September 1 marks the 78th anniversary of the start of World War II, when the Nazi Wehrmacht stormed into Poland.
France and Britain declared war on Germany two days later, and the conflagration would soon stretch to every corner of the world.
The scope and complexity of the war itself mirror the longstanding and deep-seated tensions — both in Europe and Asia — from which the war arose.
The US Army has distributed reading recommendations so that soldiers and civilians can explore "the decisive role played by landpower in conflicts across the centuries," and a number of the books dive into World War II and its origins.
Below are some of books selected by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley, along with some of his explanations for their inclusion.
SEE ALSO: 11 books the US Army's top officer recommends to help understand the world
"The First World War," by Hew Strachan
"Strachan’s work is a broad study of the First World War aimed at the general reader. He examines the political, economic, and social factors that set the conditions for war before delving into general analysis of how the war was conducted at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels. ... The author closes with a look at why the peace that was settled in 1919 could not last and what this meant for Europe long term."
"An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942–1943"
"The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943–1944"
"The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe, 1944–1945," by Rick Atkinson
"The Liberation Trilogy draws the reader into the U.S. Army’s monumental struggle to defeat Nazi Germany, with the Army transforming into a coherent and capable force over three years and three bloody campaigns."
"Blitzkrieg to Desert Storm: The Evolution of Operational Warfare," by Robert M. Citino
"Beginning with Germany’s blitzkrieg invasion of France in 1940, numerous military commanders have sought to emulate this rapid victory through maneuvers of armored vehicles and motorized troops. Citino describes multiple cases ... to appreciate modern operational warfare and assesses the respective roles of firepower, training, doctrine, and command and control mechanisms. He shows that technical superiority is no guarantee of victory and that understanding past campaigns is essential to anyone who wishes to grasp, and survive, modern warfare."
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