On 22 June 1941, Hitler's Germany launched ‘Operation Barbarossa’, the attack of the Soviet Union, the largest invasion in military history. In June 2019, twelve dusty notebooks and a wealth of loose paperwork were discovered in Germany; the diaries of Oberleutnant Wilhelm Sander, a young officer in the 11th Panzer-Regiment who took part in the enormous campaign. On every single day Sander, in a brutally honest manner, elaborately recorded his experiences, impressions and the events he witnessed.

Now transcribed and translated for the first time, they offer a brutally honest, intimate and fascinating view into the murderous and unforgiving nature of war on the Eastern Front from the summer of 1941 to the eventual German retreat in the terrible winter of 1941/1942, while offering a unique glimpse into the world of thought of a highly politicised officer of the German Wehrmacht and member of the NSDAP.

Re-join Leutnant Friedrich Sander, a Panzer officer in the German Wehrmacht as he continues his journey into the heart of the Soviet Union as part of Operation Barbarossa.

In Part Two, we pick up with Sander as the Russian weather starts to turns, the German advance begins to stutter and the Soviets prepare for their enormous counter attack.

The brutal reality of the Eastern Front during World War II is exposed through his lost German diaries. The speaker recounts firsthand experiences of the difficulties faced in the harsh conditions of the war. The Russian army was tough and the Germans struggled to advance and capture Moscow. The speaker also describes the violence and brutality directed towards civilian populations in areas where the Germans retreated, which even shook the dedicated National Socialist soldiers. The war was a traumatic experience, reflected upon by the speaker who has become a pacifist as a result.

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