However, i'm having a hard time finding reliable sources/reference material to back my essay up. Does anyone know any books/other reliable sources wich i can use which deals with the subject and that i can use?
/Jesper
Importance of eastern front
Importance of eastern front
Hi, i'm writing a term paper in history which deals with the issue of the eastern front VS d-day and my conclusion will be that the Soviets would have defeted Germany without the (western)allied invasion of Normandie, and that d-day rather than being of military strategic importance (for the defet of the germans) was politically important for post war Europe.
However, i'm having a hard time finding reliable sources/reference material to back my essay up. Does anyone know any books/other reliable sources wich i can use which deals with the subject and that i can use?
/Jesper
However, i'm having a hard time finding reliable sources/reference material to back my essay up. Does anyone know any books/other reliable sources wich i can use which deals with the subject and that i can use?
/Jesper
Re: Importance of eastern front
What do you need your sources to prove? Any book on the Eastern Front can show that by 1944, or rather Operation Bagration, the Germans were more or less 'finished' and could never mount a successful offensive again.Jesper K wrote:Hi, i'm writing a term paper in history which deals with the issue of the eastern front VS d-day and my conclusion will be that the Soviets would have defeted Germany without the (western)allied invasion of Normandie, and that d-day rather than being of military strategic importance (for the defet of the germans) was politically important for post war Europe.
However, i'm having a hard time finding reliable sources/reference material to back my essay up. Does anyone know any books/other reliable sources wich i can use which deals with the subject and that i can use?
/Jesper
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Christian Ankerstjerne
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There are plenty of good sources out there - but I think you should be careful, if you are going to proceed in the manner you have suggested. If you decide on what you conclusion will be, then you will probably be too fixated on that, and will (consiously or subconsiously) reject sources which interferewith your conclusion. It is better to make it your aim to e.g. 'Determine to which degree the Allied invasion in Normandy and Sicily effected the final outcome ofthe war'.
Christian
Christian
Well, perhaps you need to amend your conclusion a little? While one can certainly make a very strong case for the soviets being able to defeat the Germans even if the invasion was called off, it is after all also true that the allied campaign in NW Europe made a very major contribution to the German defeat in the last phase of the war, and that it fundamentally altered the German strategic position. In this sense, D-Day was certainly of the most profound military strategic importance. In general, I think the issue can't really be adequately dealt with in an "either/or" type of manner.Hi, i'm writing a term paper in history which deals with the issue of the eastern front VS d-day and my conclusion will be that the Soviets would have defeted Germany without the (western)allied invasion of Normandie, and that d-day rather than being of military strategic importance (for the defet of the germans) was politically important for post war Europe.
However, i'm having a hard time finding reliable sources/reference material to back my essay up. Does anyone know any books/other reliable sources wich i can use which deals with the subject and that i can use?
cheers
An important consideration is the fact that the air war waged by the western powers against germany had significant affects on its performance on the Eastern Front
1) Nearly one quarter of the german war industry was devoted to the production of anti-aircraft guns and ammunition and all those guns and all that ammo was deployed against the western airforces.
2) German loss of air superiority on the Eastern front was caused by the need to defend the homeland from the western air onslaught.
Consider, had there been no western air intervention, the luftwaffe could have dominated the skies over russia and alot more 88's would have been smashing t-34's. D-day was only part of the western contribution.
1) Nearly one quarter of the german war industry was devoted to the production of anti-aircraft guns and ammunition and all those guns and all that ammo was deployed against the western airforces.
2) German loss of air superiority on the Eastern front was caused by the need to defend the homeland from the western air onslaught.
Consider, had there been no western air intervention, the luftwaffe could have dominated the skies over russia and alot more 88's would have been smashing t-34's. D-day was only part of the western contribution.
He is talking about "D-Day" not 'western air intervention.' As for the 'luftwaffe dominating the skies over Russia' that was over in 1942/1943 when the battle for Stalingrad was in progress.F/PAUL wrote:An important consideration is the fact that the air war waged by the western powers against germany had significant affects on its performance on the Eastern Front
1) Nearly one quarter of the german war industry was devoted to the production of anti-aircraft guns and ammunition and all those guns and all that ammo was deployed against the western airforces.
2) German loss of air superiority on the Eastern front was caused by the need to defend the homeland from the western air onslaught.
Consider, had there been no western air intervention, the luftwaffe could have dominated the skies over russia and alot more 88's would have been smashing t-34's. D-day was only part of the western contribution.
I Interpret 'D-DAY' reference as the entire western contribution to the struggle. Had there been no western involvement to distract the germans and sap a goodly portion of their strength, the soviet army would have been brought to a standstill or sufficiently mauled for Stalin to have cut a deal with Hitler.
Your 'interpretation' is not his, if you want to write your own paper, make your own thread.F/PAUL wrote:I Interpret 'D-DAY' reference as the entire western contribution to the struggle. Had there been no western involvement to distract the germans and sap a goodly portion of their strength, the soviet army would have been brought to a standstill or sufficiently mauled for Stalin to have cut a deal with Hitler.
I do not think there are any sources that specifically adopt the thesis that Russia could have beaten Germany alone. Most books on the Eastern front tend to analyze that campaign without analyzing the effect it had on other theaters of the war (this would be quite a piece of work). The safest conclusion that can be reached is that it took both the Western Powers and the Soviet Union to beat Germany and that both sides made significant contributions. The west was for a long time guilty of ignoring the contribution which Russia made toward the german defeat, now it seems, there are those who would have us believe that the Western powers had nothing but a political agenda to fulfill and made no significant contribution to germany's defeat.
You may also wish to consider that if D-Day (capital letters apply) had failed, it would be reasonable to believe that alot of resource could have been shifted from the West to the East. Depending on when D-Day failed, ie. on the beaches, further inland, ect. would dictate how many divisions could be moved.
If D-Day had failed, then probably more resource would have been moved to Italy, rather than a second attempt at an invasion.
I personally disagree with the thought process of Russia beating Germany alone, and there are many factors to consider. (Which is what your asking for).
Perhaps a what if discussion ...?
If D-Day had failed, then probably more resource would have been moved to Italy, rather than a second attempt at an invasion.
I personally disagree with the thought process of Russia beating Germany alone, and there are many factors to consider. (Which is what your asking for).
Perhaps a what if discussion ...?
Considering if the Allies never launched D-day all the land forces used to counter the allie drive on the reich would have been sent to the eastern front. First , would the allies still continue their air war ? Would they continue their operations in the Med.?
With no D-day there would be no Wacht Am Rhein. With all those reconstituted PZ. divisions now being on the eastern front I expect the russian army being on the brink of exhaustion. Even with the allied western front the russian army had to conscript every available male in the conquered contries just to maintain the offensive.
About the air force, even in the later stages of the war the Lufftwaffe was able to gain control of specific parts of the easetern front. With no allied force to contend with the Luffwaffe would havwe had a much easier time .
The russophiles must accept that without the allied effort they would have no chance to defeat the vauted Wehrmacht.
With no D-day there would be no Wacht Am Rhein. With all those reconstituted PZ. divisions now being on the eastern front I expect the russian army being on the brink of exhaustion. Even with the allied western front the russian army had to conscript every available male in the conquered contries just to maintain the offensive.
About the air force, even in the later stages of the war the Lufftwaffe was able to gain control of specific parts of the easetern front. With no allied force to contend with the Luffwaffe would havwe had a much easier time .
The russophiles must accept that without the allied effort they would have no chance to defeat the vauted Wehrmacht.
Interestingly enough we 'must' do no such thing.john1761 wrote:Considering if the Allies never launched D-day all the land forces used to counter the allie drive on the reich would have been sent to the eastern front. First , would the allies still continue their air war ? Would they continue their operations in the Med.?
With no D-day there would be no Wacht Am Rhein. With all those reconstituted PZ. divisions now being on the eastern front I expect the russian army being on the brink of exhaustion. Even with the allied western front the russian army had to conscript every available male in the conquered contries just to maintain the offensive.
About the air force, even in the later stages of the war the Lufftwaffe was able to gain control of specific parts of the easetern front. With no allied force to contend with the Luffwaffe would havwe had a much easier time .
The russophiles must accept that without the allied effort they would have no chance to defeat the vauted Wehrmacht.