Another essay on Axis powers defeat

Essay by manulover July 2006

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World War Two was the most diverse conflict ever to take place. From its starting point in central Europe it then escalated to North Africa, Russia and the Pacific. Due to advances in military technology, such as tanks, submarines and improved aircraft, battles were no longer stagnant and drawn out, instead conquests took weeks rather than years. In addition to technological improvements, Germany and the Axis Powers had developed radical new military tactics. Known as Blitzkrieg it involved concentrating force in an attack as one weak point in the enemy lines, then after having encircled the enemy the Germans would attack from two sides. The effectiveness of this tactic had a dramatic effect on the German advance. After the exponential growth of German occupied territory from 1939 to 1941 where German forces had remained undefeated came a 2nd a phase of the conflict. German defeat in the Battle of Britain sparked a chain of other axis failures that eventually led to their defeat.

With Britain left as the only unoccupied country in Western Europe, Hitler was now able to focus his attention solely on its conquest. 'Operation Sealion' was implemented as its final objective was the land invasion and conquest of Britain. But for this to be achieved it was first necessary to defeat the RAF and achieve air supremacy in the skies above Britain. Although vastly outranked in terms of both aircraft and experienced pilots, the German Luftwaffe was unable to defeat the RAF. Also the British army had left most of its weapons on the beaches at Dunkirk. Stalin was in no mood to challenge Hitler. The US shocked by the fall of France. The Germans hoped to subdue the British by starving them out. In June 1940 they undertook the Battle of Atlantic using submarine warfare to...