From the folks at Reddit:

World War I, also known as The First World War, The Great War and “The War To End All Wars,” was a global military conflict which took place primarily in Europe between 1914 and 1918. More than nine million soldiers and civilians died. The conflict had a decisive impact on the history of the 20th century.

Although color photography was around prior to 1903, the Lumière brothers, Auguste and Louis, patented the process in 1903 and developed the first color film in 1907. The French army was the primary source of color photos during the course of World War I.

Gallica, bibliothèque numérique de la Bibliothèque nationale de France has many of these leftover photo relics from the past.

Let’s take a look into the past, a past with color. (You can click on the photos for the full size version.)

Frontline trenches.

Group of French servicemen, “Poilus,” in front of the entrance of a cote. “Poilus” (hairy) is the nickname to French WWI soldiers, since they could not afford the luxury of regular shaving. It is a term of affection, especially now. (Haut-Rhin. France. June 16th, 1917).

Intently looking at… what?

Lookout in the post of the lock 26. Serviceman Frenchman in observation. (Haut-Rhin. France. June 23rd, 1917).

Observation post.

Frontline trench, observer. French serviceman at work in the trenches. Woods of Hirtzbach. (Haut-Rhin. France. June 16th, 1917).

Medieval building.

Soldier, woman, baby.

Another building destroyed.

A barber.

Notice the wires.

Almost certainly a command headquarters, given the amount of communication wires.

Women at a water well.

Soldiers resting beside a wall.

A village scene.

An officer or staff member vehicle?

This is almost certainly a staff or headquarters vehicle.

Troops at rudimentary fortifications.

Senegalese and other French African colony soldiers.

Without knowing more, it is impossible to tell which French Colony these soldiers may have come from or, in fact, if they are French soldiers.

But France had a number of colonies in Africa at this time. In fact, almost one-third of Africa was under French rule in 1914.

This rail car got hit pretty heavily.

Makes one wonder whatever happened to the occupants, if there were any, of this railway car.

A makeshift urinal.

What appears to be an officer’s tent.

Chaplain and other French officers.

A field hospital or medical facility.

At a command post of some sort, I would guess.

There appears to be no damage to this building.

This looks to be near a water well, front right, and there is the young lady seated on the stone of the steps.

Haircut anyone? Close to the front line.

Looks as if one man is getting a haircut with the others either waiting for theirs or are simply looking on.

The sign, “Ligne de résistance” on the left, means “resistance line.” They must be close to “No Man’s Land.”

Soldier standing beside guard station.

Guard station.

Guard house.

RF in the sentry house stands for République Française (French Republic).

Damage done by artillery to church.

Note the crosses in the foreground, either marking a cemetery or, perhaps more likely, given the uniformity of the crosses, soldiers recently killed.

Notice the camouflage netting.

Cleaning outside a bunker.

Street shot showing damage to buildings.

Taking a break.

Boyaux were trenches or tunnels of communication that provided covered passage between parallels and from parallels to batteries in an attack by regular approaches. Boyaux for infantry were usually just wide enough for the passage of two men (4 to 5 feet); dimensions could be increased when it was necessary to pass artillery through the trenches rather than move guns and howitzers into position over open ground under cover of darkness. Boyaux were usually advanced from covered positions in rear of the trenches of an attack and from parallel to parallel in zig-zag patterns that defiladed the trenches from defensive artillery and small arms fire.

Cezaro means Caesar in French, just like soldiers gave names to the trenches in WWI.

Largitzen refers to the French region of Largitzen, which is in the extreme east of France, south of Alsace.

Belgian troops carrying their FN Mauser Model 1889 rifles.

Children amidst the destruction.

More color photos from World War I with English translations can be found here.

Adolf Hitler? In most western countries he is viewed as history’s most evil man, and almost all are aware of the horrific genocide he was responsible for, with many having had family fight and/or die in the war against Nazi Germany.

However, in Asia, Hitler is a far more distant figure. This distance might be an explanation for the bizarre case of Hitler restaurants and bars that can be found throughout Asia.

Here are some photos of these strange Hitler-themed establishments:

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In 2006, the restaurant Hitler’s Cross opened in Mumbai, India:

From the Associated Press:

When Hitler’s Cross restaurant opened in a Mumbai suburb Sunday, local politicians and movie industry types were on hand to celebrate beneath the posters of the Nazi leader and swastikas.

“It’s really made people very upset that a person responsible for the massacre of six million Jews can be glorified,” Elijah Jacob, one of the Jewish community’s leaders, said on Wednesday.

But owner Puneet Sablok has refused to back down. Apart from Mumbai’s 4,500 Jews, there has been little controversy in India, where Holocaust awareness is limited, Adolf Hitler is regarded as just another historical figure and swastikas are an ancient Hindu symbol, displayed all over to bring luck. There are just 5,500 Jews in all of India.

Soon after the article was published the restaurant’s owner backed down and changed the name of the restaurant.

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This Hitler Bar, which was located in Busan, South Korea, caused a lot of anger in the foreign community.

The website Pusanweb interviewed the owner of the bar, who said the following:

I wanted to design a beer bar with something shocking that would attract the young generation. Beer got me thinking about Germany (the home of beer) which made me think of Hitler.
[...]
….he is no different than Alexander the Great or Gengis Khan. They were all conquerors who killed many people and they are all ‘big men’ in the sense of their notoriety living on long after they died.

The owner eventually changed the name of his bar to Ditler’ and then to ‘Ceasar’.

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Modern Bar Hitler (South Korea), photographed by Lynxsquared:

Inside Modern Bar Hitler:

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A charming sign for a Hitler bar in Korea, photographed by Oronzo:

A Korean Hitler bar in Daejong South Korea, captured by photographer Modrob:

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Another Hitler Bar in Busan, South Korea (From the The Gates of the Minjok, an article by Michael Hurt about the nazi roots of modern Korean national identity) :

From the same article:

The picture I should have taken was of another Hitler bar, this one way down on the coast in Sunchon, and which I ran across in 1994 – doesn’t exist because I was simply in too much shock at the time to have the foresight to take a picture. I tend to think, though, that since many trends in the big city get followed by small towns – and not the other way around – I tend to think that there were more Hitler bars peppered across the peninsula. And given that many other expats have told me stories of “their” Hitler bar from their own cities, I’m actually pretty sure of this.

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Inside of a Hitler Bar in Busan, South Korea (from Flickr photographer Cfarivar)

A flier for the same Hitler bar:

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A Japanese tempura restaurant with a hitler-ish mascot (from Cityskip):

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A LOL-tastic Hitler costume, which can be found on the shelves of party stores across Japan:

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Note: Dr. Seuss had an IQ of 117. Are you smarter than him? Take this IQ test and find out!

You all know Dr. Seuss for his beloved children’s books such as Cat In The Hat and Green Eggs & Ham. But did you know about Seuss’ activities during World War II? From 1941 until 1943, Dr. Seuss worked as a political cartoonist for the socialist New York newspaper PM, producing cartoons in favor of the American war effort. During that period, Dr. Seuss was a very liberal opponent of racism in America, particularly racism towards African Americans. However, racism towards the Japanese was an entirely different matter, as these disgusting cartoons demonstrate:


1. (October 13, 1942) A pretty straightforward racial caricature of a Japanese person:

2. (December 5, 1941) A pre-Pearl Harbor cartoon featuring Japanese as monkeys:

3. (December 12, 1941) If we don’t win the war, an ugly racial caricature of a Japanese man will be carved on Mt. Rushmore:

4. (March 5, 1942) More of Seuss’ slant-eyed Jap character:

5. (April 23, 1942) Whites who support the Japanese ask for “slant-eye” plastic surgery:

6. (February 13, 1942) Questioning the loyalty of Japanese Americans just weeks before internment was announced:

7. (June 11, 1942) Uncle Sam removes the “racial prejudice bug” from the head of Americans (hypocrisy, anyone?):

You think rap artists are hardcore? Wait until you meet the Roman poet Gaius Valerius Catullus…

Born in the provincial northern town of Verona sometime around 84 B.C.E, Catullus was one of the greatest and most influential of all classical poets. His father was friendly with Julius Caesar and often invited him to dinner. Catullus wrote several vicious attacks on Caesar, which suggest that his military campaigns in Britain and Gaul were being criminally mismanaged by his chief engineer Mamurra, and that they were motivated by revolting avarice and greed on the part of Caesar himself.

Catullus describes Caesar as a “voracious and shameless gut.” Catullus also sneers at Caesar’s bisexual promiscuity: “They’re well matched, that pair of shameless buggers, Bitch-queens both of them, Caesar and Mamurra.”

The translations below are 100% literal. If you are at work or have a weak stomach, go elsewhere. WARNING! Extreme Profanity and Strong Sexual Content!

The following two poems are cited here.

Catullus 16

I’ll fuck you up the ass, and you can blow me,

you cocksucker Aurelius and you faggot Furius,

for suggesting that my little verses

are effeminate and not pure enough.

A good poet should be virtuous,

but his verses don’t need to be.

Who cares if verses that have spice and wit

are soft and not very pure?

They can also get you going.

I’m not talking to boys here, but to two hairy men

who can’t even move their creaky old loins.

Are you two putting me down

just because you’ve read about my thousands of kisses?

Fuck you both. You can blow me.

Catullus 33

O most distinguished of the bathhouse thieves,

father Vibennius, and o buttfucking son,

(for the light-fingered father is quite foul,

and the son is voracious with his asshole),

why don’t you go on a trip to someplace miserable,

since everyone knows about the robberies of the father.

And as for you, son, can’t you manage

to sell your hairy ass to anyone for even a penny?

And the poem below is cited here.

Catullus 97

You wouldn’t think it made much difference

sniffing around Aemilius’ mouth or his asshole,

one being no better or worse than the other,

but I figure his ass is a whole lot better,

it’s got no teeth. His mouth has teeth in it

a half a yard long, the gums are all rotten,

sagging down loose as an old covered wagon,

and when he smiles the lips spread open wide

like a mule’s cunt dripping on a hot summer day.

This is the big lover the ladies all fuck for?

I’d plug his face with a horse dick instead.

A girl who’d go near a creep like that, she

could get down and ream a sick hangman’s ass.