War Aims in the Second World War

This is the first study of the aims that motivated the major powers -- the United States, the Soviet Union, Great Britain, Germany, and, Japan -- to fight in the Second World War. The book shows how some war aims were constants, unlikely to be abandoned except as a result of total defeat, while others arose as a result of the fortunes of war. Rothwell sheds light on the wartime transition of the United States and the Soviet Union to superpower status. He shows that consistency of purpose is most evident in Great Britain, content with the international prewar status quo, and Nazi Germany, intent on replacing it with a new order in which all liberal and civilized values would be annihilated.

Victor Rothwell is Reader in History at the University of Edinburgh. He is the author of several books including The Origins of the Second World War (2001), Britain and the Cold War, 1941-47 (1982) and British War Aims and Peace Diplomacy, 1914-18 (1971).

In this thoughtful analysis Rothwell provides a concise summary of the key belligerents' war aims, something that few other monographs have done ! War Aims is a well written work, based on extensive and thorough grounding in the profuse secondary literature, and is highly recommended. An excellent idea! I know of no single-volume study on the topic. -- Dr David Reynolds, Cambridge Carefully thought-out and well-constructed! I am familiar with Dr Rothwell's work, above all his book on war aims during the First World War, and it is this book that inspires confidence for a similar one on the Second World War. -- Professor Roger Louis, University of Texas War Aims id a well written work, based on extensive and thorough grounding in the profuse secondary literature, and is highly recommended. -- Russell A. Hart, Hawai'i Pacific University The Journal of Military History Both books can be read profitably by any and all students and scholars interested in the unfolding of the Second World War. Each author, in short, can take justifiable pride in his work. -- S. P. Mackenzie, University of South Carolina European History Quarterly In this thoughtful analysis Rothwell provides a concise summary of the key belligerents' war aims, something that few other monographs have done ! War Aims is a well written work, based on extensive and thorough grounding in the profuse secondary literature, and is highly recommended. An excellent idea! I know of no single-volume study on the topic. Carefully thought-out and well-constructed! I am familiar with Dr Rothwell's work, above all his book on war aims during the First World War, and it is this book that inspires confidence for a similar one on the Second World War. War Aims id a well written work, based on extensive and thorough grounding in the profuse secondary literature, and is highly recommended. Both books can be read profitably by any and all students and scholars interested in the unfolding of the Second World War. Each author, in short, can take justifiable pride in his work.