World War II was a time of horrific acts, not just on the battlefield.
With the world at large in chaos tragedy, horror and pure evil was far too common. The Holocaust, massive bombings, torture, and the suffering of millions all took place in an incredibly short span of time. Although the war ended with an Allied victory, the world still bears the scars of these events.
Here are just a few of the darkest moments from World War II.
1
Firebombing of Tokyo
The firebombing of Tokyo alone killed over 100,000 people in a single night.
2
Unit 731
The Japanese operated a covert biological and chemical warfare research unit who conducted horrific human experimentation on prisoners in Manchuria. The building of the Unit 731 bioweapon facility pictured above.
3
Soviet Gulags
Stalin’s regime imprisoned and deported millions, including entire ethnic groups like the Crimean Tatars and Chechens, often to labor camps with extremely high mortality rates.
4
The Siege of Leningrad
Lasting nearly 900 days, this brutal blockade of a Soviet city led to starvation, disease, and the deaths of over a million civilians.
5
Bombing of Dresden
Ordered by Winston Churchill, he was criticized by both Axis and Allied forces for the destruction and brutality brought upon a treasured, historical city.
6
The Holocaust
The systematic extermination of Jews and others the Germans deemed “undesirable” is still today considered one of the most horrific acts of humanity.
7
Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The U.S. dropped two atomic bombs on Japan, killing over 100,000 people instantly and causing long-term radiation sickness and suffering for generations.
8
The Bataan Death March
After the fall of the Philippines, around 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war were forced to march over 60 miles in deadly heat, with thousands dying from execution, starvation, and abuse.
9
Mass Starvations in Bengal
A famine in British-ruled India, exacerbated by wartime policies and neglect, led to the death of an estimated 2 to 3 million people. The British government under Churchill refused to divert food supplies.
10
The Katyn Massacre
The Soviet NKVD executed over 22,000 Polish military officers, intellectuals, and officials in the Katyn Forest and other locations. The massacre was denied by the USSR for decades. Katyn Memorial Cemetery pictured above.
11
The Sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff
A German ship carrying civilians and wounded soldiers fleeing the Soviets was torpedoed by a Soviet submarine. Around 9,000 people died making it the deadliest maritime disaster in history.
12
The Croatian Ustase Regime
The Ustase, a fascist puppet regime in Yugoslavia, carried out brutal genocides against Serbs, Jews, and Roma. The Jasenovac concentration camp was a site of horrific torture and mass killing.
