communist bloc; Iron Curtain
human rights; civil liberties
to be selected (from among many people)
quietly; softly; seriously; solemnly; sadly
military authorities; army circles
massive failure; debacle; fiasco
attention; giving one's attention; focusing
authority; power; influence
to leave one's footprints; to leave one's mark on; to leave a message (behind)
artificial; man-made; imitation; synthetic
to exchange; to swap; to barter; to replace; to substitute
exchange; interchange; switching; reciprocity; barter; substitution
true character; true heart; true spirit
it's not like; it isn't as if
state of the war; war situation
speculator; adventurer; imposter; prospector
to make (the best) use of; to put to good use; to let live; to keep alive; to revive; to resuscitate
all people; everybody; ten thousand people
mechanization; mechanisation; computerization
mainland decisive battle (land battle envisioned late in World War II)
to be useful; to be helpful; to serve the purpose
minimum; at the very least
taboo; day, time, direction, words, etc. that must be avoided; contraindication
direction; district; area; field (e.g. of study); sphere; quarter
taste; elegance; appearance; air; the likes of ...; lowly people such as ...
exposed; scanty; bare; public; open
retiring from military service
immersing oneself in; being absorbed in; devoting oneself to; giving oneself up entirely to
life story; personal narrative; story of one's life
soliloquy; monologue; speaking to oneself
arbitration; conciliation; mediation
giving and taking; exchange (of letters); arguing back and forth; (conversational) exchange
to look upwards; to look up
to quiet; to calm down; to compose oneself; to settle down
stepping back; drawing back
to place both hands on the ground (to express respect, apology or to present a request)