The scene depicting Simba and his companions basking in triumph before the bodies of the two dead mercenaries symbolizes the moment when the myth that white soldiers were invincible was shattered.

 　　The depiction of Simba and his men basking in triumph before the bodies of two dead mercenaries symbolizes the moment when the myth that white soldiers were invincible was shattered. Believing themselves to be impervious to bullets through a magical ritual, Simba and his men demonstrated their legitimacy and power by publicly displaying the corpses of their enemies—particularly those of the much-feared white mercenaries.

　　This is the caption for a photograph capturing a harrowing scene from the Congo Crisis of the 1960s. It encapsulates the geopolitics of the Cold War, the decolonization of Africa, and the insane aspects inherent in the very existence of “mercenaries.” The attack on Albertville (now Kalemie) marked the first deployment of the mercenary forces sent to suppress this Simba rebellion.

　　The Congo Crisis and the Simba Rebellion: In 1960, immediately after gaining independence from Belgium, the Republic of the Congo (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) plunged into a fierce civil war, marking the outbreak of the Congo Crisis. In 1964, armed forces advocating Lumumbism (leftist and anti-Western) rose up in the east. Known as “Simba” (meaning “lion” in Swahili), they seized control of much of eastern Congo under a banner of radical anti-imperialism.

　　Many of the mercenaries at the time were former soldiers who had fought in World War II, as well as white men from apartheid-era South Africa and Rhodesia. Under the pretext of “preventing the spread of communism,” they went to the battlefield in pursuit of high pay. However, their conduct was largely chaotic, and they were notorious for repeatedly committing massacres and looting against the local population.

　　The defeat at Albertville and “The Rejoicing Simba” refer to the “Lakebourne Attack” mentioned earlier, an operation that attempted to retake Albertville by crossing Lake Tanganyika. However, this initial battle ended in a disastrous failure for the mercenaries.

　　“Siegfried Müller,” who appears in the latter half of the caption, is one of the most iconic and sinister figures of the Congo Crisis. He was always seen wearing his World War II “Iron Cross” on his chest, and his image—drinking beer while coldly recounting the state of the war—was featured in the documentary film *Africa Addio* and shocked the world.

The description that he “dug and decorated the graves of his dead subordinates himself” reveals his peculiar chivalric spirit on the battlefield, or perhaps a morbid fascination with death. He attempted to portray his mercenaries not as a mere group of money-grubbers, but as a kind of “elite warrior corps”; in reality, however, their actions amounted to a relentless series of brutal massacres.

　　Credits such as “The Photo Source” and “Agence Dalmas” indicate that this scene was distributed worldwide through the media. The Congo Crisis was also one of the earliest conflicts in which war photographers captured gruesome corpses and execution scenes at close range, and these images were consumed by Western society through weekly magazines and other outlets—part entertainment, part horror. These images capture a moment in post-colonial Africa where a proxy war of the Cold War, racial hatred, and the madness of mercenaries who called themselves “professionals of war” collided. Their story, which began with the defeat at Albertville, would subsequently escalate into a brutal mop-up operation that bathed the entire Congo in blood.

This is the scene of an airstrike carried out by U.S. and Israeli forces on a school in Minab, southern Iran, on February 28, 2026. More than 100 Iraqi girls were killed. The hand of one of the girls who died was exposed amid the rubble.

 This is the aftermath of an airstrike carried out by U.S. and Israeli forces on a school in Minab, southern Iran, on February 28, 2026. More than 100 Iraqi girls were killed. The hand of one of the deceased girls was exposed amid the rubble. The U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran have sparked strong criticism within the United States, particularly among Trump supporters (MAGA).

On March 1, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump launched a military attack on Iran. This attack was carried out jointly with Israel. It was reported that a school in Minab, southern Iran, was struck during the attack, resulting in the deaths of over 100 children. The attack was described as a “completely abhorrent and evil act.” Members of the House of Representatives also strongly criticized it. On social media, he expressed his anger, stating, “Even if the government were to survey voters on how many casualties they would accept in a war with Iran, the answer would be zero.” This contradicts the Trump campaign’s pledges of “America First” and ending wars abroad. 

Meanwhile, reactions within the U.S. political sphere are divided. Republican House members criticized the attack, calling it “contrary to America First.” Both Republican and Democratic senators supported the Trump administration’s decisive action against the threat of Iran’s nuclear development. This attack took place in the midst of diplomatic negotiations. Negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program had been ongoing, mediated by Oman. During the 12-day war between Israel and Iran the previous year, the U.S. had already attacked three Iranian nuclear facilities. The attack on Iran created a serious rift in U.S. domestic politics. Trump’s long-held principles of “diplomacy to avoid war” and “America First” were severely called into question by this military action.

During World War I, the bodies of people who had been victims of German poison gas attacks lay scattered in the woods near Dunce, along the Meuse River in France. War, including the use of poison gas, is a crime against humanity.

 During World War I, the bodies of people killed by German poison gas attacks lay scattered in the woods near Dunce, along the Meuse River in France. War, including the use of poison gas, is a crime against humanity. The Women’s Peace Union (WPU) distributed this leaflet in the 1920s to remind the American public of the human toll of World War I.

This is an anti-war appeal issued by the Women’s Peace Union, a peace movement organization, after World War I; it is a declaration that strongly asserts war is a “crime against humanity.” The text calls on those who understand the horrors of war to take action for peace.

First, it speaks to those who are willing to face the reality of humanity suffering due to war. It specifically recalls that approximately 10 million soldiers lost their lives in World War I, emphasizing the immense sacrifices war has exacted. The appeal was directed at those who had the courage to face this cruel reality, rejecting sentimental views that glorify war as something “glorious.” 

It criticizes the current state of affairs, in which preparations for war continue worldwide despite the fact that eight years have passed since the armistice was signed. It warns that if war were to break out again, many more people would be killed in ways even more brutal than before. It states that new weapons such as “death rays,” “poison gas,” “pathogens,” and “even more terrifying machines” would be used, indiscriminately killing not only men but also women and children, suggesting that future wars could be even more destructive. It further argues that even beloved family members would be unable to escape this destruction.

She asks readers whether we should not do everything in our power to rid the world of war—this “black plague of unnecessary death and suffering.” As a concrete action, she calls on them to send donations to the Women’s Peace Alliance, a peace movement organization.

Finally, the organization’s fundamental philosophy is presented. It is the belief that “violence and bloodshed are always wrong in principle and lead to catastrophic results in practice.” They are working toward the goal of making war illegal through legislation and achieving world peace. This serves as a powerful anti-war message that strongly conveys the horrors of war and encourages participation in social movements for peace.

Below: Serbian victims of the reprisals by Austria after the assassination of Franz Ferdinand,

In August 1914, on the Eastern Front of World War I, Russian forces invaded German East Prussia. The Russian army planned to attack from two directions: the First Army under General Rennenkampf and the Second Army under General Samsonov, aiming to encircle the German forces.

The German Eighth Army was initially commanded by General Prittwitz, but later command was taken over by Hindenburg and Ludendorff. The Russian army advanced through the terrain of East Prussia, which was full of swamps and lakes, but supplies were insufficient, and the soldiers were exhausted and half starved. Even so, Samsonov's army fought fiercely against the German Francois Corps for four days. 

However, on August 27, the German von Bellow Corps attacked the northern flank of Samsonov's army, and the Mackensen Corps followed suit, forming an encirclement.

Realizing that his army was being surrounded, Samsonov decided to retreat, but the German army pursued him fiercely. The particularly aggressive commander Francois continued to advance and on August 30th, he launched a surprise attack on two Russian corps while they were marching. As a result, about 60,000 soldiers were taken prisoner, and the total number of prisoners eventually reached nearly 100,000. Despairing over the crushing defeat, General Samsonov committed suicide on the battlefield.

Meanwhile, the First Army, led by Rennekamp, was unable to provide sufficient support to Samsonov's army during the crisis at Tannenberg. Isolated, Rennekamp positioned his troops along the defensive line around Lake Masurian and prepared for a German counterattack. The German Eighth Army's advance was delayed due to fatigue from a month of fighting, and the Russian army fought while preventing an encirclement on its right flank. Ultimately, the Russian army retreated towards the Niemen River, but managed an orderly withdrawal, avoiding complete annihilation. 

The subsequent Battle of Masurian Lakes resulted in a German victory, effectively driving the Russian army out of East Prussia. While not as dramatic as Tannenberg, this victory liberated East Prussia and allowed the numerically inferior German forces to seize the initiative on the Eastern Front. Moreover, this victory elevated Hindenburg to the status of a national hero.

For Russia, however, it was a catastrophe. The Second Army was effectively destroyed, and its commander was killed in action. The defeat at Tannenberg had a profound impact on the Russian army.

According to the ministry's statement, Israeli forces entered the cemetery at dawn on Thursday, demolished graves with bulldozers, exhumed bodies, and removed the remains of martyrs and ordinary deceased individuals.

　　In July 2025, the Gaza Endowments Ministry, which manages religious sites and cemeteries in the Palestinian Gaza Strip, strongly condemned the Israeli military for digging up graves and removing bodies in the southern city of Khan Younis.

　　According to the ministry's statement, Israeli forces entered the cemetery at dawn on Thursday, using bulldozers to destroy graves and exhume bodies, removing the remains of martyrs and ordinary deceased. The statement condemned this act as a “horrific crime” and “a blatant violation of religious and humanitarian values and norms.” It further condemned these actions as exceeding the minimum standards of human ethics and international values, calling them “barbaric acts that trample on the dignity and sanctity of the dead.”

　　The ministry also claims that the Israeli military is systematically destroying cemeteries in the Gaza Strip under various “pretexts.” It states that while there are approximately 60 cemeteries in Gaza, 40 of them have been deliberately destroyed.

　　This incident is one of many reported during the ongoing fighting in Gaza since October 2023. Israeli military attacks have reportedly killed approximately 57,800 Palestinians to date, many of whom are women and children. Ongoing airstrikes and military operations have inflicted severe damage on Gaza's cities and infrastructure, drastically worsening living conditions for residents. Food shortages have also intensified, with some areas reportedly nearing famine conditions.

　　Amid these circumstances, the destruction of cemeteries and the handling of remains have drawn strong criticism from the perspectives of humanitarian norms in war and religious values, further heightening regional tensions and international concern.

 

This report details the military situation and humanitarian crisis during the initial stages of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Sixteen days after the invasion began, Russian forces continue to attack civilian areas in cities across the country while gradually advancing toward the capital, Kyiv.

    This report covers the military situation and humanitarian crisis during the initial stages of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Sixteen days after the invasion began, Russian forces continue attacking civilian areas in cities across the country while gradually advancing toward the capital, Kyiv. The international community warns of an “unimaginable tragedy” looming, with the United Nations and others pointing to the possibility that Russian forces are committing war crimes.

   Particularly in the southern port city of Mariupol, the Russian military's siege continues. Local authorities announced that over 1,500 people have been killed in 12 days of attacks. The city's water and heating supplies have been cut off, and food is scarce. Citizens are attempting to escape in the bitter cold, but many are left behind. Doctors Without Borders stated that “hundreds of thousands are effectively trapped.” The situation is extremely dire, with unburied bodies left in the streets.

   Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on NATO for military intervention, but U.S. President Joe Biden has refused, stating that direct conflict with nuclear-armed Russia would lead to “World War III.” Instead, the U.S. and the European Union have strengthened economic sanctions against Russia, halting normal trade relations and deciding to ban imports of Russian products like vodka, seafood, and diamonds, as well as halt exports of luxury goods.

   The war has caused a sharp increase in refugees, with approximately 2.5 million fleeing abroad and about 2 million internally displaced within Ukraine. In the second-largest city, Kharkiv, and the industrial city of Dnipro, missile attacks have destroyed residential buildings and civilian facilities like kindergartens, causing casualties among many civilians, including children.

A bag packed with explosives was placed at the scene and may have been detonated remotely. The sudden explosion caused panic among the crowd, leading to widespread chaos as people fled in confusion. The death toll was initially reported as over 100 but was later revised to 84.

　　On January 3, 2024, a double explosion occurred during a memorial ceremony for Qasem Soleimani, former commander of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, in Kerman, southeastern Iran, killing at least 84 people and injuring more than 200. Soleimani was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad, Iraq, in 2020. This day marked the fourth anniversary of his death, with many supporters gathered around the cemetery.

　The explosions occurred near the Martyrs' Cemetery close to the Sahib al-Zaman Mosque in Qom, Soleimani's hometown, about 15 minutes apart. The first explosion reportedly occurred about 700 meters from the graves, and the second about 1 kilometer away. According to Iranian reports, bags packed with explosives may have been placed and detonated remotely. The sudden explosions caused panic among the crowd at the scene, leading to widespread chaos as people fled. The death toll was initially reported as over 100 but was later revised to 84.

　　The Iranian government declared the incident a terrorist attack. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei vowed severe retaliation, accusing “evil and criminal enemies” of involvement. President Ebrahim Raisi also strongly condemned the attack, canceling his planned visit to Turkey and designating the following day as a national day of mourning. Iran claimed the United States and Israel were behind the attack.

　　However, the United States explicitly denied involvement, with a State Department spokesperson stating neither the U.S. nor its ally Israel was involved. Israel also refrained from official comment, with a military spokesperson explaining they were currently focused on combat operations against Hamas.

　　The incident occurred amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, including ongoing fighting between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the killing of a Hamas leader in Lebanon the previous day. After the incident, crowds gathered again in Kerman, protesting and chanting “Death to Israel” and “Death to America.” Thousands also gathered in Tehran for a memorial rally.

　　Condemnation poured in from the international community. UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the European Union (EU) strongly criticized the incident. Josep Borrell, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, conveyed condolences to the Iranian Foreign Minister. Furthermore, Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned it as a brutal act that killed people who had peacefully visited a cemetery. Hamas and Saudi Arabia also condemned the incident, with many countries expressing condolences for the victims and solidarity with the Iranian people.

  

The remains of a U.S. Army officer, who had been killed in action, were transported after being recovered from the rubble of a U.S. Army bachelor officers' quarters in Saigon that had come under attack by Viet Cong forces during the 1968 Tet Offensive.

　　The remains of a U.S. Army officer, dug from the rubble of a U.S. Army bachelor officers' quarters attacked by Viet Cong forces in Saigon during the 1968 Tet Offensive, were transported.

　　The Vietnam War reached a decisive turning point in 1968 with the Tet Offensive. The Tet Offensive, a coordinated communist assault launched in violation of the Lunar New Year (Tet) ceasefire, left scars on American public opinion and military morale beyond the immediate military outcome. The damage at the U.S. Army Bachelor Officers' Quarters (BOQ) in Saigon and the transport of the American officer's remains symbolized the chaos where the front lines had vanished and the supposedly safe rear had turned into hell.

　　In the early hours of January 31, 1968, the Tet Offensive saw the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam (Viet Cong) simultaneously attack major cities and military installations across South Vietnam. For the American public, who believed the U.S. military leadership's reports that victory was near, the shock came as the heart of the capital, Saigon, and even the U.S. Embassy itself became battlefields.

　　　The Bachelor Officers Quarters (BOQ) and military lodging facilities scattered throughout Saigon became prime targets for Viet Cong urban guerrillas. Soldiers, away from the front lines and engaged in rest or administrative duties, were suddenly trapped beneath rubble, caught completely off guard. Attacks on Saigon's BOQs often involved vehicle-borne explosives or targeted rocket fire (B-40s) from nearby buildings. These quarters were residential facilities, not fortresses. 　　American soldiers digging comrades from the rubble felt not just anger toward the enemy, but profound confusion at the collapse of safety and deep loss at the death of their friends. The fighting in Saigon's densely packed urban streets became a chaotic free-for-all where friend and foe were indistinguishable. Bodies dug from the rubble became the front lines.

　　The return of the bodies was reported to the American homeland through the media. Militarily, the U.S. military repelled the Tet Offensive, inflicting heavy damage on the communist side. However, the images and photographs of the bodies of American soldiers being carried out from the rubble of the barracks, watched over by their comrades, were shocking.

　　The loss of these comrades suggested the end of the “just army” and the invincibility of the U.S. military, a perception unseen since World War II. The tragedy at BOQ during the 1968 Tet Offensive also foreshadowed the “vulnerability of rear support facilities” in modern asymmetric warfare. The bodies being carried out from the rubble presented the loss of each individual soldier's life and the brutal truth of war.

  

In August 1944, immediately after the liberation of Grenoble during World War II, French forces executed young Frenchmen who had collaborated with Nazi Germany.

   Immediately after the liberation of Grenoble during World War II, the French Army executed young Frenchmen who had collaborated with Nazi Germany in August 1944. It depicted the execution by firing squad of youths belonging to the French Militia, a paramilitary organization led by Joseph Darnand that collaborated with the Nazi occupying forces. In Grenoble, several young Miliciens were executed by firing squad, and the scene was publicly displayed.

   The Milice Française, a French military militia, was a fascist paramilitary organization established by the Vichy regime in 1943. Its leader, Joseph Darnand, was a decorated veteran of World War I who became a staunch collaborator with Nazi Germany. The Milice Française was notorious for its brutality, often operating covertly as a specialized auxiliary force for the Gestapo against the French population. They hunted down members of the French Resistance, the Maquis, and forcibly deported Jewish citizens. 

   Grenoble, known as the capital of the Alps, was a stronghold of the Resistance. When liberated in August 1944, the atmosphere was charged with a mixture of jubilation at the end of Nazi German occupation and an intense thirst for purging (épuration) the French collaborators. Members of the Milice Française, seen as the ultimate traitors, became the primary targets for execution by local French residents and the French Forces of the Interior (FFI).

   One of the most famous photographic records from this era shows a group of young men facing their end against a wall, a scene that visually testified to the end of collaboration. The execution of these young French members reflected a tragic death sentence. Many Milice Françaises members were extremely young men, often recruited by Nazi Germany's ideological indoctrination and promises of power. Many were subjected to swift and emotional court-martial proceedings.

In Chutien, South Vietnam, the remains were discovered on April 6, 1971, in a shallow grave north of Hue. Over the years following the Tet Offensive, the remains of thousands of civilians who had been victims of mass executions by communist forces were found.

   These are the remains of victims of the Tet Massacre. Burial rites were performed by bereaved families for the remains of civilians killed during the 1968 Tet Offensive. In 1971, in Chun Thien, South Vietnam, the bodies were discovered on April 6, 1971, from shallow graves north of Hue. In the years following the Tet Offensive, the remains of thousands of civilians who had been victims of mass executions by communist forces were discovered. 

   Using the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday—a traditional ceasefire period—as cover, units of the North Vietnamese Army (PAVN) and the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam (NLF) gathered around cities. The Tet Offensive was originally planned for January 30th, but authorities delayed it by 24 hours. Many units had not received the new orders, and fighting broke out ahead of schedule in six cities. By the following night, 27 of South Vietnam's 44 provincial capitals, 5 of its 6 autonomous cities, 58 of its 245 districts, and over 50 villages were under attack. NLF battalions and commando units led the attacks, while PAVN forces typically held reserve positions. Targets included South Vietnamese government facilities, military strongholds, and communications centers; U.S. forces were largely avoided except at key installations like jointly managed airbases and the U.S. Embassy. NLF guerrillas addressed South Vietnamese civilians along the roads.

     The Tet Offensive, which failed to spark an uprising, ended as a military failure with heavy casualties. Without popular uprisings, most attacks, conducted with limited forces, amounted to little more than suicidal assaults. The bulk of combat battalions were deployed to the I Corps Tactical Zone (CTZ) to counter the Khe Sanh siege.

During the Second Shanghai Incident, civilians were killed in the densely populated residential area of Zhabei in Shanghai, where fierce urban combat raged between Japanese and Chinese forces after August 1937.

 　　This is one of the historical documentary photographs taken during the Second Shanghai Incident that erupted in 1937. It dates from the period after August 1937, when fierce urban combat raged between Japanese and Chinese forces. It is believed to be the “Zhaobei” district within Shanghai, where residential homes were densely packed, or a surrounding residential area. The bamboo fence in the background was a common enclosure for private homes in Shanghai at the time.

　　As part of photographs taken by foreign correspondents present in Shanghai at the time, Japanese military photographers, or Chinese recorders, some are still preserved in historical archives both domestically and internationally. The reason for so many bodies piled together is that indiscriminate bombing and shelling during the Shanghai Incident involved bomber attacks and naval gunfire directed at urban areas, resulting in the simultaneous deaths of large numbers of civilians who could not evacuate in time.

　　Alternatively, some view these as records of sites where residents accused of “spying” or similar charges in areas turned into battlefields were gathered by the Japanese military and killed. In fierce alleyway combat, people trapped in the narrow lanes (li-long) frequently became caught in the crossfire of gun battles. These photographic records reveal the horror of modern warfare, where the city itself becomes a battlefield, not just a conflict between soldiers. The people lying on the ground were civilians living their daily lives there, and these images continue to convey how war can destroy individual lives in an instant.

In the 1930s, Joseph Stalin deliberately caused a famine in the Soviet Union to force peasants onto collective farms. Farming families suffered greatly, and millions died of starvation, primarily in Ukraine and southern Russia.

    In the 1930s, Joseph Stalin deliberately caused a great famine in the Soviet Union to force peasants onto collective farms. Farming families suffered greatly, with millions dying of starvation, primarily in Ukraine and southern Russia. In the early 1930s, Stalin forcibly pushed through radical socialist policies in the Soviet Union. Central to this was the collectivization of agriculture. 

   Land and livestock owned by individual farmers were consolidated into state-managed collective farms (kolkhozes), placing agricultural production under state control. This policy was coercive, ignoring the will of the peasants. Many farmers were persecuted as “kulaks” (wealthy peasants), had their property confiscated, and faced exile or execution. In Soviet society at the time, peasants were the group most directly and severely abused by state policy.

    This process triggered the Great Famine. Agricultural products were excessively requisitioned by the state, leaving almost no food in the villages. Freedom of movement and trade was also restricted, preventing people from even escaping starvation. This famine was a man-made disaster caused by policy.

   The family of the late President Mikhail Gorbachev also suffered its effects directly. From his childhood, he personally experienced the violence of state power and the reality where ideals were prioritized over human lives and dignity. His later pursuit of “socialism with a human face” and reform policies, along with his critical stance toward the authoritarian regime, was deeply influenced by these childhood experiences.

Dead German soldiers at the Battle of the Somme. The British fired over a million shells at the German trenches for five days. Most escaped harm by digging very deep dugouts (German spy planes had seen men getting ready to attack) but this dugout suffered a direct hit.

   The bodies of German soldiers killed by direct artillery hits in the trenches littered the field at the Battle of the Somme. British forces fired over a million shells into German trenches over five days. Most were spared in deeply dug trenches. The Battle of the Somme, raging from July 1 to November 19, 1916, was one of the most devastating battles of World War I. During these four and a half months of fighting, the British lost over 400,000 soldiers, the French 200,000, and the Germans approximately 450,000. Both the British and French armies considered gaining a mere 15 kilometers of territory a victory, but the cost was immense.

   Before the Battle of the Somme, British generals assured their soldiers, “The artillery bombardment will annihilate the enemy German forces, so by the time you reach the battlefield, the enemy will be gone.” On the first day of the Somme, 20,000 British soldiers were killed and 35,000 wounded. General Haig ordered further attacks, and the same tragedy repeated itself each time. In September, 50 tanks were deployed. Twenty-nine broke down before reaching the battlefield, and the rest quickly became bogged down in the mud. By the end of the fighting, the British and French armies had lost 620,000 men, while the Germans lost 450,000. The Allied advance at the front lines amounted to a mere 15 kilometers.

  The death toll during World War I was staggering. Approximately 9 million people died in total. This equates to over 5,000 deaths per day over more than four years. About 1 million of those dead were soldiers from the British Army and the British Empire. Millions more were wounded, suffering lifelong physical and mental scars. In Britain, British generals were blamed for the immense sacrifice of British soldiers. They were seen as incompetent, indifferent fools responsible for thousands of unnecessary deaths. Field Marshal Douglas Haig, who commanded the army from 1915 to 1918, was particularly criticized and called “Slaughterer.”

During the Battle of Moscow on the Eastern Front of World War II, in January 1942, the body of an unidentified German soldier lay in the snow-covered wasteland outside Moscow, as a Soviet T-34/76 tank passed by.

　　During the Battle of Moscow on the Eastern Front of World War II, in January 1942, the body of an unidentified German soldier lay in the snow-covered wasteland outside Moscow, as a Soviet T-34/76 tank passed by. This was a Soviet propaganda photograph showing a Soviet T-34/76 tank crossing the snowy wilderness beside the body of a German senior sergeant who had been killed in action.

　　The frozen corpse of the German soldier lay there. Completely stiff and flat as a board, an expressionless face, lying by the roadside, where crows, dogs, wolves, or other animals waiting to devour him lay in wait. A mass of corpses, utterly unwanted by anyone, lay frozen to death, nameless, beside what Russians called the “road” and Germans called merely the “direction” – the same road the superhuman German soldier had marched thousands of kilometers to reach. 

　　The Battle of Moscow raged from October 1941 to January 1942. The German army could only advance to within 20 kilometers of Moscow, suffering over 300,000 casualties. From the start of the war in June 1941, approximately 2.5 million Soviet soldiers were taken prisoner within six months, with nearly 700,000 captured during the first few weeks of the Battle of Moscow. By year's end, approximately 2 million prisoners had died due to German negligence. Beginning in December 1941, the Soviet forces counterattacked, inflicting a major defeat on the German army.

Bodies of Tamil fishermen massacred by the Sri Lankan Navy while the men were at work in Palk Strait. These are the victims of more than 100 massacres carried out by either the Sri Lankan security forces or the Tamil resistance.

　　The bodies of Tamil fishermen who were engaged in fishing in the Palk Strait and were massacred by the Sri Lankan Navy. These are victims of over 100 massacres carried out by either Sri Lankan security forces or Tamil resistance groups. Tamils constitute 12.7% of Sri Lanka's population, and the main guerrilla organization, the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam), emerged from the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF).

　　The Palk Strait, between India's Tamil Nadu state and Sri Lanka's northern Mannar district, became a frequent site of massacres and violent incidents involving Tamil fishermen throughout the Sri Lankan Civil War (1983–2009), continuing until 2025. During the Sri Lankan civil war, massacres of Tamil civilians by Sri Lankan security forces exceeded 100 incidents. The estimated death toll of Tamil civilians, up to the 2009 Murivaiyakal massacre, ranged from 40,000 to over 100,000.

　　The Mandayiv Sea Massacre (June 10, 1986) was part of the larger Parak Strait Massacre. Sri Lankan naval soldiers attacked 33 Tamil fishermen off Mandayiv, torturing many victims by gouging out their eyeballs or slashing their abdomens. Thirty-two died, with only one survivor. In the Kumdini Massacre (May 15, 1985), at least 23 Sri Lankan Tamils aboard the ferry Kumdini were hacked to death by Sri Lankan Navy soldiers while sailing between Delft Island and Nainativu Island. The Jaffna Lagoon/Killari Massacre (January 2, 1993) saw between 35 and 100 Tamil civilians killed in an attack by the Sri Lankan Navy. The Murativi Fishermen Massacre (December 9, 1984) resulted in the killing of 18 Tamil fishermen by the Sri Lankan Home Guard.