Table Of Content

Cover page Page: i Halftitle page Page: i Series page Page: ii Title page Page: ix Copyright page Page: x Contents Page: xi List of maps Page: xii Introduction Page: 1 Chapter 1: The inter-war years Page: 4 The 1919 peace conference Page: 4 Germany after World War I and the rise of Hitler Page: 10 The world reacts to Hitler Page: 12 The crisis over Czechoslovakia Page: 14 Germany starts World War II Page: 15 Chapter 2: World War II begins Page: 20 The invasions of Poland Page: 20 War at sea Page: 24 The German invasion of Denmark and Norway Page: 26 Chapter 3: War in the West: 1940 Page: 33 War plans Page: 33 The German victory in the West Page: 35 The reaction of the USA Page: 41 The German decision to invade the Soviet Union Page: 43 The war in Africa and the Middle East Page: 45 Chapter 4: Barbarossa: the German invasion of the Soviet Union Page: 52 Planning for the invasion of the Soviet Union and the Holocaust Page: 52 Germany invades the Soviet Union Page: 54 The Eastern front in the winter of 1941–42 Page: 60 The unoccupied and the occupied Soviet Union Page: 63 Chapter 5: Japan expands its war with China Page: 66 Japan decides to expand its war Page: 66 The Japanese advance Page: 70 Japan’s offensives halted Page: 76 A wider war Page: 79 Chapter 6: The turning tide: autumn 1942–spring 1944 Page: 81 Germany’s 1942 offensive and disaster in the East Page: 81 The initiative in the East and shifts in the Mediterranean in 1943 Page: 86 The war at sea and in the air Page: 89 Campaigns in Sicily and Italy Page: 91 The war in the Pacific 1942–43 Page: 94 Resistance in occupied areas and the policies of neutrals as the tide turns Page: 96 Chapter 7: Developments on the home front and in technical and medical fields Page: 98 Germany Page: 98 Poland Page: 99 Denmark and Norway Page: 101 Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France Page: 102 Great Britain and its Commonwealth and Empire Page: 104 Italy Page: 105 The Soviet Union Page: 105 Japan Page: 106 China Page: 107 The United States Page: 108 Central and South America, neutrals, and technical developments Page: 108 Chapter 8: Allied victory, 1944–5 Page: 110 The Axis Page: 110 The Allies Page: 111 Winter 1944–45 in Europe Page: 116 Allied offensives in east Asia and the Pacific Page: 117 The final defeat of Japan Page: 119 Conclusion Page: 123 Further reading Page: 126 Index Page: 131 Social Media Very Short Introduction Page: 137 Online Catalogue A Very Short Introduction Page: 138

Description:

The enormous loss of life and physical destruction caused by the First World War led people to hope that there would never be another such catastrophe. How then did it come about that there was a Second World War causing twice the 30 million deaths and many times more destruction as had been caused in the previous conflict? In this Very Short Introduction, Gerhard L. Weinberg provides an introduction to the origins, course, and impact of the war on those who fought and the ordinary citizens who lived through it. Starting by looking at the inter-war years and the German invasion of Poland in September 1939, he examines how the war progressed by examining a number of key events, including the war in the West in 1940, Barbarossa, The German Invasion of the Soviet Union, the expansion of Japan's war with China, developments on the home front, and the Allied victory from 1944-45. Exploring the costs and effects of the war, Weinberg concludes by considering the long-lasting mark World War II has left on society today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.