National History Bee & Bowl – High School Division



ACE Camp 2012 - The Western Cannon Part II – 20th Century Military History, Day 1 Notes By David Madden Founder & Director, National History Bee & Bowl director@ hs.

Day 1 Notes – Russo Japanese War to Spanish Civil War

1. Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)

Conflict over ambitions in Manchuria & Korea lead to war; Japanese attack Russians at Port Arthur in China

-Unpopular war in Russia leads to Bloody Sunday massacre in St. Petersburg & Revolution of 1905 (and 1917)

-Battle on land include Sandepu (indecisive) and Battle of Mukden (huge victory for Japan)

-Mutiny on board Battleship Potemkin in 1905 – The Battleship Potemkin is a famous film by Sergey Eisenstein

-Japanese destroy Russians in Battle of Tsushima Strait (May 1905) (last battleship & first telegraph naval battle)

-Teddy Roosevelt wins Nobel Peace Prize for brokering Treaty of Portsmouth (i.e Portsmouth, NH) to end war

-Count Sergei Witte leads Russian peace delegation; Jutarō Komura leads Japanese

-British battleship HMS Dreadnought appears in 1906, makes all preexisting battleships somewhat obsolete

2. Wars in the Balkans: 1911/1912 Italo-Turkish War – Italy gains Libya from Ottomans, first use of aerial bombing

-Albanian Uprising in 1911 helps lead to 1st Balkan War (1912-13) where the Balkan League (Serbia, Greece, Montenegro, Bulgaria) defeat Ottomans. Squabbles over spoils lead to 2nd Balkan War (Summer 1913). Bulgaria loses, Serbia, backed by Russia, is emboldened, leading indirectly to assassination in Sarajevo of FF.

-Greco/Turkish War (1919-22) Greece can’t maintain territory in W. Anatolia, Mustafa Kemal (hereafter Ataturk) leads Turkish army to victory, becomes westernizing leader of Turkey, Treaty of Lausanne overrides Tr. of Sevres

3. World War I (1914-November 11, 1918)

1914 Gavrilo Princip shoots Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand & Duchess Sophie in Sarajevo (belongs to Young Bosnia, organized by Black Hand/Unification or Death; Nedeljko Cabrinovic & Danilio Isic also in on plot)

Austria-Hungary invades Serbia; Russia declares war on A-H, Germany offers “blank check” of support & declares war on Russia, France and Germany declare war, Britain declares war after Belgian neutrality not guaranteed

Germany uses Schlieffen Plan under von Moltke to invade France. France stops it at 1st Battle of the Marne; then trench warfare begins. WW I poets: Siegfried Sassoon, John McCrae (“In Flanders Fields”) Wilfred Owen (“Dulce et Decorum Est” & “Anthem for Doomed Youth”), Rupert Brooke & Joyce Kilmer (“Trees” – not about war, but dies in it)

Paul von Hindenburg (later president of Weimar Republic and zeppelin namesake) & Erich Ludendorff victorious in halting Russian offensive into eastern German Empire at Battles of Tannenberg and then Masurian Lakes

Naval battle of the Falkland Islands in Dec sees Germans cruisers Scharnhorst & Gneisenau sunk in British victory

1915 2nd Battle of Ypres (Belgium) sees first use of poison gas by Germans, Italy leaves Triple Alliance in Secret Treaty of London and enters war on allied side, Bulgaria enters war on Central Powers, Sinking of the Lusitania (Roman name for Portugal) enrages US

1916 Romania enters war on Allied side, though basically defeated following year by Austria-Hungary

Battle of the Somme sees 1 million casualties over the course of several months; ~30,000 dead on first day alone

Naval battle of Jutland (in North Sea) sees British under John Jellicoe prevent German fleet from breaking out

1917 US declares war due to Zimmerman Telegram (pledging German support for Mexico to regain SW US) but primarily due to resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare. Battle of Caporetto on Italian Front major victory for Central Powers, but unable to follow up effectively. Gallipoli Campaign against Ottomans fails to open up Dardanelles; devised by 1st Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill, leads to national identity formation in Australia & New Zealand due to “AnZac” troop losses. Lenin (who was transported across Germany in a sealed train) to Russia, withdraws Russia from war, leading to temporary German territorial gains in Treaty of Brest Litovsk (March ‘18)

1918 Manfred von Richthofen (aka Red Baron) finally shot down by groundfire. Eddie Rickenbacker is top American air ace (aces shot down 5 planes or more). “Fokker” is a German plane; “Sopwith Camel” a British one

T.E. Lawrence of Arabia organizes guerrilla campaigns against Ottomans in Mideast from Hejaz (Western Arabia) all the way to Damascus. Made into famous movie directed by David Lean starring Peter O’Toole

German offensive (due to Russia being out) initially succeeds during Spring Offensive, but fails at Second Battle of the Marne, US troops counterattack at Chateau Thierry, Belleau Wood, Argonne Forest (Hundred Days Offensive – which includes “Meuse Argonne” Offensive)

Top US general is Jack Pershing, French (and overall for allies) is Ferdinand Foch, British is Douglas Haig

“Tommies” are British soldiers; they would go “over the top” in near-suicidal charges

Aftermath: Treaty of Trianon – Hungary loses Transylvania to Romania, Croatia to (future) Yugoslavia,

Treaty of Saint Germain En Laye – with Austria (loses S. Tyrol & Trieste to Italy, Czechoslovakia, Poland, etc.),

Treaty of Neuilly with Bulgaria, Treaty of Versailles – with Germany (Articles 231-248 War Guilt Clause), Treaty of Sevres with Ottomans. Alsace-Lorraine to France, Rhineland occupied, later demilitarized, creation of Poland with corridor to Baltic, USSR regains territory, fights war with Poland – Poland wins and secures independence

Big four at Versailles: Vittorio Orlando (Italy), Georges Clemenceau (France) David Lloyd George (UK) Wilson (US)

4. Russian Civil War (1917-1922) Red Army (Communists – led by Lenin & War Commissar Leon Trotsky) defeat White Army (tsarists / liberals, led by Admiral Alexander Kolchak) Western Allies (including US) intervene to support Whites due to worries over Bolshevism, loans, etc. Czechoslovak legions occupy Trans-Siberian Railroad for a time

5. Between the World Wars

-1920/26 Rif War in Morocco – France and Spain defeat Rif Republic, Spain drops mustard gas bombs

-1919/21 Irish War of Independence (Easter Rising in 1916 against British, put down), leads to Irish Republic being declared. “Blacks and Tans” are British troops in Ireland. Irish leaders include Michael Collins & Eamon de Valera

-Irish Civil War – Pro and Anti Treaty factions; Pro-treaty faction wins, leaving Ulster in British hands, IRA objects

-Kellogg Briand Pact (1928) – Outlaws war, authored by US Sec. of State Frank Kellogg & French Foreign Minister Aristide Briand (who win Nobel Peace Prize) Washington Naval Conference (1921) leads to Washington Naval Treaty (1922, surface ships), followed by 1st and 2nd London Naval Treaties (’30 & ’36 – more on submarines)

6. Spanish Civil War (July 1936-April 1939)

-Popular front (left & center) defeats National Front (rightists) in 1936 elections. War begins when General Jose Sanjurjo leads coup attempt against President Manuel Azaña. In war, Right-wing Nationalists defeat Republicans (leftists & centrists) Nationalists receive support of the Falange (or Falangists – Spanish fascists) & Carlists (anti Bourbon royalists). Interntional Brigades fight for Republicans, include Abraham Lincoln Brigade from US volunteers

-bombing of Guernica (Basque town) by German Condor Legion – depicted in famous Picasso work

-death of Federico Garcia Lorca (Spanish poet & dramatist – Blood Wedding & The House of Bernarda Alba)

-Emilio Mola (Nationalist general) declares he has a “fifth column” inside Madrid

-“The Fifth Column” is Hemingway’s only play; also For Whom the Bell Tolls about Robert Jordan in Intl Brigades

-“dress rehearsal” for WW2 – Italy, Germany, Portugal support Nationalists; USSR supports Republicans

-Robert Capa, Hungarian war photographer, takes photo “The Falling Soldier” –found out to be staged, though

-Homage to Catalonia by Geo. Orwell; poem “Spain” by WH Auden, who also wrote poem “1 September 1939”

Day 2 Notes: Build up to World War 2 and World War 2 Itself

1. Loose Ends -Philippine Insurrection (1899-1902), Emilio Aguinaldo leads revolt, fails. Moro Rebellion until 1913.

-Pancho Villa (Punitive Expedition: 1916-17) Pershing (but also Patton and others) seek out Villa for Columbus, NM raid

-Locarno Pact – 1925, borders in W. Europe fixed, leaves door open for revisions of German/Polish borders

-Dawes Plan (1924) drafted for Germany to pay WW 1 reparations. When that is impossible, Young Plan (1929) is drafted

2. Wars during build up to World War II

-Second Italo-Abyssinian War (1935-36) Italy defeats Abyssinia (aka Ethiopia) led by Haile Selassie. League of Nations cannot stop aggression, despite violation of Article X.

-Mukden Incident – 1931, used as pretext for invasion of Manchuria, Japanese rename it “Manchukuo”

-Marco Polo Bridge Incident – 1937, Japan instigates conflict to capture Beijing, Rape of Nanking follows

-Battle of Khalkin Gol (1939) in Mongolia – Soviets & Mongolians defeat Japanese (won’t fight again until ’45)

3. Winter & Continuation Wars: USSR invades Finland in 1939, subsequently expelled from League of Nations. Finland led by Carl Mannerheim resists fiercely, ultimately gives up territory with peace in 1940. Simo Häyhä (aka “White Death) is the most successful sniper in history; fights for Finland. Continuation War (1941-1944) sees Finland ally w/Germany.

4. World War II (Sep. 1 1939-Sep. 2 1945)

Background Hitler was rejected from Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna , decorated corporal in WW I, believes Jews betrayed Ger. in WW I. Writes Mein Kampf in prison for leading Beer Hall Putsch in Munich (1923 – failed coup)

Hitler seizes power in 1933, blames Communists for Reichstag fire, urges Pres. Hindenburg to get rid of Communists, thus allowing Nazis to obtain majority. Dachau Concentration Camp outside Munich opens in ‘33

1934 – Night of the Long Knives (“Colibri”) – Hitler purges SA (Brownshirts) led by Ernst Rohm as potential rival

1936 – Remilitarization of the Rheinland in violation of Treaty of Versailles, 1938 – Anschluss (annexing Austria)

1938 – Munich Conference (Neville Chamberlain appeases Hitler, “peace for our time”) Sudetenland to Germany

1938 – Kristallnacht (11/9) triggered by assassination of Ger. diplomat Ernst vom Rath by Herschel Grynszpan

1939 – Germany invades rest of Czechoslovakia, Italy conquers Albania. French/ British ultimatum to Germany not to invade Poland; Germany invades on Sep. 1 on grounds of false flag actions near Danzig (aka Gdansk)

USSR takes Eastern Poland under terms of Molotov-Ribbentrop Non-Aggression Pact; “Sitzkrieg”/”Phony War”

1940 – Fall of France (Maginot Line fails to repulse, Germans go through Ardennes forest) Churchill replaces Chamberlain after “Norway Debate.” Battle of Britain takes place in Sep.-Dec. 1940. Meant to achieve aerial superiority in advance of Operation Sea Lion (German invasion). British win (in Spitfires & Hurricanes vs. Messerschmitt). Henri Petain (WW I hero in France) leads Vichy regime. Denmark & Norway fall, Vidkun Quisling become Nazi puppet ruler in Norway. Denmark best at protecting Jews. Tripartite Pact formalizes Axis Powers.

Sweden (iron ore supplier), Portugal, Spain, Switz., Ireland, & Turkey are neutral. Lend-Lease sends aid to Allies.

1941 – German battleship Bismarck is sunk after sinking HMS Hood in Battle of Denmark Strait. Germany invades USSR in June in “Operation Barbarossa”, delay due to Italy in the Balkans, poor supply, largest land theatre in history. Get as far as Moscow suburbs; unable to take city. FDR & Churchill meet on HMS Prince of Wales & USS Augusta in Placentia Bay off Newfoundland, issue Atlantic Charter with Allied goals. Japan lacks oil – embargo from USA after takeover of French Indochina – Japan opts for war. Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor “Tora Tora Tora!” – attack signal. Adm. Yamamoto knows it’s a bad idea. cf. Japanese battleship Yamato.

1942 – Jimmy Doolittle leads minor air raid over Tokyo. Claire Chennault & “Flying Tigers” assist Chinese.

Battle of the Coral Sea – first battle between carrier based fleets, Japan bombs Darwin, but cannot sever supply of Australia. Invades Kiska & Attu in Aleutians. Battle of Midway, June – Japanese carriers found by Wade McCluskey, Akagi, Hiryu, Soryu, Kaga (all sunk)Chester Nimitz is main admiral, George Marshall is Army chief of staff, Gen. Douglas MacArthur proclaims “I shall return” upon leaving the Philippines (thereafter site of Bataan Death March). British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery stops “Desert Fox” Erwin Rommel at El Alamein (NW Egypt). Nazis include Hermann Goering (Luftwaffe) Joseph Goebbels (propaganda) Adolf Eichmann (Holocaust)

German general von Paulus surrenders ~ 500,000 men at Stalingrad (Vasily Zaitzev is USSR sniper)

1943 Casablanca conference with FDR, Churchill, De Gaulle in Jan. – plans European strategy (invasion of Italy, aid to USSR, no invasion of France until ’44). US wins victory on Guadalcanal in Solomon Islands. Operation Torch (invasion of N. Africa). Battle of Kursk (largest tank battle) sees German offensive fail. Allies invade Sicily – Mussolini is ousted, rescued in Gran Sasso Raid by Otto Skorzeny & commandoes.

1944: June 6 – Allies invade Normandy (Operation Neptune – overall campaign is Operation Overlord) Operations Glimmer and Taxable are decoy stunts. 5 Beaches: Gold & Sword (British), Juno (Canadian) Utah & Omaha (American). Eisenhower is Supreme Allied Commander. Omar Bradley largely in charge of US operations.

Summer – Operation Dragoon– invasion of Southern France. Soviets launch Operation Bagration in Belarus, most successful offensive of war, named for Napoleonic era commander.

Huge naval victories for US at Battles of Philippine Sea & Leyte Gulf (largest sea battle ever?) MacArthur returns.

Dec. 16 – Battle of the Bulge – last major German offensive, directed against Antwerp, 101st Airborne (US) Division is surrounded at Bastogne, does not surrender. Gen. McAuliffe says “nuts” when asked to. Relieved by George Patton (leader of 3rd Army, famous for aggressive tactics, slapping incident in Sicily, portrayed in Best Actor Oscar winning role by George C. Scott – who declines it). Patton’s troops reach into Czechoslovakia by end.

Nazi weapons include V1 (flying bomb) V2 (early missile) and V3 (supergun) at end of war & first jet fighters

Allies far superior in breaking codes (British at Bletchley Park include Alan Turing – early comp sci pioneer)

1945: Feb. sees Yalta Conference in Crimea, Allies agree on postwar division of Germany, Soviets will fight Japan

FDR dies in Warm Springs, GA in April – Truman takes over. US & USSR troops meet on Elbe River in Germany.

May 8 – VE Day, Marshal Georgy Zhukov is the main Soviet commander; he accepts surrender

Potsdam Conference – Churchill replaced by Clement Attlee, Truman decides to use A Bombs

Iwo Jima (photo by Joe Rosenthal on Mt. Suribachi of Marines) falls by March, Okinawa by June.

Manhattan Project – led by Robert Oppenheimer (scientist) & Gen. Leslie Groves (military) leads to Trinity test and atomic bombs (Little Boy & Fat Man) dropped by planes (Enola Gay & Bocks Car respectively) in August.

Soviets invade per Yalta, take Sakhalin & Kurile Islands. Hirohito stays emperor but Japan surrenders on USS Missouri on Sept. 2 ending the war.

Aftermath: Major territorial changes, Poland is pushed east, Soviets keep Baltics, smaller Finland. Yugoslavia under Tito is communist, but independent, other Eastern bloc states become Soviet satellites. Treaty of San Francisco signed in 1951 with Japan. United Nations founded, Cold War soon begins under nuclear threat.

Day 3 – Post World War II to Kosovo War & Kargil War at the end of the 20th century.

1. Cold War

NATO formed in 1949 in response to Berlin Blockade (Berlin Airlift at Tempelhof Airport keeps Berlin supplied). Warsaw Pact (Eastern Bloc, later Mongolia & Cuba as well) forms in ‘55 in response to West Germany in NATO; dissolves in 1991.

Hungarian Uprising 1956 – Led by Imre Nagy to expel USSR. Fail. Blood in the Water Match (Water Polo at ’56 Olympics)

Bay of Pigs Invasion (April 1961) – Cuban exiles trained by CIA invade at Playa Giron. Embarrasses JFK, CIA director Allan Dulles resigns. CIA studied as “Groupthink” example. Followed up by Cuban Missile Crisis (Oct. ‘62) where US blockade persuades USSR to withdraw missiles. Adlai Stevenson waits “until hell freezes over” at UN. Jupiter missiles taken from Turkey in return. Rudolf Anderson is sole combat casualty (US U2 pilot on overflight). Moscow-Washington hotline created.

Prague Spring (1968) – Czechoslovaks led by Alexander Dubcek (socialism with a human face) try and liberalize. Fail.

“Sinatra Doctrine” of letting East Bloc go their own way espoused by Gorbachev ensures no intervention in Poland or ‘89

2. Korean War (1950-53)

Soviets control Northern Korean, US Southern Korea after World War II. Kim Il-Sung becomes Soviet client leader.

UN forces authorized to intervene, as Soviets boycott UN due to China being at the time still represented by Taiwan, not mainland China. UN forces initially pushed back to Pusan Perimeter, reinforcements almost reach Yalu River (Chinese border), then Chinese troops invade in October 1950. US Marines fight desperate breakout battle at Chosin Reservoir.

MacArthur invades at Incheon, wants to use atomic weapons against Chinese. Fired by Truman. M*A*S*H is TV show.

MiG Alley is the site of many dogfights. End of the war results largely in status quo ante. DMZ separates N & S Korea.

3. Wars featuring Israel

-Israeli War of Independence (1948) David Ben Gurion leads Israelis, becomes first prime minister

-Suez Crisis (1956) – Takes place at same time as Hungarian Uprising, Nasser tries to nationalize Suez Canal, take over from British. Eisenhower won’t support UK, France, Israel.

-Six Day War (1967) – Israelis attack preemptively. Israel takes Sinai Peninsula and Golan Heights.

-Yom Kippur War (1973) – Israelis are attacked by Syria and Egypt on Yom Kippur. Israel led by Moshe Dayan (eye patch)

Subsequent Camp David accords in 1978-79 brokered by Jimmy Carter (Anwar Sadat & Menachem Begin)

-Israeli Air force destroys Iraqi nuclear program at Osirak

4. Vietnam War (1950’s-1975)

Dien Bien Phu is last major French stronghold in Indochina. Falls to Viet Minh, led by Gen. Võ Nguyên Giáp in 1954.

US employs “hamlet system” to try and pacify Vietnamese countryside.

Ngô Đình Diệm is South Vietnamese leader, killed in 1963 coup. William Westmoreland and Creighton Abrams are primary US generals. 1964 USS Maddox involved in the Gulf of Tonkin incident, Gulf of Tonkin Resolution passed.

Ho Chi Minh trail, mostly through Laos and Cambodia, resupplies Viet Cong (South Vietnamese communists). North Vietnamese Army consists of regular troops, supported by Soviet Union and China.

Operation Rolling Thunder is part of bombing campaign against N. Vietnam in mid ‘60s led by USAF Gen. Curtis LeMay

Nguyễn Văn Thiệu takes over South Vietnam in 1965, SEATO nations send troops

1968 Tet Offensive (repulsed, but propaganda victory for N. Vietnam- Walter Cronkite expresses on air disappointment with conduct of the war). Ia Drang Valley and Hue are scenes of prolonged fighting. Hanoi is bombed by USAF.

1968 LBJ decides not to run for reelection. Nixon has “secret plan” to end the war. Invades Cambodia.

Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho share Nobel Peace Prize for Paris Peace Accords, whose terms are subsequently ignored.

My Lai Massacre – William Calley, famous photo showing fleeing child

Invasion of Cambodia in 1970, leads to Kent State Massacre (song “Ohio” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young)

Pentagon Papers leaked to NY Times, detail Dept. of Defense double dealing.

Saigon falls in 1975 ending the war. Yale architecture student Maya Lin designs memorial in DC.

5. Falklands War (April-June 1982)

Argentine military dictatorship under … claims sovereignty over British held Falkland Islands (S. Atlantic Ocean). Invades and defeat British, who then reconquer it. General Belgrano is Argentine ship that gets sunk. Use of French-made Exocet missiles. Argentines call islands “Las Malvinas.” Fighting occurs around Port Stanley (capital), Ascension Island is used as a staging area. Adm. Jorge Anaya and Gen. Leopoldo Galtieri are Argentine junta members who plan invasion. Glamorgan and Sheffield are British ships sunk in the war. In war’s aftermath, Thatcher’s coalition reelected & junta falls.

6. Persian Gulf War (1990-91) – Iraq invades Kuwait, declares it a new province. US (George HW Bush - president, Colin Powell – Chair of Joint Chiefs, Norman Schwarzkopf – theater commander) organizes coalition to eject Iraqi forces. Air war commences, last for about a month, followed by 100 hour ground war. Ground forces do not take Baghdad.

Scud missile attacks on Saudi Arabia & Israel countered by Patriot missiles. AKA Operation Desert Storm (preceded by Operation Desert Shield) Saddam Hussein calls it “Mother of All Battles” – led to “Mother of All Retreats” (Dick Cheney). After war, Operation Southern Watch results in no-fly zone over southern Iraq. Retreating Iraqis burn oil wells in Kuwait.

7. Bosnian War (1992-1995)

Yugoslavia dissolves in the wake of end of Cold War and Slobodan Milosevic’s Serb nationalism antagonizing other constituent nations. Slovenia, Macedonia & Croatia win quick independence; conflict centers around ethnically divided Bosnia. 3 parties in war, Muslims (Bosniaks), Croats (Catholics) and Serbs (Orthodox).

Bosniaks & Croats ally in 1994 under terms of Washington Agreement. Croats regain territory in Operation Storm in ’95.

1995 sees Dayton Accords (signed in Dayton, Ohio), leave Bosnia united formally, in practice largely divided in two.

Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic (president & chief of staff of armed forces of Serb Republic) are now on trial.

Massacre at Srebrenica In July 1995 sees about 8000 Muslims killed by Serbs.

8. Other Wars

Chinese Civil War (1920’s-1950): Communists, led by Mao Zedong, defeat Kuomintang (aka Nationals) under Chiang Kai-Shek. The Long March is a successful strategic retreat by the communists in the 1930’s. Nationalists retreat to Taiwan.

Algerian War of Independence: France v. FLN (National Liberation Front) 1954-1962, leads to fall of French Fourth Republic. French successful militarily, but de Gaulle comes to see independence as inevitable. Referendum leads to vote for independence & Evian Accords. Pro-French Algerians are known as harkis. Camus writes against torture in Combat.

Soccer War: El Salvador v. Honduras in 1969. Tensions over expatriate Salvadorean expats exacerbated by soccer match.

El Salvador wins the war in about four days, but ultimately withdraws its troops as per OAS negotiated cease-fire.

Russian invasion of Afghanistan (1979): US boycotts 1980 Olympics, Soviets support puppet leader, leads to overreach

Iran-Iraq War (1980’s): Iraq (under Saddam Hussein) is supported by USA. Status quo ante at end of war.

Invasion of Grenada: (1983) USA under Reagan invades; Maurice Bishop (New Jewel Movement) is too close to Cuba

Kosovo War: (1998-9) KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army) & later NATO v. Serbia. Kosovo, ethnic Albanian majority part of S. Serbia, wins de facto independence from Serbia. Milosevic leads Serbs. US errantly bombs Chinese Embassy in Belgrade.

Indo-Pakistani Wars: (1947 – due to uncertain status of Kashmir at time of Indian & Pakistani independence, 1965, 1971 – coincides with East Pakistan becoming Bangladesh), 1999 – Kargil War. Sporadic fighting continues on Siachen Glacier.

Further Reading Day 1: Barbara Tuchman: The Guns of August Hew Strachan: The First World War Ernest Hemingway: A Farewell to Arms & For Whom the Bell Tolls Antony Beevor: The Spanish Civil War

Further Reading Day 2: Antony Beevor: World War II, Stalingrad, Berlin, 1945: The Downfall, D Day Carlo D’Este:

Patton – A Genius for War, Eisenhower: Crusade in Europe, Churchill The Second World War (Nobel prize in lit)

Further Reading Day 3: Noel Malcolm Bosnia and Kosovo. Graham Allison: Essence of Decision: The Cuban Missile Crisis, Dean Acheson: Present at the Creation, David Halberstam: The Best and the Brightest (on Vietnam War)

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