July 19, 2022
Europe Falls: The War Goes Global
This is the second episode covering the global unraveling that led to America's full entry into World War II. After Germany invaded Poland, Europe spiraled into chaos. Hitler pushed for control of Norway to secure critical resources and the lightning-fast German invasion of France exposed the flaws in Allied assumptions and defenses. With France collapsed and Britain barely holding on, Hitler turned east, launching the largest land invasion in history against the Soviet Union. At the same time, Italy entered the war, expanding the conflict to North Africa and the Mediterranean. While Europe burned, Japan eyed Southeast Asia's oil-rich territories. Roosevelt's oil embargo pushed Japan closer to war, and the U.S. began preparing its Pacific defenses. By the end of 1941, Axis forces held most of Europe and were advancing across Asia. This episode lays out how the global conflict widened and set the stage for Pearl Harbor, the fall of the Philippines, and the brutal Pacific campaign that followed.
References
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Explore the battles from this episode
Find every engagement on the Bloodline interactive battle map.