The History Buff's Guide to World War II by Thomas R. Flagel Page B
Authors: Thomas R. Flagel
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Red Army confirmed this image with a disastrous performance against greatly outnumbered Finns in the WINTER WAR of 1939–40. Yet as following events would prove, the Soviets may have been poorly trained and at times ineptly led, but they tended to fight tenaciously when placed on the defensive.
Of the roughly twenty-one million Soviet troops that were mobilized, half became casualties.
2 . GERMANY (17,900,000)
ENTERED WAR: 1939
PEAK STRENGTH: 9,500,000
Restricted by the V ERSAILLES T REATY to one hundred thousand ground troops and no navy or air force, Germany began all-out remilitarization in the mid-1930s. By 1939, it had the second-largest army and best air force worldwide. The Kriegsmarine, though far behind, had an adequate submarine arm and was hoping to eventually add aircraft carriers to its fleet.
Nearly a fourth of the population served in the war, the highest percentage of any country. For every German in the Waffen SS, there were two in the navy, four in the Luftwaffe, and twenty in the army. The majority of troops served on the eastern front. Infantry, artillery, and tank crews were five times more likely to be deployed to the East than anywhere else.
Neither the German public nor its armed forces were eager to wage war, especially since the previous contest had rather unfavorable results. But victory in Poland after a mere three weeks brought a great sense of relief if not patriotism. Seven months later, offensives into Western Europe seemed to go even better, capturing six countries in six weeks. Quick Balkan victories the following year only solidified a sense of greatness. Many assumed that the invasion of the Soviet Union would also end quickly and favorably.
Though the reputation of the German soldier remained high throughout the war, success of the German armed forces began to wither after the massive assault of Barbarossa. Numerically, the German army would not peak until late 1944, but their performance had reached a high point in1941.
Germany had some of the best ground troops in the war but could not replace the numbers they lost.
The Waffen SS was supposed to be Nazi Germany’s elite guard of pure Aryans. By 1945, more than half the Waffen SS were not German. One-third were Romanian. The rest were Croatian, Dutch, Hungarian, Italian, and Ukrainian, plus a few Muslims.
3 . UNITED STATES (16,354,000)
ENTERED WAR: 1941
PEAK STRENGTH: 12,000,000
In 1936, Americans spent 1 percent of the national budget on defense and ranked about seventeenth in the world in military power. Less than a decade later they had the second-largest army on earth, by far the largest navy, and the largest air force. The marines by themselves nearly equaled the entire armed forces of Australia.
For every twenty Americans in uniform, ten were in the army, five served in the army air force, four were sailors (of which two served on land), and one was a marine. Overall, Americans were the best paid and best fed service personnel in the world.
Of sixteen million in uniform, only five million served overseas, illustrating how the United States was empowered by logistics and supply. Each American soldier in the field was supported by four tons of equipment. In comparison, material support for each Japanese soldier averaged out to a few pounds. Distance also mandated a high proportion of U.S. troops committed to supply. The United States stood three thousand to seven thousand miles away from most battle zones. 3
Reflective of their mountainous support network, only one in three U.S. servicemen served overseas.
Of Americans enlisted in the war, less than half possessed a high school degree.
4 . CHINA (14,000,000)
ENTERED WAR: 1937
PEAK STRENGTH: 5,700,000
Although China was the most populous nation on earth with nearly five hundred million inhabitants, it had the smallest percentage of combatants among the major powers. Less than 4 percent of all Chinese served in an army during the war. Never a single “armed
Of the roughly twenty-one million Soviet troops that were mobilized, half became casualties.
2 . GERMANY (17,900,000)
ENTERED WAR: 1939
PEAK STRENGTH: 9,500,000
Restricted by the V ERSAILLES T REATY to one hundred thousand ground troops and no navy or air force, Germany began all-out remilitarization in the mid-1930s. By 1939, it had the second-largest army and best air force worldwide. The Kriegsmarine, though far behind, had an adequate submarine arm and was hoping to eventually add aircraft carriers to its fleet.
Nearly a fourth of the population served in the war, the highest percentage of any country. For every German in the Waffen SS, there were two in the navy, four in the Luftwaffe, and twenty in the army. The majority of troops served on the eastern front. Infantry, artillery, and tank crews were five times more likely to be deployed to the East than anywhere else.
Neither the German public nor its armed forces were eager to wage war, especially since the previous contest had rather unfavorable results. But victory in Poland after a mere three weeks brought a great sense of relief if not patriotism. Seven months later, offensives into Western Europe seemed to go even better, capturing six countries in six weeks. Quick Balkan victories the following year only solidified a sense of greatness. Many assumed that the invasion of the Soviet Union would also end quickly and favorably.
Though the reputation of the German soldier remained high throughout the war, success of the German armed forces began to wither after the massive assault of Barbarossa. Numerically, the German army would not peak until late 1944, but their performance had reached a high point in1941.
Germany had some of the best ground troops in the war but could not replace the numbers they lost.
The Waffen SS was supposed to be Nazi Germany’s elite guard of pure Aryans. By 1945, more than half the Waffen SS were not German. One-third were Romanian. The rest were Croatian, Dutch, Hungarian, Italian, and Ukrainian, plus a few Muslims.
3 . UNITED STATES (16,354,000)
ENTERED WAR: 1941
PEAK STRENGTH: 12,000,000
In 1936, Americans spent 1 percent of the national budget on defense and ranked about seventeenth in the world in military power. Less than a decade later they had the second-largest army on earth, by far the largest navy, and the largest air force. The marines by themselves nearly equaled the entire armed forces of Australia.
For every twenty Americans in uniform, ten were in the army, five served in the army air force, four were sailors (of which two served on land), and one was a marine. Overall, Americans were the best paid and best fed service personnel in the world.
Of sixteen million in uniform, only five million served overseas, illustrating how the United States was empowered by logistics and supply. Each American soldier in the field was supported by four tons of equipment. In comparison, material support for each Japanese soldier averaged out to a few pounds. Distance also mandated a high proportion of U.S. troops committed to supply. The United States stood three thousand to seven thousand miles away from most battle zones. 3
Reflective of their mountainous support network, only one in three U.S. servicemen served overseas.
Of Americans enlisted in the war, less than half possessed a high school degree.
4 . CHINA (14,000,000)
ENTERED WAR: 1937
PEAK STRENGTH: 5,700,000
Although China was the most populous nation on earth with nearly five hundred million inhabitants, it had the smallest percentage of combatants among the major powers. Less than 4 percent of all Chinese served in an army during the war. Never a single “armed
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