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cover of episode 533. Wojtek: The Bear Who Beat the Nazis

533. Wojtek: The Bear Who Beat the Nazis

2025/1/23
logo of podcast The Rest Is History

The Rest Is History
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D
Dominic Sandbrook
J
John Clark
T
Tom Holland
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John Clark: 我在意大利蒙特卡西诺战役期间亲眼目睹了沃伊捷克帮助波兰炮兵搬运炮弹。这只熊的行为令人印象深刻，它似乎理解并参与了战争行动。 尽管当时我们并不知道这只熊的身份，但它的行为无疑为波兰士兵带来了慰藉和希望，在残酷的战争环境中，这只熊的存在无疑提升了士兵们的士气，也为这段历史增添了一抹温暖人心的色彩。 Dominic Sandbrook: 沃伊捷克是波兰的民族英雄，象征着波兰在二战中的抵抗和英雄主义。它的故事在波兰家喻户晓，成为波兰人民在面对侵略和苦难时，不屈不挠精神的象征。 沃伊捷克的故事不仅仅是一只熊的故事，更是波兰人民在二战中经历的缩影。它体现了波兰人民的坚韧、勇气和希望，也象征着波兰与其他国家人民之间的友谊与合作。 Tom Holland: 沃伊捷克的故事是所有关于战争中动物的故事中最奇特、最感人、最具历史意义的。它不仅仅是一只担任吉祥物的熊，而是一只真正参与战争的熊，它被正式编入波兰军队，并被晋升。 沃伊捷克的故事感人之处在于，它为那些流离失所、饱经创伤的士兵提供了情感寄托。在残酷的战争环境中，沃伊捷克的存在为士兵们带来了温暖、希望和慰藉，也体现了人与动物之间深厚的情感联系。沃伊捷克的故事跨越了多个地方，象征着波兰和苏格兰的友谊，也为我们理解二战的历史提供了独特的视角。

Deep Dive

Chapters
This chapter introduces Wojtek, a bear who became a Polish soldier during World War II. It discusses his unique role and significance as a symbol of hope and resilience for Polish soldiers.
  • Wojtek's story exemplifies Poland's struggle and the global nature of WWII.
  • He was discovered as a cub, sold to Polish officers, and became their mascot.
  • Wojtek was given military rank and participated in the Italian campaign, carrying ammunition.

Shownotes Transcript

The story of Wojtek - the bear who took on the Nazis - amidst the death and devastation of the Second World War, and more specifically Poland's heroic resistance, is a flicker of redemption amidst an otherwise deeply depressing period of history. His is a life that exemplifies not only Poland’s struggle in microcosm, but also the global nature of the war overall. Discovered by a young boy as a tiny cub, his mother dead, he was sold to Polish officers travelling to Palestine in the hills outside Tehran. The soldiers nursed and fed the young bear with milk from a vodka bottle, treating him like one of their own. Later, he was even purported to keep them warm at night, drink beer, delight in wrestling and showers, and both march and salute. When the Polish forces were finally deployed to Europe, ‘Wojtek’ as he had been named, went with them; a mascot and morale booster to the men. There he was given military rank, and actively participated in the Italian campaign, carrying ammunition and artillery crates. But with death and destruction on all sides, what would be his fate?

Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss Wojtek, one of history’s most extraordinary animals, and his life in the army - an emblem of hope and resilience in the face of the horrors of the Second World War.

Twitter:

@TheRestHistory

@holland_tom

@dcsandbrook

Producer: Theo Young-Smith

Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett

Editor: Jack Meek

Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor

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