World War II in Chester Wilmot's The Struggle for Europe

Thorough Description of World War II in Chester Wilmot's The Struggle for Europe

Though this student looked in Who's Who and Contemporary Authors, no

information on Chester Wilmot could be found. One considered searching the

Directory of American Scholars, but that would not be helpful since he is

from Australia.

In The Struggle for Europe, Wilmot seeks to explain several points. First,

he explores and explains how the western allies succeeded militarily but

failed politically during World War II. He then elaborates on how and why

the western allies crushed the Nazi regime; yet, they allowed the Soviet

Union to overtake Eastern Europe and block the Atlantic Charter from taking

effect in those nations. Third, the author discusses Hitler's defeat and

Stalin's victory. Fourthly, he endeavors on a mission to explain how the

Soviet Union replaced Germany as the dominant European power.

Beginning with the Battle of Britain, the book takes the reader through the

war up to the surrender of Germany. In this process Wilmot touches on

Hitler's alliance with Mussolini, Hitler's conquest of France, the Lowlands,

and the Balkans, and the Nazi dictator's collapse in the expansion of the

Soviet Union. The author strategically builds the Allied alliance, through

the book's course, and he uses the Normandy invasion to illustrate its full

effectiveness. Also included are discussions on the concessions granted to

Stalin by the Allies in general, and Franklin D. Roosevelt in particular.

President Roosevelt believed that Stalin wanted security for his country

with no territorial acquisitions in mind. In order to give the Soviet

leader his second front in Europe, FDR also put the Japanese problem in the

Pacific a...

... middle of paper ...

... jumps almost right into the Battle of

Britain with just slight comment about France. The struggle in Poland is

essential to any discussion of the European theater.

Outside of those two flaws, with the length of the book not being a problem,

The Struggle for Europe magnificently covers the war. Wilmot succeeds in

delivering a thorough history of the war in Europe by all accounts. In

conclusion, the book provides a very fine and accurate description of the

intricacies of WWII in Europe. For anyone seeking in-depth knowledge on

the European theater, this book is almost a must. The book is further

useful because not only does it serve a history of WWII, but as a history

of warfare in general. He gives great insight to political alliances and

agreements. For this student, the book stands as one of the most

informative books written on WWII in Europe.