Core Thesis

Hanson argues that WWII was not one war but many different wars fought simultaneously, with diverse landscapes, methods, and premises that often seemed unrelated. From rocket attacks on London to jungle fighting in Burma, these various conflicts appeared to belong to entirely different wars.

Key Themes

Scale and Scope

  • Unprecedented alliance of major powers (China, India, Soviet Union, US) fighting on the same side
  • 70-80% of the estimated 60 million deaths were civilians
  • Britain was the only Allied power that fought the entire war from start to finish

Technology vs. Reality

  • The Third Reich was "postmodern in creative genius but premodern in implementation"
  • Despite myths of blitzkrieg, Germans often relied on horses (Pferdkrieg)
  • The US built the largest number of aircraft and ships, showing industrial might's importance

Strategic Failures

  • Germany's greatest enemies (Britain and Russia) were the hardest to reach
  • Germany and Italy's declaration of war on the US was "one of the greatest blunders"
  • "Overreach after even the smallest victory was in the fascist DNA"

Notable Insights

On Leadership

"World War II partly disproved Georges Clemenceau's famously paraphrased line, 'war is too important to be left to the generals.' In fact, a global war was too important to be left in the hands of a civilian ex-corporal."

On Learning

"The winning side is the one that most rapidly learns from its mistakes, makes the necessary corrections, and most swiftly responds to new challenges."

On Civilian Impact

The war saw unprecedented civilian casualties due to five main factors:

  • The Nazi Holocaust and Japanese atrocities in China
  • Widespread use of air power against cities
  • Famines from brutal occupations
  • Mass population transfers
  • Collective punishment of enemy populations

American Contribution

  • Fielded second-largest military (12+ million in uniform)
  • Lowest casualty rate among major powers (416,000, ~3%)
  • By 1945, produced more than all other warring nations combined
  • Built largest number of aircraft and ships
  • Developed most efficient medical services