Why Another Book About WORLD WAR II?
You might ask yourself—why another book about World War II when countless volumes already exist? The answer lies in the unique, far-reaching magnitude of this war, with its labyrinth of plots, intricate betrayals, and unimaginable loss. World War II was a war like no other. Thirty countries mobilized one hundred and thirty million people into action. It was not merely a global conflict; it was a cataclysmic war so lethal that it left twenty million dead and nine million displaced across Europe.
Yet, amid the well-known narratives, there’s a lesser-known story that reveals even broader levels of the war’s complexity, one that takes us to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, where the horrors of global warfare intersected with bitter internal struggles. Here, under the suffocating pressure of Adolf Hitler’s Axis Powers, Yugoslavia became a battlefield not only against foreign enemies but within its own borders. A bloody civil war erupted, pitting two resistance factions against one other, while the Ustaši unleashed a terror campaign in Croatia against the Serbian population.
Several of Hitler’s commanders lamented over the time lost by being in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and how it significantly affected them. Indeed, the time and resources the German Army spent in Yugoslavia profoundly influenced their campaign against the Soviet Union. The German invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941 delayed Hitler’s planned Operation Barbarossa, the massive assault on the Soviet Union, by weeks. Initially, the German High Command set into action Operation Barbarossa for mid-May. Still, because they had to reposition numerous Wehrmacht troops from the Balkans, they were forced to push back from invading the Soviet Union until late June.
This delay ended up becoming a critical setback for the Germans. By the time the forces of the Third Reich advanced into Soviet territory, they were stalled by the ruthless winter, one harsher than expected, and for which they were fully unprepared. Many historians believe if Operation Barbarossa had begun as initially planned, German forces might have reached key Soviet cities earlier. Instead, they found themselves caught in grueling, freezing conditions, hindering their progress, and leaving their troops weak. The lack of warm clothing, inadequate supplies, and the fierce Soviet resistance led to significant losses, both in German manpower and morale.
Combined with the delay in repositioning their Wehrmacht troops from Yugoslavia and Greece to the Soviet Union, all of this played a pivotal role in shaping the eventual outcome of the Eastern Front. Ultimately, some historians suggested that if Hitler hadn’t so quickly pounced on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, perhaps the outcome of World War II could have been dramatically different.
Statistics in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia alone were staggering. The Axis invasion resulted in 250,000 military casualties and over 300,000 Yugoslav soldiers and civilians jailed or imprisoned in a German camp. While exact numbers will never be known, some estimates, like those from the World War Two Infographics (2018), indicate the death toll in Yugoslavia exceeded one million. With a population of sixteen million, these figures do not adequately take into account the number of people also missing or unaccounted for.
Unfortunately, some we may never know. With over one million dead, the statistics place Yugoslavia amongst the fourth country with the most deaths in Europe, reflecting the magnitude of this war’s impact on an already impoverished nation. To put this in an appropriate context, the Soviet Union endured the highest number of casualties, with nearly twenty eight million lives lost. Germany and Austria combined saw over 8.6 million deaths, while Poland suffered over 6.6 million lost lives. Other European countries, including Hungary, France, Italy, Greece, Romania, and the British Empire, reported hundreds of thousands of deaths.
Eastern Europe witnessed the highest number of cities reduced to rubble. Seventy thousand villages, including one thousand villages in Greece, some reduced to ash. In addition to the staggering loss of life, Europe was left in ruins. In Italy, the destruction of over one million homes left the country scrambling for housing. The widespread destruction caused a housing crisis that took years to overcome.
Penned as the costliest conflict, World War II figures have been difficult to pinpoint. US researchers conclude that the United States military expenditures exceeded $296, with the Third Reich behind at $272 billion. The aftermath of World War II left Europe grappling with a shrunken labor force, resulting in entire networks reduced to rubble as bridges, railways, and highways were left in ruin. Downstream from Paris, on the river Seine, the destruction left not a single bridge standing.
Starvation and food shortages plagued every country, none more specifically than in Italy, where supplies had dwindled to historic lows. Yugoslavia lost 50 percent of its livestock, 75 percent of its ploughs, and 25 percent of its vineyards. Epidemics swept across the homeless. Perhaps the most staggering aspect of World War II was the forced displacement of unimaginable numbers of innocent people from their homes, only to be scattered across a ravaged continent. Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin were the architects of this mass uprooting, orchestrating a monstrous upheaval culminating in the unprecedented movement of humanity— one never quite seen before.
Why another story about World War II? Because numerous narratives, particularly in places like the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, have yet to be shared. The remarkable displays of resilience and survival in the face of tremendous obstacles should never be overlooked. Stories deserve to be told, recorded, and remembered. Narratives that depict personal sacrifice and unwavering courage deserve a rightful place in the memories and sentiments of future generations.