The Great European War: US Grand Strategy In retrospect, the Allied victory in World War II can seem inevitable. Yet it was not preordained. During the first two years of the European war, the Axis appeared to be on the road to victory. To understand the turnaround, the grand strategy of the US needs to be examined.

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• Battle at Libyan Omar In late November 1941, Axis forces in northeastern Libya were in a defensive fortified triangle at Bardia-Sidi Omar-Halfaya Pass. Between the triangle and Tobruk were two German panzer divisions and three Italian divisions. British XIII Corps was to advance and seize the area from Libyan Omar east to the coast.
• Adm. Kimmel’s Dilemma Ten days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, US Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Husband E. Kimmel was ordered to turn over command to his deputy. Kimmel and his army counterpart, Lt. Gen. Walter E. Short, were together held responsible for the disaster and forced to retire in disgrace for “errors in judgement.” Here is our analysis.
• Barbarossa in the Baltic Sea When Operation Barbarossa began, Axis forces advanced not only on land but also on the Baltic Sea. The naval forces committed against the Soviets were not intended to destroy the Soviet Baltic Fleet in battle; rather, that was to be done by seizing its bases in the ground offensive.