Seventy Years

Seven decades ago today, Germany ignited the fires of World War II by shelling - and then invading - Poland. To say the world was forever changed pays poor respect to the tens of millions of people who perished in the carnage that ensued.

In the midst of the destruction, new, terrible words were born that have since left an indelible mark on the world's lexicon.

• Holocaust
• Nuclear weapon
• Suicide bomber
• Ballistic missile
• Cruise missile
• Genocide
• Carpet bombing
• Nuremberg Code
• Human shield
• Unit 731
• Kamikaze
• Kaiten
• Firebombing
  

Such small words with such gruesome connotations.

In somewhat related news, my WWII story "Day 483" has made it to the top ten stories of all time on EveryDayFiction.com. For those who haven't read it yet, click here. It's a tale of ordinary citizens surviving the darkest hours of WWII's Eastern Front.

Some commenters have called it a horror story. I don't agree - horror stories are fantasy. What happened on the Eastern Front goes far beyond what fiction can conjure.