referred to as the General Government and was governed by Hans Frank.  The eastern part of Poland was invaded and occupied by the Soviets according to the Soviet-German treaty, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Agreement. Despite the diverse ethnic groups in eastern Poland, the ethnic Poles represented the largest proportion of the population.


Danzig was officially annexed by Nazi Germany and was made the capital of Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia.  It was divided into three government regions with the name-giving capital cities of Bromberg, Danzig and Marienwerde.   After a brief transitional period, the territory became part of the restored Regierungsbezirk Danzig in the Reichsgau Danzig-Westpreussen (the restored Prussian Province of West Prussia) and was divided into nine districts. Prior to the Invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, it was deemed the Free City of Danzig, as stipulated by the Treaty of Versailles (1919) at the end of World War I.   The Free City of Danzig was under the protection of the League of Nations, and incorporated into a binding customs union with the newly emerged Republic of Poland.  The League of Nations gave Poland full rights to develop and maintain transportation, communication, and port facilities in the city, providing Poland with open access to a well-sized seaport.  The Free City of Danzig consisted of a majority of German citizens, though it had a very large Polish population as well. Even so, Germans bitterly resented being separated from Germany, and believed it to be their ancestral home.  Tensions escalated when the Nazi Party seized power in 1935.


German submarine U-12 struck a mine in the Strait of Dover.  There were no survivors.  The body of the the submarine captain, Dietrich von der Ropp, was found washed ashore on the French coast near Dunkirk on October 29, 1939.  The exact co-ordinates of the U-12 is not known, but has been approximated at 51°10′N 01°30′E.   In 2002,  the German government named the wreck to be recognized as a protected place under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.  The U-12 was thus designated as being representative of all such German vessels lost within UK jurisdiction during the war.

1941

Surprise German Attack:  On October 8, 1941, German troops launched a surprise attack on Mariupol near the Sea of Azov.  Despite the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact signed between the Soviets and Germany, Hitler decided to attack Russian territory (suspecting that Churchill might be striking a secret deal with the Soviets).  On the first day  German forces were able to demoralize the Soviet army  and destroy more than 1,000 Soviet aircraft.  Despite numerical superiority and number of tanks and armaments,  the Red Army was disorganized and easily defeated. The Germans easily advanced 300 miles into Soviet territory.  Mariupol is the 10th largest city in the Ukraine. In the city's history, it has played a central role in the industrialization of the Ukraine, and has been a centre for the grain trade, metallurgy, and heavy engineering, including the steel and iron works.

1942

Polish Underground Fighters Sabotage Railways:   On the night of October 7 and 8, 1942, the Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa) undertook a large-scale anti-Nazi operation called Operation Wieniec, or Operation Garland.  The Polish underground targeted the rail infrastructure near Warsaw, and other major cities. The sabotage tactics continued throughout the war, targeting railroads, bridges and supply depots.  There were also substantial successes in assassinations of key Nazi German officials.  The Germans, in reprisal, would publicly hang, or shoot large numbers of Polish citizens. The Polish Underground was the largest anti-Nazi organization in all of Europe. (see Operation Heads)

1982

Polish Communists banned Solidarity and all labor unions.   On October 8, 1982 the communist led Polish government outlawed Solidarnosc (Solidarity). Solidarity was founded by Lech Walesa on September 17, 1980 at the Lenin Shipyards, and was the first non-government trade labor union in communist controlled countries.  Solidarity was committed to advancing the rights of workers as well as social democratic change through the use of civil resistance.  Despite the imposition of marshal law in 1981, and subsequent years of political repression, and economic crisis,  the government could not quash the Solidarity movement, and ultimately were compelled to negotiate.  (read about Round Table Talks). Pope Saint John Paul II and the United States provided massive financial support to Solidarnosc, to the tune of 50 million US dollars.

2000

Presidential Election in Poland:   The 2000 Polish presidential election took place in Poland on October 8, 2000. Incumbent President Aleksander Kwaśniewski was easily re-elected in the first round after winning more than 50% of the votes. Polls showed that his popular support was as high as 70%.  His main opponent was Marian Krzaklewski from the Solidarity Electoral Action, and former Foreign Minister Andrzej Olechowski, who garnered support from voters who were discontented with both of the other main candidates and in particular younger voters, businessmen and intellectuals.   Candidates who had less chance were Andrzej Lepper, a populist farmers leader who opposed entry into the European Union, and former President Lech Wałęsa.  Wałęsa was rejected as the candidate for the Solidarity party, and ran separetely in the election.  Just months preceding the election the candidates Kwaśniewski and  Lech Wałęsa were investigated by a court due to accusations that they had been informers for the Communist secret police, but the charges were dismissed.  The allegations were an attempt by their political opponents  to discredit them in the eyes of the public.  Ironically,  Kwaśniewski was a political activist for the communist party.