What were the main reasons for the German defeat in the East?

What were the main reasons for the German defeat in the East?

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.

Why did the Germany’s Total War against the Soviet Union cause such suffering to the civilian population

Why did the Germany’s Total War against the Soviet Union cause such suffering to the civilian population

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?

The Big Three or the Big Four? Why China failed to be recognised as a Great Power during the Second World War

The Big Three or the Big Four? Why China failed to be recognised as a Great Power during the Second World War

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.

The Logistics of the Combined-Arms Army— the Rear: High Mobility Through Limited Means

The Logistics of the Combined-Arms Army— the Rear: High Mobility Through Limited Means

The Red Army’s ‘Combined-arms Armies’ were the most numerous unit in the operational army and so provide valuable insight into how Soviet forces achieved their mobility during the war. This paper shows that they lacked sufficient transport to both move and supply themselves simulateously and instead did this sequentially, conducting offensives of known duration and distance. Late war advances of great duration were supported either by rapid re-establishment of railway lines or living off captured German stores.

The concept of the Righteous among the Nations. A failed paradigm?

The concept of the Righteous among the Nations. A failed paradigm?

The term ‘Righteous among the Nations’ or העולם אומות חסידי originates from a meeting on 31 December 1941 in Vilnius between some Jews in hiding and their rescuer, Feldwebel Anton Schmid, who was a member of the occupying German army. Although none of the participants survived, a record of the meeting was taken by a courier to Warsaw and was found after the war in the Oneg Shabbat archive.1 The term was resurrected in 1953, when Yad Vashem was created by an Act of the Knesset (Israel’s parliament,) as a memorial to those who died in the Shoah. Included in the Act was a stipulation that it found a way to honour those Gentiles who risked their lives to save Jews from death.

Why did German air power decline in effectiveness during the Second World War?

Why did German air power decline in effectiveness during the Second World War?

The usual epithet applied to the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) is one of defeat as in the first six months of 1944 the Luftwaffe fighter defences were shot out of the skies over the Reich by American long-range fighters. By the time of the Normandy invasion, the Luftwaffe was unable to mount anything other than a token response to Allied air forces which had achieved air supremacy. The underlying causes for this situation were the insufficient numbers of planes, low levels of pilot training and outdated aircraft. The factors behind these causes were long standing and went right back to the formation of the Luftwaffe in 1933 and will be the subject of this essay.

Zettelkasten Zkn3 English Language Manual - part 1 Menu Items

Zettelkasten Zkn3 English Language Manual - part 1 Menu Items

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

Logistics of the Tank Army: The Uman–Botoșani Operation, 1944

Logistics of the Tank Army: The Uman–Botoșani Operation, 1944

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.

The deterioration in senior Allied command relationships in NW Europe 1944-45

The deterioration in senior Allied command relationships in NW Europe 1944-45

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.