Session Two
Comparative Grand Strategies
Grand Strategy in World War II
21 March 2017
1) Germany grand strategy
2) U.S. grand strategy
Germany
•  Ideology very aggressive
•  Lack of credibility: Failure of allied deterrence
•  Operational success: Blitzkrieg France 1940
•  Intelligence failure: underestimated Soviet
Union’s strength
•  Lack of economic capability to wage long war
•  Bad allies
•  Too weak: great risks of multiple front war
problem
•  Cold War the result of Germany’s grand
strategic decisions in 1939, 1940 and 1941
1lU\. 'AACJ 'OT lt.'vf
\'J C;J-R}£l) li''E
n
i;.
.
. l>f"',"1£5 FOREST
vtlf Ll. E
;e.o,•r o.".\(A'f i<
Olo'NKlRK CCIC"\'SC PlX IMf- I f R
A. \f)' CROUP B
:land
Germany
1-
..
,, A.\fY CJ{Ol..>P ,a,
"""'
•NO). e les
.,. • -'l>!>i:v;!e
'>
Dieppe- 1;.'-...- -,
t;.. •Ar11f'llS
.Afll\\'Y
GROUP C
ranee
r
'
>
>
United States
•  Prodigious economic power, latent military
power
•  Supply U.S. military and allies
•  Europe first, but in reality fight Europe, Air War
and Pacific Wars simultaneously
•  Tension between Navy, Army, Army Air Forces
•  U.S. has excellent grand strategy, landing in
Europe on June 6, 1944, letting the Soviets pay
the blood price
•  Big consequences for central and eastern
Europe, and the Cold War
-..-.