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World at War, Issue #89 - Magazine
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The Crimean Campaign: 1941–42 When Army Group South crossed into the Soviet Union, no part of its orders included taking the Crimea. The plan was, once Soviet forces in the Ukraine were destroyed west of the Dnepr River, peripheral areas could be taken bloodlessly in subsequent mop-up operations. That changed when Soviet planes based in the Crimea began raiding the vital Axis oilfield in Romania. On 23 July, Hitler therefore raised the capture of the Crimea to the status of a priority” mission.
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World at War, Issue #88 - Magazine
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War Comes Early: Czechoslovakia 1938: Those who believe the Allied diplomatic giveaway at Munich was a disaster for the West emphasize the fact the German military was still small compared to what it would later become. Neville Chamberlain, chief architect of the deal, forever after maintained the year gained before the start of war in 1939 was crucial in helping Britain prepare for it. Here is our analysis.
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World at War, Issue #87 - Magazine
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The Netherlands East Indies Campaign, 1941–1942: A Strategic Analysis During the opening months of the war in the Pacific, the Japanese conquered the vast reaches of the Netherlands East Indies. Their campaign was a stunningly successful application of what today are called “joint operations.”
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World at War, Issue #86 - Magazine
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The Chaco War, 1932-1935. Paraguay and Bolivia claimed sovereignty over the Chaco, a desolate territory stretching from the Andes to the Paraguay River. For landlocked Bolivia, control of it was not just a matter of national pride. The Chaco gave access to the Paraguay River, which provides a route to the Atlantic. The largest war fought in South America in the 20th century was the result.
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World at War, Issue #85 - Magazine
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The Budapest Campaign, 1944–45 In mid-1944 Hitler made the decision to contest the Soviet drive into Hungary to the maximum extent possible. That led to the commitment of large panzer forces there throughout the final year of the war. The capital of Budapest, and the oilfields near Lake Balaton 30 miles away, provided the climactic scenes in the German dictator’s final attempt to gain one last victory for his Reich.
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World at War, Issue #84 - Magazine
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Manstein’s War: Strategy & Operations in the West, 1940: In May 1940 the Germans launched their invasion of the West, and in seven weeks defeated all the opposing armed forces. Credit for the plan that led to the victory is usually and mostly given to Erich von Manstein. Of course, as the proverb goes, success always has many fathers.
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World at War, Issue #83 - Magazine
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Operation Causeway: The Planned Invasion of Formosa, 1944: In mid-1944 a debate raged in the US high command over the next major objective in the Pacific. Two targets were considered: the Philippines and Formosa. The decision was made to invade the Philippines, but had the choice been Formosa, it would have become the largest amphibious operation of the war.
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World at War, Issue #82 - Magazine
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Watch on the Oder: German Strategic Alternatives, January 1945: In the late summer of 1944, Hitler had to decide whether to remain committed to a counteroffensive in the west or, upon reflection, switch it to the east. There’s no simple explanation for his choice of the western front. The situation was complex, and so were Hitler’s thought processes.
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World at War, Issue #81 - Magazine
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Clearing the Flanks: The Balkans, August–November 1944: By late July 1944, the Germans had suffered a crushing defeat in Belarus and were about to suffer another disaster in Normandy. Those catastrophes led them to withdraw divisions from Romania for deployment to other endangered sectors. On 20 August, 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts opened an offensive between the Black Sea and Jablanica Pass into the Balkans.
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World at War, Issue #80 - Magazine
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Hannut: Tank Action 1940: In the opening days of the 1940 campaign in the West, French and German armor clashed near the town of Hannut in Belgium. While French tanks acquitted themselves well, they could not prevent the Germans from gaining a stunning victory.
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