World War 2

Overy, Why the Allies Won Ch.2, “Little Ships and Lonely Aircraft: The Battle for the Seas,” pages 25-62; Ch. 4, “The Means to Victory: Bombers and Bombing,” pages 101-133

Bess, Choices Under Fire Ch. 5, “Bombing Civilian Populations: A Case of Moral Slippage,” pages 88-110

Parker, The Second World War Ch. 7, “The End of German Expansion: The Atlantic, North Africa, and Russia, 1942-43,” pages 95-98 (through discussion on U-boats and the “Battle of the Atlantic”); Ch. 10, “Strategic Bombing,” pages 151-172

Prmopt:

Essay 1:

Discuss the contours of the “Battle of the Atlantic.” What were the forces involved? What strategies and tactics were utilized by both sides? How was the “battle” won by the Allies? Why was it critically important to the war’s outcome? Be sure to utilize available statistics to make your points.

Essay 2:

Discuss the evolution of the strategic bombing concepts employed by the western Allies (Great Britain and the US) during World War II. What were the goals? What sorts of weapons and tactics did they utilize? What successes did they have? What challenges did they have to overcome? What were the moral questions raised by the bombing campaigns? How did participants address these questions at the time and how have historians addressed then since?    

Essays should be of 2-3 pages.