Overy, Why the Allies Won Ch. 8, “Impossible Unity: Allies and Leaders in War,” pages 245281
Bess, Choices Under Fire Ch. 8, “Tyranny Triumphant: The Moral Awkwardness of the Alliance with Stalin,” pages 166178
Parker, Second World War Ch. 8, “Anglo-American Strategies for Victory,” pages 115130
Essay 1:
Using the readings, discuss the evolution of the Anglo-American partnership during World War II. Be sure to identify key areas of accord and disagreement (and how these resolved themselves), and who were the important drivers and personalities in this evolving alliance. What agreements were struck? What were the ideological underpinnings of the alliance? How did this partnership shape the prosecution of the war (that is, how did the military strategy evolve from 1941 to 1943-44)?
Essay 2:
How did Josef Stalin understand and shape the partnership with the western Allies (Great Britain and the US)? What did Stalin and the Soviets hope to get out their allies and how did they pursue these goals? What issues and concerns shaped Soviet military and diplomatic policy in this regard? What did they demand in return for staying in the fight against Hitler and the Nazis? What did they receive? In your opinion, who held the better strategic position among the major Allied powers, and why?
Both essays should be 2-3 pages.
