Technically, the SOVIET military, the RKKA.

Thank you, Stella!

@Hans I'm just saying... cut them some slack. I don't think their intent was malicious in posting this.

@Hans, I think the intent of the post was to show women could be as "badass" as men, even back then. I don't think BoredPanda predicted the implications or that it would be taken as propaganda. I also don't think that most people who upvoted took it that way either. The fact is, some will view this as heroic, others won't. Had they left out how many people were killed, and just left it as "Badass women snipers of WW2" made any difference to you?

@AcousticGString: "Manually coloured photos of Russian WW2 volunteer women allow us a peak into history". :)

Actually, I am very interested into this kind of work as it allows us a vivid look into times we have not witnessed. I just advocatw certain ideals...and frankly, a site that features toddlers jokes and the saving of puppies ought to be careful when featuring a war that killed millions. Controversial posts are fine, overly simplistic truths are not. Do you agree?

"Promotes humanism..." There would have been no humanity if these women had not risked all to save it. 27,000,000 of their countrymen died trying to salvage humanity against a scourge no other people were able or willing to confront. Europe owes a lot to men and women like these, from a country the west seeks to invade once again, because if they did not sacrifice all Europe would not be free today. If it offends you that others made extreme choices that were not their preferred choices, but the necessary choice that no one else would, I say, tough. Maybe a little more respect for their efforts and memory are in order. Obviously you would have not fought back because it offends your sensitivities......

Thank you for finding the words that perfectly reflect my thoughts on this

Actually they were supporting their families and community, the rest all soldiers fight. But the Soviet people were very patriotic and did what was needed to end the war against all odds. The Axis powers were much more powerful and modern army so no country could have stopped them without tremendous losses and no country really stepped forward to stop it. For a long time, until the outcome had already become certain did the Allied Forces join in with D-Day against the Atlantic Wall. Everyone in Eastern Europe had close family members killed in the war, it has a very different meaning to them than in the west where it was something read about more than felt, or seen in movies. The US had 7 people die on the mainland during the Pacific Theater, a teacher and 6 small students on a forest field trip died from a drift balloon from Japan that created a forest fire trapping them. Compare that to 27,000,000 million killed from the USSR, more than 1/2 civilians. Russia remembers.

je mag jezelf toch wel verdedigen?

Thanks, Sierra. The great danger of such discussions is that things get relativated. Because I say Russia did bad deeds means the Third Reich was less bad? No! But telling that WW2 was a war were so much harm was done by so many, and on all sides so many people suffered is something that seems hard to grasp. I mean, the Cold War pretty much started the day WW2 was over. According to popular history, the Russians are the "bad guys" in cold war. As long as they were conquering east Germany the were the "good guys"? No, it is not as black and white as this. Thus: thank you.

Sorry Kizito, but Hans is absolutely right about the text. I agree to his opinion not because I'm German, but because this text is the sort of stupid, glorifying propaganda we used to hear in East Germany in school. Btw, my grandfather went to prison because he deserted the German Navy and my grand uncle was shot killed because he was in the Socialist Party in the 30s. Maybe you should increase your horizon a bit.

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First place.

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Good. There is no story to tell since you know already. You are sim

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Simply in no position to complain about the vileness or otherwise of the subject matter since your ancestors ocassioned the story in the

Thanks. Now even if my very parents would have been part of the Third Reich (thank go they weren't), would that not even demand me to raise my voice against war and nationalism? On all sides? If only those would be allowed to speak for good cause who come from countries that have no dark periods in their histories, few would be left...

Oops, sorry Hans. I was replying to Kizito and hit publish twice. please forgive me!

But if Germans were not for these wars, why the push for war with Russia now, with troops on Russia's borders for 5,000 miles? Seems pretty hypocritical. War is coming, and again it is being pushed and glorified by the west, mostly by the US which determines what Europe does. It is no different than before. Russia has done nothing to Europe, so why the drum beat for war and intense propaganda much more intense than in the 1930s? For someone so opposed to talking about war, what are you doing to stop US/NATO from creating a new world war?

Thanks, Daria. If the past of something you cannot change – the country you were born in – would prohibit you to raise your voice against war, this world would be an even gruesomer place.

I don't need to think about that. I know men and women have died to keep our freedom, but calling it glorious is an insult. Our leaders care about no one but their own political agenda and it's been that way for a long time now. That is why war is not glorious. You can ask any vet regarding that verbiage, it's not what they use as a description. I knew men who fought in the Vietnam war that were given blanks by our leaders. They defended themselves by making their own ammunition. They shot children who were strapped with bombs (which is still a technique they use). Tell me what is glorious about killing women, children and other humans?