Questions related to aspects of World War II (1939-1945 AD). An international conflict whose major participants were the fascist countries of Germany, Italy, and Japan engaged against the allied nations of the UK, France, USSR, and the USA. The conflict began with the German invasion of Poland and ...
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2answers
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How many troops died on D-day?
How many troops (allied and axis) died at Normandy beach on June 6th, 1944? I've searched all over the internet, but can't find an accurate number.
3
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1answer
78 views
Were some Yugoslav “nationalities” more pro-Axis/Allied than others during World War II
"Yugo" (South) slavia, is actually a motley collection (mixed bag in the American idiom) of groups such as the Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, Dalmations, Macedonians, Bosnians, and others.
During World War ...
10
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3answers
142 views
Tito's partisans loyalty
Why was Tito able to rally the loyalty of so much of the young people in ex-Yugoslavia, and the royalist Draza Michailovich (Драгољуб "Дража" Михаиловић) was not? The so-called chetnicks, loyal to the ...
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2answers
232 views
Could you help me identify this photograph that was taken shortly after World War 2?
Could you help me identify this photograph?
All I know is that it was taken shortly after World War 2.
7
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2answers
126 views
Did the poor performance of the Red Army in the Winter War significantly contribute to German underestimation of the USSR's military capacity?
Wikipedia says in the article on the Winter War:
Perhaps more importantly, the very poor performance of the Red Army
encouraged Hitler to think that an attack on the Soviet Union would be
...
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2answers
199 views
What is the basis of Russian criticism of Antony Beevor's work? [closed]
Some Russian sources make claims to the effect of "Beevor is revisionist and anti-Soviet propagandist".
What is the basis for this criticism?
For the antecedents of the question, see here.
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0answers
25 views
Was Ley ever married to Rudolf Hess's sister?
A book I am reading claims that Robert Ley was married to a Margarita Hess, Rudolf's sister. But I am finding it surprisingly hard to find an independent confirmation of this fact - or even to find ...
15
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3answers
885 views
How was the United States able to produce excellent tanks in 1942?
Most military histories of the war in North Africa, and especially those produced from a British point-of-view, emphasise the greenness of the American troops which landed there in 1942. There is a ...
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2answers
278 views
Why were there no Internment camps for German-American Citizens in USA during WW2?
I am certainly aware of Japanese-americans being detained in Internment camps , after the attack on Pearl Harbor , and subsequent declaration of war on United States , by the empire of Japan.
About ...
2
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0answers
46 views
How did Churchill and Stalin intend to translate the percentages in the “Percentages agreement”?
In "percentages agreement", Stalin and Churchill allegedly divided Southeastern Europe to sphere of influences of the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union. According to Churchill's account quoted by ...
4
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2answers
4k views
Number of bullets used in WW2
I have wondered if there are any estimates on the number of bullets used in World War 2. I have thought about the question but cannot even get a plausible attack strategy.
8
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3answers
181 views
What was the reason for Soviet troops to withdraw from Yugoslavia in World War II?
For all these countries that the Red Army entered (Poland, Romania, part of Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary), the procedure was straightforward. Once the Soviets beat the Germans they become de facto ...
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2answers
150 views
Plans to depose, disgrace, or assassinate Hitler
Have there come to light any plans either by the allied forces or those within the Third Reich to depose/disgrace/assassinate Hitler himself, rather than just plans to crush his forces?
6
votes
1answer
102 views
WWII boat-looking bus
What was the purpose of this WWII boat-looking bus?
Description says:
Royal Navy officers 'aboard' 'HMS SPURIOUS MARK II' - a bus converted to resemble the island of an aircraft carrier. The ...
0
votes
1answer
59 views
What caused Yugoslavia to switch sides early in World War II?
In 1940,-41 Germany was able to enlist the support of Roumania, Hungary (the latter at the expense of the former), and Bulgaria, in the Balkans. Yugoslavia initially signed on with Germany, then soon ...
2
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2answers
110 views
Was India's independence inevitable after Cripps Mission?
In 1942, the British government had sent Sir Stafford Cripps to negotiate with the Congress. According to most sources (though this was not made public at that time), the Cripps Mission had proposed ...
5
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0answers
71 views
What role did the Ancient Samurai heritage play on Modern Japan during WW2?
Some of the policies adopted by the WW2 japanese army , seem to be along the lines of the ancient samurai code of Bushido. Policies such as extreme loyalty to the emperor , honor unto death and ...
6
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2answers
169 views
Did WWII Delay Indian Independence?
During WWII, Gandhi said that Indians should adopt a compromising attitude towards the British due to the stresses of war. Did this prolong the (near) inactivity of the Indian National Movement? Or ...
16
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2answers
719 views
Are there any records that indicate a submarine vs submarine battle?
I am aware of only one which is the U-864 was sunk by the HMS Venturer but that was when both were being submerged -- according to wikipedia. Is that accurate? Which battles did happen between two ...
10
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6answers
2k views
Why did Nazi soldiers do Hitler's bidding?
The atrocities committed by Nazi soldiers during World War II are well known. I'd like to know what motivated these soldiers to do Hitler's bidding? Were they brain-washed? Did they believe they were ...
4
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1answer
72 views
Did the Germans use a “Verdun”-like strategy at Stalingrad?
In February 1916, the Germans might have captured the fortress of Verdun (France), quickly through an all-out assault. Instead, the German General Falkenhayn initially elected to make an artillery ...
10
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5answers
502 views
What was Finland's position in World War Two?
What was Finland's position in World War Two? Apparently, they were fighting against the Soviet Union, but not as Nazi Germany's ally. Are there reasons for this, and were they actually on Germany's ...
2
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1answer
140 views
How historically accurate Life is Beautiful is when it comes to Jewish extermination?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_Is_Beautiful
It is portrayed, in the movie, how that protagonist jew is sent to extermination camp in Italy.
I thought jews in Italy are not usually sent to ...
7
votes
4answers
756 views
Where was the pre-war (ww2) border between Poland and Germany?
I am interested in mapping the pre-war (WWII) border between Poland and Germany.
Is there any data available in a public resource? Can anyone describe waypoints along the border in terms of modern ...
8
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4answers
408 views
At the end of WWII, were nazis working on any other super weapon besides V-2?
At the end of WWII, were nazis working on anything else besides V-2? If so, what was it, how close was it to completion, and could it potentially turn the events around for them?
5
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1answer
141 views
Was the battle of Stalingrad “unique” in the annals of history?
I'm referring to the fact that BOTH sides ordered their troops to fight for the city "to the last man and last round." (Hitler). The Soviet Union's General Vasili Chuikov echoed this by saying "We ...
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3answers
193 views
Is this true that the Soviet Army soldiers had no helmets in the beginning of WW2?
Is this true that the Soviet Army was so poorly equipped by the WW2 that soldiers had no helmets?
8
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3answers
287 views
Why was Spain and Portugal neutral / not invaded in WWII?
Why was not Spain and Portugal involved in World War II with either side? Was not Franco sympathetic with the Axis powers given the help they offered during the civil war?
Also, given their ...
6
votes
3answers
567 views
Did Germany have treaties imposed upon it after WWII that mirrored the weight of the Treaty of Versailles?
After WWI, the treaty of Versailles became the rallying cry for more extreme political forces in Germany, as it's terms were blamed for the countries hardships, and as an insult to the country itself. ...
8
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3answers
116 views
Books on the history of modern China for pleasure reading?
I'm interested in learning about this history of modern China, which to me means roughly the 19th-20th centuries. I'm kind of interested in the industrial development of China, and its role during the ...
3
votes
3answers
162 views
Was the death toll in the atomic bombing of Japanese territory greater than was expected by the US?
It is known that the US tried to justify their atomic bombing of Japanese cities by claiming they were aimed at military targets such as a plant and a bridge. Yet the bombs destroyed much more than ...
9
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1answer
910 views
German Government branches during World War 2
During World War 2, what government branches, if any, existed in Germany? I've always heard about the Third Reich and Hitler, but I never heard about the rest of the government.
19
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4answers
792 views
Why didn't France and UK invade Germany September 3rd 1939?
On September 3rd 1939, when UK and France declared war on Germany, both ordinary Polish people and government officials became enthusiastic. There were spontaneous demonstrations of support for the ...
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4answers
696 views
Why Did the US Drop Nuclear Weapons on a Weakened Japan
Why did the United States drop two nuclear bombs on the Japanese mainland when they were already on the wining side?
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3answers
256 views
Is it true that the soldiers returned from WW2 either didn't marry or kept themselves from families?
Could anyone provide any supporting evidence to indicate that this may have been true? It would be especially helpful if this information could indicate whether this might have been due to mental and ...
10
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2answers
213 views
Aside from the Jews, did Hitler had a final solution plan for other ethnicities / races in the Third Reich?
We know that the Nazi ideology explicitly singled out Jews as the main reason to all Germany's problems. An thus there were exterminated. Nazis also persecuted gypsies, polish people, and many POW. ...
16
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7answers
3k views
What were the post World War 2 effects on Germany?
What where the impacts of WW2 on Germany? Obviously the war meant that a lot of resources where spent and that the youth population was significantly reduced. How did this affect Germany's post war ...
11
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1answer
233 views
What were the original casualty projections for Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
I remember hearing several times that the bombs dropped on Japan were a lot deadlier than expected. What were the original projections for casualties for both and how much less than the actual ...
8
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2answers
197 views
Were any of the major battle plans in WWII changed last minute by officers on the ground?
I haven't found any consistent reference to a particular battle wherein the battle plans were changed by a lower level officer on the ground at the last minute. Specifically, a major battle plan, not ...
7
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1answer
110 views
Were there any German operations to destroy supply routes in the Persian corridor in WWII?
Germany used its naval fleet to stop allied arctic supply route to the USSR. Were there any German operations, in Iran and Iraq (who were pro-German) to throttle allied supply routes through the ...
3
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3answers
202 views
Stalingrad - the German perspective?
I'm quite interested in Stalingrad and have started reading a bit regarding the battle itself and have seen that weather had played quite a significant factor in halting the German advance. (Reading ...
5
votes
2answers
265 views
How do functionalists explain the fact that Holocaust continued until the very end of the war?
While I haven't read Goldhagen or scholars with a similar viewpoint directly, I frequently encounter the following argument that seems very Goldhagenite to me: "The Germans tried to murder Jews up ...
7
votes
2answers
117 views
What happened to the French gold at Martinique during WW2
I am curious as to what happened to the gold stored on the island of Martinique by the French during WW2, I know that the French controlling the island switched sides a few times, and that there were ...
5
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3answers
115 views
Was Japan really part of the Axis?
I recall in history class learning that the Japanese could have attacked the USSR in the 1940s and potentially split Stalin's forces - which presumably would have been more useful for the Nazis than ...
9
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2answers
148 views
How did Hitler behave towards all those whom he knew in his childhood and youth after he rose to power?
What do we know of Hitler acts and attitudes towards those people he knew in his childhood and youth after he rose to power? For example, his world war one comrades? Did they receive and attention or ...
7
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2answers
243 views
Why is Thailand considered an Axis power in WWII?
I read a Wikipedia article about military history of Thailand and it left me a taste of anti-Thai bias.
It is known that Thailand in 1940 (after the fall of Paris and establishment of Vichy ...
6
votes
2answers
198 views
What other war crimes trials besides Nuremberg were held after WWII?
Why were the Nuremberg trials after WWII for the Germans only? The same charges used against the the Germans could be easily extended to the Japanese or possibly Italians. They have committed as much ...
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0answers
78 views
Are photos of WWII US Navy damage reports available online?
I have located a PDF of the USS Marblehead's Bomb Damage Report from 4 Feb 1942. The report lists plates of photographs which are not included in the report I have found.
Do copies of this report ...
10
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1answer
145 views
Austria and Iron Curtain during Cold War
Winston Churchill's Iron Curtain speech from 1946 contains the following famous passage:
From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain
has descended across the ...
1
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1answer
58 views
How come the British did not notify the Poles about the Molotov-Ribbentrop secret protocol?
I have just read this answer and would like to know if there is a known reason why the British did not inform the Poles. Or is the whole thing wrong?
