This WW2 book summary is weird (1 Viewer)

[Ahsoka]

This was a book that was recommended to me. The first line said “As early as 1941, Allied victory in World War II seemed all but assured.“. Let’s review what the major allied powers were doing in the war in 1941, shall we?

UK- The blitz ends in 1941. They’re fighting, especially In Africa from what I know, but in Europe they have their home territory only and can’t get on the mainland.

France-under Nazi control and would remain so until 1944.

USSR-Got invaded halfway through the year. Their defense was doing very poorly and they were losing most of their battles and being forced to retreat. Took until the very end of the year to be able to stand their ground, due to the Nazis expectation that the Soviet Union would surrender very quickly (meaning they didn’t have supplies for a winter invasion). Their turning point (and one of the biggest turning points in the war) didn’t come until 1943 though, before that they were not in a winning position.

China-Declared war on the Axis powers in December.

US-Also declared war in December. Previously had been sending aid to Allies but not at war.

I can’t be the only one that seems to think victory was not assured in 1941 can I? At the very end things were slightly looking up for the allies in Europe (not sure the status with Africa or Asia) but calling it assured just seems like a stretch. Maybe I’m missing some detail here, this is limited knowledge, but it just seems odd wording in the summary.

 

[StrayMixx]

I'll forward this in an email to my dad, he knows a lot more war history than I do lol

 

[StrayMixx]

but yeah, WWII was pretty bloody from what I remember learning, so to say that victory was assured in 1941? They're forgdetting the whole Holocaust thing and stuff.

 

[Ahsoka]

but yeah, WWII was pretty bloody from what I remember learning, so to say that victory was assured in 1941? They're forgdetting the whole Holocaust thing and stuff.

Well the war and Holocaust can be separated I feel, other than prisoners of war in the camps. And I do think there was a point where victory may have seemed assured but the concentration camps were still functioning. The main thing that would likely free those people is that it’s a different government in charge who doesn’t have those policies. For that those new people would have to physically take over the camps, which could and did happen pretty late in the war for some that were closer to the heart of Nazi Germany. So I do think while the author is wrong the victory was certain in 1941, I do think victory would have seemed certain for the allies before all the concentration camps were liberated.