Oil & war : how the deadly struggle for fuel in World War II meant victory or defeat / Robert Goralski and Russell W. Freeburg ; with new forward by Admiral James G. Foggo III, USN (Ret).

Format:

Book

Government document

Author/Creator:

Goralski, Robert, author.

Freeburg, Russell W., author.

Contributor:

Marine Corps University (U.S.). Press, issuing body.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

World War, 1939-1945--Fuel supplies.

World War, 1939-1945.

Petroleum industry and trade--Military aspects--History--20th century.

Petroleum industry and trade.

Petroleum industry and trade--Military aspects.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xxxii, 390 pages) : illustrations

Other Title:

Oil and war

Place of Publication:

Quantico, VA : Marine Corps University Press, 2021.

Summary:

The world's economy runs on oil. People steal for it. Nations kill for it. To win a war, the victor must have enough oil to fuel their tanks, ships, and planes. One of the great untold stories of World War II is about the strategic decisions and combat for the control of enough oil so that the Axis powers could wage an aggressive war. Conversely, the Allied powers were determined to keep oil from the Axis. Oil & War, originally published in 1987, was the first book to explain this intricate dance of death from the view-points of both the Axis and Allied sides. Adolf Hitler began planning his grab for oil-producing lands in the 1930s; he also started building plants capable of producing synthetic fuels. The Japanese had their plans too. The Americans, English, and Australians had to counterpunch. They very nearly lost the war because they did not move quickly enough. The race was far closer than previously believed. Truth is stranger than fiction. Novels and wargames based on the strategies for oil have captured the public's attention. But here is the real story. This anecdotal narrative about the important role that oil played in World War II provides a view of the forces that controlled the greatest war in history--and a stunning analysis of the importance of oil in terms of world peace for years to come.

Contents:

The eve of war

Blitzkrieg and oil

Octane and the Battle of Britain

Russian oil : the German key

The Russian campaign

Japan's search for oil

Breaking the American supply line

Mideast oil and the Mediterranean

Japan's oil gains

America's fountain of oil

Germany bleeds for oil : the Caucasus and Stalingrad

Command of the Pacific sea-lanes

The defeat of Rommel

The Allied oil offensive

The Western Front

Final destruction of Germany's fuel sources

Germany's final offensive and collapse : from the Battle of the Bulge to V-E Day

Japan's sinking fortunes

Oil in future wars.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Online resource, PDF version; title from PDF title page (USMCU, viewed March 26, 2021).

Other Format:

Print version: Goralski, Robert. Oil & war

ISBN:

9780160953613

0160953618

9781737040460

1737040468

OCLC:

1243560818

Access Restriction:

Open Access