Warfare Methodologies Against Nazi Germany

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The war in Europe was majorly between the Russian Red Army and the Germany under Hitler. Germany was advanced on all fronts of military preparedness compared to the Soviet Union whose aircraft were almost obsolete. With the advancing German army in divisions, the Soviet army experienced defeats to several groups resulting in the use of the scorched earth strategy[6]. Partly, this strategy upset and disorganized the Germanys causing slow transitions. In this strategy, the soviet armies burnt and destroyed roads, railways other useful facilities as they retreated. The destruction roads and other transport facilities rendered some of the German machinery useless. In effect, this slowed down the pace of the Germans allowing the Soviet armies to reorganize.

The Normandy Invasion of 1944 by Allied forces caused panic and confusion in the Germany camp[7]. Hitler being in control of most Europe made the Allies to rethink their winning invasion strategy. The Invasion of Normandy was the beginning of the end of the Nazi Germany control of Europe. The US, the British and the Canadian forces started the liberation of France and further entry into Germany. Under the leadership of General Dwight D. Eisenhower the Allied troops, 6000 landing craft, ship and on board 176000 troops left England for France. This military operation was the largest in history and was named the Operation Overlord. The allied airstrikes destroyed key bridges hampering the movement of Germany troops. In addition, the Allied group had a well-coordinated naval support for the advancing troops. With the failure of the Germany to release her nearby troops to retaliate, they were weakened by the advancing Allied forces.

When the US joined the war in the support of the British in the North Africa territories against Germany, there was a consensus that weakening the German military, industry and economic system was the key to winning the war and liberating Western Europe[8]. This strategic bombing of military armor production centers increased the Allied air presence and supported in monitoring the Germany movement. By crippling the German air power, the Allied forces knew that it’s possible to defeat the Germany on the ground since the Soviet forces were advancing too. Advancement in military armor saw the invention of the anti tanker portable bazooka that delivered high explosive rounds into the bunkers and pill-boxes of the Germans. Although simple, the bazooka further destroyed the advancing German troops.

Propaganda of the US intelligence helped understand the advances of Germany. Back in France, the intelligence work of Virginia Hall as a spy exposed the Germany military organizations, supply points, exit, and hiding areas. This knowledge helped her train the French Resistance to resist German while relaying the information to the Allies[9].

Expanded supplies from the vast US nation and her allies prepared them to fight till the end. With the Japanese bombing of the Pearl Harbor, the US decided to join the war after the approval of the congress. This was a sign of the backing of the US by her people, and therefore enough supplies were provided for the fighting soldiers. On the other hand, the western allies started bombing and capturing the Germany and her axis supplies rendering them weak. The US had joined this war with full force as it had several sophisticated armories of the time and had used it sparingly as it advanced towards the axis territories[10].

Implications of the Second World War

The several events that prepared ground and the various wars fought during the Second World War have found several implications and applications in the contemporary world. Although the war ended seventy-two years ago, its effect is still felt today[11]. After the Second World War, the need for nations to work together and support each in the various aspects of economic development led to the formation of the United Nations headquartered in New York City, US. The UN is an important body in the resolution of conflicts across the world through its security wing that supports warring nations with UN peacekeepers and offering diplomacy in conflict resolution.

The end of the Second World War left the US and the Soviet Union under Russia as world superpowers although the collapse of the Soviet Union during the Cold War helped the US to remain as a sole super power. With the advancements in technology and economies, other nations like China have joined the superpower league[12]. The super power position has seen the US and China compete on several fronts across the globe in the military, financial, and technological support offer.

With the end of the Second World War, there were calls across the globe for the end of colonialism as the British, the Germany, and the Portuguese had expanded their territories to African and other areas. In other African territories, Africans had participated in the wars and had seen the vulnerability of the whites and had also received special training. This helped to organize for wars with the colonial masters. This led to most nations being liberated.[13]During the Second World War, women in the US had joined the workforce in fields dominated earlier by men to support their families in the absence of their husbands, but when the war ended, they were forced to resume their normal duties. This led to the rise and call for human and civil rights. In the US, this was led Martin Luther King Jr. in India, Mahatma Gandhi led a peaceful call for the human rights activism.

The contemporary military arms race is as a result of the Second World War. Although Germany, Japan, Russia, and the US had begun earlier, the war set the stage for every nation to advance in its war armory. Iran and Korea have in the recent past declared their advancements in nuclear bombs and are threatening to use them on any nation that invades her. Most nations have organized their military into the air force, navy and army with a majority of them recruiting each year.

Cold war and breakup of the USSR was a resulting effect of the Second World War. Neighboring nations began advocating for different ideologies that led to the lack of support and withholding vital supplies to other nations. This led to the call of sovereignty and the break-up of the Soviet Union. During the cold war, Germany was divided into East and West by the famous Berlin Wall and its demolition marked the end of the cold war[14].

Conclusion

There is no single event that can define the beginning of the Second World War. However, the activities of Germany through her expansion plan and the eventual bombing of the US Pearl Harbor by Japan could have attracted other nations into the war. It