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 ...
1
vote
1answer
109 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 ...
5
votes
0answers
87 views
What was the Nature of Resistance in 1938 Czechoslovakia?
I wonder if someone might help me. I'm writing a novel. My protagonist is a dual national (English born, German parents) bio chemist contracted to work for Freiburg University 1938. At the time ...
3
votes
1answer
62 views
The role of the two world wars in the evolution of Fordism
What is the role of the two world wars in the evolution of Fordism ?
I've read that Fordism entered Europe due to the WW I, but I've also read that the Fordism began to be effective after the WW II. ...
8
votes
2answers
362 views
Why didn't the US choose to demolish Tokyo with an atom bomb?
Tokyo was Japan's capital. Why didn't the US choose Tokyo to demolish with Atom Bomb?
Bonus Question: What factors decided to bring Hiroshima and Nagasaki on table?
12
votes
8answers
1k views
What was the ratio of German to Soviet losses on eastern front during different stages of the war?
I've read somewhere that the ratio of Soviet to German casualties on the eastern front was 1.4 for the whole war. But what about data for different stages of the war? (this ratio wasn't constant after ...
0
votes
1answer
48 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 ...
2
votes
2answers
76 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 ...
-1
votes
4answers
63 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 ...
15
votes
2answers
94 views
+50
How popular was Mozart in France before WWII and after it?
Another intriguing statement by Robert Paxton:
I was surprised myself to learn that Mozart had been little played in
France before 1940, and that his prominence since 1945 in the French
...
9
votes
1answer
172 views
Did the United States have a third atomic bomb to drop on Japan?
On 15 August, six days after the bombing of Nagasaki, Japan announced its surrender to the United States, signing the instrument of surrender on 2 September, officially ending the war.
The question ...
23
votes
0answers
244 views
Were well-connected Germans able to park their sons in Norway during WWII?
Reading Antony Beevor's "The Second World War" he makes the point several times that a peculiar obsession of Hitler's was the defence of Norway and that there were close to half a million German ...
6
votes
2answers
299 views
Why was Switzerland not attacked during the two World Wars?
Why in WW1 or WW2 or ever nobody invaded Switzerland? All other countries was in some wars. How Switzerland do it and should we learn from them?
I hear that many people with power have money in swiss ...
6
votes
1answer
105 views
Did American policymakers seriously consider scaling down Lend Lease Aid to the Soviet Union after the battle of Kursk?
In 1941, Senator (and future President) Harry Truman famously said, "If we see that Germany is winning the war, we ought to help Russia; and if that Russia is winning, we ought to help Germany." ...
9
votes
1answer
116 views
What role did Lucky Luciano play in faciliting South Europe invasion?
On the night of July 9, 1943, 160,000 Allied troops landed on the extreme southwestern shore of Sicily. After securing a beachhead, Gen. George Patton's U.S. Seventh Army launched an offensive into ...
21
votes
2answers
1k views
What was with the “poofy” pants found in various military uniforms?
I've often wondered why do various uniforms have those "poofs" on the outsides of the legs just above the knee? Was there a particular purpose to this, or a practical reason, or was it just the result ...
9
votes
2answers
218 views
Did Hitler make the right decision for Germany when he called off Operation Zitadelle (during the Battle of Kursk)?
On the night of 9/10 July, the Western Allies mounted an amphibious
invasion of Sicily. Three days later, Hitler summoned Günther von
Kluge and Erich von Manstein to his Wolfsschanze ...
17
votes
1answer
2k views
Did World War II-era bombs actually whistle?
In WWII-era films and newsreels, aerial bombs are often shown making a whistling sound as they fall; starting high pitched, then decreasing as the bomb approaches the Earth (example here, starting at ...
-4
votes
0answers
116 views
Is Wikidpedia's article on Odette Hallowes accurate? [closed]
An article in the Telegraph states that Odette Hallowes
was almost deprived of her George Cross because she could not prove she had been tortured by the Nazis or that she had refused to betray ...
1
vote
0answers
53 views
Was Horst Tappert a member of the SS?
According to Spiegel Online sociologist Jörg Becker uncovered a document showing Tappert - 1, 2 - had been a member of the SS, whereas Jan Erik Schulte, an expert on the history of the SS, says ...
6
votes
2answers
99 views
Why was Johannes Blaskowitz indicted at the Nuremberg High Command Trial
Johannes Blaskowitz was a German General during WW2. He committed suicide in 1948 while being tried as a war criminal.
His action during the polish offensive seem rather counter to this, to quote ...
26
votes
7answers
2k views
Why did Hitler declare war on the USA?
Since there had not been any offensives launched by either side against the other, why declare war just because Japan had attacked the USA?
7
votes
2answers
148 views
What were Rommel's views on the Nazi crimes?
Erwin Rommel is often portrayed as the chivalrous Nazi. I've read on the internet that he once proposed to Hitler that a Jew be appointed a Nazi official, but I'm not able to verify that. What were ...
6
votes
0answers
58 views
How successful were Einsatzkommando Tunis and how much was Rommel complicit?
This Einsatzkommando was headed by SS officer Walter Rauff and according to his wikipedia article it had great effect on the local Jewish population. An example is given, a quote from a German TV ...
12
votes
2answers
587 views
What were the Nazi racial views on Hungarians and the Japanese?
Hungary and Japan were Nazi Germany's allies during WWII, yet it could not possibly be argued that the Japanese belong to the "Aryan race", and Hungarians speak a non-Indo-European language, which ...
8
votes
4answers
284 views
Why did the Germans fall behind the Americans in the development of the atomic bomb after an initial lead?
I actually know certain facts about this matter, but am seeking guidance in interpreting these facts into "theories."
1) Theory 1, Economic: The Americans spent something like $2 billion (in money of ...
6
votes
1answer
63 views
where can I find digitised versions of Japanese war documents in original Japanese?
I was wondering where can I find digitised versions of Japanese war documents in original Japanese?
I can read Japanese but I cannot seem to find any primary sources that relate to the Japanese army ...
10
votes
2answers
136 views
Could The Soviet Union have continued fighting World War II without Caucasus oil?
In 1942, Germany's Fall Blau was initially aimed at capturing or interdicting shipments of oil from the Caucasus to the rest of the Soviet Union. Even though armies were diverted to Stalingrad and ...
11
votes
2answers
267 views
What was the role of the Soviet Navy during WWII?
Most books of WWII speak of the naval battles of allied and axis powers during the war, but none about the Soviet navy. The soviets had an active fleet at the time, why did it not engage the Germans ...
3
votes
4answers
302 views
Were there reasons for Japan to go to war with US aside from US owning Philippines?
Right after the Spanish-American War in 1898, the US acquired the Philippines from Spain. At that time, local leaders desired Philippines independence. The Philippines-American War was fought around ...
1
vote
2answers
124 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 ...
1
vote
1answer
68 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 ...
6
votes
1answer
197 views
Did Erwin König Exist?
Erwin König Was a sniper supposedly killed by Vasily Zaytsev in the Battle of Stalingrad. The diary of Vasily Zaytsev mentions killing Erwin Konig, and there is a sniper scope in Russia, but there is ...
0
votes
2answers
3k 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 ...
4
votes
2answers
205 views
Did either of the World Wars involve South or Central America?
Were any South or Central American nations besides Brazil involved (not necessarily officially) in either of the World Wars? If any were, I'd appreciate information on their degree of involvement.
3
votes
1answer
70 views
Did the Germans lose the U-Boat war in World war II because of a shortage of quality, rather than quantity?
In the "Battle of the Atlantic," the Germans lost almost 800 of their 1200 submarines (nearly two-thirds) sinking 3,500 Allied merchant ships and 175 warships. ...
8
votes
2answers
178 views
Were there any successful attempts by the Allies to “turn” groups of Axis soldiers?
Toward the end of World War II, Germany had to utilize non-German soldiers, some of them from occupied countries like Poland and the Ukraine. At places like Omaha Beach, Normandy, individual Poles ...
5
votes
1answer
93 views
GDP per capita during WWII?
Perhaps this is difficult to measure and maybe not even a good metric for anything meaningful, but what was the GDP and GDP/capita for nations around the world immediately before World War II? ...
5
votes
0answers
164 views
Did Hitler not intend a major war while invading Poland?
A J P Taylor in his book "The Origins of the Second World War" writes,
"Hitler never intended a major war and at most was prepared for only a
limited war against Poland."
"In 1938-39, the ...
8
votes
1answer
171 views
Was Churchill a poor HR manager?
The key problem in the delegation of authority is to match the delegatee's character and experience with the tasks appointed to him/her. I got an impression that Churchill's record in this field is ...
2
votes
5answers
232 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?
16
votes
3answers
2k views
How did Nazi Germany finance itself during WW2?
How did Nazi Germany finance itself during the war? They produced a large amount of war material during 1939-1945, but how was this production financed? What were Germany's revenue streams that ...
8
votes
3answers
187 views
Did Heisenberg undermine the German atomic bomb by deliberately hiding his expertise from the Nazis?
Source.
In his massive book Heisenberg's War: The Secret History of the German Bomb, Thomas Powers says that Heisenberg, who never became a Nazi and balked at the immorality of building a bomb for ...
11
votes
2answers
105 views
percentage of British and American troops involved in direct combat with enemy in World War II
How large a proportion of British and American troops were involved in direct combat with the enemy in World War II? What was the casualty rate among those men?
3
votes
2answers
309 views
Is there any research explicitly contradicting facts in Suvorov's “Icebreaker” book series claiming that Stalin intended to attack Hitler in 1941?
Viktor Suvorov is a somewhat famous ex-GRU spy who defected and wrote a series of books.
The most (in)famous and sensational were a series of books on World War II, starting with "Icebreaker", which ...
6
votes
2answers
76 views
Total budget of Nuremberg trial
I am trying to estimate the total budget of the Nuremberg War Criminal trial. Any help with reference, please?
1
vote
2answers
306 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 ...
6
votes
2answers
217 views
Has any other book in history been as “prescriptive” as Mein Kampf?
Hitler's signature work, "Mein Kampf," was written while he was in prison (!), following the failure of his so-called "Beer Hall Putsch" in Munich in 1923.
In the book, he laid out in excruciating ...
3
votes
3answers
141 views
Does Japan have the right to have its own army or navy?
After WW2 as I know Japan capitulated and was disarmed. And as I know Japan was not able to have its own army, and its boundary should be protected by the United States. So, does Japan have the right ...
26
votes
4answers
2k views
Why did Chamberlain act to appease Hitler leading up to the outbreak of World War 2?
There are accounts that British Prime Minister Chamberlain sought to appease Hitler because he just didn't want Britain involved in a war at that time. Others also argue that Chamberlain was naive and ...
4
votes
2answers
132 views
Was there more than one way for anti-aircraft fire to shoot down a dive bomber in World War II
I read somewhere that there were two "best" times for anti-aircraft to shoot down a dive bomber (of World War II vintage). One was when the plane was going into the dive. The other was when the plane ...
