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Second Front Now--1943 An Opportunity Delayed by Walter Scott Dunn, Jr.


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there is an extended discussion about an early Second Front here:

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=99879

Dunn is referenced at various points, in the context of points being raised in the thread. View the thread as a discussion on the validity of ROUNDUP generally, rather than specifically addressed at Dunn. The cliffnotes version is that an early ROUNDUP would have been futile and best, and quite possibly a disaster. Given that, Dunn isn't looking too happy ;)

Incidentally, I had a look for serious, academic reviews of Dunn's book. I found the giddy total of one review, consisting of one short paragraph in a librarian's journal (i.e., not a mil-hist or even hist journal). Make of that what you will.

Recall, too, that the book was originally published in 1980. The historiography of WWII has moved on a LOT in the last 35 years.

Edited by JonS
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I had not come across that thread. Seems my book on Wedemeyer released  in 2012 is a bit too complimentary (as I was trying to figure out) related to his devotion to a cross channel in '43. The two books cited on Roundup's potential outcome are both from 1980 when late cold war revisionist material was popular. I am still trying to find the details of the victory program online. But it appears to be what engineers call an "order of magnitude" estimate to give his superiors a sense of what would be needed to invade NW Europe. Wedemeyer, who presented at TRIDENT and annoyed Churchill, was subsequently sent to China-Burma. He appears to have been at odds with US strategy that lost Eastern Europe and China to the Reds. 

Thanks again.

Kevin 

 

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ROUNDUP and an early invasion is thoroughly thrashed in Zuehlke's Tragedy at Dieppe. One source is not enough to base an evaluation on, but Jon is right, WW2 analysis has moved forward since the 80s and the discussion around these issues has matured from an idealized "we could have smashed them and stopped communism if only..." to a more realistic balancing of best outcomes and what is achievable with the resources available. 

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