Examines the backdrop of rivalry among world powers, the events that immediately preceded the first World War, the effects of the war itself, and its long term consequences. Suggested level: secondary.
"World War 2: Beyond the Battlefield" is a comprehensive and illuminating account of one of the most significant and transformative events in human history. This book offers a unique perspective on the war, highlighting the human side of the conflict and exploring the social, political, and cultural impact of the war on a global scale. Throughout the book, you will be taken on a journey through the experiences of soldiers, civilians, and political leaders from around the world. The complex and often difficult decisions that shaped the course of the war are examined, along with the lasting impact of the war on the world. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to gain a deeper understanding of World War II! With its exploration of the human and social dimensions of the war, "World War 2: Beyond the Battlefield" offers a unique and valuable perspective on this transformative event in human history. Key features: • A comprehensive examination of the human and social impact of World War II • Highlights the stories of soldiers, civilians, and political leaders from around the world • Provides a unique perspective on the war, beyond the typical focus on military strategy and tactics • Explores the lasting impact of the war on the world Benefits: • Gain a deeper understanding of the complex and often difficult decisions that shaped the course of World War II • Explore the stories of individuals who lived through the war, highlighting the strength of the human spirit in times of adversity • Learn about the social, political, and cultural impact of the war on a global scale • Gain a new perspective on the war, moving beyond the typical focus on military strategy and tactics Target audience: "World War 2: Beyond the Battlefield" is a must-read for anyone seeking to gain a deeper understanding of World War II, and its social, political, and cultural impact on the world. It will be of interest to history enthusiasts, students, and anyone with an interest in this transformative event in human history. Order now: Don't miss out on this unique and illuminating account of World War II. Order "World War 2: Beyond the Battlefield" now and gain a new perspective on this transformative event in human history.
Designed for secondary school and college student research, this book is a readable analysis and ready-reference guide to the war. An introductory essay presents a lucid overview of the main features of the conflict, incorporating the most recent scholarship. Five essays analyze crucial aspects of the war, from the battlefield to the homefront, and a concluding essay assesses the consequences of the war from a contemporary perspective. Ready-reference features include: a chronology of events; lengthy biographical profiles of twenty-one major figures, stressing their role in the war's origins, conduct, or outcome; the text of fifteen key primary documents such as diaries, memoirs, and newspaper editorials; a glossary of selected terms; and an extensively annotated bibliography of recommended further reading and major documentary and feature films made about the war. The essays are designed to be readable and informative, capturing the tragic character of the war as well as presenting an analysis of its main features. Topics covered include the American role in the war, the collapse of the political systems in Russia and Austria-Hungary, the success of Allied military leaders in meeting the threat of German submarine warfare, and life on the homefront in the United States, Britain, France, and Germany. A concluding essay views the war as a shaping force for the entire twentieth century and its impact on the present day. The book presents the day-to-day course of events as it involved individuals by offering excerpts from diaries and memoirs, while decision-making at the highest level appears in selections from leaders' speeches and memoranda. Shifts in public opinion in the United States are illustrated by excerpts from newspaper editorials. A selection of maps completes the text. By raising issues for discussion about The War to End All Wars and providing reference features, this work is a one-stop resource for students, teachers, and library media specialists.
This anthology contains 16 readings that deal with military, political, diplomatic, and social aspects of WWII and its consequences for the contemporary world. The readings are grouped around seven major topics, and each topic is prefaced with commentary by Lee. The readings consist of complete articles or integral chapters rather than abridged selections so that each author's argument can be read in its original form. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Air raid sirens wail, searchlight beams flash across the sky, and the night is aflame with tracer fire and aerial explosions, as Allied bombers and German anti-aircraft units duel in the thundering darkness. Such "cinematic" scenes, played out with increasing frequency as World War II ground to a close, were more than mere stock material for movie melodramas. As Edward Westermann reveals, they point to a key but largely unappreciated aspect of the German war effort that has yet to get its full due. Long the neglected stepchild in studies of World War II air campaigns, German flak or anti-aircraft units have been frequently dismissed by American, British, and German historians (and by veterans of the European air war) as ineffective weapons that wasted valuable materiel and personnel resources desperately needed elsewhere by the Third Reich. Westermann emphatically disagrees with that view and makes a convincing case for the significant contributions made by the entire range of German anti-aircraft defenses. During the Allied air campaigns against the Third Reich, well over a million tons of bombs were dropped upon the German homeland, killing nearly 300,000 civilians, wounding another 780,000, and destroying more than 3,500,000 industrial and residential structures. Not surprisingly, that aerial Armageddon has inspired countless studies of both the victorious Allied bombing offensive and the ultimately doomed Luftwaffe defense of its own skies. By contrast, flak units have virtually been ignored, despite the fact that they employed more than a million men and women, were responsible for more than half of all Allied aircraft losses, forced Allied bombers to fly far abovehigh-accuracy altitudes, and thus allowed Germany to hold out far longer than it might have otherwise. Westermann's definitive study sheds new light on every facet of the development and organization of this vital defense arm, including its artillery, radar, searchlight, barrage balloon, decoy sites, and command components. Highlighting the convergence of technology, strategy, doctrine, politics, and economics, Flak also provides revealing insights into German strategic thought, Hitler's obsession with micromanaging the war, and the lives of the members of the flak units themselves, including the large number of women, factory workers, and even POWs who participated.
Over 17,000 Native Americans registered for military service during World War I. Of these about 10,000 either enlisted or were drafted into the American Expeditionary Force. Three related questions are examined in depth for the first time in this book: What were the battlefield experiences of Native Americans? How did racial and cultural stereotypes about Indians affect their duties? Were Native American veterans changed by their military service? Many American Indians distinguished themselves fighting on the Western Front. And as compared to black and Mexican American soldiers, Indians enjoyed near universal respect when in uniform. To celebrate their patriotism during and after the war, Indians could even perform warrior society dances otherwise proscribed. Both in combat and in their support roles on the home front, including volunteer contributions by Indian women, Native Americans hoped their efforts would result in a more vigorous application of democracy. But the Bureau of Indian Affairs continued to cut health and education programs and to suppress Indian culture.
