Will Richard Hatch Ever Play Again
Past Konstantin Rozhnov
BBCRussian.com
But which of these fronts was the most of import?
Allied aid to the Soviet Wedlock, from food to lorries, played a vital role
"In the West, for some fourth dimension... public opinion has taken the view that the Soviet Union played a secondary role," says the Russian historian Valentin Falin.
On the other hand, opinion polls bear witness that ii-thirds of Russians think the Soviet Union could take defeated Hitler without the Allies' assist, and half think the West underestimates the Soviet contribution.
Ribbentrop's view
Richard Overy, professor of gimmicky history at King'south College London, notes that later the war, Hitler's foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop listed three chief reasons for Federal republic of germany'southward defeat:
- Unexpectedly stubborn resistance from the Soviet Marriage
- The large-scale supply of arms and equipment from the US to the Soviet Union, under the lend-lease agreement
- The success of the Western Allies in the struggle for air supremacy.
 | Professor Richard Overy, |
Because Great britain and the US had to invade Europe past bounding main they have a sense of 'liberating' a German-conquered Europe 
Mr Falin, however, says Russians never forgot the assistance they received from their allies.
"You ask any Soviet person, whether he remembers what a Dodge or a Willis is!" he says.
"The Americans supplied us with 450,000 lorries. Of course, in the concluding stages of the war this significantly increased our military' mobility, decreased our losses and brought united states of america, perhaps, greater success than if we had not such help."
Bombers
Mr Overy accepts that the Western powers played a smaller role on the battlefield itself than the Soviet forces but says their bombing campaigns made a huge contribution.
POWs at Stalingrad: Most High german losses were on the eastern front end
He as well agrees that the W still simply has a weak understanding of the Soviet Spousal relationship's role.
"Because Britain and the Usa had to invade Europe by sea [Italy in 1943, and French republic in 1944] they have more than of a sense of 'liberating' a German-conquered Europe," he says.
Second front
Mr Falin, meanwhile, argues that the war could have been brought to an end more quickly if the second front, in France, had been opened before 1944.
"How many millions of people would have remained live?" he asks.
"Many decease camps reached full power precisely in the second half of 1943 and in 1944."
Mr Overy says that the Westward has a view of the war as a global conflict, because of its fight against Japan, for instance, whereas the Soviet view is of a "national crusade to repel the invader".
Mr Falin cites figures suggesting that German forces suffered 93% of their casualties on the Soviet forepart and argues that this shows the Soviet contribution was decisive.
Simply he adds that every single US, United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland, Canadian or other Allied soldier who died "made a big, important and necessary contribution to the victory, which was a shared victory".
Your comments:
Technically the Red Ground forces defeated Nazi Germany. Eisenhower halted the Western allies and allowed Zhukov and Konev to commit the Coup de Gras by taking Berlin. However, no single nation tin can merits credit, victory very much belonged to all the Allied forces.
Paul Ellison, Frome
Nosotros all seem to forget that Soviet Russia was instrumental, together with Nazi Deutschland, in starting the Second Earth State of war, attacking Poland in September 1939. Russian and German language forces even held joint victory parades in Smoothen towns. Russia was centrolineal with Nazi Germany, and Russia only joined the fight over again Germany after Federal republic of germany attacked Russian federation in 1941. In Russian history, the war merely started in 1941.
Voytek, Sydney, Australia
Russian boys won the war! It is considered politically incorrect in Western countries to admit that Russians did annihilation good. These days they pay tribute to Nazis in Baltic countries, not to those who opposed them.
Sergey, Volgograd, Russia
Globe War two belongs to history now. Who won it is not all that important, only how to prevent another 1 and eradicate Hitler-like leaders from this planet.
Patrick Atta-Larbi Sakyi, Belgorod, Russia
We won! That's all it matters! The Nazi regime collapsed and we got rid of a terrible monster. We should exist celebrating and thanking our veterans for their sacrifice. I thanks!
Leonardo Calcagno, Montreal, Quebec
I think the problem is more 'mass civilisation' issue than history. When you watch a Western picture about WWII you can't say even what side Russians fought on. This is a disgrace. And don't forget USSR also fought Japan twice - in 1938/39 (which nearly destroyed the elite Kwangtung regular army) and in 1945.
Stefan Kirov, Knoxville, TN, U.s.a.
I don't think you tin can be so crass as to try and to merits one victor. As well many lives were lost, on all sides, and too many emotional scars left open for anybody to claim to exist an absolute winner. Everybody loses with war, it isn't a particularly nice matter to have to appoint in and it certainly can't exist trivialised by arguing about who made the biggest contribution. Allow'due south non talk nearly beating Germany, because and so many had to cede their lives who should never have had to, and the aforementioned on the Allied side.
Jennifer Hynes, Plymouth, Britain
I'm really not sure what all the fuss is about. You can debate either side until you lot're blue in the face up and you'll never modify the other side's heed. If the Us had never entered the war would the Soviets have been defeated? At that place's a expert chance that the government would have fallen, but at that place would probably always be successful insurgent groups. If the Germans hadn't invaded the Soviets would they have been able to defeat Uk? Again, quite probably. But if we're asking if questions. How would the world be if the powers that were would have used a trivial logic and stopped Hitler before he could trump all of Europe?
Nathan Hatch, Farmington, UT, USA
The political climate in the US during the mail-war menstruum was such that it was very hard to acknowledge that the USSR had done annihilation right since its inception. In the by couple of decades, we've begun to have an appreciation for what they (the Russians) went through. I don't recollect this was intentional on anyone's part. It's manifestly easier, if you're writing a history, to become to source material in your ain linguistic communication and in your ain country. Information technology's time to recognise that all the Allies fabricated significant contributions. No i of us could have won WWII by ourselves.
Pat O'Brien, Sutton Coldfield
The outcome of WWII is what information technology is. Trying to make up one's mind whose contribution was greater is nonsense. If and buts cannot supercede the facts that it was an Allied effort that atomic number 82 to the downfall of the Nazis period.
Richard, Houston, USA
If the Germans had won the Battle of Britain it would accept been all over. If it wasn't for u.s. continuing lonely while our Allies declared neutrality we wouldn't be having this statement. We worked as a team to get the job done and in the terminate that is all that matters. But could you imagine the eighteen-32yr olds of today willingly getting on a boat and being told we are entering German occupied France and your job is to tempest the car gun firing High german troops from the beaches and accepting it every bit the right matter to do? Come on - we're the generation that thinks it'due south also much problem to vote!
IH, W London, UK
The Germans assumed Russia would fall instantly. They underestimated the power of the Russians' patriotism and their genuine desire to do everything possible to stop Germany. Even with Allied aid, many Russians were fighting with minimal equipment and often piffling food. That they yet refused to back down and continued to fight with all they had until the end makes all the Russian soldiers heroes.
Rebecca, Philadelphia, U.s.a.
Without a doubt, the Soviet Union diameter the brunt of World War II, wearing downwardly Frg's state of war machine in a savage state of war of attrition. There can, nonetheless, be no talk of a "decisive" contribution. Why fence whether D-Solar day was more important than Stalingrad? Every nation, every man and every woman played their function, and great events were oftentimes decided by the heroism and sacrifice just a few men.
Michael Ryan, Berlin, Germany
I wish to commend the British spirit for holding off Germany in the Battle of United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland. Had they fallen, in that location was no way the US could take crossed the Atlantic to help fight the Germans in Europe. The US contribution ought non to be diminished either by many Brits. The The states fought a 2-forepart state of war on opposite ends of the earth and had to cantankerous the two biggest oceans in guild to attain this goal. Lastly, I wish to commend all the countries who contributed towards the defeat of Nazi Germany and Nihon in the Pacific (the forgotten war by Europeans).
Frank, Colorado, United states
Stalingrad, not Normandy, was the decisive battle of WWII, and the turning bespeak when the German army was forced to retreat. The W, foreseeing the Common cold War, was more and then happy to see the Russians fight it out with the Germans from a safe distance. The only reason why D-Solar day happened when information technology did is because they realized that the whole European continent would be liberated by the Soviets rendering their role irrelevant.
Lazar, Toronto, Canada
Without the Russian Front, Frg would have turned the beaches of Europe into an impenetrable fortress. Simply without the Allies in his back, Hitler would have sent all his forces to the East and the Russians would have had a difficult time stopping him. The truth is that the invasion took place when it was already clear that Deutschland was collapsing on the Eastern Front.
But it is also true that without all the war materials pouring from U.s. and Britain the Carmine Army would accept suffered a whole lot more casualties, and many a battle would accept been lost. The USSR should receive more credit from the Allies than it used to. But it is time that all the nations understood that solitary they couldn't take stopped Hitler. It is their union that defeated the Nazis, a victory over the enemy of flesh.
Peter Peychinov, Essen, Frg
All of my grandparents who were still alive in June 1941 fought the Germans. There are places in Russia that lost most of their population during the state of war. While the value of human life is lower, and readiness for a sacrifice, involuntary and voluntary, more pronounced in Russia, it does not diminish the fact that Eastern Front was a decisive battle. German officers, who were disciplined, were sent to the Eastern Front, since over there the rules were peculiarly barbarous. I e'er admired British for taking a stand against the Nazis early on. Their bravery inspired others.
Alexander Gutkin, New Orleans, Us
Every bit one who served in the disharmonize in Europe, all who joined forces to stem the tide of the horrid Nazi regime played their part in its defeat.
Ernest Dudley, Brooklyn, Canada
Obviously the credit for destroying the Nazi dominion goes to both Western Allies and Soviet Wedlock. Even though one could argue that Deutschland, with Hitler'due south insane policies, never had any real opportunity to win the war. All the same, we should also not forget that even though Soviet Union was attacked by the Nazis, she also went out as an assaulter. First splitting Eastern Europe with Federal republic of germany and then invading the nations unwilling to autumn to Stalin's dictatorship.
Jorma, Helsinki, Finland
In reading the comments posted here you lot get to see the very important office each party in the conflict. Without Britain remaining free there would have been no centrolineal landing in France. Where would the staging surface area have been, Iceland? Without the U.s. the enormous amounts of equipment needed by all allied powers would not have been there. The Soviets benefited profoundly from the West tying downwards about one meg High german troops in Italian republic. But once the Germans were stalled exterior Moscow in 1941 they had arguably lost the war. I'm non the only one to see it that fashion either.
Jeff Aula, Detroit, MI, The states
I argue that if there had been an invasion of France a year earlier, information technology might have lost the war for the Allies rather than win it. This was a major undertaking, and had to be successful, otherwise the losses would take meant that no other such landings could have been attempted for a very long time. This would have given Hitler the time to relocate his resource towards the Russian Front and peradventure win that boxing, and with that strengthened, he would have had an excellent bargaining position with the Allies. The raid on Dieppe showed that the Allies were non ready in 1943, and give thanks God they waited until they were ready.
William Ferguson, Detroit, MI, U.s.a.
The biggest loser in the war was United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland, who lost her empire, foreign assets and was still paying for the toll of the war (generally to the USA) decades later. The Soviets had the highest casualties, both civilian and military, but won a moral victory despite their leaders incompetence. The Americans were the real winners, they came out of the Great Depression with a stable/growing economy, made loads of money and yet claim the moral high ground to this mean solar day. However, I believe that Uk should take the 'winners medal' as it took nigh two years before the Usa and the USSR declared war on Germany. Therefore without United kingdom'due south heroic lone stand we wouldn't even be having this discussion.
Dan, Sheffield, England
It has been unacceptable, within the context of the North American and European propaganda models that determine our media content, for the significant Soviet contribution to the German defeat to be given due consideration. Personally I doubt if that will change whatever fourth dimension soon, particularly since drawing attending to Us and UK support for the genocidal dictatorship of Stalin during the war years is not something Western politicians are likely to desire to exercise.
Peter Burgess, The Hague, The netherlands
The Allied bombing campaigns, or any other activity, could take occurred without the German army grinding itself out upon 20m Russians. If Germany had stuck to the terms of the treaty set out before the war, it could have brought everything to acquit against the Western front, making information technology very difficult, if non incommunicable for Britain, the US, and the other Centrolineal powers to break through successfully at any point. While the Due west did supply the USSR, it was Russian boys dying by the score.
Thomas Jefferies, Pittsburgh, United states of america
I would love to run into a more than diverse arroyo to such views. It seems that on topic of WWII in that location is an overwhelming support for the Western view but very lilliputian consideration/analysis of Russian (Soviet Marriage) betoken of view. The least we can do is to truly consider both sides.
Lena Boyeva, NYC, USA
We are ofttimes guilty of looking at historic events from our ain perspective, just in this case it was well-nigh definitely a articulation effort. Imagine a "what if" scenario if Frg had never invaded the Soviet Wedlock. With the supplies of raw materials from Russia and without the distraction of a second front, the Germans could have made Europe an bulletproof fortress and Centrolineal hopes of liberating Europe would have floundered on the beaches of Normandy.
Alternatively, if Britain had reached a peace with Frg and the West remained out of the war then the likelihood is Germany would accept fabricated information technology to Moscow and the Soviet Wedlock would have fallen. Its articulate that merely together squeezing Frg from both sides could the allies accomplish victory.
Craig Barr, Lytham St Annes, England
It is high fourth dimension the Western allies gave the Red Ground forces its due. They did indeed do most of the on-basis fighting confronting Germany. With them holding downward and wearing down in the due east, Germany didn't take the resource to repel the sea-borne invasions in the Westward. This also permitted the other allies to allocate resource for a full-scale operation confronting Japan, which is also ofttimes mistakenly thought of as a side testify.
Richard Herndon, Houston, TX, United states of america
The Americans lost 300,000 in WWII. Nosotros British lost 600,000. The Russians lost 17-20 meg. I don't take any dubiousness who made the greatest contribution to the defeat of Nazism.
Steve, Sheffield, UK
If nosotros had lost the Battle of United kingdom at the showtime of the war there would take been no western forepart and no supply routes to Russia. Consequently, the above arguments would have been made irrelevant. Whilst we could not win the war, by not losing at this early phase this boxing was the most of import factor.
Steven Miles, Nazeing, Essex
Who cares who contributed the most? The point is that ordinary people worked together to overcome a tyrannical foe that brought death, fearfulness and misery to countless millions of people. Let'due south just exist thankful to everyone, expressionless or alive, who played their part.
Stephen Tucker, Glasgow, Scotland
Why can't both sides only acknowledge they couldn't have won without the other? Without the eastern front end millions more High german soldiers would have been waiting in French republic on D-Mean solar day. Without the essential supplies the Russians could have held their ground, but could not have pushed onwards into Germany. It was a joint endeavor... exist proud of your co-operation!
Nathan Hobbs, Luton, Britain
The disquisitional point of the state of war was the Nazi failure to invade Russia early enough in 1941. If they had captured the main cities (Moscow, St. petersburg) earlier winter fix in, they could have held out forever. Once they became marooned in the Russian countryside and Russia was unbroken it only became a thing of when, non if, they would lose. The poor tactics, leadership and equipment of Britain, France and the USSR at the showtime had given an exaggerated view of Deutschland's power.
By the commencement of 1942 everyone realised expiry was preferable to give up to the Nazis, then Hitler was doomed. Had the United states of america not had two wars to fight (Japan and Deutschland) the Nazis would have been destroyed much earlier. Though hardly a paper tiger, Nazi power is profoundly overestimated. It succeeded at the kickoff because its enemies were caught on the hop, a lesson which fed the arms race of the Cold State of war.
Des, Dublin, Ireland
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4508901.stm
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