Overy, R. J. Why the Allies Won. New York: W.W. Norton, 1995.
In Why the Allies Won, Richard Overy gives the reader a chance to challenge the “inevitable” outcome of World War II. Allied victory may be viewed as certainty now, but during the war, it was not. Overy explains, even as people have been taught since World War II was over that the Allies were going to win anyway, the Allies were not always the frontrunner in the war. Up until 1942, the Allies were forced to plan for alternate routes of getting the war over with, such as negotiations, stalemate, or even surrender. The USSR had lost the heart of its industry, the United States was not armed and ready, and other Allies were fighting relentlessly and not making much progress. So …show more content…
Until 1942, the Axis powers controlled more resources than the Allied powers. The Allies had to learn the hard way of rationing out their resources, but once they figured out a system that worked, they eventually did better in battle, and ultimately the war. Overy brings up two points about the usage of resources. One, he stresses the importance of the recovery of the Soviet industrial production. Without this recovery, the Axis powers would have overpowered the Allies (as far as industry) and led to a different outcome of the war. Also, the failure of Germans to make rational use of their own industrial capacity and the area they controlled played a huge factor in the Allied victory. Overy also claims that Allied cohesion also helped by means of “getting along” and not having too many internal problems with the alliance. The Axis powers did not get along very well and many disagreements provided turmoil between them. Because the Allied powers had little of this, or so Overy contends, it played a huge role in planning strategies and carrying out tactics on the battlefield, in the air, and on the seas. Overy also brings up that the Allies had a moral indignation towards the Axis powers (and rightfully so) and because of this, it sparked a fire in the hearts of the Allied soldiers and helped them persevere throughout the war and not give
In Why the Allies Won, Richard Overy gives the reader a chance to challenge the “inevitable” outcome of World War II. Allied victory may be viewed as certainty now, but during the war, it was not. Overy explains, even as people have been taught since World War II was over that the Allies were going to win anyway, the Allies were not always the frontrunner in the war. Up until 1942, the Allies were forced to plan for alternate routes of getting the war over with, such as negotiations, stalemate, or even surrender. The USSR had lost the heart of its industry, the United States was not armed and ready, and other Allies were fighting relentlessly and not making much progress. So …show more content…
Until 1942, the Axis powers controlled more resources than the Allied powers. The Allies had to learn the hard way of rationing out their resources, but once they figured out a system that worked, they eventually did better in battle, and ultimately the war. Overy brings up two points about the usage of resources. One, he stresses the importance of the recovery of the Soviet industrial production. Without this recovery, the Axis powers would have overpowered the Allies (as far as industry) and led to a different outcome of the war. Also, the failure of Germans to make rational use of their own industrial capacity and the area they controlled played a huge factor in the Allied victory. Overy also claims that Allied cohesion also helped by means of “getting along” and not having too many internal problems with the alliance. The Axis powers did not get along very well and many disagreements provided turmoil between them. Because the Allied powers had little of this, or so Overy contends, it played a huge role in planning strategies and carrying out tactics on the battlefield, in the air, and on the seas. Overy also brings up that the Allies had a moral indignation towards the Axis powers (and rightfully so) and because of this, it sparked a fire in the hearts of the Allied soldiers and helped them persevere throughout the war and not give