Quote:
Originally posted by PornoDoggy@Feb 1 2003, 09:45 PM
Americans are incorrect in their assumption that much of Europe would be speaking German were it not for them. Since the split with our ally we learn very little about the Eastern Theater of the war. They have grown up wathcing way too many John Wayne movies and overestimating the tactical significance the of heroic achievements of D-Day and the battle to Germany.
You are correct in assuming that had we not sent a single man to Europe, they still wouldn't be speaking German. However, I think you are being just as one-sided and simplistic as you are accusing Mike of being. German - no. Russian, however, is an entirely different matter.
|
England would not have survived without constant shipments of supplies and oil from the US and the willingness to commit so many people and merchant ships knowing that most of them would be lost. Germany controlled a large swath of the Atlantic with their U-Boats between the US and England that could not be reached by air from either the US, Iceland or Europe due to the limited range of planes for air cover and spotting submarines. as most know, Germanys U-Boats initially dominated the sea with complete impunity and were highly successful at taking out merchant ships.
i dont think its wrong at all to think that most of Europe would be speaking German if it had not been for the US making such a massive committment to land in Europe. I dont say it because i am an arrogant American with a cowboy attitude, i say it because Hitler controlled almost all of europe before the US got involved and England was pretty much on its knees. I would not exactly call Europes resistence to the little state of Germany a great success story. Churchill was not asking for the US to get involved because they were gaining ground.
i actually just got back from London and while i was there i went to the Emperial War Museum as well. very cool place!
Russia for the most part, simply outlasted germany by throwing 10's of millions of kids at them to be slaughtered. Russia developed some great and effective weapons during the war (new artillery guns, tanks and fighter planes) but it all came quite late in the game since Stalin had no real military leadership being that he executed most experienced officers during his many purges. the remaining military officers were dinosaurs and yes men, still in favor a strong calvary over the tanks, bombers and paratroopers that were decimating them. it took them a long time to catch up to the technology and get into the game.