World War II: The Holocaust

One of the most horrific terms in history was used by Nazi Germany to designate human beings whose lives were unimportant, or those who should be killed outright: Lebensunwertes Leben, or "life unworthy of life". First applied to the mentally impaired, later to the "racially inferior", or "sexually deviant", or merely "enemies of the state" both internal and external. From very early in the war, part of Nazi policy was to murder civilians en masse, especially targeting Jews -- which later in the war became Hitler's "final solution", the complete extermination of the Jews. Beginning with Einsatzgruppen death squads in the East, killing some 1,000,000 people in numerous massacres, later in concentration camps where prisoners were actively denied proper food and health care, and ending with the construction of extermination camps -- government facilities whose entire purpose was the systematic murder and disposal of massive numbers of people. In 1945, as advancing Allied troops began discovering many camps, they found the results of these policies: hundreds of thousands of starving and sick prisoners locked in with more thousands of dead bodies. Evidence of gas chambers, high-volume crematoriums, thousands of mass graves, documentation of awful medical experimentation, and much more. The Nazis killed more than 10 million people in this manner, including 6 million Jews. (This entry is Part 18 of a weekly 20-part retrospective of World War II) [45 photos]

Warning: All images in this entry are shown in full, not screened out for graphic content. There are many dead bodies. The photographs are graphic and stark. This is the reality of genocide, and of an important part of World War II and human history.

 

An emaciated 18-year-old Russian girl looks into the camera lens during the liberation of Dachau concentration camp in 1945. Dachau was the first German concentration camp, opened in 1933. More than 200,000 people were detained between 1933 and 1945, and 31,591 deaths were declared, most from disease, malnutrition and suicide. Unlike Auschwitz, Dachau was not explicitly an extermination camp, but conditions were so horrific that hundreds died every week. (Eric Schwab/AFP/Getty Images)

Libya: The End of Qaddafi and the Fall of Sirte

Muammar Qaddafi has been killed in fighting in Sirte, according Libya's National Transitional Council. Anti-government fighters had been closing in on Qaddafi's final stronghold in Sirte, and reportedly attacked a convoy carrying the former leader today, capturing him. Qaddafi was apparently alive at the time, but died soon afterward. The uprising that began in February and built to an armed revolution has now claimed control of the country, the death of Qaddafi, and the capture of one of his sons today. Collected here are images from Sirte over the past ten days, and of the events surrounding the death of Qaddafi. See also How Qaddafi Fooled Libya and the World by Max Fisher. [39 photos]

 

 

A tattered banner depicting Muammar Qaddafi hangs from a building during a street battle in the center of the city on October 12, 2011 in Sirte, Libya, eight days before the reports of the death of the former leader. National Transitional Council (NTC) fighters say this is the final assault on Muammar Qaddafi's home town as they captured the main hospital, university and the Ouagadougou Conference Center. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images) 

Crisis in Yemen

Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh was reportedly wounded today in a rocket attack on his compound in Sanaa. Yemeni government troops have been engaged in street fights with tribal groups loyal to Sheikh Sadeq al-Ahmar for nearly two weeks now, after al-Ahmar sided with thousands of Yemeni protesters who have been peacefully demonstrating and calling for President Saleh's ouster for nearly four months now. Government forces have opened fire on protesters many times over those months, killing and wounding dozens. Adding further complications, Islamist militants, possibly tied to Al Qaeda, are now taking advantage of the chaos and instability, and have seized control of several towns in along Yemen's south coast. Collected here are images from the past several weeks of troubled Yemen, a country that may soon be mired in a civil war. [36 photos]

An anti-government protester flashes the victory sign through a gap in his national flag raised by other demonstrators during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in Sanaa, Yemen, on Saturday, March 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen) 

Libyan conflict remains stalemated after nearly four months

The conflict in Libya is nearly four months along, but the situation on the ground appears mostly stalemated. NATO airstrikes have kept the outgunned rebels from being overrun, but the rebels have been unable to mount an effective offensive against Gadhafi's better equipped armed forces.
Gadhafi's regime has been slowly crumbling from within. A significant number of army officers and several Cabinet ministers have defected, and most have expressed support for the opposition, but Gadhafi's hold on power shows little sign of loosening. (36 images)

Rebel fighters fire their machine guns towards Moammar Gadhafi forces in the front line, 25 km west from Misrata, Libya, Monday, May 23, 2011. AP / Rodrigo Abd 

Three Months of Civil War in Libya

The civil war in Libya appears to have reached a stalemate after three months of conflict between Muammar Qaddafi's forces and rebels who seek to end his 40-year rule. Throughout that time, thousands of rebels, government forces, mercenaries, civilians, and journalists covering these events have paid with their lives. NATO forces have been involved for over two months now, carrying out hundreds of airstrikes and delivering aid and assistance to rebel forces. Just Tuesday, NATO unleashed its heaviest airstrikes yet, dropping bombs on several targets in Tripoli, including Qaddafi's compound. Rebel forces have firm control over the eastern part of Libya and recently gained control of the port city of Misrata, after street-by-street battles and a long siege by Qaddafi's military. Collected here are images from the past several weeks in war-torn Libya. [45 photos]