Who won ww2.

[Mars_ax]

We had a wild debate at work on who played a bigger part in winning ww2. I want to hear what you guys think before I add my two cents.

In terms of overall sacrifice and human manpower Russia gets the nod, that's not to say that the U.S./Canada and Britain didn't make huge contributions, especially in regards to logistics and or resources. Keep in mind too, as far as "winning" WWII, unlike Russia, the U.S./Canada and Britain et al, had Japan to deal with as well as Germany.

You guys dealt with Japan better than we (Australia) did, they would have consumed us eventually if it wasn't for Americas involvement.

@Andre,
I was a U.S. Air Force brat who was born in Japan in 1948. The Japanese were fanatical soldiers, I grew up hearing about and studying them. The turning point in the war with Japan was at Midway and the destruction of much of the Japanese Navy. Were it not for the A-bomb however, which forced Japan to surrender, the war could have dragged on for years.

Thank-you for showing your appreciation and gratitude for American involvement, it's nice to hear every now and then. I had the personal fortune to have grown up around and/or known many of those WWII Vets, who fought in the Pacific or all the way from Normandy to the Battle of the Bulge, and into Germany. Including my father, and I don't think there was ever a finer group of men and role models on the face of the Earth.

[Andre]

We had a wild debate at work on who played a bigger part in winning ww2. I want to hear what you guys think before I add my two cents.

In terms of overall sacrifice and human manpower Russia gets the nod, that's not to say that the U.S./Canada and Britain didn't make huge contributions, especially in regards to logistics and or resources. Keep in mind too, as far as "winning" WWII, unlike Russia, the U.S./Canada and Britain et al, had Japan to deal with as well as Germany.

You guys dealt with Japan better than we (Australia) did, they would have consumed us eventually if it wasn't for Americas involvement.

@Andre ,
I was U.S. Air Force brat who was born in Japan in 1948. The Japanese were fanatical soldiers, I grew up hearing about and studying them. The turning point in the war with Japan was at Midway and the destruction of much of the Japanese Navy. Were it not for the A-bomb however, which forced Japan to surrender, the war could have dragged on for years.

Thank-you for showing your appreciation and gratitude for American involvement, it's nice to hear every now and then. I had the personal fortune to have grown up around and/or known many of those WWII Vets, who fought in the Pacific or all the way from Normandy to the Battle of the Bulge, and into Germany. Including my father, and I don't think there was ever a finer group of men and role models on the face of the Earth.

Thats cool .

My Grandfather on my dads side was a rear gunner in a Lancaster bomber and my other one was a truck driver in Saudi,who died later in life from silicosis of the lungs from all the dust he breathed. (which is ironic considering all of the stonemasons in the family were through my dads side and thats what they recon gets us eventually but it hasnt got one of us yet.

[Mars_ax]

My dad was a lifer in the USAF and among other things flew in bombing missions over Germany during WWII, he retired somewhere around 1965 after 20+ years of service. I can recall him putting his dress uniform on a few times a year or 2 before he retired for parades and such, it was a humbling experience seeing all the decorations and metals. Dad passed away in 1982, the military had taken it's toll, he was only 62.
I joined the USAF in 1968 and my wife joined the Navy in 1972 (before we got married) we're both Vietnam era vets, but neither one of us actually went to 'Nam. (I can't say I miss going)

[Gandalf]

I think Hitler blew it more than anyone else won it. Hitler really didn't need to declare war on America and he really didn't need to invade Russia at the point he did. He had a peace treaty drawn up and the Soviets were really not ready for war as the initial results proved. Russia was not a serious threat to Germany at the time. Hitler seemed like such an impatient man and in such a hurry to carry out his mental ambitions and as a consequence it was too much too soon and all the elements he was raging against joined together and as a team picked him apart.

There are different ways of measuring who won, but I don't think it really matters as every ally played a significant role. The Brits were the first to mount a meaningful resistance, the Russians sacrificed tens of millions, and America was able to kick start its military industrial complex.

The lesson learned from the Hitler experience was that you need to dominate in a different way to that employed by Hitler. No less extreme, but to carefully pinpoint where you will invade, apply economic force, pretend that you are the good guy. In reality it is just a more subtle version of fascism.