80th anniversary of Operation Barbarossa

[Valmy]

What did poor Frederick I do to deserve being associated with this?  It would have been more appropriate if they attacked Mussolini.

Because he led the Germans on a crusade. So I guess invading the Bolshevik USSR was supposed to be some kind of Nazi Holy War or something.

I mean Frederick wasn't all that successful in his crusading but I suppose it went better for Germany than the 1941-1945 one did.

[The Minsky Moment]

What did poor Frederick I do to deserve being associated with this?  It would have been more appropriate if they attacked Mussolini.

I mean Frederick wasn't all that successful in his crusading

No kidding.

[Tamas]

Yeah I just think it's slightly problematic now that there is a Russia distinct from the Soviet Union - especially given the way memory and commemoration is used (particularly by Russia). I think it's important to also remember and acknowledge the (worse affected) successor states like the Baltics, Belarus and Ukraine - simply because they were on the way to Russia and then on the way to Berlin.

Yeah I guess it's a bit tricky because while the non-Russian people in the Soviet Union suffered greatly and should not be sidelined that way, in terms of politics the Soviet Union was not a union of nations and countries, it was the Russian Empire re-conquered and re-branded with fire and sword (well, rifle).

[Solmyr]

I've always wondered if there is a bit of German fanboi-ism in that we alway say "Wehrmacht" and "Luftwaffe" instead of the just the German "armed forces" or "air forces"...I mean, we don't go around saying the "Krasnaya Armiya" or the "Voenniy Vozdushniy Sil", or the "Forces armées françaises".

But maybe not fanboi-ism...just that Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe give it a nice menacing alien/enemy sound to it, suitable to WW2-era propaganda.

But we do refer to the KGB, which is an acronym of the Russian name.

The Russians don't return the favour, though - FBI is FBR and CIA is CRU.

[Duque de Bragança]

What did poor Frederick I do to deserve being associated with this?  It would have been more appropriate if they attacked Mussolini.

I mean Frederick wasn't all that successful in his crusading

No kidding.

Wasn't he the same who had trouble distinguishing plural neutral cases in -a and singular feminine cases -a in Latin?

[crazy canuck]

I've always wondered if there is a bit of German fanboi-ism in that we alway say "Wehrmacht" and "Luftwaffe" instead of the just the German "armed forces" or "air forces"...I mean, we don't go around saying the "Krasnaya Armiya" or the "Voenniy Vozdushniy Sil", or the "Forces armées françaises".

But maybe not fanboi-ism...just that Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe give it a nice menacing alien/enemy sound to it, suitable to WW2-era propaganda.

Along the same lines, we use panzers when referring to WW II German tanks instead of just calling them tanks.  But we call other things by the name their country called or calls them rather than a more generic name.  As an example, we refer to the RAF or use the full name, when referring to Britain's air force, rather than saying the British Air Force.

[Duque de Bragança]

I've always wondered if there is a bit of German fanboi-ism in that we alway say "Wehrmacht" and "Luftwaffe" instead of the just the German "armed forces" or "air forces"...I mean, we don't go around saying the "Krasnaya Armiya" or the "Voenniy Vozdushniy Sil", or the "Forces armées françaises".

But maybe not fanboi-ism...just that Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe give it a nice menacing alien/enemy sound to it, suitable to WW2-era propaganda.

But we do refer to the KGB, which is an acronym of the Russian name.

The Russians don't return the favour, though - FBI is FBR and CIA is CRU.

French is a bit more complicated: FBI pronounced the Anglo way, while CIA is pronounced the French way (French pronunciation of each alphabet letter).
I did hear FBI pronounced the French way but it was a trailer for a '50s movie, in a bad movie night.

[Syt]

Hm, yes, in German we also use the English pronunciation for FBI, CIA, MI-5, etc.

Without doing a systematic survey I feel Germans would use English where available and otherwise German words. So Air Force would be used in an American context, Royal Air Force in a UK context (RAF not so much, as R.A.F. means something different in Germany - sidenote: nice touch that in the WW1 flashback in Archer, Wodehouse served - period appropriately - in the RCF, i.e. Royal Flying Corps), US Navy, Royal Navy and so on, but would use russische Luftwaffe, französische Marine etc. for Russian or French militaries.

[Josquius]

I've always wondered if there is a bit of German fanboi-ism in that we alway say "Wehrmacht" and "Luftwaffe" instead of the just the German "armed forces" or "air forces"...I mean, we don't go around saying the "Krasnaya Armiya" or the "Voenniy Vozdushniy Sil", or the "Forces armées françaises".

But maybe not fanboi-ism...just that Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe give it a nice menacing alien/enemy sound to it, suitable to WW2-era propaganda.

Along the same lines, we use panzers when referring to WW II German tanks instead of just calling them tanks.  But we call other things by the name their country called or calls them rather than a more generic name.  As an example, we refer to the RAF or use the full name, when referring to Britain's air force, rather than saying the British Air Force.

Along the RAF lines I can see an argument with the Luftwaffe (I always make that Luftwaffle...) and Wehrmacht.
But panzers...ja. That's fanboyism.

Incidentally I always found it curious that the UK gets the generic RAF and RN whilst other countries have to throw their nation's name in there.

[Maladict]

Incidentally I always found it curious that the UK gets the generic RAF and RN whilst other countries have to throw their nation's name in there.

Just a matter of language, no? In Dutch, our navy is called simply Royal Navy as well. And the British fleet would be called the Royal British navy.

[Duque de Bragança]

Even the French Navy, officially Marine nationale (pun with Marine offered) is often called la Royale, due to a perceived high number of aristocratic officers.

[The Brain]

Even the French Navy, officially Marine nationale (pun with Marine offered) is often called la Royale, due to a perceived high number of aristocratic officers.

With cheese?

[Tonitrus]

Incidentally I always found it curious that the UK gets the generic RAF and RN whilst other countries have to throw their nation's name in there.

Just a matter of language, no? In Dutch, our navy is called simply Royal Navy as well. And the British fleet would be called the Royal British navy.

As an aside, I have wondered why the British Air Force and Navy are "Royal", but the British Army, is not?

What I gather from wiki, is that the British Army specifically requires a kind of consent from Parliament.

[Barrister]

Incidentally I always found it curious that the UK gets the generic RAF and RN whilst other countries have to throw their nation's name in there.

Just a matter of language, no? In Dutch, our navy is called simply Royal Navy as well. And the British fleet would be called the Royal British navy.

As an aside, I have wondered why the British Air Force and Navy are "Royal", but the British Army, is not?

What I gather from wiki, is that the British Army specifically requires a kind of consent from Parliament.

My understanding is that it has to do with the fact that individual regiments have ties to specific Royals, rather than a single connection to the army as a whole.

Edit:  I was sort-of right:  https://www.forces.net/heritage/history/why-it-british-army-and-not-royal-army

[Duque de Bragança]

Incidentally I always found it curious that the UK gets the generic RAF and RN whilst other countries have to throw their nation's name in there.

Just a matter of language, no? In Dutch, our navy is called simply Royal Navy as well. And the British fleet would be called the Royal British navy.

As an aside, I have wondered why the British Air Force and Navy are "Royal", but the British Army, is not?

What I gather from wiki, is that the British Army specifically requires a kind of consent from Parliament.

English Civil War reasons? The Army was parliamentarian, and revolted against the King.