The Fall of the Third Reich - 1943-1945: Germany's Defeat in Europe

Author: (Eng) Jordan
Translator: Lü Shengli, Yao Baozhen, Wang Shuqi
Country: United Kingdom
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-06-01
Features: By the end of 1942, the Third Reich had clearly reached its zenith. After achieving astonishing victories in the war, Germany's development pace had noticeably slowed. That same year, the war strength of the Allies continued to grow. The entry of the United States into the war meant that the powerful industrial capabilities of the U.S. were about to be mobilized in the anti-Fascist war. 1942 was a transitional year. The consecutive setbacks of the German army in North Africa and the Soviet Union foreshadowed that the war situation was shifting in favor of the Allies. The involvement of the United States further strengthened this trend. At that time, it was still premature to believe that the final victory over the Third Reich was imminent. Hitler still held sway over the European continent, and the Allied air raids and bombings had not caused significant damage. The Battle of the Atlantic remained in stalemate. Therefore, rather than marking a decisive turning point, the battles of 1942 were more indicative of the beginning of cracks in the German defenses. These cracks continued to widen over the next two and a half years until Hitler's dream of the "Thousand-Year Reich" was utterly destroyed.