World War II For Dummies

Introduction: The Most Destructive War 1 About This Book 2 Conventions Used in This Book 3 How This Book Is Organized 4 Part 1: Origins and Causes of the War, 1919–1939 4 Part 2: Starting the War: The Axis Invades and Conquers, 1939–1942 4 Part 3: Behind Enemy Lines: Nations at War 5 Part 4: Planning and Launching the Allied Counterattack, 1942–1943 5 Part 5: The Long Haul, 1944 6 Part 6: Starting Over: The War’s Aftereffects, 1945 6 Part 7: The Part of Tens 7 Icons Used in This Book 7 Where to Go from Here 8 Beyond the Book 8 Part 1: Origins and Causes of The War, 1919–1939 9 Chapter 1: World War II: Why It Matters and What You Need to Know 11 The War’s Beginnings 12 The World War I peace agreement 12 The global economy 12 The rise of totalitarianism 13 The birth of Fascism and Nazism 13 The rise of Hitler 14 The British and French fear of another war 14 The isolationism of the United States 14 The empire building of Japan 14 Who’s Who of Combatants 15 The Allies 15 The Axis 15 The Course of the War 16 Where in the World Was the World War Fought? 17 The battles in Europe 17 The battles in the Soviet Union 18 The battles in North Africa 18 The battles in the Pacific and in Southeast Asia 18 The battle in the Atlantic 18 The Effect of World War II 19 Chapter 2: The Great War and the Uneasy Peace: How World War II Happened 21 The End of One War and the Roots of Another 22 The victors and the spoils: The Treaty of Versailles 23 Woodrow Wilson’s last card: The League of Nations 25 The world in the 1920s 26 Collapsing Economies: The Great Depression 32 The effect on countries’ economies 32 The threat to democracy 32 Fascism and Nazism: Whose Bright Idea Was This? 33 Fascism in a nutshell — if only 33 Fascism in Italy 35 Nazism: Fascism with a twist 36 The Rise of Hitler 38 The putsch that failed 38 Mein Kampf 39 Hitler consolidates power 39 Creating the regime: The alpha wolf takes over 40 Nazi top brass: The rest of the pack 42 Japan and the Militarists: The Army Calls the Shots 47 The military acts 48 The fall of Japanese democracy 48 Japan takes control of China 49 Chapter 3: Hoping for Peace: The Rise of the Dictators, 1933–1939 51 The Steps to War: Taking Advantage of Circumstances 52 Rebuilding the army 52 Buying time 53 Forging an agreement with Poland 53 Reclaiming the Saar 54 Breaking treaties 54 Advancing into the Rhineland 54 Getting Aggressive: Italy Makes a War 55 Forging a Pact: The Axis Is Born 56 The Spanish Civil War: Fascism and Communism Clash 57 Germany: Using Diplomacy and Smoke Screens for War 58 Britain: Seeking Mediation and Appeasement 59 Austria and Czechoslovakia Catch Hitler’s Eye 60 The Anschluss in Austria 60 Onward to Czechoslovakia 61 May I have more, please? 64 The diplomats — Did they do their job? 65 Part 2: Starting The War: The Axis Invades And Conquers, 1939–1942 67 Chapter 4: Invading Eastern Europe: Hitler’s Power Grows, 1939 69 Czechoslovakia Disappears: Divvying Land and German Occupation 70 Chamberlain and Daladier wise up 71 Why wasn’t I informed?! — Mussolini in the dark 71 Playing Both Sides of the Fence: Negotiations with the Soviets 72 Talks with Britain and France 72 Talks with Germany: The Nazi-Soviet pact 73 Talking Peace and Planning War: Hitler Finds an Excuse 76 Hitler’s plans for Poland 76 On the brink — and beyond 76 Chapter 5: Blitzkrieg in Europe: World War II Begins, 1939–1941 79 The Invasion of Poland 80 The German onslaught 80 The Soviets enter the fray 81 A new style of warfare: The blitzkrieg 82 After Poland’s defeat 82 Drawing the Line: Britain and France Declare War on Germany 83 British action — such that it was 84 French action: Patrolling the border 85 Fighting His Own War: Stalin Goes after Finland 85 Wave 1: Stalin faces the fighting Finns 86 Wave 2: Let’s try this again 86 Anyone paying attention? The message of the Soviet-Finnish War 87 He’s B-a-a-ck: Hitler Strikes Norway and Denmark 88 The plan 88 The attack and the resistance 88 Fighting with the hearts of lions: The Allies respond 89 Winners and losers 90 The Phony War: Using France to Get at Britain 91 The Germans: Making the most of unexpected delays 91 The Allies: You’d think that they would have been prepared 92 The first phase: Attacking the Low Countries 95 The second phase: The attack through the Ardennes Forest 95 The Allies: Stuck in Flanders 96 The Royal Navy to the rescue: Salvation at Dunkirk 96 France falls to Germany 97 Improving their position: The other dictators act 99 A British Epic: The Battle of Britain 100 Standing alone 100 Taking to the air: New considerations for aerial warfare 101 The not-so-friendly skies 102 Descending on London: The Luftwaffe Blitz 102 The Balkans: Mussolini’s Mess and Hitler’s New Target 103 Mussolini invades 103 Britain appears on the scene 103 Hitler jumps on the bandwagon 104 Greece falls to Germany 105 Capturing Crete from the air 106 The Italians Take Their Lumps All Over Africa 106 Running them out on a rail: The Italians surrender 107 Helping the Italians: Enter Rommel 108 Chapter 6: The Ultimate Battle: Hitler versus Stalin 109 If at First You Don’t Succeed, Find Another Target 110 Why the Soviet Union? 110 Working the dream: Inside the Führer’s mind 111 Laying the groundwork: Operation BARBAROSSA 112 Appeasing Germany: Stalin Is Clueless 112 Information Stalin ignored 113 Mistakes Stalin made 113 The Germans hit hard and fast 114 Forgetting What’s Important: Hitler’s Fatal Decision 116 Stalin rallies the Soviet people 118 The road to Moscow 118 New fire for the Soviets: Zhukov takes command 120 Corporal Hitler Takes Charge of the Eastern Front 120 Chapter 7: America on the Sidelines: 1933–1941 121 Looking Inward: A New President and a Neutral Stance 122 The Neutrality Act of 1935 and its extension 124 The Neutrality Act of 1937 124 The effect of the Neutrality Acts 124 Message from Japan 125 Bad Signs in Europe 126 Roosevelt Plays the Neutrality Game 126 France’s Fall: America’s Wake-up Call 127 Wheeling and dealing with Britain: Talkin’ belligerent 127 Help thy neighbor: The Lend-Lease Act 128 American ships go out 129 Enough is enough: A neutral starts shooting 130 Chapter 8: Collision in Asia: Japan and America, 1937–1941 131 A Brief History of Politics in Japan 131 Building the Perfect Machine: Japan Thinks War 132 Choking China into surrender 132 Diplomatic chess: Japan’s big plans 133 Oops! Miscalculations in diplomacy: Japan joins the Axis 134 A new guy takes over 134 Japan’s gamble: How the war would go 135 Dancing diplomats: Japan and America do the two-step 136 War Comes to America: Pearl Harbor 137 The attack 138 The aftermath 138 Japanese gains 139 The U.S declares war on Japan 139 The Japanese Wage War 140 Malaya: The worst defeat in British history 140 The Dutch East Indies 141 “A hell of a beating” in Burma 142 Wake, Guam, and the Philippines 142 Ignoring the Writing on the Wall: MacArthur Fights 144 Giving the Allies hope: “I shall return” 145 Defeat and the Death March 146 Hitler Declares War on the Mongrel Race 146 Now It’s a World War 147 Part 3: Behind Enemy Lines: Nations At War 149 Chapter 9: Maintaining Resources: The Axis 151 Nazi Germany 151 A well-fed German is a happy German 152 Spearheading the production process 152 Slave labor and other workers 153 Under the illusion: Morale 153 Resisting Hitler inside Germany 154 Unready and Unwilling: Fascist Italy 155 Wartime production 156 Struggling for labor 156 Wondering what to do: Morale 156 Believing in Victory: Imperial Japan 157 Taking control: Production 157 The Japanese labor force 158 The Emperor’s new clothes: Morale 158 Chapter 10: Working Together: The Allies 159 Staying United: The United Kingdom 160 The Yanks are comin’ again 160 Mobilizing manpower: Labor and the war effort 160 Keeping a stiff upper lip: British morale 161 Working Hard: The United States 161 Building the arsenal: The America triumph 162 Back home on the range: Morale 164 The dark side of American zeal: The internment camps 164 The Soviet Union 165 Staying alive: Production 166 Worked to death: Soviet labor 167 Becoming a world power: Morale 168 Chapter 11: The War against the Jews 169 The Rationale: Nazi Thinking 169 The Persecution Begins: Jews in Germany 170 Mobile Killing Units: The Einsatzgruppen 171 Deportation to Ghettos, Concentration Camps, and Death Camps 172 Life in the ghetto 173 Life in the concentration camps 173 The “death factories” 174 The Final Solution and Its Ultimate Failure 175 Hiding their crime 176 The arrival of the Americans, British, and Soviets 177 Part 4: Planning and Launching The Allied Counterattack, 1942–1943 179 Chapter 12: The Politics of Compromise, 1942 181 The Axis Powers: Deals among Desperados 182 American-British Cooperation: Not a Bed of Roses 183 The Atlantic Charter 183 An Allied picnic: The Arcadia Conference 184 Clashing Strategies: A Debate among Friends 185 Japan first? 185 Or Germany first? 186 What about North Africa? 186 Heating up the debate: Stalin’s call for help 187 Making the First Decision: Germany First 187 Chapter 13: Taking North Africa, Sicily, and the Boot 189 Rommel’s Desert Defeat: El Alamein 189 The Eighth Army takes on Rommel 190 Rommel returns and Montgomery enters 191 Between a rock and a hard place: Rommel’s position 191 Rommel’s defeat: Montgomery gives chase 192 Throwing the Torch: The Allies Strike in North Africa 194 Getting organized: The invasion force takes shape 195 The operation begins 197 The end of Vichy France 198 Winning ugly: The Americans’ steep learning curve 198 Turning toward Tunisia 199 Hitler sends reinforcements 199 Rommel returns again 199 Kasserine Pass: The first battle 200 The Americans regroup and attack 200 A Day and Night in Casablanca: The Allies Go-Forward Plan 201 Operation HUSKY: Invading Sicily 201 An Allied victory, an Italian surrender, and a few snafus 202 He’s OUTTA here! Mussolini gets the hook 204 Who needs a friend like you? Italy declares war on Germany 204 Up the Boot: Invading the Italian Mainland 205 Salerno to the Winter Line 205 In the wake of the victory 206 Chapter 14: Germany a Three-Time Loser: In Russia, At Home, and in the Atlantic 207 Hitler’s 1942 Offensive in Russia 208 Hitler’s plan: Bold but flawed 208 Soviet response 209 Hitler dooms his troops 210 The agony of Stalingrad 211 Setting the trap for the Germans 212 The bear trap snaps shut: The Soviets attack 212 Stalingrad: A decisive Soviet victory 213 Amassing Ammo and Men at Kursk 215 The plum of Stalin’s eye: Operation Zitadelle 216 Kursk: Another big win for the Soviets 216 Taking It to the Streets: Bombing Germany 216 Striking in daylight: The Americans join in 217 Changing Allied strategy 219 Raiding Ploesti and Schweinfurt 219 Rating the raids: Were they worth it? 220 High Tide of the U-Boat: The Battle of the Atlantic 221 The fearsome U-boats 221 Keeping the USSR strong: The Murmansk run 223 Sinking the U-boats: The turning point, 1943 223 Chapter 15: Guadalcanal, New Guinea, and Midway: Japan’s Three Strikes 225 The Rope-a-Dope: Japan Fights for Time 225 Raising American morale: The Allied counterpunch 227 Setting Tokyo on fire: Doolittle’s raid 228 A Military First: The Battle of the Coral Sea 229 Intercepting helpful info: A critical tip-off 229 Engaging in pea soup on the way to Port Moresby 230 Going after the carriers instead 231 A Japanese victory, an American triumph 231 Midway: Naval Aviation’s Finest Moment 232 Setting a trap: The Japanese three-pronged approach 232 Having two aces in the hole: The Nimitz shuffle 234 Opening moves: Bombs over Midway 234 Off the beaten path: McClusky’s miracle 235 Midway: A Strategic Analysis 236 New Guinea: Green Hell 236 Jungle fighting: The Aussies hold the Japanese 237 Bringing the Americans: MacArthur and his troops 238 Protecting Australia: Allied Pacific Strategy 239 The Americans take the offensive 239 “The Fork in the Road”: Battles on land and sea for Guadalcanal 241 Bloody Ridge: The Americans hold Guadalcanal 241 Other clashes between U.S and Japanese forces in the Solomons 242 Looking at Guadalcanal blow by blow 242 Nimitz Takes the Offensive 243 Japan’s suicide defenders at Tarawa 243 Running aground: A bitter surprise 244 The Marines take the island 244 Chapter 16: Planning for the Rest of the War, 1943 245 The Big Three: Conference at Teheran 246 Winds of Change in 1943: From the Axis Perspective 247 Playing both sides of the fence: The Japanese 247 Holding out for now: The Germans 248 The Panorama of 1943: From the Allied Perspective 248 Stepping up production: The Americans 249 Preserving and restoring the British Empire 249 Creating a new role for itself: The Soviet Union 250 Riding the storm out: China 250 Part 5: The Long Haul, 1944 251 Chapter 17: The Italian Campaign and Soviet Victories in the East 253 Changing Plans: End Run on the Winter Line 254 The strategy and potential problems 254 The fight at Cassino 255 Landing at Anzio: Surprises for everyone 255 The battle on the Anzio beach 256 The fight at the Gustav Line 256 Rome: The First Capital to Fall — So What? 257 When in Rome 258 Stalemate again 258 Steamrolling the German Army in Russia 258 Blitzkrieg, Soviet style 259 Driving into the Balkans: The Soviets take over 261 Courageous uprising in Warsaw 261 Chapter 18: Liberating Europe: From Normandy to Paris, and Beyond 263 Deciding on Strategy: OVERLORD 264 Need a plan, a real big Allied plan 265 Germans step up their defenses 267 The toughest job: Eisenhower makes the call 268 D-Day: Invasion and Breakout 268 Some success for the Canadians and British at Gold, Juno, and Sword beaches 269 Success for the Americans at Utah beach 270 A near disaster at Omaha 270 A day late and a dollar short: Another Hitler blunder 271 Expanding the Beachhead 272 The battle for Caen 272 The Allied breakout into the open 273 Forcing the German retreat: The disaster at Falaise 273 Liberating Paris 274 Too Far, Too Fast: More Decisions 275 Tough choices for Eisenhower 275 The British offensive: Monty miscalculates 276 Americans bloody Germany’s nose on the border 278 Combat fatigue all along the line 278 The Air War: Wearing Germany Down 279 Allied attacks on war production factories 279 The offensive intensifies 279 Feeling the effects 280 Hitler’s Gamble: The Battle of the Bulge 281 Through the Ardennes Forest again 281 Narrowing the gap: The Allies just keep fighting 282 Losses on both sides: The aftermath 284 The Soviets on Germany’s Doorstep 284 Advancing into Yugoslavia and Hungary 284 Chapter 19: Japan Begins to Crack 287 The Island Assault Plan: The Marshalls and Then the Marianas 288 Marshall Islands: Learned Lessons Well Applied 288 Overwhelming odds: The Allies take the islands 290 Some is enough: The Marshalls go to the Allies 290 Mauling the Marianas 291 Saipan 291 Guam 292 Tinian 292 The Japanese Navy Weighs In: The Battle of the Philippine Sea 292 The Marianas “Turkey Shoot” 293 Bad news for the Japanese fleet 293 MacArthur’s island hopping 294 Kicking Off the New Guinea Campaign 294 Rabaul is encircled 295 Dominating the air: Hollandia 295 Controlling the sea: Biak 296 Same old mistakes: Peleliu 297 Preparing to Take Leyte 298 MacArthur returns 299 The Battle of Leyte Gulf 299 MacArthur: Bogged down in Leyte 303 A hard won victory 303 Aftermath of Leyte: Marching on Mindoro 304 Operations in the Pacific: An Appreciation 304 The China-Burma-India Theater 305 Allied Hit and Runs in Burma 307 British General Wingate and the Chindits 307 Chinese troops and Merill’s Marauders 307 The Japanese Tip the Balance in China 308 Stirring Up Trouble: The Japanese Offensive against India 309 Battle at Imphal 309 Battle at Kohima 310 The End of the Line in Burma: Good-bye to Stilwell and the Japanese 310 A victim of politics: Exit Vinegar Joe 311 Breaking Japanese resistance: Clearing Burma 311 Part 6: Starting Over: The War’s Aftereffects, 1945 313 Chapter 20: Ending the War (Almost): The Final Offensive 315 The Allies Cross the Rhine, the Germans Turn a Corner 316 Can’t someone shut this guy up? — Hitler tries again 317 Another bridge awaits: Pushing the river 317 A tale of two crossings 318 The Germans: Down but not out 318 The Soviets Move Forward 319 Regaining Hungary 319 Clearing the way to Berlin 319 Fearing the worst: The German exodus 320 Fighting in the Air and at Sea: The Final Acts 320 Air attacks: The bottom line 321 An end to the U-boat threat 321 Capturing German Territory 322 Symbolic spoils: The fate of Berlin 322 Understanding Eisenhower’s decision 323 Roosevelt’s Last Act and Stalin’s Coup at Yalta 323 Winning over Uncle Joe (not) 324 On the United Nations 324 On the fate of Poland 325 On the future of Germany 325 On the USSR’s involvement in Japan 326 A bitter pill 326 The War in Italy Ends, and Germany Succumbs 327 The battle in northern Italy 328 Defying Der Führer: The Germans surrender 328 Stalin Moves on Berlin 328 The Soviet onslaught 329 The end of Berlin’s most notorious citizen: Hitler 330 The fall of Berlin 331 No Way Out: The Germans Surrender 332 The German surrender to the British and Americans 332 One more time! Stalin demands another surrender 333 Celebrating VE Day 333 The happy stuff: Allies celebrate 333 The not so happy stuff 334 Reconstructing a New Germany: The Potsdam Conference 334 Getting thrown into the pot: The newcomers 336 Conference Outline: What was decided 336 Tying up loose ends: Plans for another conference 337 Warning Japan: The secret threat 338 Loose Ends of a Bitter Victory 339 Chapter 21: The Japanese Defeat 341 Returning to the Philippines 342 Luzon: The First Phase 342 Nothing is spared: Terror in Manila 344 Death from above at Corregidor 345 Finishing the battle to clear Luzon 346 Mindanao: Still more fighting to do 346 A sometimes forgotten triumph: The Philippines 347 Attack from Air and Sea: Japan Is Next 347 Targeting Tokyo, Osaka, and other cities 348 Targeting merchant ships: Submarine operations 348 The Fight for Iwo Jima 349 Defenses like never before: Japanese preparations 349 Throwing a lot of stuff: Bombing before the attack 350 Hitting the beach and a flag raising at Mount Suribachi 350 The terrible finale 352 Okinawa: A Different Set of Problems 352 On familiar ground: Okinawa’s defenders 353 The easy landing 354 Kamikaze attacks 354 The end of the Japanese fleet 355 The battle for the ridges 356 The mud of May and the Shuri Line 356 Okinawa: Another costly victory 357 The Planned Invasion of Japan 357 Planning considerations 358 Taking down Japan: The plan 359 The Atomic Bomb and the Defeat of Japan 360 Hiroshima: The first target 361 Japanese government reaction 362 The Soviets declare war on Japan 362 Nagasaki next 363 The cost 363 The end of an era: The Emperor submits 363 The announcement to the Japanese people 364 The Japanese surrender 364 The Allied Occupation of Japan 365 Chapter 22: The Uneasy Peace 367 The Costs: A Global Assessment 367 Remaking the World: War and Technology 368 Giving Peace a Chance: The United Nations 369 A New World Emerges 369 The Beginnings of the Cold War 371 Some Final Thoughts 372 Part 7: The Part of Tens 373 Chapter 23: Ten Formidable Military Leaders of World War II 375 Winston S Churchill: Timeless Excellence 375 Dwight D Eisenhower: Don’t Worry, Be Happy 376 Douglas MacArthur: Damn the Torpedoes! 376 George C Marshall: Sterling Dedication 377 Chester W Nimitz: Master of the Sea 377 George S Patton: A Warrior for All Seasons 378 Irwin Rommel: The Desert Fox 379 Franklin D Roosevelt: Artful Dodger 379 Isoroku Yamamoto: Samurai Warrior 380 Georgi Zhukov: Leading the Masses 380 Chapter 24: Ten Weapons That Made a Difference 383 The German MG-42 Machine Gun 383 The German Tiger Tank 384 The M-1 Garand Rifle 384 The V-2 Rocket 385 The P-51 Mustang 386 The Me-262 Jet Aircraft 386 The B-17 Bomber: The Flying Fortress 387 The 88 mm Gun 387 The Yorktown and Essex Class Carriers 388 The Atomic Bomb 388 Chapter 25: Ten “What Ifs?” of World War II 389 What If Hitler Conquered Great Britain Instead of Attacking the Soviet Union? 389 What If U.S Carriers Had Been at Pearl Harbor? 390 What If Hitler Pursued Proper Strategic Programs? 391 What If There Had Been No Attack on Pearl Harbor Until 1942? 391 What If Hitler Liberated the Russians? 392 What If France Held Out in 1940? 392 What If the Bulge Had Worked? 393 What If Hitler Had Been Assassinated? 393 What If Hitler Let His Generals Plan Strategy? 394 What If the Japanese Navy Had Survived? 394 Index 397