Germany's Role in World War 2 regarding war strategy, major battles, victories, defeats and blunders, and the German leaders and generals who participated in World War 2. Causes of the war, the concept of Blitzkrieg warfare, and the role of General Guderian in the implementation of the early Blitzkrieg attacks are all discussed. The German invasions of Poland, France, and Russia are discussed as is the D-Day invasion of France by the U.S. and Britain.
World War 2 was undoubtedly the most costly war in the history of mankind. Approximately 50 million people lost their lives. Germany with their Nazi leader, Adolf Hitler, was the country most responsible for starting the war. After five years of violence, Germany had paid the price for starting the war as they lay virtually destroyed. They had won early battles but, in the end, World War II had been a disaster for Germany. World War 2 had been a fight to the finish and they came up short.
Specific items to be covered by this World War 2 web site include:
After Germany was defeated in World War I, they were forced via the Treaty of Versailles to pay heavy reparations to the victors. Their economy could not take the pressure and it fell apart. Severe inflation and depression followed. As a result of the Treaty of Versailles (the official end of World War 1) and the economic disasters that followed, the German people became very resentful towards the victors of World War 1, namely France and Great Britain. Additionally, virtually all of Germany's leaders fought in World War 1 and many were wounded and they all felt betrayed. They were eager for revenge.
Adolf Hitler, a wounded veteran of the World War 1, blamed the economic problems on the allies who had forced the peace terms on Germany. Hitler joined an obscure right wing political group - the Nazi party - and, with little competition, rose rapidly in it. He was able to attract some extremely dedicated, capable, and ruthless followers, e.g., Goering, Hess, Himmler, Bormann, Speer, Ernst Roehm and Goebbels (Goebbels was to the Nazis what Rush Limbaugh is to the Bush Administration!).
The Beer-Hall Putsch was attempted in 1923 with the idea of taking over the Bavarian government. A number of Hitler's followers were killed and others, including Goering, were wounded. Hitler was tried and sentenced to a jail term in Landsbergh, Austria. In jail, Hitler wrote the book Mein Kampf in which he spelled out his prejudices, including those violent prejudices toward the Jews, and his plans for Germany's future.
After jail, Hitler continued his political career, advocating an extreme philosophy, and rose rapidly as he accumulated a larger and larger following. After being defeated at the polls in a try for the Presidency, he was eventually (1933) appointed Chancellor to President Hindenburg, elderly president and national hero.
Hitler quickly began to manipulate his way to absolute power and, after Hindenburg's death in 1934, he assumed full power.
Anyone who opposed Hitler was shown the door, a bullet or a concentration camp. The destruction of anyone opposing him was exemplified during the "Night of the Long Knives" in 1934 during which Hitler's enemies (or suspected enemies, or just anyone Hitler and his closest associates, especially Goering, Himmler and Heydrich, didn't like) were rounded up and slaughtered.
Although he did not hesitate to dispose of any individual who opposed him, he gained control over the heart and soul of the German people by exploiting anger and xenophobia in Germany. (Sound just a tiny bit familiar with what is going on in the US today?)
The arming of Germany was accelerated. The Third Reich had arrived. The Nazis were in charge!
The path to World War 2, a war that would claim 50 million lives, lay ahead.
At the start of the war, Germany, particularly the German Army, was well prepared. They had learned their lessons well in World War I and had spent years perfecting the use of the new weapons of war - tanks, armored divisions, air power, and above all, the strategy of Blitzkrieg which uses tanks & mobility to obliterate the enemy before he knows what hit him. The German army was determined to never fight the trench warfare of World War I again. Additionally they had a very capable group of generals schooled in Blitzkrieg tactics including one brilliant (but massively ego-driven) general - Hans Guderian, German Panzer General, a German general who never lost a battle but may have cost Germany a victory on the Eastern Front in World War 2 as he arbitrarily chose to go off chasing and destroying Russian armies when he should have been moving into place for the late-1941 assault on Moscow.
Many of the German Generals in World War 2 often opposed Hitler (who loved to meddle in military strategy and was sometimes very good at strategy!). He would often fire the generals but would then usually relent and let them return to a military position.
The German generals faced some pretty tough allied generals including a number of outstanding American generals - Patton, Eisenhower, Bradley, etc. The American generals gave a good account of themselves in World War 2.
The German army, utilizing Blitzkrieg tactics in the early German Battles Of World War 2, almost conquered all of Europe.
The German Luftwaffe also played a major role in the early Blitzkrieg victories and in the Battle of Britain but the Luftwaffe failed in the end partly because of Hitler's interference.
Hitler, Goering, Goebbels, Himmler, Speer (the good Nazi?), and other German Leaders Of World War 2 . were a group of ruthless but talented men who might have won it all except for a few strategic errors and the fact that they faced three of the most determined and capable leaders in history - Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin - who were in the war to win.
German Women were almost excluded from contributing to Germany in World War 2 through a grievous error on Hitler's part who had his own views of women's roles. The German women - like American, British, and Russian women - could have played a major role freeing more men for military service. Most women were kept at home but several German women played significant roles in the events of World War 2.
These German women included Hitler's mistress, Eva Braun, who committed suicide with Hitler; Hitler's niece and the love of his life, Geli Raubal, who committed suicide over Hitler; the talented movie director, Leni Riefenstahl, ostracized in society for 55 years after World War 2 because of her association with the Nazis; and Magda Goebbels, the mother who took the lives of her six children to prevent them from having to live in a world without Hitler.
Why did most of the women in Hitler's life end up in some sort of Shakespearean-type tragedy?
To me, the story of the German Women and how they coped with World War 2 is a fascinating but almost untold story.
I will always think of President Roosevelt as the greatest president in United States history. He led us through the great depression and in World War 2. Roosevelt in World War 2 worked with his friend, Winston Churchill, and with Joseph Stalin to defeat the greatest menace the world had ever know - Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany.
Roosevelt was the perfect president for that time.
I was a teenager when President Roosevelt died. The whole nation wept.
The French are being accused, by ultraconservatives such as Rush Limbaugh, of being cowards in World War 2 but, is that the truth, or are the extreme right-wingers just upset because the French didn't move lockstep with President Bush in attacking Iraq?
The truth is that France in World War 2 took a tremendous beating from the Germans and were outsmarted at every turn, but despite what Rush Limbaugh says, they did not fight cowardly! They just were not in the same league as the Germans.
World War 2 did not end war as we first thought. The growing Communist menace in Post-World War II continued to blossom until the Cold War set in. Events in post-World War II and the Cold War included the occupation of Germany, Berlin Blockade, Korean War, Vietnam War, Cuban Missile Crisis, and the fall of Communism.
The Cold War almost led to a nuclear confrontation between the U.S. and Russia. The conservatives claim President Ronald Reagan, single-handed, won the Cold-War. We moderates, while acknowledging Reagan's role, don't agree that he won it alone.
More recent events in the post-war era include the two Iraq Wars, the War on Terror , and the rise of conservatism (and decline of liberalism) in the U.S.
Regarding the second Iraq War, President Bush claimed to have the won that war but, unfortunately, 4 years after his victory claim, the Iraq War is still going on and, probably, will not end in his presidency.
World War 2 in Europe has been over now for 60 years. It is time to visit and participate in some World War 2 Battlefield Tours where our fathers and uncles fought and died. One thinks of the D-day beaches, Battle of the Bulge, the London Blitz, Dunkirk, and other famous battles.
These Famous Germans Of World War 2 included scientists, artists, women and sports figures as well as the more famous German leaders and German generals.
The Holocaust , directed mainly at the Jewish people, was probably the most inhuman act in the history of mankind. Was Hitler totally responsible? Were the German people innocent as many claim? Will it happen again? Can it happen in the U.S.?
Many "experts" are justifying the Iraq War by comparing the Iraq War & World War 2, and Saddam Hussein with Hitler. However, the comparisons are not justified. Saddam was not a budding Hitler and Iraq is no Germany. Additional information on the Iraq War can be found on the Squidoo lens: World War 2 - Iraq.
Had Germany in World War 2 had an adequate supply of fuel, they would have made things much tougher for the Allies. They suffered from a fuel shortage throughout World War 2 and it became an acute problem when Allied bombers began blasting the synthetic gasoline plants late in the war. Still, the Germans tackled the problem with a great deal of initiative and intelligence particularly when you consider their lack of significant oil deposits. In view of the growing energy crisis in this country, it is worth studying their efforts with synthetic fuel on German Fuel Shortage Of World War 2.
World War 2 involved all major nations of the world and many, if not most, of the smaller nations. Essentially, it pitted Germany, Japan, Italy and their allies against the United States, Russia, Britain, France, China and their colonies and allies. Most nations in Europe were involved in World War 2 but a few significant countries - Spain, Turkey, Sweden, etc - avoided the war (Turkey entered the war on the allied side just as the war ended) generally because of their vulnerable locations.
Of the neutrals, Turkey might have played a very significant role in World War 2, if they had joined with Germany (as they did in World War I), because of their location near the major oil supplies of the world. Failure of the Germans to secure a safe fuel supply contributed greatly to their defeat.
Spain could also have played a major role in World War 2 had they joined in with Germany. Their entry into World War 2 would have led to an easy capture of Gibraltar and, in effect, would have made the Mediterranean Sea, a German sea. After that, it is almost certain Germany could have, at least, fought a draw in World War 2.
The question of Spain entering World War 2 is really almost a rhetorical question. Spain's dictator, General Franco, had little inclination to join Germany in the war.
The question of whether Germany could have won World War 2 is constantly asked by those interested in World War 2. My opinion is that Germany could have won World War 2 only if some of the following scenarios could have taken place:
1. Germany had to remove Britain from World War 2 after the fall of France. They had to invade and conquer the British. That is a big "if", however, because, while the British Army was devastated from the battles in France and Dunkirk, the powerful British navy and the relatively small but top notch British Air Force, with it's fine Spitfires and Hurricane fighters and the great British pilots, were still formidable forces after Dunkirk. And don't forget about the tenacious Winston Churchill and the British people who were mad as hell at the Germans. The British would have fought with anything they could have gotten their hands on - hunting rifles, shotguns, pitchforks, bottles of gasoline, etc. They would not have gone down easy.
Also, it must be noted that Germany had virtually no vessels except thin-hulled, shallow-drafted river barges for transporting German troops across the English Channel. Paratroopers, alone, could not have gotten the job done. The German barges, loaded with land-lubbing Germany soldiers, would have been sitting ducks in the narrow channel. German losses would have been staggering. Still, there are many experts on the German side of World War 2 who think Germany had to try and, despite great losses, might have succeeded.
2. An alternative to No.1, above, was for Germany to adopt a Mediterranean strategy. Fascist Spain would have had to be conquered or coerced into World War 2 on the German side. Hitler tried the latter approach but Franco kept putting him off, half-promising to join-up but never delivering and Hitler did not want to attack a fellow fascist. So, with Spain a hold-out, Germany would have had to fight their way through Spain, and Gibraltar would then have had to be taken by force.
With Gibraltar in hand, the Mediterranean would have become a German pond and all North Africa a German colony. This action would likely have brought Turkey into World War 2 on Germany's side. The pressure on Russia would have been immense and they might have moved to accommodate Hitler. If not a victory, this might have produced a stalemate for the German side. Such a stalemate would certainly have been better than the devastating loss they actually suffered.
3. A second alternative is that the Germans would ignore Britain and the Mediterranean and really get ready for the attack on Russia. Immediately after the fall of France, Hitler released a large portion of Germany's army from service and he continued to allow German production of armaments to lag. He simply could not make the great effort needed for victory because he did not want to upset the home folks. Even Hitler had some soft political blood in him.
In the Battle of Britain, the Germans lost a thousand or so of their aircraft and an equivalent number of the finest pilots the world had ever seen. They needed that air power later when they opened the Russian front. The Germans also allowed the Italians to attack Greece and get their butts kicked by the Greeks. The Germans had to rescue them, causing time to be lost as the planned attack on Russia loomed and, also, causing additional losses of well-trained German men and equipment. All could have been used against Russia.
4. After the Eastern Front (attack on Russia) opened, the Germans would have to use a different strategy than what they used. Instead of multiple offenses in different directions, the main assault had to be straight for Moscow. And the brilliant but egocentric General Guderian would have had to have his deadly panzer divisions in place when the time came to assault Moscow. He would not be allowed to roam on his own where ever he pleased, as he did in 1941 in Russia, compiling an impressive record of battle victories but, maybe, losing World War 2 for Germany by being a prima donna.
5. (Input from reader). A reader of this website noted that another event that would have helped Germany in World War 2 was that, if Japan had early-on attacked Russia on its eastern border, it might have had a decisive effect on the war. Russia would have had to fight a two front war when it was having trouble holding its own with a one-front war. If the Japanese had attacked Russia, as the reader described, a lot of us would be speaking German and Japanese now.
The reader's concept is excellent, but the problem with this argument was that, in World War 2, Germany and Japan were allies in name only. They just happened to be fighting some of the same opponents. They shared little information and did little or no planning together. They each were fighting their separate wars. Attacking Russia was not one of Japan's priorities and so they didn't do it. One practical reason the Japanese had moved their priorities further south and away from Russia was the trouncing the Russians put on them in the border war of 1939.
If certain of the above scenarios been developed, Germany would have had a splendid chance to win or stalemate the war. Something for those interested in the German side of World War 2 to contemplate.
Additional information on World War 2 strategy is provided on the Planning - Strategy page. The Allied grand strategy - "Germany-first" and "unconditional surrender" - was very effective. Germany made many critical strategic mistakes. For example, if Hitler had followed Speer's and Goebbels' suggestions regarding the German war effort, we might still be fighting them. Speer and Goebbels were clever strategists who knew what Germany needed but Hitler had other ideas.
World War 2 Information provides additional material on Germany and World War 2.
Sixty years after the war ended, there are unanswered questions about World War 2. For example, "Could Germany have successfully invaded Britain?" - "Could Germany Have Won World War 2?" etc, etc, etc. The blog, World War 2 Questions, seeks to answer some of the questions. Ask your own question about the war on the blog.
In the World War 2 and the Post-World War 2 eras, the U.S. accomplished impressive feats using the skills & techniques of Project Management. The Manhattan project which developed the atomic bomb was one example of project management. The Apollo Program which put a man on the moon was another example. Virtually all large construction projects now are constructed using project management tools. Project management forces good planning and strategy on a manager.
Why can't we make better use of project management techniques in developing reliable alternative energy sources (instead of relying on questionable and highly subsidized ethanol.) What about using the techniques in fighting global warming (or are we relying on Al Gore to save us?)
Why can't project management techniques be used to accelerate the rebuilding of New Orleans?
In World War 2, Germany was allied (loosely) with Japan. In World War 2 in the Pacific, the battle of Okinawa (where I spent a year while in the U.S. Army ten years after the war...I loved the island!) was the last island battle.
Much can be learned from the pre-World War 2 and post-World War 2 eras as well as from World War 2 itself. We saw the rise of Hitler with his fanatical Nazi followers, e.g., Goering, Goebbels, Himmler, & Bormann.
In Germany, there appears little likelihood of a Nazi recovery as the German people seem to have learned their lesson. The hard way!!
Is there a danger of a Nazi-like party and an American Hitler arising in this country? I think there is. Saddam Hussein (just met his fate on the gallows) and Osama bin Laden (still free and creating havoc) have been much talked about as becoming the new Hitlers but they had little power with weak, backward countries behind them. Hitler had one of the most modern countries in the world - Nazi Germany - behind him. Hussein and bin Laden are jokes compared to Hitler. However, in the United States, the reaction to the War on Terrorism and the Iraq War has been a shock to me. The American people seem half scared to death and seem willing to give up a substantial part of their civil liberties to fight terrorism. Is that really necessary? America is virtually all-powerful. The terrorists can't really destroy us. We need to quit pushing the panic button. A more moderate, even-handed approach is needed.
Remember, Hitler used security arguments to take away the German peoples rights in 1933 and 1934 even while he and his Nazi followers were themselves manufacturing the security concerns. The German people went along much as large numbers of the American people are now going along with the similar U.S. government line. Hitler was still stoppable in 1933 and early 1934. After 1934, the German people had no further choice in the matter. From that point on, the German people belonged to Hitler. They were his bitches!
In regards to security concerns, it appears that the same thing that happened in Germany is happening here. It could be worse but the incompetence of the Bush administration has probably saved us. This is the gang that can't shoot straight.
Still, if we are not alert, the same thing that happened in Germany could happen here in the U.S. We have a lot of weak people in this country who will do practically anything to be on the winning side.
It is a black period the country is going through. If you believe in prayer, this is a good time to do a little praying.
Looking ahead to the U.S. Next War, I believe it may be some sort of strike on Iran in 2008 (Likely an air strike on nuclear facilities). I don't see us trying to occupy Iran after the disastrous Iraq experience. But Iran has a lot of oil and natural gas! Also, they are allegedly working on building nuclear weapons.
If we simply strike at Iran' nuclear facilities and don't try to occupy the country, Iran will certainly fight back but no major war will break out. However, if Israel is involved in the strike, look out! The whole Moslem world will want to get involved. A major war could break out. Those that think it would be a short war better beware. The Moslem countries - especially Iran - are much tougher than they used to be. Israel's easy domination of the Middle East is over.......unless, of course, the U.S. is willing to devote large numbers of troops and money to help them.
Of course, in regards to our next war, much depends on who - Obama or McCain - becomes president in the election of 2008.
More serious than the next war discussed above is the environmental wars that are now beginning. Global Warming is accelerating at a rapid rate and we don't seem to be able to come to grips with it. Indeed, many of our leaders consider the concept of global warming as a farce. But global warming could end up being far more destructive than World War 2. Maybe the warnings of Al Gore will wake people up.
The U.S. and the world now face the terrible double threat of global warming and peak oil. Which of the twin threats should we tackle first?
The energy crisis may be even more destructive than either global warming or World War 2. If we don't develop adequate alternative energy sources, we could see World War 3 start when peak oil arrives. Oil and gas prices are already soaring as the energy crisis deepens, and the situation will only get worse as peak oil approaches!
Although not strictly an alternative energy source, hybrid cars will do more than any alternative source to control runaway gas prices.
And, remember, even in an energy crisis, there will be folks that make a lot of money investing in alternative energy stocks , large oil company stocks, & oil & energy company stocks .
In regards to investing in oil company stocks, keep your eyes on oil companies that are successful in producing oil from the prolific but difficult Bakken Formation of North Dakota. The Bakken Formation contains an ocean of oil but only the most innovative oil companies will succeed in the Bakken. Also, keep an eye on companies operating in offshore Brazil. Some truly giant oil strikes are being made there.
1. German U-Boats and the Battle of
the Atlantic. German U-Boat history, photos, technical info,
tactics, the crew and in-depth history of the Battle of the Atlantic.
2. World War 2 & Energy Crisis Web Sites. A listing of World War 2 & Energy Crisis Web Sites by the author.
3. Renewable Alternative Energy Sources.
Good news......we are finally getting serious about developing renewable alternative energy sources! But it is getting late!
Bad news.........our number 1 renewable, Ethanol, may be a farce and is certainly driving up food prices around the world!
4. Large Oil Company Stocks may be the best energy investment.....they appear under-priced and the companies are waking up and getting more involved in alternative energy and in finding new oil & gas fields.
5. Oil & Gas Prices. Oil and gas prices are going higher....possibly much higher as we run out of high-grade oil and turn to the expensive-to-recover lower grade oil. And fail to develop alternative energy sources or to get any kind of energy policy in place!
6. Haynesville Shale. Possibly, the biggest natural gas strike in U.S. history and it is in Louisiana Maybe we will survive Peak Oil after all.
7. Boone Picken's Plan. One of the most innovative oilmen of all time has a plan for overcoming the energy crisis.
1. D-Day Museum located in New Orleans. A great museum that all World War 2 buffs will want to visit. Historical documentation, photographs, and artifacts on the war. Visit the museum and then party in New Orleans!
Germany was largely responsible for the terrible war. Germany won many victories in individual battles but made strategic mistakes that contributed to their eventual defeat in World War 2. Will the oil shortage cause another World War 2?
E-mail me at vanc13@cox.net (Author: Van Cook)
Last updated: 11/15/08