The Library of Congress World War II Companion

The noted historian John Keegan called World War II "the largest single event in human history." More than sixty years after it ended, that war continues to shape our world. Going far beyond accounts of the major battles, The Library of Congress World War II Companion examines, in a unique and engaging manner, this devastating conflict, its causes, conduct, and aftermath. It considers the politics that shaped the involvement of the major combatants; military leadership and the characteristics of major Allied and Axis armed services; the weaponry that resulted in the war's unprecedented destruction, as well as debates over the use of these weapons; the roles of resistance groups and underground fighters; war crimes; daily life during wartime; the uses of propaganda; and much more.

ContentsIntroduction by David M. Kennedy Preface by James H. Billington, The Librarian of Congress About This Book Contributors 1. The World at War Part 1: PreludeTreaty of Versailles Post-Versailles: The State of the World Communism versus Fascism The Rise of Totalitarianism Peace and Disarmament Interwar Economics and Depression War in the 1930s Conclusion: Into the Future Part II: A Global ConflictAlliances and Colonies Global Transport Migrations and Refugees Combatants Neutral Nations The Geography of War Principal Sources and Further Reading 2. Wartime Politics Time Line Principal Sources and Further Reading 3. Mobilization: The Rifle, the Wrench, and the Rationing Book Prologue Introduction Military Mobilization Civil Defense Industry and War Production Other Government Mobilization Principal Sources and Further Reading 4. Military Leadership and Organization The Axis Axis Military Leaders and Their Armed Forces The Allies Allied Military Leaders and Their Armed Forces Principal Sources and Further Reading 5. Instruments of War Aircraft Artillery, Tanks, and Tank Destroyers Cameras Camouflage, Decoys, and Deception Fortifications Mines and Booby Traps Naval Vessels and Weaponry Small Arms Technological Devices Vehicles (Land) Weapons of Terror, Desperation, and Mass Destruction Principal Sources and Further Reading 6. Military Operations, 1937-1941 1937-August 1939: Fire in the East September 1939-December 1940: Fire in the West 1941: The World's Wars Become a World War Principal Sources and Further Reading 7. Military Operations, 1942-1945 1942: The Allies Against the Ropes 1943: The Tide Begins to Turn 1944: Toward Tokyo and Berlin 1945: Allied Victory and an Uneasy Peace Principal Sources and Further Reading 8. War Crimes and the Holocaust The Rules of War War Crimes The AlliesThe Axis The Holocaust Time Line Principal Sources and Further Reading 9. The Underground War Underground Warriors: Intelligence Organizations Methods of Underground Warfare Resistance Movements, Partisans, and Underground Political Organizations Jewish Resistance Principal Sources and Further Reading 10. The Media War Propaganda and Censorship Organizations and Agendas Censorship Issues Black Propaganda Propaganda TechniquesThe Media Propaganda, Truth, and Influence Principal Sources and Further Reading 11. War on the Home Front Morale Labor AgricultureThe Role of Women Doing Without and Making Do: Rationing and Salvaging Civil Defense, Air Raids, and Bomb Shelters Mobility/Evacuations Axis Japanese Americans on the Home Front Religion From Home Front to Home Principal Sources and Further Reading 12. The Aftermath "The War Is Over!" A New World Landscape Occupation Refugees and Displaced Persons Prosecuting War Criminals Postwar America: The United States after V-J Day Balance of Power and the Cold War An American Memorial, 2004 Principal Sources and Further Reading Information About Images Index