The following essays illustrate actors, battles and events from the time period which the Europa games deal with. While there is no overarching editorial guideline, we nevertheless believe these essays can contribute to a better understanding of some aspects of one of the most violent phases in human history.
The Axis Allies on the Eastern Front, 1941-42
Essays by Jason Long, 1998-2000.
A collection of essays and statistics about the Axis Allies on the Eastern Front in World War II, written by Jason Long for Panzerkeil in 1998-2000. [read more]
Through The Furnace of War
Essay by Scott Boston, 2003.
The Soviet Armored Forces recovered from collapse and disaster to becomeone of the most feared opponents of the German Army in World War Two. Bostons essay traces the evolution from the cumbersome mechanized prewar-corps to the nimble mid-war tank brigades up to the late-war Guards Tank armies that rolled all the way to Berlin. [read more]
Fighting for the III. Reich – Spaniards in World War II, Part One
Essay by Carlos Perez, 2008.
The history of the Spanish soldiers sent by Franco to repay Hitler and Mussolini for their help in overthrowing the republic. From the beginning of Barbarossa to the end in Germany, Spanish soldiers fought for the Third Reich. [read more]
Fighting against the Third Reich – Spaniards in World War II Part Two
Essay by Carlos Perez, 2008.
Of the half million Spaniards who took refuge in France during the last months of the Civil War, more than half returned after the first few months. Of those who stayed, various allied forces recruited volunteer units in their desperate fight against fascism. [read more]
The Consequences of Italian Intervention in the Spanish Civil War
Essay by Brian R. Sullivan, 2004
A thorough assessment of italian intervention in the Spanish Civil War from 1936-39 and how it shaped the Second World War, from driving Mussolini into the unholy alliance with Hitler to draining the stores of the Italian Army. [read more]
Anglo-Greek Relations and British Strategy in the Aegean
Essay by Ralph Sunley , 2015
This article is a look at the British and Greek relationship before, during and after WW2, and to provide some historical context for the hypothetical Greece 44 scenario presented as a companion piece. {read more]
Alexander Alexandrovich Novikov
Essay by Alan Tibbetts, 2000
Alexander Alexandrovich Novikov, born of humble origins in 1900, rose to command the Soviet Air Forces through most of the Great Patriotic War. His excellence in command of the Red Air Force, encompassing the period of rebuilding through final victory, earned the awards and acclaim afforded him. As head of the Air Force, Novikov worked with many of the senior Soviet commanders. [read more]
The Nisei – Japanese Americans who participated as US soldiers during the Second World War
Essay by Glen Davis, 2000
Members of the 100th and the 442nd “Nisei” regiments are some of the most decorated soldiers of World War II, and for good reason. Both of these units fought some of the bloodiest battles of the war and have the Purple Hearts to show for it. Often invited to take the most difficult ground at tremendous cost, the men of these units had a price to pay and they should rightfully have their story told. {read more]
Parachuting the Netherlands – Comparing German and Allied Air Drops in Holland, 1940 and 1944
Essay by Alan Tibbetts, 1999
This paper illustrates the use of airborne forces as part of combined arms operations. We will explore as examples the German attack on the Netherlands in 1940, and the Operation Market-Garden, conducted by the Allies in 1944. In both battles airborne forces were integral to an overall combined arms operational plan. {read more]
How close did Germany come to executing the Schlieffen Plan successfully in August September 1914?
Essay by Wolfram Broszies, 1994
The German General Staff had been busy for years drafting plans how to solve the problem of a two-front war against Russia and France. The result was the Schlieffen Plan, an operation to encircle no less than the whole of the French Army by a swift thrust through Belgium. {read more]