The Battle Of The Second World War - 1018 Words

Historically speaking, the Second World War is predominantly known, as the most devastating war mankind has ever to witness. World War II is responsible for an estimated sixty million deaths (military and civilian) and mass destruction on a global scale (Weinberg 894). Currently, there are several novels, articles, documentaries, and even video games that narrate the war experiences of certain World War II servicemen and women. All of which depict and explain the gruesome horrors of this particular war. Additionally, there are many novels that document the battle tactics of a particular political faction. Marc Bloch’s, Strange Defeat, and Catherine Merridale’s, Ivan’s War, exemplify both incidences. Furthermore, the two separately document†¦show more content†¦During the Second World War, Bloch was assigned an administrative position and given a fairly high staff level rank. However, he loathed his assigned rank and its entailed duties, which concerned t he management of fuel depots. Soon after the Nazis occupied France, Bloch became a member of the French Resistance to further protect his homeland. His primary intent with joining the resistance was due to the Nazis targeting him because of his Jewish background. Unfortunately, the Nazis captured and executed Bloch in 1944. Throughout Strange Defeat, Bloch broaches several key facets pertaining to the French defeat. He predominantly emphasizes on the incompetence of the French High Command. Although the majority of the French military’s superiors were World War I veterans. The other factors that contributed towards the fall of France concerned the French Government and populace, along with Great Britain’s inability to reasonably support the French war effort. All of the aforementioned infuriated Bloch on countless occasions. III. Background – Ivan’s War In Ivan’s War, Catherine Merridale (also a historian) pronounces the occurrences of the Soviet Union’s war effort through the eyes of legitimate Soviet soldiers during World War II. She detours away from the Communist state’s outrageous propaganda that blinded many Soviet soldiers from the truth by extracting the personal account of actual soldiers. Throughout the book, Merridale attempts to uncover the