Publisher's Note Germany's defeat in 1918 left the nation resentful -- and paved the way for Nazism's ascent and the fierce determination to reverse that loss. Follow the spread of war throughout the world and the technological developments and refinements of weaponry, as the Germans undertake the blitzkreig of Eastern Europe in 1939-41; enlist other discontented countries in their cause; and wage a bitter offensive against Russia. Also covered is the Anglo-American counter-offensive in Africa and the battles that raged in the Mediterranean and northwestern Europe.