The Second World War in the West

COVER......Page 1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......Page 6
CONTENTS......Page 8
MAP LIST......Page 10
Europe in 1920 (post peace treaties)......Page 22
Hitler's Annexations 1936-9......Page 36
Campaign in Poland 1-28 September 1939......Page 42
Russo-Finnish War 1940......Page 48
'Plan Yellow' September 1939-April 1940......Page 50
Denmark and Norway April-June 1940......Page 52
Panzer strike through the Ardennes 12-14 May 1940......Page 56
Invasion of the West May -June 1940......Page 57
Campaign in East Africa June 1940- November 1941......Page 78
The Balkans, 6-30 April 1941 and Crete 20 May-1 June 1941......Page 84
British occupy Iraq August 1941......Page 88
Invasion of Russia June-December 1941......Page 96
The Caucasus June-November 1942......Page 112
The Battle of Stalingrad January-February 1943......Page 114
Battle of Gazala 26 May-14 June 1942......Page 122
Operation 'Torch' 8 November 1942......Page 131
Battle of Kursk 5-13 July 1944......Page 147
Operation Bagration June-August 1944......Page 162
Italy 1944-5......Page 174
D-Day 6 June 1944......Page 179
Battle of the Bulge 16-24 December 1944......Page 189
Battle of Berlin 15 April-6 May 1945......Page 206
CHRONOLOGY......Page 11
THE ROAD TO WAR (1919-39)......Page 18
The First World War - The 'war to end all war'......Page 19
The Treaty of Versailles......Page 20
The League of Nations......Page 21
International Disarmament......Page 24
The rise of Mussolini
and Hitler......Page 25
Spanish Civil War......Page 31
Rearmament......Page 33
War clouds gather......Page 37
Hitler turns on Poland......Page 38
THE TRIUMPH OF BLITZKRIEG (1939-40)......Page 40
State of opposing forces at outbreak of Second World
War......Page 41
Polish campaign......Page 43
Phoney War......Page 45
Russo-Finnish
war......Page 47
France and the Low
Countries......Page 54
Britain alone......Page 64
Lend-Lease and US attitude to war......Page 67
Resistance in Occupied
countries......Page 68
MUSSOLINI'S DREAM: THE MEDITERRANEAN THEATRE (1940-41)......Page 72
Early campaigns in
East and North Africa......Page 74
 Italian invasion of Greece - October 1940......Page 76
German troops sent to Libya February 1941......Page 80
Balkan campaign......Page 82
Crete - May 1941......Page 83
Syria - June 1941......Page 85
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and US entry into war......Page 90
HITLER TURNS EAST: RUSSIA (1941-3)......Page 92
Hitler's invasion plans......Page 94
1941 offensive......Page 98
First Russian counter-attacks......Page 100
1942 German plans......Page 107
The road to Stalingrad......Page 110
Battle of Stalingrad......Page 111
SECOND FRONT: WESTERN EUROPE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN (1942-43)......Page 118
Anglo-US strategic debate......Page 120
Rommel's spring 1942
counter-offensive in Egypt......Page 123
EI Alamein......Page 125
Tunisia......Page 130
Casablanca Conference......Page 132
Invasions of Sicily and Italy......Page 136
The Italian armistice......Page 138
THE LIBERATION OF RUSSIA......Page 140
Reformation of Soviet tactics......Page 141
Operation Citadel......Page 145
Liberation of western Russia......Page 149
Entry into Eastern
Europe and Balkans......Page 156
Russian advance to River
Vistula......Page 161
Warsaw Uprising......Page 164
NORTH-WEST EUROPE AND ITALY......Page 168
Planning and preparation for Normandy landings......Page 170
Anzio......Page 172
Allied entry into
Rome......Page 177
Normandy landings......Page 178
Breakout from
Normandy......Page 182
The Allied landings in South of France......Page 183
Closing to German border......Page 186
Gothic Line, Italy......Page 187
The Ardennes counter-offensive......Page 188
Closing to the Rhine......Page 192
THE FINAL CAMPAIGN......Page 194
Siege of Budapest and last German offensive......Page 197
Russian capture of Vienna......Page 199
Rhine crossings and Ruhr
Pocket......Page 200
Western Allies' strategic
debate over Berlin......Page 203
Hitler's suicide......Page 204
Doenitz was arrested......Page 207
IN RETROSPECT......Page 210
Summary: the total nature of the war......Page 211
SOME LEADING COMMANDERS......Page 215
FURTHER READING......Page 219
INDEX......Page 220
PICTURE CREDITS......Page 225
COVER......Page 226