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
82 views
What was the role of Nikita Khrushchev during the battle of Stalingrad?
In the movie Enemy at the Gates there is a moment when Nikita Khrushchev comes to take control over the Soviet forces defending Stalingrad, even making previous commander commit suicide (is this ...
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2answers
244 views
What explanations have been given as to why the Jews were not killed in Italy?
Jews were mass murdered in Germany during World War II. Why did the same thing not happen in Italy?
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2answers
210 views
Was “Blitzkrieg” at least partly intended for trapping the Jews?
I encountered a point of view that the German tactic of "Blitzkrieg", besides purely military purpose to achieve victory as quick as possible, was in fact designed to trap the Jews so that they could ...
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3answers
269 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 ...
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5answers
251 views
Can we classify holocaust as Hitler's war time strategic mistake?
Can we classify the Holocaust as one of Hitler's war time strategic mistake?
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1answer
196 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 ...
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2answers
84 views
Parable of the broken window and 1929 crisis
I've read that, in 1938, economic crisis was taking back, and that it's the war effort that finally closed the 1929 crisis.
Is it not a version of the parable of the broken window ? How a war effort ...
2
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2answers
245 views
Best books on the politics behind WWII [closed]
What are the best books on the politics leading up to and during World War 2?
Thanks
Edit: Just wanted to add that I just realized that reading biographies of the people involved with the politics ...
2
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1answer
42 views
Why were “holding out” outposts a feature of the European war in 1944-5 but not 1940-1?
Many far flung garrisons and especially islands were still in German hands at the end of the war in May 1945. Parts of Crete, Dunkirk, the Channel Islands, La Rochelle, St Nazaire and several other ...
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2answers
133 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 ...
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0answers
56 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 ...
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2answers
321 views
Did the Nazis regard chemical warfare as inhumane and “Jewish”?
I sometimes encounter accounts that the main reason why chemical weapons were not used in WWII was because initially they were invented by a Jew Fritz Haber, and as such Hitler expressed opinion that ...
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2answers
156 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?
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1answer
118 views
In U.S. military forces, did black soldiers suffer a heavy racial segregation during World War II?
Source: BBC
In his book, Mr Hitchcock raises another issue that rarely features in
euphoric folk-memories of liberation: Allied looting, and worse.
"The theft and looting of Normandy ...
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1answer
71 views
Was it impossible for the Germans to arrange a plane to East Asia for Subhas Bose?
Bose's journey from Germany to Singapore by submarine was a well-remarked incident of World War II history. But what was the need for the Germans or the Italians to use a submarine to transfer a ...
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2answers
129 views
Have historians envisioned how World II would have developed without Churchill as Prime Minister of Britain?
The question isn't about what would have happened in that event. It is: Have one or more recognized historians delved into this question (of what would have happened if Britain had surrendered to or ...
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1answer
64 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?
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1answer
152 views
Why was Woody Woodpecker a “natural” hit during WW2?
Woody Woodpecker "with his innate chutzpah and brash demeanor, ... was a natural hit during World War II. His image appeared on US aircraft as nose art", Wikipedia says.
Why was Woody Woodpecker a ...
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1answer
119 views
Was Edward VIII of England forced to abdicate?
I wonder whether Edward VIII was forced to abdicate due to his pro-Nazi views or his romance with Wallis Simpson?
I know that some politicians urged him to abdicate but was there something more ...
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1answer
112 views
What was the basis for the Nazis to support various ethnic minorities in the Soviet Union and elsewhere over the majority populations? [closed]
What was the reason for the Nazis to support certain ethnic minorities over the majority populations in the conquered territories?
For example, they supported Crimean Tatars against the majority of ...
1
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1answer
359 views
Historically accurate WW2 simulation [closed]
Does anyone of a good and historically accurate large scale WW2 simulation? This could be either a computer or board game.
Note: I am not sure if this should be on topic, of instead of downvoting if ...
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0answers
28 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 ...
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6answers
117 views
What other pairs of wars have had a ~25 year interval?
The I and II world wars are 25 years apart, which is within the length of one generation. This is interesting, because it creates a premise for an entire part of a generation to be both without ...
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1answer
55 views
The effects of war on the workforce
It seems to me that a war have two opposite effects on the post-war workforce :
it decreases the active population because of the deaths
it increases the active population by mobilizing women (who ...
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1answer
71 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 ...
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2answers
4k views
Did the fights in the Ip Man movie series actually occur in real life?
In a series of movies called Ip Man 1 and 2, based in WW2, a Wing Chun martial arts master called Ip Man fought with a Japanese general and a western boxer named Twister. Did these events actually ...
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0answers
29 views
A memorial Georgia (U.S.) plaque
This memorial plaque lists the numbers of Georgians who served in various wars and details the casualties. What I find odd is that for WWI, Korea, Vietnam, and Gulf round numbers are given for the ...
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0answers
112 views
Did the US destroy all equipment returned after the war from the USSR? [closed]
According the land lease terms all the equipment shipped to the USSR during WWII had to be returned to the US after the war if not lost in fighting.
But according to some memoirs of Russian sailors, ...
