Again, the numbers of voters have desapointed me, because i was expecting more... in the total, only 3 good readers voted, and this resulted in a triple draw, as you can see below:
Napoleon - 1 vote (33%)
Attila - 0 votes (0%)
Gengis Khan - 1 vote (33%)
Cesar - 1 vote (33%)
Erwin Rommel (the "Desert Fox") - 0 votes (0%)
This was a poor votation result, and the question was interesting. But you are the readers, and i can't demand anything from you, as i'm glad for your visit. But please, try to vote in the monthly votation, because it can help me see your vision of the history of this vast world...
I would like too to excuse me because of the time that i'm thaking to make this work about the second world war. And, because of that, i will have suprises in the next chapters, so don't forget to read...
It will be avaiable a new question, this one about the topic that i'm working: "Which was the best tank of the Second World War?". So don't forget to vote in this votation and too don't forget to rate this blog!!!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Second World War - Chapter 3
Chapter 3 - "Towards a Nazi Europe?"
The first fase of the Second World War, from 1939 to 1941, was denominated by "Lightening War" (Blitzkrieg), in wich the Germany had many advantages: good
Generals, a carismatic leader next to the people, a great propaganda and an army well trained and equiped that launched great lighting attacks, through tanks and airplanes. This "blitzkrieg" was the air bombardement of the target, followed by a quickly advance of the infantry, protected by the fast and effective armoured divisions Panzers.
Generals, a carismatic leader next to the people, a great propaganda and an army well trained and equiped that launched great lighting attacks, through tanks and airplanes. This "blitzkrieg" was the air bombardement of the target, followed by a quickly advance of the infantry, protected by the fast and effective armoured divisions Panzers.France still used old tactics and don't had available a powerfull pedestrian army and the airplanes where worst than those of Germany and because of that it was no force that could repel a nazy attack... In the 1st of September 1939, Poland is invaded and reparted beetween Germany and URSS, having France no time to react. In the same moment, URSS attacked Finland, wich was impossible to conquer. Now the attentions were turned to the Scandinavia.
In the Spring of 1940, the germans conquered Denmark (in only one day!!!) and in April they invaded Norway, making its enemies retreat in June. With those tactics, they colsed the Atlantic Nort and t
he Baltic Sea to the English and to the Soviets and passed to have a direct acess to the nordic iron, wich was very important to the industry of war...
he Baltic Sea to the English and to the Soviets and passed to have a direct acess to the nordic iron, wich was very important to the industry of war...The germans had only a big problem to face if they invaded France: The Maginot Line. It was a group of fortifications placed in the frontier beetween France and Germany. The Line was almost invencible, and the germans knew that. So they advanced trought the low countries (Netherlands and Luxembourg), hoping that with this strategy they could also cut the support of the Great Britain to France.
At 14 June of 1940, Paris fall to the hands of the mighty german army and the Govern of Pétain wasked for Armistice, that was signed in 22 June of 1940. According to this, three-fifths of the national territory were delivered to Germany and almost 2 milion solders delivered to the Axis and taked to Fields of Concentration. Only Southern France (except Aquitania) was free of the Nazis, but it remain under the eyes of the germans.
After the fall of France, England became even more isolated. However, the resistance was rising. This benefited of one defeat that consisted in the retreat of Dunkirk, that seemed to have been a disaster for the Allies, but allowed the reorganization of troops on British soil. This withdrawal by sea, the vast operation Dinamo, which had the full support of the English nation, where it were used all ships possible.
Hitler could not invade the island, but tried to lower the morale of British through bombardments.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Second World War - Chapter 2
Chapter 2 - The preparations
With the end of WWI, the Germany was in a dificult position, mainly because of the Treaty of Versailles. According to this, Deutchland (other name of Germany) must have to pay the reparations of the war, lose 13% of its national territory, all of its overseas colonies (including Kamerun, German East Africa, German Southwest Africa, Togoland and German New Guinea), 12.5% of its population (mitigated subsequently by major demographic shifts) and 16% of its coalfields, and 48% of its iron and steel industry. It had also to confront with the Economic Crise of 1929. This critical vision of the country had facilited the enroll to the political progamme of Adolf Hitler (in other words, this was the beginnig of the Nazis).
Adolf was a political leader that request the revision of the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler made a speech, charismatic to a great part of the german population, based in the proclamation of the superiority of the german race (Ariana) and in a racism thought to the jewish people. The proclamation of the Ariana race and the thought of racism to the jewish people was justified by the right of expansion of Germany's borders (“Lebensraum”), conquering territories of inferior countries/kingdoms, mainly in Central and Eastern Europe.
The Empire of Japan share with Germany the same thought of power. Since the decade of Thirty the country was ruled by a Militar Party and tried to achived markets to market her prodution, that was in growth, and to achive commercial facilities. It also wanted to extend its boreders trought the Pacific Ocean. Beetween the years 1931 and 1932 conquered Manchuria and in the year 1937 invaded China, threatening some english colonies (like Singapure, Malasia, India, etc.) and american colonies in the Pacific.
The Nazi Germany, the Fascist Italy and the Niponic Empire (Japan) apresented political leaders that had in comun the militar preocupations and, mainly, a dislike to the countries that win "the battle for the rule of oceans". On 1 July of 1939 the Rome-Berlin Axis was created, resulted by the sanctions imposted to Italy in the end of the War in Ethiopia (1935). Later Japan join to the same Axis.
One of the stages of testing of the WWII (beyond Austria, Manchuria and Ethiopia, this last the "less" agressive) was the Civil War in Spain (1936-1939). In this conflict, England, France and the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) supported the republican government, while Germany and Italy supported the nacionalist faction of General Franco, to who had garante a support of weapons. It was in this conflict that Germany started to experiment its weapons and vehicles, such as the “Heinkel 111”.
Hitler wanted to conquer territories that, in tradiction terms, were germanic (like the region that today is the Chech Republic) and the West (France, England, etc.) was confident in a trate politic. This decision had only give more trust to the germans. It was only after Praga fell to the power of the Wehrmacht (german army) that the western countries start to wake to the german problem. A USSR, fearing a possible invasion of the Nazis, signed the Soviet-german pact, on 23 August of 1939. This pact had permited to Hitler to begin the war, now that he only had to combat in one front.
The September 1, 1939: the Wehrmacht advanced on Poland and in the 3 of that same month, England and France declared war on Third Reich. THis was the beginnig of the Second World War.
With the end of WWI, the Germany was in a dificult position, mainly because of the Treaty of Versailles. According to this, Deutchland (other name of Germany) must have to pay the reparations of the war, lose 13% of its national territory, all of its overseas colonies (including Kamerun, German East Africa, German Southwest Africa, Togoland and German New Guinea), 12.5% of its population (mitigated subsequently by major demographic shifts) and 16% of its coalfields, and 48% of its iron and steel industry. It had also to confront with the Economic Crise of 1929. This critical vision of the country had facilited the enroll to the political progamme of Adolf Hitler (in other words, this was the beginnig of the Nazis).
Adolf was a political leader that request the revision of the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler made a speech, charismatic to a great part of the german population, based in the proclamation of the superiority of the german race (Ariana) and in a racism thought to the jewish people. The proclamation of the Ariana race and the thought of racism to the jewish people was justified by the right of expansion of Germany's borders (“Lebensraum”), conquering territories of inferior countries/kingdoms, mainly in Central and Eastern Europe.
The Empire of Japan share with Germany the same thought of power. Since the decade of Thirty the country was ruled by a Militar Party and tried to achived markets to market her prodution, that was in growth, and to achive commercial facilities. It also wanted to extend its boreders trought the Pacific Ocean. Beetween the years 1931 and 1932 conquered Manchuria and in the year 1937 invaded China, threatening some english colonies (like Singapure, Malasia, India, etc.) and american colonies in the Pacific.
The Nazi Germany, the Fascist Italy and the Niponic Empire (Japan) apresented political leaders that had in comun the militar preocupations and, mainly, a dislike to the countries that win "the battle for the rule of oceans". On 1 July of 1939 the Rome-Berlin Axis was created, resulted by the sanctions imposted to Italy in the end of the War in Ethiopia (1935). Later Japan join to the same Axis.
One of the stages of testing of the WWII (beyond Austria, Manchuria and Ethiopia, this last the "less" agressive) was the Civil War in Spain (1936-1939). In this conflict, England, France and the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) supported the republican government, while Germany and Italy supported the nacionalist faction of General Franco, to who had garante a support of weapons. It was in this conflict that Germany started to experiment its weapons and vehicles, such as the “Heinkel 111”.
Hitler wanted to conquer territories that, in tradiction terms, were germanic (like the region that today is the Chech Republic) and the West (France, England, etc.) was confident in a trate politic. This decision had only give more trust to the germans. It was only after Praga fell to the power of the Wehrmacht (german army) that the western countries start to wake to the german problem. A USSR, fearing a possible invasion of the Nazis, signed the Soviet-german pact, on 23 August of 1939. This pact had permited to Hitler to begin the war, now that he only had to combat in one front.
The September 1, 1939: the Wehrmacht advanced on Poland and in the 3 of that same month, England and France declared war on Third Reich. THis was the beginnig of the Second World War.
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