Richard Overy explains how the Soviets turned disaster into a victory that led to the formation of a Communist superpower. It started with Russia totally disadvantaged, but the turn-around was awesome, as Stalin's war machine revved into action. The enormous scale of this particularly ferocious war is hard to comprehend. The war between Nazi Germany and Stalin's Russia was always going to be hard-fought - but could anyone have predicted the scale of the destruction caused by this ill-considered attack?ĭid lessons learnt in the disastrous Dieppe Raid of 1942 secure the success of the Normandy landings? Julian Thompson questions how useful the tactical blunders and senseless slaughter were in planning D-Day. Hitler's invasion of Russia (2011, March 30) The sustained German bombing of London and other major British cities began towards the end of the Battle of Britain, after a British raid on Berlin in early September prompted Hitler to order the Luftwaffe to switch its attention from RAF Fighter Command to urban centres of industrial and political significance. But was invasion imminent or was this part of a strategy? Dan Cruickshank describes the British effort to defend her shores during World War Two.īattle of Britain (BBC, 2011, February 17)įollowing the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) from Dunkirk, Hitler issued a directive on 16 July 1940 ordering the preparation and, if necessary, the execution of a plan for the invasion of Great Britain, codenamed Operation Sealion. The German threat to Britain in World War II (BBC, 2011, June 21)Īfter the surrender of France to Germany in 1940, Britain was the Third Reich's next target. Dr Gary Sheffield considers the dramatic and unexpected defeat of the Allied forces in France. The collapse of France, just six weeks after Hitler's initial assault, ripped up the balance of power in Europe. Eric Grove considers the consequences of the campaign's strategic failures. A prime minister, naval strength and even the ability to mount an invasion of Britain were among the casualties. The battle for Norway cost Germany and Britain dearly. The Norway campaign in World War II (BBC, 2011, March 30) Listen to eight survivors of the Dunkirk evacuation recount their stories in this audio gallery. Between 26 May and the night of 3/4 June, approximately 340,000 men were picked up by some 900 ships, many of them small, privately-owned vessels. A makeshift escape plan was hurriedly put into effect by the British. Surprised and outflanked, Allied troops fell back to the Channel ports. Everyone expected Germany to invade France from the east, but within six weeks Hitler's blitzkrieg ('lightning war') tactics had carried his forces through Holland and Belgium, and the invasion came instead from the north. In early May 1940, during the first year of World War Two, the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was positioned alongside French forces on the Belgian border. Why was it that Britain and France were outfought at every turn? Read through this article to learn more. The speed, flexibility and initiative of the German Wehrmacht took the Allies completely by surprise during the blitzkrieg at the start of World War Two. World War II in Europe (National Geographic, n.d.)Ĭlick through this timeline to better understand how the Axis and Allies engaged in conflict in Europe between 19. Holocaust and World War II maps: war theatres (Jewish Virtual Library, n.d.)Ī collection of maps of the different theatres of war before, during and after World War II. Read through this article for a theatre by theatre list of battles. During World War II, between 22 and 26 million men were killed in battle as each side fought for their chosen cause. The battles of World War II are largely divided into the European Theater (Western Europe), Eastern Front, Mediterranean/North Africa Theater, and the Pacific Theater. The List of theaters and campaigns of World War II subdivides military operations of World War II and contemporary wars by war, then by theatre and then by campaign.īattles of World War II (ThoughtCo, 2019, April 25) List of theatres and campaigns of World War II (Military Wiki, n.d.) This interactive map shows the locations of theatres of war across both World War One and World War Two, with links to more information about each theatre. Read through the resources below to learn more about where World War II was fought and how those conditions impacted military strategy.īattles (Australian War Memorial, London, n.d.) World War II was fought over numerous theatres of battle, but we normally associate it with its two deadliest: the European theatre and the Pacific theatre.
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