By 1939, warfare had experienced dramatic and exponential changes since the end of the First World War. Gone were the days of stationary enemy lines; thanks to technological advancements, World War II ushered in a rapid form of mobile combat never before seen. And grappling with this new-fangled warfare was a generation of military leaders that didn't always get it right.
By 1939, warfare had experienced dramatic and exponential changes since the end of the First World War. Gone were the days of stationary enemy lines; thanks to technological advancements, World War II ushered in a rapid form of mobile combat never before seen. And grappling with this new-fangled warfare was a generation of military leaders that didn't always get it right.
There are probably more armchair experts on World War II than any other major historical event. But that's hardly surprising. The largest, bloodiest, and most widespread war in human history is a fascinating subject, after all, and had an enormous role in shaping the modern world. Of course people would want to learn more and impress (annoy?) people with their knowledge.
World War II was the largest, deadliest, and most widespread armed conflict in human history, notes History. It was fought in almost every type of environment imaginable: on and under the sea, in the skies, in hills, mountains, open fields, cities, deserts, forests, and frozen wastelands. Some of the battles were quick, bloodless skirmishes. Others were mighty deathmatches that lasted months if not years, consuming the lives of hundreds of thousands or even millions of souls, military and civilian alike. In almost every theater, the conflict was defined by an initial period of violent Axis expansion, then a turning point, followed by a final Allied advance.
If Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany had stood alone against the Allies, World War II probably would have played out a lot differently. As it happened, Germany had a few powerful allies of its own, and by the time Britain and France finally declared war on the European front, Hitler already had established ties with Imperial Japan.
Whether you're a diehard fan of 2006's "Flags of Our Fathers," obsessed with tearjerkers like 1997's "Life Is Beautiful," or satisfied by the poetic justice of 2009's "Inglourious Basterds," World War II movies continue to place the events of the previous century in greater focus while exploring human nature under extreme circumstances. As new (and old) directors contribute their perspectives on this conflict, our knowledge of the cataclysmic events of the 1930s and 1940s keeps expanding.
