WWII, or the Second World War, is a major event in world history, which took place from 1939 to 1945. The war comprised almost every great power. Two military alliances were against each other – the Axis and Allies. Things started heating up when Germany invaded Poland. As a result, France and the United Kingdom declared war on Germany, and all hell broke loose.
What followed was a devastation of the highest order, and the social structure and the political alignment of the world, underwent a vast transformation. Here are some interesting facts about World War II that you might not have heard about until now. And we are sure that, when you do hear them, they might sound weird.
Adolf Hitler’s Own Nephew Hailed From Liverpool
Many of you might not be aware that William Patrick Hitler, the German dictator’s nephew, was one of his major rivals during World War II. William Patrick was born in the year 1911 in England’s Liverpool and was the son of William, Adolf’s brother. Since the beginning, he was probably at loggerheads with his uncle and even tried to utilize the latter’s political career to promote himself high up the order.
After facing failures, he fled from Germany, which was under Nazi rule then. William Patrick made his way to the United States and took U.S. citizenship. He went to serve the U.S. Navy at the time of WWII. He won several honors for his contribution to the war. After the war, William Patrick Hitler changed his name to William Patrick Stuart-Houston and lived a life far from the madding crowd until 1987.
Cannibals Almost Ate The Future American President
At the time of the Second World War, the future American president, George H.W. Bush, was in for a terrible time when the Japanese shot his plane down. Along with him, several other men faced the same fate.
However, while the Axis Alliance rescued Bush, others were captives with the Japanese Army officers. They were tortured, killed, cooked, and eaten. This was among the gravest crimes that the Second World War witnessed throughout its discourse. A few survived to share the horror with the world, while many succumbed in the hands of the cannibals.
A Ship Sank Twice
SS Wien of The Royal Australian Navy sunk in 1918 during the First World War, but they rescued it back from the depth to bring it back to action. This time it was Italy who put it into service.
SS Wien was a floating ship to carry Mussolini’s men. It came under an attack from the Allied forces and eventually met its fate. It was probably the only watercraft in history to have become submerged in World War I and World War II.
The Nazis Aimed To Invent A Futuristic Space Weapon
A Sun Gun was something that the Germans aimed to make during World War II. The authorities put the scientists to work and asked them to create a space weapon. The sun gun would have been a huge magnifying glass working in space.
Hermann Oberth, a German scientist, put forward a design where the magnifying glass would concentrate the sunbeam and consequently, boil the seawater and scorch the targeted cities. However, the Germans failed to use the weapon against the allied forces as they eventually figured out that it would take more than 100 years to make. However, they had to drop the idea eventually, and we cannot be happier about it!
A Brilliant Idea That Saved A City
The Germans came up with a brilliant and novel idea to save one of its cities from the bombing raids of the Allied powers. Konstanz, located near the Switzerland border, had its lights switched on at night, even after blackout order in all the major German cities during the Second World War.
This was a bluff to fool the Allies. It paid off as German’s enemies assumed Konstanz to be a part of neighboring Switzerland. As a result, they didn’t harm it.
These were some of the weird facts about World War II, which probably not many people know. There are many more such interesting incidents that can catch your imagination. So, read on, and explore how the wars have changed world phenomenology.