The defeat of Germany in the Second World War has been a subject that has fascinated historians ever since the events occurred. The reasons behind this have been a hotly debated topic ever since, none more so than the balance between eastern and western theatres and the reasons behind the defeat in the Soviet Union.[1] However this picture has been obscured by two main issues, the extent of the involvement of the German Army (Heer) in atrocities in the USSR, the so called ‘clean Wehrmacht’ myth and Cold War politics.

The German-Soviet War was a Total War, with the German state seeking the total destruction of the Soviet state, and the killing or enslavement its inhabitants. Which leads to the question of why was this war so destructive towards the indigenous population when Germany was seeking to gain the maximum resources from the region?

Nationalist China played a major role in the Second World War by engaging the main body of the Japanese Army. This prevented the Japanese Army either attacking the Soviet Union in the rear or reinforcing its defensive island chain in the Pacific and so causing America heavy casualties. In terms of suffering and destruction, China endured 20 million dead, 45 million refugees. Yet the Soviet Union was counted as one of the ‘Big Three’ great powers, while China was not, even though she was the fourth signatory on the Charter of the United Nations.

Following on from my Zkn3 English User Manual, this blog will add in more advanced user methods and record my experience of using a Zettelkasten in research and turning the writing cycle.

The Zkn3 programme replicates Niklaus Luhmann’s original paper ‘Zettelkasten’ or Index Card Box. However the original programme was written in German and although both English and Spanish language version are available, ther eis not English language manual or documentation available. So by a system of trial and error I have written one. Any mistakes are mine alone, so please correct them in the comments box below

Soviet tank armies used a form of logistics different from that of Western armies that specifically allowed them a high degree of mobility and the ability to operate deeply behind enemy lines without fear of interruption. The build-up for offensives was provided by railways, and the offensives themselves were time limited, awaiting the arrival of the field armies and restored railway connections.

In September 1944, a major argument broke out between the Allied commanders during the Normandy Campaign. The roots of this argument went back a long way, to the very concept used by the Allies to fight wars, the dysfunctional Allied command structure used in the Mediterranean Campaign, and the assumptions made by COSSAC in the early planing stages of Overlord. The actual arguments may have been about the day to day tactical decisions but these were only a symptom of larger command problems.