The Second World Wars

World War II can be understood in terms of two competing arguments regarding the nature of man. One argument views man primarily as part of a collective, shaped in decisive respects by race or class. This led to the invasion of peaceful lands and the organized slaughter of millions. The other argument views the human soul as free—never to be governed without consent. The unflinching insistence on this view led to liberation.

During the interwar years, tremendous technological advances led several leading theorists to overestimate the importance of air power in World War II. They overlooked the inherent limitations of air power and failed to account for the indispensability of naval and ground operations. The lessons the Allied powers learned about air power in 1941-1943 led to the development of new technologies and tactics, which enabled them to achieve air superiority and eventually air supremacy.

At the beginning of World War II, naval doctrine emphasized the primacy of battleships in naval warfare. However, the war revealed the battleship’s limitations and the importance of a diversified and flexible fleet centered around aircraft carriers. The Allies’ ability to build and supply such a fleet allowed them to achieve naval supremacy first in the Atlantic and eventually in the Pacific.

While World War II gave rise to significant advancements in air and naval power, ground operations remained the key to success. The war’s belligerents employed a variety of means and tactics, based on geography, history, military command, and politics. However, they all pursued a common goal—the destruction of the enemy’s industrial capacity and the occupation of his capital.

At the beginning of World War II, military theorists believed that tanks would dominate ground warfare. This was due mainly to their ability to plunge through enemy lines and capture territory. However, to make armored tactics effective, the major powers first had to answer essential questions regarding size, design, firepower, fuel, and support.

In World War II, the leaders of the major belligerents prosecuted the war in vastly different ways: the ruthless Axis powers were committed to ideologies that clouded their strategic judgment, while Russians employed desperate measures to ensure the survival of their equally ruthless Soviet state. By contrast, the United States and Great Britain developed a strategy to preserve liberty and limit the loss of human life.

The tragedy of World War II resulted from a combination of British appeasement, American isolationism, and Russian collusion, which allowed fascism to grow and thrive. It took six years and millions of lives to overcome the Axis powers. The aftermath of World War II presented new threats, marked by the ideological split and distrust between the Soviet Union and its former allies.