World War II: Battlefield Europe

Description

In more ways that you can imagine, today’s geopolitical climate is a product of World War II. The United States, France, Germany, Russia, and Britain—all of these world powers and their sense of place in the 21st century were profoundly shaped by the most savage, sweeping war in human history. World War II Battlefield Europe......Page 1 Published By......Page 2 Professor Biography......Page 3 Table of Contents......Page 4 Course Scope......Page 7 1—The Battle of Moscow, December 1941......Page 8 Hitler’s Strategic Choices......Page 9 War of Attrition......Page 10 Events in Tokyo......Page 12 The Soviets Strike Back......Page 13 Conclusion......Page 14 Questions to Consider......Page 15 2—Anti-Semitism and the Nazis......Page 16 Historical Context......Page 17 The Jews in Nazi Thinking......Page 18 The Nuremburg Laws......Page 19 The War Begins......Page 20 Spring of 1941......Page 21 Conclusion......Page 22 Questions to Consider......Page 23 3—Tearing Up the Treaty of Versailles......Page 24 Tiny Steps......Page 25 Trouble in Spain......Page 26 Hitler Targets Austria......Page 27 Neville Chamberlain’s Dilemma......Page 28 Hitler’s Demands Increase......Page 29 The Missing Soviets......Page 30 Questions to Consider......Page 31 4—The War Begins, 1939......Page 32 Stalin Sends a Signal......Page 33 The Lightning War......Page 35 The Polish Fight On......Page 36 Poland Defeated......Page 37 Questions to Consider......Page 38 5—The Nazi Rise to Power, 1922-1933......Page 39 Europe after World War I......Page 40 The Rise of Hitler......Page 41 Hitler the Agitator......Page 42 Destroying the System......Page 43 The Nazi Takeover......Page 44 Elimination of Opposition......Page 45 Questions to Consider......Page 46 6—The Fall of France, Spring 1940......Page 47 Denmark and Norway......Page 48 Charles de Gaulle......Page 49 The Germans Attack......Page 50 Across the Meuse River......Page 51 Salvaging a Disaster......Page 52 The French Choice......Page 53 Questions to Consider......Page 55 7—The Battle of Britain-and the Blitz......Page 56 Hitler’s Overconfidence......Page 57 British Advantages......Page 58 The Bombing of Cities......Page 59 American Sympathy......Page 60 Questions to Consider......Page 61 8—Britain and Germany’s Standoff at Sea......Page 62 Plan Z......Page 63 U-Boats......Page 64 A Difficult Decision......Page 65 The Mediterranean Situation......Page 67 Questions to Consider......Page 69 9—Hitler, Stalin, and Operation Barbarossa......Page 70 Hitler’s Motivation......Page 71 Yugoslavia under Pressure......Page 72 Operation Barbarossa......Page 73 Soviet and German Reactions......Page 74 Hitler’s Next Moves......Page 75 Questions to Consider......Page 76 10—Roosevelt, Isolationism, and Lend-Lease......Page 77 The Great Depression......Page 78 Effects of Neutrality......Page 79 War in Europe......Page 80 The Plan Dog Memorandum......Page 81 The Final Step......Page 82 Late in 1941......Page 83 Questions to Consider......Page 84 11—North Africa and the Battle of el-Alamein......Page 85 Mussolini Joins Hitler......Page 86 Bold Moves from Wavell......Page 87 Setbacks for Wavell’s Forces......Page 88 Changing Circumstances......Page 89 Fighting and Retreat......Page 90 The Third Battle of el-Alamein......Page 91 November 1942......Page 92 Suggested Reading......Page 93 Questions to Consider......Page 94 12—The Battle of Stalingrad, 1942-1943......Page 95 Soviet Mistakes......Page 96 The Germans Advance......Page 97 The Soviet Defense......Page 98 November 1942......Page 99 The German Supply Problem......Page 100 The Meaning of Stalingrad......Page 101 Questions to Consider......Page 103 13—Resistance in Nazi-Occupied Europe......Page 104 Resistance in Norway......Page 105 Vichy France......Page 107 French Resistance......Page 108 Yugoslav Partisans......Page 109 Choosing Sides......Page 110 The Soviet Partisan Movement......Page 111 Questions to Consider......Page 112 14— The Holocaust......Page 113 A Chilling Operation......Page 114 Different Camps......Page 115 The Allies......Page 116 Rescue Efforts......Page 117 Conclusion......Page 118 Questions to Consider......Page 120 15—U-Boats and the Battle of the Atlantic......Page 121 Early Naval Fighting......Page 122 Code Breaking......Page 123 Playing into British Hands......Page 124 America’s Role in the U-Boat War......Page 125 Struggles in 1942 and 1943......Page 126 Technological Advancements......Page 127 Suggested Reading......Page 128 Questions to Consider......Page 129 16—The Allies Invade Italy: Sicily to Anzio......Page 130 Invading Sicily......Page 131 A Troubled Campaign......Page 132 Invading Italy......Page 134 Monte Cassino......Page 135 Anzio......Page 136 The Fate of Mussolini......Page 137 Conclusion......Page 138 Questions to Consider......Page 139 17—Strategic Bombing over Germany......Page 140 Striking Germany by Air......Page 141 British Losses......Page 142 American Losses......Page 143 A Different Situation......Page 144 Conclusion......Page 146 Questions to Consider......Page 147 18—Allied Industry, Spying, and Wonder Weapons......Page 148 Human Intelligence......Page 149 Resistance Movements......Page 150 Soviet Intelligence......Page 151 Signals Intelligence......Page 152 Terrifying Weaponry......Page 153 Natural Resources......Page 154 Questions to Consider......Page 155 19—Soviets, Germans, and the Eastern Front......Page 156 Operation Citadel......Page 157 Operations in Ukraine......Page 158 Germany’s Allies......Page 159 The Summer of June 1944......Page 160 The Plot against Hitler......Page 161 The Warsaw Uprising......Page 162 Questions to Consider......Page 163 20—D-Day, June 1944......Page 164 A Difficult Task......Page 165 Preparing for the Invasion......Page 166 D-Day Begins......Page 167 Five Beaches......Page 168 On French Soil......Page 169 Allied Trouble......Page 170 Conclusion......Page 171 Questions to Consider......Page 172 21—Hitler Runs Out of Options, Fall 1944......Page 173 A New Approach......Page 174 Events in August......Page 175 The Allied Advance......Page 176 Operation Market Garden......Page 177 After Market Garden......Page 178 The Battle of the Bulge......Page 179 Questions to Consider......Page 181 22—Soviet Push to Berlin and Yalta Power Play......Page 182 Smashing German Lines......Page 183 Desertions and Terror......Page 184 Allied Leaders at Yalta......Page 185 Soviet Demands......Page 186 Reaching Berlin......Page 187 Conclusion......Page 188 Questions to Consider......Page 189 22—Eisenhower’s Endgame in Europe......Page 190 Three Worries......Page 191 Closing In on Hitler......Page 192 Hitler’s Demise......Page 193 A Complicated Surrender......Page 194 Conclusion......Page 195 Questions to Consider......Page 197 23—War’s End: Picking Up the Pieces......Page 198 War Crime Trials and Other Fates......Page 199 Britain......Page 200 The Cold War and the Soviets......Page 201 The United States......Page 202 After the End of the War......Page 203 Questions to Consider......Page 204 Quiz......Page 205 Bibliography......Page 210 Image Credits......Page 217