# Total victory



## cdestroyer (May 6, 2019)

I am curious as to how many on this forum consider the U.S. as "winning" the war in Europe?


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## oldman (May 6, 2019)

My Dad fought in France and from the stories that I had been told and what I learned in history class and other books, I would have to believe that the U.S. played a huge role in the victory. The U.S. left a lot of bodies over there. Just look at the pictures of the American Cemetery in Normandy.


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## DaveA (May 6, 2019)

A photo of my dad and his brother in Sabres, France, May 1919.  They had arrived in 1917 with he 42nd Engineers.  My dad is third from the right and his brother far right.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPo6fUNjOC5_TcTcfBouIw3mo0FYbsnkk8KMcLq

Many folks felt that WWI was the war that would end all wars and time proved how wrong they were as WWII commenced  20 years later.


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## Don M. (May 6, 2019)

Had it not been for the US involvement in WWII, most of Europe would now be speaking German.


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## terry123 (May 6, 2019)

Don M. said:


> Had it not been for the US involvement in WWII, most of Europe would now be speaking German.


You got that right, Don!


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## fmdog44 (May 6, 2019)

I would not count Russia out. Remember it was Joe Stalin calling the shots and he would never surrender to Hitler. Also, Hitler near death and insanity had a staff that would not pursue his dream of the conquest of the free world. America would have poured everything it had to support the war effort to crush Germany. Britain took care of the Luftwaffe and that was huge in defeating Germany.


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## Warrigal (May 7, 2019)

It was called a world war for good reasons. It involved many nations and many theatres of war.

As fmdog has pointed out, one of the nations was Russia. When Hitler opened the second front in June 1941 he effectively began his own destruction. Besides the European theatres there was also North Africa, South East Asia and the Pacific where the allies engaged not just Germany but also Italy and Japan. 

Winning the war was a team effort, not just an American victory but without doubt victory would not have been possible without America's entry into the war after Pearl Harbour in 1941. Australians remain grateful to US for coming to our aid at that time.


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## Keesha (May 7, 2019)

Warrigal said:


> Winning the war was a team effort, not just an American victory .


True but I doubt many Americans view it as such.


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## Tommy (May 7, 2019)

Keesha said:


> True but I doubt many Americans view it as such.


On what basis would you make that statement, Keesha?


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## cdestroyer (May 7, 2019)

Well there have not been enough responses to get a good reference but it appears most believe the US did in fact win or play a major role in wwii. Oh and to those who posted about their fathers service my father was also in europe. But the truth of the matter is that the good ol boys from the US did not arrive in the major european theatre until very late in the war.

Yes we did help, but we did NOT win that war. In fact we had fewer men on the ground then other countries, and that also applies to the pacific war.  And so I wonder how many who answered did any research on just what impact the US actually had during wwii before posting an answer?


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## fmdog44 (May 7, 2019)

Keesha said:


> True but I doubt many Americans view it as such.


 You are correct. We convinced ourselves we were the great beacon of light for the entire world due to propaganda galore as if we alone defeated evil. Then Korea and Vietnam challenged that idea and taught us different. I recall all the stories we were taught in school as children about how great all of our heroes were as if they were as pure as holy water and that was amplified by TV. Not taking away from the enormous bravery/success our troops displayed in WWII but sacrifices were made by all nations in the fight to defeat Japan and Germany.


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## Falcon (May 7, 2019)

I'm  one.  I was  THERE.     Been there/done that.


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## rgp (May 7, 2019)

I believe the allies defeated the Nazis & brought peace back to Europe. All the particulars can be argued till we are blue in the face....not much point to that, unless one or several of us happen to be actual experts.

 We should have maintained control over both Germany & Japan. Returning them to their own [so to speak] was a mistake .........jmo.


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## cdestroyer (May 8, 2019)

rgp; I wonder, what would we have done with those countries. And would it have been just as good an idea as patton proposed in the taking of russia as well. It was a team effort as mentioned and yes later engagements taught us some valuable lessons. And if you look now at our military status, you would see we rely way to heavy on less and less, while other nations strengthen theirs.


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## johndoe (May 26, 2019)

It was a team effort. Let's not forget the Poles who served in the British army. There were two RAF squadrons composed of Poles involved in the Battle of Britain.


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## Rosemarie (May 26, 2019)

cdestroyer, would you mind telling us what prompted you to start this thread?


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## cdestroyer (May 27, 2019)

the truth!


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## rgp (May 27, 2019)

cdestroyer said:


> rgp; I wonder, what would we have done with those countries. And would it have been just as good an idea as patton proposed in the taking of russia as well. It was a team effort as mentioned and yes later engagements taught us some valuable lessons. And if you look now at our military status, you would see we rely way to heavy on less and less, while other nations strengthen theirs.




   As you indicate it is all just speculation @ this point....My post was merely opinion.  I do BTW agree with your last sentence .

 I just believe that the countries of our enemies should have been part of...the spoils of war. Now some 70years later , they would be/could be a strategic advantage . The world has become a much smaller place since war's end. 

As my father [who fought in Europe & Korea] said......the Jet changed everything.


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## fuzzybuddy (May 31, 2019)

You can't discount the contribution of the USSR to winning WWII in Europe. 4 out of every 5 Germans, who were killed in the war, were killed by Russians.  No one nation won WWII. The Allies won WWII.


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## Tom Young (May 31, 2019)

Falcon said:


> I'm  one.  I was  THERE.     Been there/done that.



Wow.... And I thought I was old @83... I was 9 in '45.  Remember Churchill on the radio... and then Truman, later announcing the Japanese surrender.   Remember the gold stars in the windows on my street, and in grandma's house for uncle Jerry age 17... my best friend and hero. 

The good things... homecomings, end of rationing, gas available for travel, meat available, no more blackouts or air raid drills.... uncle Tommy and uncle Arthur back home.

For all of that, as kids, we didn't play games... we played War...  I guess that made life a little cheaper.


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## AZ Jim (May 31, 2019)

The USA was part of a concerted effort by many nations  that won the war in Europe.


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## rgp (May 31, 2019)

fuzzybuddy said:


> You can't discount the contribution of the USSR to winning WWII in Europe. 4 out of every 5 Germans, who were killed in the war, were killed by Russians.  No one nation won WWII. The Allies won WWII.




 Mind if I ask where you got your information?


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## fuzzybuddy (Jun 1, 2019)

As "the" one source of information, No I don't remember. I watch a lot of WWII videos. But it is generally accepted that Germany suffered 80%  of its casualties on the eastern front. That statistic is almost everywhere there's an accounting of German losses.


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## cdestroyer (Jun 1, 2019)

fuzzybuddy is correct in that the russians were infact allies, and did indeed have an impact on the outcome of wwii.


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## DGM (Jun 3, 2019)

And remember that of the 100,000 German POWs that were held by the Russians less than 5,000 ever made it home.
copy and paste this to your browser:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_casualties_in_World_War_II


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## Manatee (Jun 4, 2019)

I don't think they would have done it without us.


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## DGM (Jun 6, 2019)

When I was a kid I was convinced that the Good Old USA (and John Wayne) WON the war.  But, after becoming a bit of a history buff I came to realize that we were just a part of a "Team Effort".  
Yes, we lost a huge number of men.  God bless them all because they helped to SAVE the world.  Of the major players involved we lost the least and gained the most.  Before WWII we were of little consequence in the world.  After WWII we were number one.  
Take a look at how fast Russia was building tanks.  Stalin would have killed millions of his soldiers to defeat the Germans without hesitation.  
As for Vietnam.......remember Ike's farewell speech:  Beware of the military industrial complex.


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