Do Americans Realise That They Weren’t Responsible For Winning Either Of The World Wars?
World War 1 – America turns up in relatively small numbers in 1917 and then claim to win the thing.
World War 2 – The Germans fail in their mission to invade Britain in the summer of 1940 largely due to the RAF and their relatively weak naval forces. The British defeat Germany in North Africa and deprive Hitler of vital oil supplies. Germany turns it’s attention to Russian oil supplies and launches into a drive toward Moscow. The German army suffers massive losses and is forced back on this front also. Hitlers grand adventure starts failing fast. The Americans finally decide to join in much later and then claim credit for winning another war after most of the hard work is done by Russia and Britain. More people fought and died on the Eastern Front than in all other theatres of World War II combined.
Just a quick history lesson.
31 Responses to “Do Americans Realise That They Weren’t Responsible For Winning Either Of The World Wars?”
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No, I’m afraid that you have not paid back even a penny on a pound of the lend-lease materials for Neville Chamberlain’s War.
When the U.S. entered WWII, G.B. was like a man treading water surrounded by sharks.
U.S.citizens were against the U.S. getting involved in yet another war stirred up by the European failure to live like civilized beings, so the lend-lease was started as a means of supplying food and munitions that our government was supposedly prohibited from giving you.
Oh well, you are entitled to your own bias, I doubt that you were there. Did you know that Churchill’s mother was American? Or has that been removed from your history books too?
Did we lose one American’s soldier’s life? Then we did more than we should have. That was Europe’s war. But did we come in and lose millions of lives? You betcha. It’s also funny how the European pushback to the east just happened to be greased with the blood of Americans. Yes, the British did a kick butt job. Yes, the Russians showed what they were made of. But until we got in, it wasn’t looking so good.
Is it our fault the French have a big bark but no bite? USA to the rescue again!
Does it matter? We all benefited from the wars ending right?
Yes, and if you had studied your history like you say you have you’d have also realized that in WWI the USA tipped the balance to the Allies. Russia surrendered to Germany and were moving troops to the Western Front against Britain and France. Britain and France didn’t have any more troops to bear against Germany.
As for WW2, what did France do to help out in the Pacific, or Russia, or even to an extent Britain. Mostly it was the US Navy that stopped Japan (Coral Sea).
During War it takes a team effort, Britain didn’t win the war on their own, neither did France, or Russia or the USA, but all of them working together to defeat Italy, Germany and Japan.
yes would rather have a Russian at my side or behind me, as my father , uncles & grand farthers all ways told me if you get into a war & americans are there even if they are on your side keep well away from them because they will get you killed in an instant,
jmminnc
if british did nothing agains japan how come so many became prisoners of war , british & comonwealth soldiers faught jap’s,
dave h
you got you history a bit muddled young’un.
the americans will never under stand the british how the people gave up pots & pans, fences ,gates to be used for munitions & would give there last posesion to save our country oh but the american gov cottoned on to that (lend lease)
forget books that one mans view, living history thats the fact’s
Most don’t realize it, and would never acknowledge it.
In fact, it isn’t true of the Pacific War, WWII. The Japanese Empire would probably have Asia and all of Australia inside the Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere if it hadn’t been for the US Navy.
The commoners think the winner is who announced in the media, not who did the job.
If CNN and Fox said so, the commoners will believe in “Mission Accomplished”.
By the way, thanks for the Lend Lease supplies. They accounted for 6% of what USSR produced during the war. The Sherman tanks were awful, but Studebaker trucks were awesome.
Sorry mate, a bit one sided. Yes, we could have done with their help a bit sooner, but without the Americans we’d have been up **** creek. Most of the rest of Europe had already packed in…and don’t even get me started on the French.
Long live USA. They are one of the goodies.
Yes but they did flatten japan.
America never actually declared war on Germany. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbour late 1941, when it was the general consensus that Germany could not at least ‘WIN THE WAR’ . Germany declared war on America because they had a treaty with Japan. The American’s helped speed up the inevitable but it has to be said got extremely wealthy on the backs of Europe.
Americans were a bit late for the party but they were partly responsible for winning the war. This type of warfare tactics have been used by many generals in China and have proven to be successful every time. I must point out that you have contradicted yourself, joining the fight much later does not alter the fact that they were not responsible for winning the war however small the part was.
In the Great World War, the European allies were at their breaking point as far as available manpower. The war had been waging since 1914 and the allied practice of attacking directly into the face of machine fire had taken a horrible toll on the whole of the European manhood.
The American Infantry Divisions must have been needed in the summer of 1917 because the British and the French were constantly after General Pershing to deploy his units as rapidly as possible. Pershing had to delay this for two reasons, first he needed to build up a strong operational force so he could field an American Army instead of reenforcing the efforts of the British and the French, one should never reenforce failure. The second reason is the newly formed American Army needed to learn an entirely new concept of war, this would be the first time since the American Civil War that an American Army would fight on the divisional and corps level in combined arm (integration of artillery, air power, armor and infantry operations) operations.
When the American Army does go on the attack it pushes back the Germans from positions they have held for nearly three years. The stalemate in France is finally broken and the allies are able to manuver off of the killing fields that had bled them dry for years.
When the Western Task Force lands North Africa it provides the localized second front that permits the British to end their stalemate against the Afrika Korps. The American presence allows for successful landings in Silicy and later in Italy. Following D-Day there is one joint Army of British, Canadian and French Forces being flanked by three American Armies.
The brave British Bomber Command must not be dismissed its efforts in bombing Germany each night, but it is the U.S. 8th Air Force that goes out in daylight to bomb the Germans.
The British 8th Army held on in North Africa because of American made M3 ‘Honey’ (Stuart) Light Tanks and M3 ‘Grant’ (Lee) Medium Tanks. The British ‘Firefly’ was an American Sherman tank upgunned with a British 17 pound (77mm) gun. The Free French Forces operating in France after D-Day wore American made boots, socks, leggings, trousers, belt, underwear, field shirts, jackets, gloves, caps and helmets. American made weapons, bayonets, ammunitions and load bearing equipment to carry all of this gear. Back pack and sleeping rolls, mess tins and rations, the French Forces never would taken the field had they had not been equipped by the Americans.
Russia used American made P39 Air Cobra and P40 Tomahawk fighters, M3 Stuart tanks and M4 Sherman tanks. M28 series 2.5 ton trucks and jeeps which they qrickly copied into their own versions. C47 Transport planes and a whole slew of other stuff aided the Soviet Union in destroying the Germans in the East.
The British, Russians and French losses were great, no question about it. These people were on the cutting edge of these two wars, however you are completely wrong in your assumption that America didn’t rescue transeurope. Without American assistence none of the victories you claim would have been possible.
Maybe you should remove your blinder before giving any future history lessons because you are clearly wrong in this one!!!
yes you had to pay it back but without financial and the industrial support of the US at least in WW2 you would have lost period. I agree WW1 I ddnt see the US doing much ther to support things we did go over in small numbers. But WW 2 you would have lost if the US wouldnt have gotten involved and wouldnt have been able to rebuild europe as fast afterwards so at least get you facts straight.
we did our part
For heaven sake every allied nation did their bit, no one was ‘better’ than the other- that conflict saw men, women and children die from many countries, all of whom were people just like you and me. Let it rest and honour those who died, on both sides; even the young men of Germany and Japan were sent to a war they knew little about, contrary to what propaganda tells us even today. There’s a history lesson for you.
World war 1-America turns up with thousands of troops when the British and French forces were near exhausted, then gives the German offensive a bloody nose. The arrival of these fresh allied forces is reckoned by many historians to have tipped the balance.
And your assessment of World War 2 takes some factual evidence but completely missed out large chunks which don’t match your hypothesis.
I seem to recall the conflict ending (after America suffered massive casualties in the Pacific theatre) with the dropping of two Atomic bombs. And the British forces were in no condition to invade Europe alone in 1944.
And I’m English, by the way. But hey, I’m guessing you are gonna pick the answer that most matches your tedious Yank-bashing.
Just a quick history lesson.
We wouldn’t have won the war without America, and the Japanese attack on pearl habour sealed Germany’s fate. America declared war on Japan who was a facist ally of Germany which automatically meant that America was at war with Germany
Great! Whatever. I don’t ever remember taking full credit for any war, but if you say so. I mean really we don’t get to a war that has little to do with us, we are bad, we go to a war, we are bad, we start a war, we are bad, we don’t start a war, we are bad. I get it! No matter what we do, the rest of the world will see it as wrong.
The US went to great efforts to send people across a big ocean many of years ago to die, so other would be saved. Should we have ignored the whole thing!
It’s already well known that the fate of the second world war rested on the outcome of Operation Barbarossa….so what the problem is?
Just a quick history lesson.
The US made most of the weapons the was used to win the two wars.
In WW1 the new troops the US was sending in made Germany give in. Up to that point it was a stalemate.
In WW2 the US was in the Pacific as well. Moscow and Britain did not help with Japan. If it was not for the US D-day would have never happened.
to all the Americans: every bit of equipment you gave us was paid for by every UK citizen from the end of ww2 up till 2005 i believe. 60 years plus of payments; also before ww2 the British pound was the dominant world currency and due to your loan arrangements we had to open up our empire to American trade; this was America STEALING the no1 spot from the UK. so much for special friends. ALSO America crewed the UK and our ally Poland by allowing Russia to take most of eastern Europe(this is fact and if you bother you can look it up). America only help when it sees a quick profit and then screws it’s allies. As for the UK being as 1 daft yank in here put is technologically inferior. Who invented the radar. who gave America and Russia jet engine technology that was far superior than there own. who introduced tanks in to warfare?? i will tell you it was the UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN.
If I was you, I’d go to the library(you know, the place where books are kept) and do a little reading…know what I mean?
And Russia and Britain fought with equipment and food supplies from America until they could amass enough US troops to finally invade the continent. Oh, and thanks to the Russians for all their assistance in the Pacific Theater!
Well, id say it was a collective effort.
However if you look at Hollywood, you’d be forgiven for believing the Americans won both wars! Look at the movie u571, where the Americans got hold of the enigma code, they hadnt even entered the war by then!
WW1, the americans had little impact militarily, it was more the economic and political support, which was very welcome, if late in arriving!
The americans were NOT a world military power during WW1, and their troops were very green and did not perform as well as the British, French, Germans, Turks or Austro-Hungarians.
During WW2, the americans had more of an impact. However they entered late yet again, and only after they were themselves attacked.
The americans performed poorly in North Africa, and had to be relieved by the British. And General Clark was a nightmare in Italy, costing thousands of lives by his tactics, he entered Rome, glory hunting, while the other allies were doing the fighting! By doing this he allowed the Germans to escape into the mountains, delaying victory and costing lives.
The americans played a major part in the Normandy landings, and the Pacific was really their war.They werent involved in South Asia, the Mid East or North Africa that much.
Also, the Americans foolishly trusted the Russians, and under American command, the allies pushed eastwards too slowly, allowing the Russians to occupy most of Eastern Europe, much to the frustration of Field Marshall Montgomery!
The US lost 292,000 servicemen. Great Britain lost 264,000 military, plus 60,000 civilians.
I guess the Us also does not deserve credit for freeing much of the Pacific and defeating Japan. You must not like the US much, maybe we should just stay home next time when Europe is overrun.
That is just how American history is taught to us. Anyone that knows history knows that we jumped in to help out England and France. It was a combined effort in Europe. As for the Pacific, It was mainly an American push. Yes the English did help as did the Australians “for give me if I miss a country” but is was mainly Americans.
No, and they will never be convinced otherwise.
Thank the Lord I’m British.
World war I had been going a few years before they condescended to join in.
Ditto for World war II, only this time, they had screwed every last penny out of us, secured bases, taken our foreign contracts and then came Lend Lease, where they really drained even future money out of us.
USA actually made a profit from World War II AND Desert Storm.. fact… how sick is that?
Most Americans don’t know the White House got it’s name
Without Britain going it alone in Europe, where would the Americans have landed?
Hitler would have gobbled them up.
In the Pacific, there were one or two other countries… notably Australia, New Zealand ohh and us!
nothing we got from America was free…. Nothing!!
Our final payment from 1945 was due to be 2010… but it is 2007 we finally gave them their blood money.
Friends like them, who needs enemies?
The overwhelming men and supplies did for the Germans… without doubt.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I…
This shows a truer picture than the guff spewed out by one of our bias friends
Oh for the love of God, not this crap again!
WWI. Americans entered the war in 1917, right before the war was over. At this time, both sides had large groups of soldiers who were about to defect because after 3 years of war, they saw no solution. I’m not saying that we won the war for you, but are you going to believe that the Allies in WWI weren’t happy to see fresh troops on their sides take up positions against the Germans (hundreds of thousands of troops, to relieve other troops that had been fighting for years)? You guys kept it going, but I must say that we finished it off. Even the Germans knew it. Give credit where credit is due. It was a joint effort, and perhaps America didn’t elongate the war during the middle years, but we certainly had something to do with the end of WWI. All in all, everyone took part in the win.
Okay. In WWII, in the European theatre, it was a joint effort. The main battle that turned the tide was Stalingrad. As for you Brits, Americans in the know have nothing but admiration for what you did during the Battle of Britain. Outnumbered, but still did what had to be done. Dunkirk was amazing in its own right. I’m not saying that America won WWII, but why during every single WWII discussion with the Europeans, do you forget about the Pacific? You Brits had troops there too. However you got into a little bit of trouble in Burma and the Phillipines, but that’s besides the point.
There was Germany, and Japan. Who took care of Japan (all reports about how we were terrorists for dropping the bombs on them can go straight to their Anti-American History Class 101, and stay there). How about Australia, New Zealand, and other countries that risked their *** in the Pacific? I don’t think that Iwo Jima, Saipan, or Midway was in Europe?
And remember, Japan had a pact with Germany (and Italy, until they changed sides).
America didn’t win both wars for anyone. It was a joint effort from everyone. But it isn’t all or nothing. America may not have been the deciding force, but a little recognition from the revisionist historians in Europe would be nice once in a while. I never read about the English or French alongside the Americans in the Pacific. I have read about the Aussies and Kiwis though. A little props to them would be in order as well.
World War I – Americans educated in history realize that Americans had a very small part in fighting World War I. Actual fighting is not the whole battle, as I’m sure you are aware. America spent huge amounts of money on the Triple Entente, which eventually got itself in turmoil with Germany, which led to the Zimmerman note, which led to American involvement. The money and more importantly, supplies, America sent over were crucial. But still, a war cant be won with supplies. Another point in WWI is that especially in that war, with endless trenches and gas, etc, psychological warfare was immensely powerful. Many of the battles of attrition came down to how many each nation had behind its trenches. When America joined the war, being fought bravely by extremely war-fatigued Brits, etc, it was a huge blow to the Central Powers. The mere thought of potentially endless, eager troops was staggering. Especially once Russia pulled out of the mix, this was a deciding blow to ending conflict much earlier. So, America had a major part in WWI, and contributed significantly, but did very little useful fighting.
Therefore, any American who claims that America won WWI is misinformed. However, it’s mere presence had a major role, and more importantly, it contributed immensely with money and supplies. There’s a reason Europeon nations were in major debt to the US after the first World War.
WWII – America once again lends and gives heavily to Europeon countries, making a huge difference. As little as America likes to admit that it couldn’t have won the Revolution without France’s support (even though the French didn’t actually fight until the very end), America surely could not have won on its own. By the same token, America’s financial contribution, both from the government and from private investors through Wall Street, had an immense impact on the War. Of course the Germans failed to invade Britain because of the RAF (and perhaps more importantly, a fleet of brave merchant vessels that ferried over the cornered British army secretly from the north of france. The arrogance and even stupidity of that particular German general in that move was undoubtedly a factor). Americans helped in North Africa a fair bit once it arrived, too (think Patton vs Rommel, glorified (even if a bit too much) in the American mind). On the Eastern Europeon front, the Russians were invaluable in their sacrifice to stop Hitler (whi obviously didn’t read Napoleonic history). The Russian cold and the Russian armies’ scorched earth techniques perhaps did more than the Russian people, although the Russian people certainly did above and beyond their fair share, beyond any other nation in human sacrifice. To say, however, that America had no significant part in WWII’s Europeon theater is to discredit Britain and Canada’s role in Normandy as well. Both of the latter countries were major players in Normandy (the definitive turn-around in WWII, which undeniably was as important as the Eastern front, if not as important in Allied losses), but America contributed more supplies, people, money (and one Supreme Commander), than either. In the Pacific theater, no other nation came close to the role America played. Just because the Pacific front wasn’t on Britain’s doorstep doesn’t mean it wouldn’t have changed world history drastically. Just as Europe was a potential doorstep for Hitler’s armies, so was the Pacific rim a doorstep for Japan. America, with a somewhat insigificant (in comparison, mind you), British and Australian contribution, plus at the end some diplomatic help from the Russians, along with a threat for Russian troops to enter against Japan, singlehandedly defeated Japan’s armies in the Pacific and ended the horrific Japanese atrocities (primarily in Manchuria). The Europeon armies didn’t have to deal with such godawful, horrendous tactics as the Japanese used.
So America most certainly won the Pacific theatre, helped out some in the North African theatre (certainly a minor theatre), and contributed significantly enough in the Europeon theatre to say that America, Britain, and Russia (alphabetical order, in case you want to read into that) won the Europeon theatre.
Thanx for that i always wondered what really went on in the world wars