| Sabaton – The Last Battle Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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After the downfall of the 3rd Reich, on the 5th of May 1945, a strange battle took place in teh Tyrolean Mountains in Itter, Austria. Soldiers of the Wehrmacht and the US army joined forces and fought together against the SS to save the lives of prisoners being held in the castle of Itter. Under the command of American Captain John C. Lee and German Major Josef Gangl the castle was defended by less than 30 German and American soldiers together with the French former prisoners of teh castle. Together, and with a little help from their Sherman Tank "Besotten Jenny", who was placed at the main entrance, they managed to hold the 100-150 mens strong Waffen SS unit at bay until they were relieved by the allies - accompanying text from the album |
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| Sabaton – Winged Hussars Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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During the siege of Vienna in 1683, the situation fr the citizens and the small defending force was desperate. 140 000 soldiers of the Ottoman Empire were slowly but surely tearing the cities defences apart by digging a tunnel under the moat and city walls. The plan was to detonate a series of mines under the wall to make it collapse and use the rubble as a walkway into the city itself. It was truly a race against time since nobody knew if the Christian coalition called "The Holy League", under the command of the Polish king John III Sobieski would make it in time. They managed to arrive just in time to save Vienna, and the most fearsome of the warriors among them were the Winged Hussars! - accompanying text from album |
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| Sabaton – Shiroyama Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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It's the nature of time and history that the old way must give in to the new ways and the modern age. The battle of Shiroyama in 1877 marks the end of an era and is the last stand of the legendary samurai. Led by Saigo Takamori, the samurai were down to 500 warriors at the end of the rebellion when they made their last stand on mount Shiroyama. At the end of the battle there were only 40 samurai left. They drew their swords and plunged downhill toward the enemy positions until the last of them was mowed down. - accompanying text from album |
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| Sabaton – Hill 3234 Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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Not all notable last stands happened decades, centuries or millenia ago, and what happened on Hill 3234 in 1988 during the Soviet-Afghan war is a great example of bravery during more recent years. On the 7th of January the 39 Soviet airborne soldiers landed on the hilltop to secure safe passage for the convoys passing on the road below. In the afternoon they were attacked by approximately 250 Mujahideen and the fighting continued until dawn the next day when the attackers withdrew. On the morning of the 8th of January over 200 Mujahideen lay dead, while only 6 Soviet soldiers lost their lives. - accompanying text from album |
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| Sabaton – The Last Stand Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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The story of the 189 brave soldiers in the Swiss Guard during the sacking of Rome in 1527. Since Charles V, ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, couldn't pay his troops they mutinied and forced their commander to lead them towards Rome where plunder was plentiful. When the invading force entered the Vatican, pope Clement VII escaped to Castel Sant'Angelo via Passeto di Borgo. The few remaining guardsmen gave their lives on the steps to St. Peters Basilica. - accompanying text from album |
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| Sabaton – Rorke's Drift Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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The Battle of Rorke's Drift takes place in 1879 during the Anglo-Zulu war and might be one of the more well known last stands in history. A small mission station became an unlikely battleground when somewhere between 3000 and 4000 Zulu warriors attacked the just over 150 men strong British garrison on the 22nd of January. The battle lasted into the next morning and the British, who had barricaded themselves behind mealie bags, biscuit boxes and old furniture, only lost 17 men - accompanying text from album |
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| Sabaton – The Lost Battalion Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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The Lost Battalion is the name given to nine companies f the United States 77th Division during the Battle of the Argonne in 1918. Even though these 550-575 brave men were completely surrounded by the German army and subjected to friendly artillery fire they kept on fighting for a week until they were relieved. Of the over 500 soldiers who entered the Argonne Forest, only 194 walked out unscathed. The rest were killed, missing, captured or wounded. - accompanying text in the album |
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| Sabaton – Diary of an Unknown Soldier Lyrics | 7 years ago |
| Excerpt from the diary of a soldier lost in the Argonne Forrest. Used as a introduction for the next song "The Lost Battalion". | |
| Sabaton – Blood of Bannockburn Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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1314, 9 years after the execution of William Wallace, the Scottish laid siege upon Stirling Castle and an agreement was made that if it had not been relieved by mid-summer the English would surrender the castle to the Scottish. The English could of course not ignore that challenge, and sent a formidable force north towards Stirling to break the siege and relieve the troops inside. In the end Robert the Bruce and the Scottish defeated the English under Edward II's command with a force alf the size and not nearly as well equipped of what the English had at ther disposal. - accompanying text in album |
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| Sabaton – Last Dying Breath Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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The courageous defence of the Serbian capital in 1915 is best described through the words of Major Gavrilovic's speech to his troops before the battle: "Soldiers, exactly at three o'clock the enemy is to be crushed by your fierce charge, destroyed by your grenades and bayonets. The honor of Belgrade, our capital, must not be stained. Soldiers! Heroes! The supreme command has erased our regiment from its records. Our regiment has been sacrified for the honour of Belgrade and the Fatherland. Therefore, you no longer need to worry about your lives: they no longer exist. So, forward to glory! For the king and the Fatherland! Long live the king! Long live Belgrade!" - accompanying text in the album |
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| Sabaton – Sparta Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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The Battle of Thermopylae is in many ways one of the most iconic last stands in history. King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans were certainly not as alone as portrayed in the famous movie "300", but in the end it was their sacrifice that would be remembred by the world to come. An amazing story of the Greek nation states who would rather die than lose their freedom - accompanying text in the album |
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