North Africa and Europe 1940-1945

Cooke, Tim. North Africa and Europe 1940-1945. Part of the World War II: The Full Story series. 2015. 48p. ISBN 978-1-78121-203-1. Available at 940.41 NOR on the library shelves. 10/15/16

The invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany in September 1939 triggers the beginning of the Second World War, but for eight months not much happens on the Western Front. Both armies are staring at each other from across a fortified border. But in May 1940, German tanks and airplanes fought a similar lightning war as had occurred in Poland, and France, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, and Holland all fell in a matter of weeks. Britain now stood alone against the German war machine.

Hitler decided to bring Britain to its knees by waging an air war against it as a prelude to an invasion. For months, Britain was bombed, but slowly heroic pilots turned the tide and reduced the power of the Luftwaffe, the German air force. Meanwhile, Italian forces attacked across the border of Libya towards Egypt but were turned away by British forces. Hitler sent German troops, the Afrika Korp, to assist the beleaguered Italians. American, French, and British troops landed in Morocco and Algeria and fought east, while British troops fought westward from Egypt, eventually forcing the Germans to surrender.

At the same time, Germany launched a surprise attack against the Russians, with whom they had concluded a nonaggression pact in 1939. German troops arrived at Moscow’s doors by the end of 1941, but were overextended and lacked winter equipment to continue the offensive. Slowly but surely, Russian armies begin the long push back.

By 1944, Allied forces landed in Normandy, while a bombing campaign made life difficult for the Germans. The Russians reached Poland, American and British forces liberated Paris and completed the conquest of Italy. The days of Nazi Germany were counted, but it still took another six months to secure an unconditional capitulation. On May 7, 1945, war in Europe ended.

Other books in this series include Life in the War, Home Front, and War in the Pacific 1941-1945.

This book looks at life as war wages in North Africa and Europe from the multiple perspectives of soldiers, generals, nurses, politicians and civilians. If is a balanced and chronological examination of all sides and a look at a time and a culture through its fights, its art, its citizens and those not on the front lines.