Just a reminder

Some of our readers will say that this posting is entirely irrelevant to the core themes of the blog. I am not sure and, in any case, I find it interesting that two crucial events of the Second World War began on the same day, though two years apart.

Today is the anniversary of the beginning of the Blitz, the night-time bombing of British cities and towns by the Luftwaffe in 1940.

It is also the anniversary of the start of the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942 - a more destructive and, as it turned out, more decisive event. The picture above is of Stalingrad (now known as Volgagrad while the battle is mostly known as the Battle on the Volga).