Abstract:
Arguably, one of the most important wars in our World's History, WWII stands out for its magnitude, the ferocity in which it was fought, and for the consequences that resulted. Officially fought between the years 1940-1945, its beginning is not easily defined. Some historians believe WWII actually began as early as the conclusion of WW1 in 1918. Regardless of when WWII began, the War itself impacted the entire World. It was an extremely complex War fought on multiple fronts: militarily, economically, ideologically, and politically. Due to its complexity, WWII is one of the most interesting events in our World's History to study, learn, and write about. This is demonstrated by the astonishing amount of resources available to study regarding the Second World War. While there is an abundance of resources available, historians still debate why the Allied Powers were successfully able to win the War. Once again, due to the War's complexity, historians have arrived at a multitude of different reasons the Allies won. In this thesis paper, I will explain my personal belief of why the Allies won, focusing on six main elements that led to the Allies' success. I will discuss the importance and interaction of the Battle of the Atlantic, the Battles of the Eastern Front (Soviet Union's sacrifice), the Allied Bombing, the superior Allied technology/military power, Allied moral motivations, and the strength of Allied leadership to demonstrate why the Allies won WWII.
However, it is also important to be able to teach our future generations about the important historic events that have shaped the world in which they live. One of the biggest tests to the amount of understanding about a topic an individual possesses is the ability to teach the topic to another person. As a result, this thesis will also provide the reader with ways in which this topic, WWII, can be taught in a classroom setting. The reader will be able to look through the lessons, objectives, procedures, and resources to understand how a concept discussed in a research paper can be translated into a teaching format to educate children about the important elements discussed (in the research paper) in a way students can easily understand.
