War Comes to Aachen

War Comes to Aachen
Author: Philip W. Blood
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 402
Release: 2024-10-03
Genre: History
ISBN: 1911723693

A micro-history of 'Charlemagne's city' in the First and Second World Wars, its inhabitants' embrace of Nazism, and Churchill's response.

Aachen

Aachen
Author: Robert W. Baumer
Publisher: Stackpole Books
Total Pages: 434
Release: 2015-01-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 0811760987

By September 1944, the Allied advance across France and Belgium had turned into attrition along the German frontier. Standing between the Allies and the Third Reich's industrial heartland was the city of Aachen, once the ancient seat of Charlemagne's empire and now firmly entrenched within Germany's Siegfried Line fortifications. The city was on the verge of capitulating until Hitler forbade surrender.

Coastal Convoys 1939–1945

Coastal Convoys 1939–1945
Author: Nick Hewitt
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
Total Pages: 505
Release: 2009-04-20
Genre: History
ISBN: 1844685969

Using official records from the National Archives personal accounts from the Imperial War Museum and other sources, Coastal Convoys 1939 1945: The Indestructible Highway describes Britains dependence on coastal shipping and the introduction of the convoy system in coastal waters at the outset of the war. It beings to life the hazards of the German mining offensive of 1939, the desperate battles fought in coastal waters during 1940 and 1941, and the long struggle against German air and naval forces which lasted to the end of the Second World War. Reference is also made to the important role played by coasters during the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940 and the Normandy landings in 1944.

Germany and the Second World War

Germany and the Second World War
Author:
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 1074
Release: 1990
Genre: Germany
ISBN: 0199282773

This is the second in the comprehensive ten-volume Germany and the Second World War. The five volumes so far published in German take the story to the end of 1941, and have achieved international acclaim as a major contribution to historical study. Under the auspices of the Militargeschichtliches Forschungsamt (Research Institute for Military History), a team of renowned historians has combined a full synthesis of existing material with the latest research to produce what will be the definitive history of the Second World War. This volume surveys the first year of the war deliberately begun by Nazi Germany. The authors examine the train of interconnected political and military events, and set military operations against the background of Hitler's war policy and general aims, both immediate and long term. The authors show that the conflict took a course quite different from that which Hitler had intended, but nevertheless resulted in a series of conquests for the Third Reich.

Bloody Aachen

Bloody Aachen
Author: Charles Whiting
Publisher: Spellmount, Limited Publishers
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2007
Genre: Aachen (Germany)
ISBN: 9781862273955

Of all the towns and cities in Germany none evokes the spirit of history more vividly than the name of Aachen. Here in 814 Charlemagne was buried. Here twenty-eight of the Holy Roman Emperors were crowned. And here, in the autumn of 1944, the US First Army, the Big Red One, was held at bay for two months by the fanatical resistance of the Wehrmacht. But this was no ordinary battle, no straightforward two-sided slogging match, for in the middle was a third party. Aachen, the ancient Holy City of the Empire, had remained a bastion of Catholicism in a godless state, the mass of her citizens refusing to acknowledge the Nazi creed. So it was that when they were ordered to evacuate the city, 20,000 civilians chose to disobey, hiding as best they could in the ruins, to fight it out with 'friend' and foe alike. The atmosphere of a city in torment is brilliantly recaptured by the author and the vital importance of the battle for Aachen in the subsequent war fully explained. Two months later the German Army began its counter-attack in the Ardennes; but by then the Big Red One was worn out.

The War Comes to Plum Street

The War Comes to Plum Street
Author: Bruce C. Smith
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Total Pages: 327
Release: 2005-02-16
Genre: History
ISBN: 0253111412

How World War II changed New Castle, Indiana. “This is a unique look at the war, far from the front lines, but equally impacting life on the home front.” —Bookviews.com The War Comes to Plum Street brings to life the Second World War through the eyes of a small group of neighbors from a Midwestern town. Bruce C. Smith presents their stories just as they happened, without explanation or interpretation. To experience the war as they did, insofar as it is possible, we must understand how they perceived everyday events and recognize the incompleteness of their knowledge of what was taking place in Europe and the Pacific. The inhabitants of Plum Street in New Castle, Indiana, resemble many other average Americans of their day. As we discover how they experienced those fateful years, these Americans may have something to teach us about how we live in our own turbulent time. “This remains a superb story. Bruce C. Smith has a wonderful eye for detail and a compelling perspective and voice. We care about this place and the people who live here.” —James H. Madison, author of Hoosiers: A New History of Indiana “The book is worth reading for what it offers about the emotional life of the times. Smith recognizes that in a small community and, more particularly, on a single street, lives are enmeshed . . . Ultimately, this book is deeply personal, but it reminds us that life is lived at a deeply personal level.” —HistoryNet.com

Fighting Fascism in Europe

Fighting Fascism in Europe
Author: Lawrence Cane
Publisher: Fordham Univ Press
Total Pages: 352
Release: 2003
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9780823222513

Of the 400 American veterans of the Spanish Civil War in World War II, Cane was the only one to go ashore with the assault wave on D-Day.".

Germany at War [4 volumes]

Germany at War [4 volumes]
Author: David T. Zabecki
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 3312
Release: 2014-10-28
Genre: History
ISBN:

Written by experts for use by nonexperts, this monumental work probes Germany's "Genius for War" and the unmistakable pattern of tactical and operational innovation and excellence evident throughout the nation's military history. Despite having the best military forces in the world, some of the most advanced weapons available, and unparalleled tactical proficiency, Germany still lost both World Wars. This landmark, four-volume encyclopedia explores how and why that happened, at the same time examining Germany as a military power from the start of the Thirty Years' War in 1618 to the present day. Coverage includes the Federal Republic of Germany, its predecessor states, and the kingdoms and principalities that combined to form Imperial Germany in 1871. The Seven Years' War is discussed, as are the Napoleonic Wars, the Wars of German Unification (including the Franco-Prussian War), World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. In all, more than 1,000 entries illuminate battles, organizations, leaders, armies, weapons, and other aspects of war and military life. The most comprehensive overview of German military history ever to appear in English, this work will enable students and others interested in military history to better understand the sociopolitical history of Germany, the complex role conflict has played in the nation throughout its history, and why Germany continues to be an important player on the European continent.

Operation Cobra and the Great Offensive

Operation Cobra and the Great Offensive
Author: Bill Yenne
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 434
Release: 2010-06-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 1451604211

THE BEGINNINGS OF VICTORY Shortly after the D-Day invasion, the Allied forces in Europe had stalled. A limited operation was set in motion to punch a small hole in the enemy defenses, starting on July 25, 1944. It was called Operation Cobra, and it would become one of the greatest offensives in all of military history. In the sixty days following the launch of the operation, the Allies -- commanded by Dwight Eisenhower and led by men such as the irascible General George Patton and General Omar Bradley -- attacked the enemy relentlessly. And what began as a desperate attempt to break a stalemate turned into an unstoppable armored juggernaut that swept the Germans out of virtually all of France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Here is a penetrating account of that incredible feat of military skill, bravery, and daring that changed the course of the war, and signaled the end of Germany's domination of Europe.

United States Army in World War 2, Technical Services, The Corps of Engineers: The War Against Germany

United States Army in World War 2, Technical Services, The Corps of Engineers: The War Against Germany
Author: Alfred M. Beck
Publisher: Government Printing Office
Total Pages: 636
Release: 1985
Genre:
ISBN: 9780160019388

CMH Pub. 10-22. By Alfred M. Beck, et al. Describes in detail the role of the Army Corps of Engineers in various military campaigns throughout North Africa and Italy, as well as in Western and Central Europe, from 1941 through 1944. L.C. card 84-11376. Item 345. Related Products: United States Army in World War 2: The Quartermaster Corps, Operations in War Against Japan is available here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/008-029-00047-4 United States Army and World War II: Set 5 of 7, The Technical Services, Pt. 2 (Corps of Engineers, Quartermaster, and Medical) -CDROM format is available here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/008-029-00434-8 United States Army and World War II: Set 4 of 7, The Technical Services, Pt. 1 (Chemical, Ordnance, Transportation, and Signal) CDROM format is available here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/008-029-00396-1 World War II resources collection can be found here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/catalog/world-war-ii Other products by the U.S. Army, Center of Military History (CMH) can be found here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/agency/1061