April 11, 1941. Scenes of the old world in more or less modern times.

Ceremonies in Jerusalem Easter period, 1941. Nebi Musa banners presented by Mr. Keith Roach. Group at Bab es Silseleh with Mr. Keith Roach and army staff officer."

 

April 11 in 1941 was a Friday, and not just a regular Friday, it was Good Friday on the Latin calendar.  

Then, as now, this was a day of celebration and religious observance in Jerusalem, just of course as it is all over the world.  The day is special in the Holy Land, of course.

At the time, the Holy Land was the British administered Palestine, a League of Nations mandate.

By some accounts, this is the day that the siege of Tobruk commenced.  I ran the date from the first armed contact, which occurred yesterday.

Today in World War II History—April 11, 1941

The siege of Tobruk begins

Hungary stepped in to occupy territories in defeated Yugoslavia, invading territory adjacent to it.  The worst instincts of nations were coming out, which sounds rather obvious, but is evident here as countries made territorial adjustments at the expense of their neighbors, looking back to imperial borders that died during World War One. When World War Two ended, nations making such adjustments often were severely punished for having done so.

Here, Hungary and Italy took territory that they saw as theirs dating back form the those days. Germany took territory that it considered German via Austria.  Bulgaria also seized Yugoslavian territory.

To the south of the Kingdom of the Southern Slavs, the German and British Commonwealth forces clashed in Greece for the first time.  The battle would run two days and result in an Allied defeat.

Australian troops in Greece, April 1941.