The Second World War on the Eastern Front

Russia's engagement with Germany on the Eastern Front during World War II was ferocious, unprecedented and bloody, costing millions of civilian and military lives. In this challenging new book, Lee Baker distinguishes myth from reality and deflates the idea that this war, while gargantuan in scale, was in essence a war like any other.      

Following an introduction that considers historiographical approaches to the conflict, the author:

        Examines the reasons behind Germanys decision to fight a war on two fronts and the initial inadequacy of the Soviet defence

        Analyses the major battles and questions whether there was a definitive moment at which the war turned against Germany

        Looks at the role of resistance movements and considers key issues such as the relationship between the war and the Holocaust

This Seminar Study provides the most succinct and lucid introduction available to this large and complicated topic. It synthesises the latest scholarship to illuminate the current understanding of the war, and includes contemporary documents which allow readers to examine for themselves the materials from which the history is written. 

Dr. Lee Baker is Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of Cincinnati.