New answers tagged nazi-germany
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Because it was Plan "B" (or even "C"). In 1942, Winston Churchill was "undecided" between invading Norway or North Africa, but the Americans tipped the balance in favor of the latter campaign.
Let's look at the results of the plan that was actually followed, the invasion of Italy:
Italy, with its 40 million people was induced ...
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Germany didn't need more coal. They had plenty available in the Ruhr and Silesia, and a reasonably adequate ability to mine it. Depriving the USSR of access to that coal was somewhat useful, but nothing like as useful as depriving the Soviets of Caucasian oil, and getting that oil for themselves.
Trying to work the captured coal mines would have required ...
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The Germans were not capable of using those captured coal mines:
Russian tracks are wider than European tracks. The Russians destroyed as much as possible of the tracks and locomotives as possible when they withdrew.
The Germans couldn't use USSR railroads, because there weren't any left. Building their own tracks was possible, but to a limited extent due to ...
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I'd like to add a couple of points to the existing answers:
Hitler's becoming the chancellor didn't make him a dictator - just like any Democratic constition, that of Weimar republic contained checks and balances to prevent the usurpation of power. Hitler became dictator only after the Reichstag voted the Enabling Act, transferring to him the legislative ...
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Here is the relevant quote from William Shirer's The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich:
To combat socialism Bismarck put through between 1883 and 1989 a program for social security far beyond anything known in other countries. It included compulsory insurance for workers against old age, sickness, accident and incapacity, and though organized by the State it ...
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It was complicated, particularly at Stalingrad, where the Germans employed a large number of Russian "Hiwis," (willing helpers).
From Beevor's "Stalingrad" (and other sources), a captured Hiwi explained to his Red Army interrogators: "Russians in the German Army can be divided into three categories. Firstly, soldiers mobilized by the ...
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