Preface

Dennis Showalter

Chronology

Airpower:Was Allied airpower decisive in World War II?

Yes, although airpower did not win the war, its broad effectiveness made it a decisive factor in the outcome of World War II

Conard C. Crane

No, airpower was an important adjunct to the Allied war effort, but it was not decisive in defeating the Axis powers

Michael Perry May

Airborne Forces: Did the airborne forces of World War II require resources that could have been better applied elsewhere?

Yes, airborne units, although useful adjuncts to military force, required huge human and materiel allocations that did not result in significant victories

Robert Bateman III

No, the airborne infantry was an innovation that, when put to the test during World War II, contributed significantly to operational success in the Mediterranean, European and Pacific theaters

G. A. Lofaro

Allied Strategy: Did Dwight D. Eisenhower's broad-front strategy in northwest Europe offer better possibilities for rapidly defeating Germany than Bernard Law Montgomery's single-thrust approach?

Eisenhower's broad-front approach was the least risky and quickest way of defeating the German army because if forced a war of attrition

Harold R. Winton

Montgomery's single-thrust approach offered the best possibility of defeating the Germans, but this strategy was undercut by his personality, the failure of Operation Market Garden, and the slow advances of British ground forces

John F. Votaw

The Allies: Was the postwar collapse of the Allies' coalition inevitable?

Yes, the grand coalition of the Allied powers was doomed to collapse after World War II because it was built only on the common interest of defeating the Axis; mutual mistrust and postwar self-interest caused the Cold War

Grant Weller

No, the collapse of the grand coalition was not foreordained; it was caused by the United States breaking from its pattern of traditional isolationism after the war and the Soviet policy of territorial expansion, among other factors

Frederick W. Kagan

Anglo-American Disputes: Was the Anglo-American dispute over strategic priorities in the European theater significant?

Yes, the Allies genuinely differed on war plans, as Britain was determined to preserve its global status while attacking German-held territory along the periphery, while the United States desired a more direct and speedy resolution of the European conflict

Frederick W. Kagan

No, despite minor disputes over priorities in the European theater, the Allies agreed on overall strategy and generally implemented the plans made early in the war, while the major differences concerned timing and level of preparation for the cross-Channel assault

Mary Kathryn Barbier

Anglo-American Relations: Was there a mutual trust between the Americans and British during World War II?

Yes, the Americans and British had a amicable partnership during World War II as they planned and executed strategy together

Daniel Lee Butcher

No, the relationship between the Americans and British during World War II was characterized by self-interest although they shared a common desire to defeat the Axis

Steve Waddell

Atomic Bomb: Was the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki justified?

Yes, the U.S. atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were justified because the Japanese were determined to defend their homeland to the last man in order to raise the human cost for Allied victory and induce a negotiated peace

Michael Perry May

No, although the atomic bombing of Hiroshima was justified and morally defensible, the attack on Nagasaki was, in its haste, a morally indefensible result of bureaucratic ineptitude

William J. Astore

Auschwitz: Should the Allies have bombed the railroad facilities and crematoriums at Auschwitz and other death camps?

Yes, the Allies should have bombed the death camps and more aggressively opposed the Holocaust in order to save lives and send a message of condemnation to the Nazis

William R. Forstchen

No, Allied bombing raids on the death camps would have been difficult without inflicting heavy losses on the inmates and would have slowed the war effort by diverting airplanes needed for military targets

Dennis Showalter

The Axis: Did the Axis powers cooperate effectively during World War II?

The failure of the Axis powers to coordinate their war efforts critically impeded their conduct of the war

Richard L. Dinardo

It was logistically beyond the capabilities of the Axis powers to cooperate in more than a limited fashion, and it was perhaps a better strategy for them to fight ``parallel wars.''

Dennis Showalter

The Balkans: Did a refusal to invade the Balkans in mid 1944 represent a missed opportunity for the Western Allies to end the war sooner and gain control of Eastern Europe?

It British prime minister Winston Churchill had prevailed in his Balkan strategy the Western Allies would have wasted valuable resources and alienated the Soviet Union

William R. Forstchen

An invasion of the Balkans by the Western Allies would not have prevented Soviet domination of the area after World War II

Gordon W. Rudd

If the Western Allies had invaded the Balkans, the war would have ended sooner and much of Eastern Europe would not have fallen under Soviet domination

Brian R. Sullivan

Battle of the Atlantic: Has the significance of the Battle of the Atlantic been exaggerated?

Yes, the Allies were able to replace lost shipping rapidly and develop new antisubmarine technologies

Dennis Showalter

No, the Battle of the Atlantic was decisive because its outcome determined not only the survival of Britain but also the ability of the Allies to conclude the war in Europe successfully

Kathleen Broome Williams

Bomber Offensive: Was the Allied bombing of enemy cities such as Dresden, Hamburg, and Tokyo necessary?

Yes, Allied incendiary attacks against large urban centers were necessary to destroy valuable industrial and communications centers

Michael Perry Way

No, the Allied aerial onslaught against enemy cities was not only ineffective, it also provoked a counterproductive moral backlash---predicted by critics at the time---that has tainted the Western use of airpower ever since

Conard C. Crane

Bombing of Civilians: Was Allied and Axis utilization of strategic bombing in World War II based essentially on pragmatic considerations?

Yes, while moral factors played a certain role in policy formation and target selection, the tendency on both sides was to extend the scope of bombing operations even at the cost of increasing civilian casualties and collateral destruction

James S. Corum

No, the final incendiary and atomic attacks on Japan were an exception to an otherwise general effort to impose some restraints, however limited they may have been, on aerial bombardment

Conard C. Crane

Chemical Warfare: Why were chemical weapons not used in World War II?

International norms and military doctrine were the primary reasons why chemical weapons were not used in World War II

Jeffrey W. Legro

Fear of retaliation prevented the European powers from using chemical weapons, while the United States shunned their use on moral grounds

Mark R. Stoneman

Emperor Hirohito: Was Emperor Hirohito of Japan responsible for fostering his nation's aggression in World War II?

Yes, Hirohito was an advocate of Japanese aggression in the Pacific, despite the limited role he played in day-to-day political and military decision

Dennis Showalter

No, Hirohito had little influence on the Japanese decision to go to war and on the conduct of military affairs because constitutional and political constraints limited his role as emperor

John M. Jennings

European Response: Did the Western powers take appropriate action to stop the rise of Adolf Hitler?

The European states had their own internal problems and showed a willful blindness to the rise of Adolf Hitler

Duane C. Young

Diplomatic options were inadequate to block Hitler's bold initiatives that led to the outbreak of the war

Robert McJimsey

The Generals: Did German generals on the whole outperform their American and British counterparts?

Yes, German generals were clearly superior to their American and British adversaries, and it was only Adolf Hitler's meddling in operational details and overwhelming Allied superiority that compensated for the lackluster performance of senior Allied commanders

Harold R. Winton

No, while German and American generals were roughly equivalent in the field, senior American generals were superior in developing broad strategies

Wade Markel

Hilter And the United States: Was it wise for Adolf Hitler to declare war on the United States after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor?

Yes, Adolf Hitler's declaration of war on the United States was the correct decision in the context of his worldview and war aims

Mark R. Stoneman

No, Adolf Hitler's decision to wage war against the United states was based on a poor assessment of American economic and military might

John Wheatley

Hitler's Army: Did the Wehrmacht reflect Adolf Hitler's ideology?

Yes, the organization, training, and indoctrination of the Wehrmacht made it into Hitler's army

Stephen G. Fritz

No, unlike the officer class, the majority of the rank and file of the Wehrmacht was not committed ideologically to Hitler

R. L. Dinardo

Ho Chi Minh: Should the United States have attempted to establish a favorable relationship with Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Minh in 1945?

Yes, the United States missed an opportunity to establish a favorable relationship with Ho Chi Minh, because he was a nationalist unlikely to fall easily under the sway of the Soviets; moreover, Vietnamese independence was a stated goal of the Atlantic Charter

David M. Toczek

No, there was little chance of the United States establishing a favorable relationship with an independent postwar Vietnam because to Chi Minh was a communist and the Americans needed French support in the Cold War

William H. Kautt

Holocaust: Mass Murder: Was the Holocaust a specifically German atrocity?

Atrocities on a massive scale during World War II were perpetrated by several warring nations as a matter of state policy

William R. Forstchen

There was something particularly and specifically German about the Holocaust and other mass killing of World War II. Based on the authoritarian and exclusionary traditions of the Nazi Regime, such atrocities could only have happened in Germany

Edward B. Westermann

Holocaust: The System: Was the Holocaust different from other cases of genocide?

Yes, when compared to other cases of genocide only the Holocaust combined the planned, total annihilation of an entire community on the basis of the quasi-apocalyptic, quasi-religious principles that were the core of National Socialism

Thomas Pegelow

No, the Holocaust was not unlike other attempts at racial genocide; in the past century more than 120 million people have been annihilated under similar circumstances

Edward B. Westermann

Imperial Systems: Did the British and French view World War II as the beginning of the end for their respective empires?

Yes, although the British and French saw World War II as the beginning of the end for their empires, they marshaled all their colonial resources to defeat the Axis

Deborah A. Shackleton

No, the British and French hoped to retain, if not reform, their colonial systems after World War II

Dennis Showalter

Italy: To what degree did Italy hinder the Axis war effort?

The inability of Italy to counter the Allies in the Mediterranean gradually drained German strength from the Eastern Front

Brian R. Sullivan

Italian strategic blunders, poor training, inadequate equipment, and military defeats greatly harmed the Axis war effort

William J. Astore

Japanese Internment: Was the internment of Japanese Americans and Japanese Canadians during the war justified?

Yes, although the selective internment of citizens and resident aliens of Japanese descent was a racist policy, it was also necessary to hinder espionage and acts of sabotage

Dennis Showalter

No, the internment of Japanese in the United States and Canada was not justified because they had committed no wrongdoing and were no threat to either nation's security

F.H. Min Min Lo

Natonalist China: Did Western support of Nationalist China during World War II represent a wasted effort?

Yes, resources committed to support for Nationalist China could have been used to more quickly defeat Germany

Timothy Cheek

No, U.S. aid to Nationalist China was not a waste, as it helped pull Japanese troops away from the South pacific

Hans Van Der Ven

Naval Treaties: Was it wise for signatory nations to agree to the interwar naval disarmament treaties?

Yes, in the context of the unsettled world situation, the interwar naval disarmament treaties were a well-advised effort to avoid a new, unrestrained arms race; forestall future conflict; and promote the economic stability of the signatories by a voluntary reduction of their naval forces

Kathleen Broome Williams

No, the interwar naval disarmament treaties were unwise. The Japanese broke the letter and spirit of agreements, secretly building a superior navy, but the compliance of Western allies reduced the threat to Japan

Duane C. Young

Nazi Rise To Power: Was the German population a willing supporter of the Nazi regime?

Yes, the German people willingly supported Adolf Hitler because he brought to the country law and order, economic prosperity international recognition, and assurances of future greatness

Robert T. Foley

No, many Germans were coerced into supporting the Nazi regime and opposed Hitler's policies

Thomas Pegelow

Nuremberg: Should the Nuremberg Trials have been held to establish the guilt of Nazi war criminals and sentence them?

Yes, the enormity of Nazi crimes demanded a public trial where those responsible were formally accused and their guilt established

William R. Forstchen

No, the Nuremberg Trials were the victor's justice, complete with improper judicial proceedings, inadequate opportunities for defense, and no appeals process

Norman J.W. Goda

Operation Barbarossa: Was it prudent for Germany to invade the Soviet Union in 1941?

Yes, Germany invaded the Soviet Union when it did because the Soviet military leadership had been gutted; the Red Army was stunned by its losses in Finland; the Wehrmacht was at its zenith; and Joseph Stalin continued to believe in the Russo-German nonaggression pact of 1939

Michael S. Neiberg

No, Adolf Hitler should have sent more forces to North Africa in 1941 and invaded the Middle East, providing his army with much-needed oil before attacking the Soviet Union

(Brian R. Sullivan

Operation Dragoon: Was the invasion of southern France in 1944 strategically effective?

Yes, the invasion of southern France was important for obtaining control of needed ports, drawing German attention from the Normandy invasion, and introducing Free French forces into the war

Gordon W. Rudd

No, although Operation Dragoon was militarily a triumph and diplomatically important for Free French forces, it was a strategic failure because it allowed Soviet domination in Eastern Europe, which in turn helped set the stage for the Cold War

Daniel Lee Butcher

Resistance Movements: Were resistance and partisan movements decisive in bringing about the defeat of Germany in World War II?

Yes, resistance fighters and partisans contributed significantly to the military defeat of Germany by undermining morale, disrupting transportation, tying down troop formations, and providing intelligence

Mark R. Stoneman

No, although resistance and partisan movements did help boost national pride and distract enemy troops, they were not decisive in bringing about the defeat of Nazi Germany

William H. Kautt

Roosevelt: Was Franklin D. Roosevelt a great war leader?

Yes, Franklin D. Roosevelt was an astute and effective was leader, who picked excellent military subordinates, prepared the United States for war, and helped orchestrate an effective grand strategy and maintained close ties to Britain

William J. Astore

No, Franklin D. Roosevelt was not a great was leader because he too easily followed the British lead, favored the Navy over the Army, and let his personal feelings interfere with policy, especially with regard to General Douglas MacArthur

John Wheatley

Submarine: Did submarines play an important role in World War II?

Yes, German U-boats waged a relentless campaign against shipping in the Atlantic, seriously threatening Allied efforts in North Africa and Europe, while in the Pacific, American submarines played a vital role in defeating Japan by destroying the enemy's merchant fleet and cutting off imports to the home islands

KathleenBroome Williams

No, submarines absorbed more resources and suffered greater losses in World War II than their combat successes justified

Sarandis Papadopoulos

The Tokyo Trials: Were the Tokyo Trials of accused Japanese war criminals conducted fairly?

Yes, the trials of Japanese war criminals were fairly administered, and the defendants had ample representation and appeals

Norman J. W. Goda

No, the Tokyo Trials were essentially without legal validity; they were conducted as retribution against the Japanese for initiating the war

John M. Jennings

Unconditional Surrender: Was it wise for the Allies to demand the unconditional surrender of Germany and Japan in World War II?

Yes, the demand for unconditional surrender was a wise policy despite the questionable claims that it cost the Allies additional resources and casualities to win the war

Curtis S. King

No, unconditional surrender was not a wise policy, especially in relation to the defeat of Japan, but Harry S Truman' desire to follow Franklin D. Roosevelt's course, the availability of the atomic bomb, and the need to placate American feelings forced Truman to seek total defeat of the enemy

Gian P. Gentile

U.S. Combat Effectiveness: Were U.S. Ground troops less effective than the Germans and the Japanese?

Yes, defects in organization and leadership made American combat divisions significantly inferior to German and Japanese units in World War II

John F. Votaw

No, experience and an effective use of firepower made American ground forces superior to their enemies

Wade Markel

U.S. Isolationism: How did U.S. isolationism contribute to the cause of World War II?

U.S. isolationsim led Britain to continue policies of appeasement that made war inevitable

William N. Denman

The principles significance of isolationism was its encouragement of the Axis belief that the United States would do nothing of substance to challenge aggression

Grant T. Weller

U.S. Marines: Was the ``island hopping'' of the U.S. Marines in the Pacific theater an effective strategy?

Yes, U.S. Marine strategy in the central Pacific kept the Japanese off balance and effectively isolated island defenders during the American advance toward Japan

Dennis Showalter

No, resources given to the island-hopping campaign could have been better spent supporting the U.S. Army's advance through the Philippines, the D-Day invasion of Normandy, and a submarine blockade of Japan

William R. Forstchen

Women's Role: How important was the role of women in World War II?

Women were significant contributors to the war effort in Allied countries and helped win the conflict

Kelly Sirota

Although women contributed in home-front roles, they did not significantly affect the conduct of World War II

Greta Bucher

Yalta: Did the Yalta conference represent an Anglo-American capitulation to Soviet occupation in Eastern Europe?

Yes, Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt, both concerned with protecting their own national interests, capitulated to Soviet demands in Eastern Europe even before the Yalta conference, and Joseph Stalin was buttressed in this situation by his Red Army control of the region

Regan Hildebrand

No, the Yalta agreement was a compromise designed to continue cooperation among the Allies and to prevent them from turning their armies on each other after defeating Germany

Greta Bucher

References

Contributor Notes

Index