Here it is: May 5, 1945 - we shall remember.

Although we Americans like to boast we won the war single-handed, the truth of the matter is that we were reluctant to get involved, and had the support and help from many quarters, especially the British and Canadians.

Whatever you might think of the world's condition today, life under Nazi rule was worse. If you were a Jew, a Gypsy, a Homosexual, or some other person they took a particular dislike to, it wasn't even life, but an often painful, humiliating existence with death as the only way out.

War is not the ultimate evil, but we're still glad when it's over.

--Baloo

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"When you�re a geek . . .
You�re a geek all the way,
From your first sci-fi con
To your last dying day."
-- James Lileks
http://www.geocities.com/cyrano_jones.geo/

The only thing, dear, sweat big bear man, is that a few British soldiers would probably find the notion that they supported the US to be a bit resentful. It's probably not what you mean, but that did sound like we Brits, Canadians and everyone else gathered around and helped out the good old US of A while they cleared it up.

You can't give credit to any one side. They were called the Allied. They all worked together. Don't say that one side helped another. Just say that they all helped free Europe together.

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*Amusing quote not available, please call back later*

While Britain was fighting a war of survival, the U.S. was building a mighty (and mighty inexperienced, I might add) army, with its first ever peacetime draft. The Navy was confident that noone could ever get past them, and absolutely everyone (except, of course, the Japanese) was certain that Japan was a second-rate military power that couldn't find its way across the Pacific without stopping to ask directions.

Although France fell, a sizeable percentage of the population continued to resist the occupation. They kept Nazi Germany from consolidating their hold on a nation that was not theirs. The germans had to expend a lot of time, manpower, and resources to combat this internal threat, removing these same resources from those used against Britain and, later, Russia.

Before America joined the war, it supported the allies against aggression by forbidding trade with "aggressor nations", but allowing trade with nations that were fighting aggression. America's greatest asset was not its fighting forces, but its ability to manufacture planes, ships, ammunition, etc., faster than the enemy could destroy them.

America provided something Britain was short of -- materiél and manpower. Britain provided perhaps the most effective resources used on the western front -- intelligence, deception, and a style of leadership that was so unobtrusive that the Americans believed they were running the show (I'm not kidding -- the more I read about the war, the more I realize that America not only did not win the war alone, but was carefully directed and misdirected by our British allies to do what turned out to be the right thing at the right time). It was a joint effort.

And if anyone wants to believe that the western allies won the war in Europe, just remember the millions of Russian soldiers, both men and women, who gave their lives to push the German invaders back into their own country. If Germany hadn't had the Russian bear chewing its backside off, the western front might not have panned out as well as it did.

America's contribution to the war was essental, but without the allies, there would have been a lot of dead Americans and no victory. A table can't stand on only one leg, and the allies needed one another's support. The victory of WW II can not be lain at a single ally's feet. We did it together, and could not have done it alone.</soapbox>

--Baloo

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"When you�re a geek . . .
You�re a geek all the way,
From your first sci-fi con
To your last dying day."
-- James Lileks
http://www.geocities.com/cyrano_jones.geo/

One thing a lot of people forget is that Germany had by far the superior military forces. Look at it this way: they controled, directly or by proxy [e.g.Vichy France, Romania, and (I don't care what anyone says), Italy], nearly the entire European continent.
They kept a hold of this vast tract of territory for five years before the proverbial hit the fan, and this was while they were on the offensive/defensive in Russia, North Africa, the North Atlantic and whilst dealing with Resistance groups in France, Czechoslovakia, Norway, Poland, the Netherlands, Denmark and Yugoslavia. I'm amazed they kept the whole thing together as long as they did!

When Churchill heard about the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he was quoted saying,"Thank God, we won the war." China also held celebrations when they received news of the bombing.

The US was pretty much the sole victor in the Pacific theatre. Britain and the other nations had their entire navies occupied with protecting the homelands. The Dutch, British, and French had little support in the Pacific.

By the way, I just wanted to point out the signifigance of the 'other' war, without detracting the importance of what this thread is about :-)
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"No children have ever meddled with the Republican Party and have lived to tell about it." Sideshow Bob

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If you want to get your soul to heaven,
trust in me.
Don't judge or question.
You are broken now,
but faith can heal you.
Just do everything I tell you to do.
Deaf and blind and dumb and born to follow.
Let me lay my holy hand upon you.
-Tool, "Opiate"
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Prakesh's Star Trek Site

Prakesh, SFA is a large site. Could you provide the URL so we don't have to search the whole place for it?

--Baloo

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"When you�re a geek . . .
You�re a geek all the way,
From your first sci-fi con
To your last dying day."
-- James Lileks
http://www.geocities.com/cyrano_jones.geo/

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"Blind faith is the crutch of fools"