WarCommons Deep Dives are long-form investigations into the events, mechanisms, and human stories that defined the Second World War. Going beyond the familiar narrative, each Deep Dive traces causes, examines consequences, and surfaces the history that standard accounts leave out. Built on source-driven research and written for the reader who wants more than a summary, WarCommons Deep Dives are the place where the full complexity of World War II gets the space it deserves.
The focus is often on Hitler, the Japanese Empire, the United States, or the Soviet Union. But there was another key player during World War II. One who also waged his own wars in the run-up to the conflict. An…
September 15, 1944. The first wave of U.S. Marines landed in their LVTs, the Landing Vehicle, Tracked. Their final destination was the island of Peleliu. A large portion of the Marines would never leave the island alive. It was all…
The Holocaust was one of the greatest tragedies that humanity has inflicted upon itself. However, it did not happen overnight. The evil within the Nazis was laid bare before the world. But not before they first calmly discussed and deliberated…
It may be hard to imagine: an agreement between the United Kingdom (UK) and Nazi Germany. But in 1935, this was a reality for both Germany and the UK. It arose in part from sympathy for Germany, not because of…
The story of World War II does not end with the surrender of Nazi Germany. Nor does it end with the surrender of the Japanese Empire. For some, however, it is clear: after Japan’s surrender, World War II was over,…
The collective memory of World War II is dominated primarily by the European theater of war, Nazi Germany, Operation Barbarossa, and D-Day, to name just a few well-known examples. But in the Far East, the war raged just as fiercely.…
How Ordinary People Became an Extraordinary Resistance Resistance movements were present throughout Europe during World War II. In some countries, these movements were more widespread than in others. In Germany, for example, there was virtually no widespread resistance movement, apart…
From Secret Shadow Force to the Spine of the Blitzkrieg Unlike the terms Kriegsmarine and Wehrmacht, which disappeared after World War II, the German Air Force is still known as the Luftwaffe. After World War II, Germany was once again…
From Hidden Rearmament to Open Defiance, 1919–1938 The Treaty of Versailles, a thorn in Germany’s side after the end of World War I and in the years that followed. The treaty was also a symbol of defeat, shame, and oppression…
The Big Red One wasn’t the only unit during Operation Overlord and D-Day whose regiment was overshadowed by the so-called Band of Brothers. Easy Company, the Screaming Eagles, cast a long shadow over Operation Overlord. The 526th Armored Infantry Battalion…
