I wonder if young people in Europe today understand the sacrifice of her young men that America made to free Europe from the Nazis.
I, as an American, wam wondering when America will stop using that to brow beat Europe over the head with and allow Europe to move on and not be stuck in the past. It was a very good thing America did, but this keep them indebted forever is, well, something only a criminal would do. I am an American, and am an American who is very interested in history, especially WW II, but people should be allowed to move on to the future. I'm not saying forget the past, just stop brow beating people over the head with it.
American soldiers made a horrific sacrifice on D-Day. Moreover, it was unnecessary -- in the three weeks that followed, the USSR conquered Berlin, D-Day or not.
Are you saying the Soviets captured Berlin three weeks after D-Day? - - - Updated - - - A lot of Europeans do. If you discount the German allies--the French--Europe understands and appreciates.
I am half german, half french. Today Germanys strongest allie is France. Also the USA is a strong allie to Germany. The world has changed in that part of Europe. Russia is still thinking in terms of 1945. Here we do have the actual trouble, not in Germany or France or Italy or Spain... Russia is our problem. Putin is a fascist.
Three weeks? D Day = June 6, 1944 Berlin attacked by Soviet ground forces = 20 April 1945 Berlin surrenders to the Soviets = 2 May 1945 - - - Updated - - - If I lived in Berlin I'd be worried about Putin too. I was recently in Stockholm and even the Swedes were on edge.
Worst of all is that you're serious ... so terrible is propaganda .. In fact, the D-Day was very important to prevent the Communists should rule in West Europe... but nothing more... Do you know Where was the Soviet Army June 6, 1944? I'll refresh your memory... June 6, 1944, the Soviet Army was in POLAND..and in ROMANIA, ready to start BAGRATION (destruction of Army Group Centre)... the one day proudly Wehrmacht was a ghost... in Moscow in 1941 lost the the ability to conduct a general offensive... Where was the american when russian defeat german in December 1941? In Stalingrad, in 1942/43, german lost the ability to conduct a partial offensive...Where was american in February 1943? In Britain and in Algerie... In Zitadelle (Kursk) in july 1943, german lost the ability to conduct a defensive offensive, lost for ever the initiative in Eastern Front...Whe was the american in july 1943? In Britain and in Sicily... D-Day was very important to avoid the communist in West Europe but not to win the WW2 Regards
And where were the Soviets in 1939? Oh, right, they were invading Poland with their ally, Germany. If the British hadn't fought the Germans and if the Americans hadn't joined in, could the Soviets have held off the Wermarcht? Nobody knows because England did fight the Germans when the Soviets were still their allies. And, America did join in when the Soviets were retreating in front of the Germans. But, for the leftists propagandist, the Soviet Union won WWII single-handed. In 2004, French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said France could defend Europe. Let them.
You have no reason to worry. Russia is interested to keep friendly ties or, better yet, reunite with Russian parts of what became named Ukraine under Soviet regime. Nobody can stop Russians, if they want to stay together. Obama, NATO and EU must realize this fact and become realistic. Stockholm is not Russia. Southeastern Ukraine is.
Mr Patrick... and WHERE WERE THE POLES in 1939? Oh, right, they were invading Czechoslovakia with their ally, Germany... Yes, The British Army was defeated in every campaign in 1939-1941: First in Norway, Second in France and Belgium, Third in Greece, Fourth in Crete, Fifth in Cyrenaica... Yes, RAF won the Battle of Britain, but It wasn´t the beginning of end.. not even the end of beginning... Americans not even begun the war til 1943 in Sicily, a little campaign... the major operations for american begun in 1944 Tell me it is a Joke... russians WEREN´T retreating when USA did join... December 7, 1941: USA breakfast with Pearl Harbour... December 5, 1941: 48 HOURS BEFORE: Germans call off the attack on Moscow, now 11 miles away; the USSR counter-attacks during a heavy blizzard... December 7, 1941: Russian retook Krasnaya Polyana... So really.... When America did join in when the germans were (literally) retreating in front of the russian... Facts are facts... D-Day DIDN´T change the result of the war. The war was determined in East. For the westerners propaganda, USA and Britain won WWII... but lack of facts to prove... I don´t know french.. but I know Russian needed none american to take Kiev, Warszawa, Budapest, Wien, Berlin, Könnigsberg, Brava, Praha, Olomouc, Zagreb, Beograd, Sofia, Bucarest, Kaunas, Vilnius, Reval, Minsk, ... Do I follow? Regards
I wonder if young Americans today are aware that America was not the only nation involved in the D-Day invasion, and of the sacrifices those numerous other nations made in defeating fascism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Allied_forces_in_the_Normandy_Campaign http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normandy_landings#Allied_order_of_battle
Russian nationalism and aggression is a problem. Putin is using nationalist propaganda to keep the Russian people behind him in his aggression. 70,000 Russian troops are massing around the Arctic. Russia has laid claim to the North Pole (doubt any Russians have ever lived there).
From a thread of mine on this. "Perhaps the worst area on the beach was Dog Green, directly in front of strongpoints guarding the Vierville draw and under heavy flanking fire from emplacements to the west, near Pointe de la Percee. Company A of the 116th was due to land on this sector with Company C of the 2d Rangers on its right flank, and both units came in on their targets. One of the six LCA's carrying Company A foundered about a thousand yards o shore, and passing Rangers saw men jumping overboard and being dragged down by their loads. At H+6 minutes the remaining craft grounded in water 4 to 6 feet deep, about 30 yards short of the outward band of obstacles. Starting off the craft in three files, center file first and the flank files peeling right and left, the men were enveloped in accurate and intense fire from automatic weapons. Order was quickly lost as the troops attempted to dive under water or dropped over the sides into surf over their heads. Mortar fire scored four direct hits on one LCA, which "disintegrated." Casualties were suffered all the way to the sand, but when the survivors got there, some found they could not hold and came back into the water for cover, while others took refuge behind the nearest obstacles. Remnants of one boat team on the right flank organized a small firing line on the first yards of sand, in full exposure to the enemy. In short order every officer of the company, including Capt. Taylor N. Fellers, was a casualty, and most of the sergeants were killed or wounded. The leaderless men gave up any attempt to move forward and confined their efforts to saving the wounded, many of whom drowned in the rising tide. Some troops were later able to make the sea wall by staying in the edge of the water and going up the beach with the tide. Fifteen minutes after landing, Company A was out of action for the day. Estimates of its casualties range as high as twothirds" http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Omaha.html.
In july 1944, the soviet army was in Warsaw. The Red Army reached the outskirts of Warsaw in the final days of July, 1944.In that momment, the army stop the advance over the old polish capital... on the left developed the Lvov- Sandormierz Operation, on the right BAGRATION.. These two operations were colossal defeats for the German army.. the german lost 700.000 soldiers, 5.000 tanks, 1.300 aircrafts.. While the Russians bled the german army in colossal and huge battles of annihilation iny .... What happened in Normandy? German casualties: 450.000 men, 2.000 tanks and 2.000 aircrafts... russian and west operations were in July and August... but it is the only both operation matched...they are very different... Overlord didn´t change the course of the war...It was changed in the Eastern Front!. Regards
It is true the scale of the operations in the east was always a multiple of those in the west. But in June 1944, the Germans began shifting resources from the east to the west. Part of what made the huge advances in the East possible, was that there were less resources there, as more and more was diverted to the Western Front. The two front offensive made both fronts move faster. Germany would have probably lost, but it might have held out another year or two if it wasn't required to fight on two fronts.
Three weeks is not correct, but I've always wondered about the necessity of the D-Day invasion myself. We were already entrenched in Italy and were working our way up. I think the 'necessity' of the D-Day invasion had something to do with Churchill's 'Gallipoli' syndrome.
Churchill wanted a second invasion in Italy. He was against a French landing. The necessity of D Day was brought on by the Soviets getting tired of hearing excesses while they did the heavy lifting against the Germans.
I know where. They were trading with the Thrid Reich. http://www.archives.gov/research/holocaust/bibliographies/trade-with-third-reich.html 34. Higham, Charles. Trading with the enemy: the Nazi-American money plot,
Berlin / Germany are less in actual danger than Poland or the Baltics. Poland and the Baltics did take the role of former West Berlin in the cold war. The point is if you speak to people in Europe I would say Putin and his fascist policy did seriouly damage all positive feelings of the average people towards russians. I think that is - very unfair to the average russians, but - very fair to the average russians who do support Putin aslong as we bring in consideration that they KNOW what really is going on and that they CAN understand it. I think the solution is a very painful constant need to try to inform the russians that something is going on very bad in their country and that we should be patient with them, try to understand as much as we can, but same time to be as harsh and brutal possible to russian elites who is pro Putin. I refuse to eaven open a door for somebody who things Russia should become bigger and invade other countries. Such russians I do recomand to leave my country, to leave Europe. But don't we find such people among every country in Europe? Just it is so dangerous that we do have a fascist in power of a country what has nukes...that is really scary. Do not be mistaken: Putin now wants to play the good guy to make us fall a sleep. He invaded in Crimea, he brought his fascist troops in Donbass, he claims to want more land. All that makes me certain: Germany does desperately need to buy arms arms arms and to triple at least its army. 200 000 germans should move to eastern Poland full amred and ready to act if the russian army would move west. I really think Putin did not stop his wild imperialistic outbreak so far. He simply makes a brake to make us fall a sleep. All that does not mean that russians are bad people , not at all! It does mean that russians are the first victims of Putins hunger.
Fact is that it took the concerted effort of all the allies to beat the Axis. Speculation about which nation "won" the war is ridiculous nonsense. The USSR enjoyed MASSIVE support from the US Lend Lease program that was desperately needed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lend-Lease#US_deliveries_to_the_USSR In total, the US deliveries through Lend-Lease amounted to $11 billion in materials: over 400,000 jeeps and trucks; 12,000 armored vehicles (including 7,000 tanks, about 1,386[25] of which were M3 Lees and 4,102 M4 Shermans);[26] 11,400 aircraft (4,719 of which were Bell P-39 Airacobras)[27] and 1.75 million tons of food. D-Day was a massive multi-national undertaking that no country could have executed on their own. America didn't win world war 2 by themselves, but without their entry it might be an uber alles judenfrei world we live in.
If US and UK did not open the second western front, Soviet Army would certainly lost more people, and the war was probably extended for another year. So in Russia people appreciate input from Americans and British armies, and children learn all this staff at schools. But it would be much better, if they opened the western front already in 1942 or 1943.
