Assignment: World War II
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.
Essay A:
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 B:
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?
Format your assignment according to the give formatting requirements:
1. The answer must be double spaced, typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the course title, the student's name, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The references and Citations should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.