Why did America win WW2?

Question

As an Englishman it has recently been brought to my attention by many Americans on this site, that they won WW2. thus saving England from the Nazi jackboot.They say England would have never won the war without them and it was they alone who saved us from now speaking German.I would like to extend my gratitude on the subject and leave them with this"YOU CANNOT SAY YOU HAVE WON A WAR WHEN YOU JOIN HALF WAY THROUGH"

Answer 1

Your statement holds true for England as well. The UK did not join World War II until September of 1939, the war begin in July 1937 when Japan launched its invasion of China from occupied territories in Manchuria. Some Historians even state the War really began in 1931 when Japan first invaded China occupying Manchuria.

Furthermore, your statement dismisses the fact that the US through the Destroyers for Bases agreement in 1940 and the Lend Lease Act in 1941 provided war materials to the Allies prior to joining the war.

Moreover, there is really no doubt that had the US not joined the war both Britain and the Soviet Union would have lost.

Prior to Operation Barbarossa in June of 1941, the Nazi invasion of Russia, Britain was a defeated nation fighting a defensive war. The rapidness and totality of the UK's defeat on the European Continent culminating with the Battle of Dunkirk proves this point.

Had the Japanese not bombed Pearl Harbor bringing the US into the war, there really is no doubt that the Nazis would have regroup after the harsh Russian winter of 1941-1942 and secured a victory leaving the UK as the lone opponent against Germany. Inevitably, this would have either forced the UK to capitulate to the Nazis or paved the road for a full scale invasion of the UK homeland.

Even if the Nazis did not conquer Russia in 1942, not having the US in the war would have extended World War II by at least a couple of years allowing Germany time to perfect its Wunder Waffens (wonder weapons), and product V2 rockets in sufficient quantities to wreak further havoc on the UK.

And let's not also forgot that, by their own admission, the only Allied general the Nazis truly feared was George S. Patton.

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Thumbs down huh? If you disagree with my comments have to guts to tell me where I am wrong. Don't shoot the messenger, I am sorry if the truth hurts.

And Bulgarina if you are looking for the real dumba$$ look no further than your bathroom mirror. The Pacific Theater of Operations was mainly naval engagements and Marine and Army island invasions.

The Japanese occupied most island chains in the south Pacific up to and nearly Australia. In order for the US to invade Japan, these islands had to be taken to provide bases for bombing mission over Japan, for refueling and Emergency landing strips, and to guarantee the Japanese would not outflank or attack an invasion force.

It does not make a difference how many men the Japanese had engaged on the Chinese mainland, in island warfare, each island can only garrison and hold a finite number of solders. Could the Japanese have deployed and additional 500,000 or 1,000,000 troops on Guadalcanal,? No, the Island would not support that many troops. The Island battles were US forces invading island strongholds fighting and winning against a well dug-in, entrenched enemy.

Answer 2

here is a Little Historic fact the Germans were Loosing WW2 in sept 1940 without the USA. Russia or Lend lease and once the NAZIS attacked Russia the Fat lady started to Sing. D Day was only to decide How far the Russians could advance into Europe 75 % of the Germans were Fighting the Russians These countries WON WW2 they were all part of the TEAM there are they say No US in team Poland, September 1, 1939 United Kingdom, September 3, 1939 France, September 3, 1939 Australia, September 3, 1939 New Zealand, September 3, 1939 Nepal, September 4, 1939 Newfoundland, September 4, 1939 Tonga, September 4, 1939 South Africa, September 6, 1939 Canada, September 10, 1939 Denmark, April 9, 1940 Norway, April 9, 1940 Belgium, May 10, 1940 Luxembourg, May 10, 1940 Netherlands, May 10, 1940 Free France, June 18, 1940 Greece, October 28, 1940 Kingdom of Yugoslavia, April 6, 1941 Tannu Tuva, June 15, 1941 Soviet Union, June 22, 1941 Panama, December 7, 1941 United States of America, December 8, 1941 But were still supplying germany with Oil Ball bearings and Technology up to 1945 Philippines, December 7, 1941 Costa Rica, December 8, 1941 Dominican Republic, December 8, 1941 El Salvador, December 8, 1941 Haiti, December 8, 1941 Honduras, December 8, 1941 Nicaragua, December 8, 1941 Republic of China, December 9, 1941 Guatemala, December 9, 1941 Cuba, December 9, 1941 Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, December 9, 1941 (Govt. in exile) Czechoslovakia, December 16, 1941 (Govt. in exile) Mexico, May 22, 1941 Brazil, August 22, 1942 Ethiopia, December 14, 1942 Iraq, January 17, 1943 Bolivia, April 7, 1943 Iran, September 9, 1943 Italy, October 13, 1943 (formerly a member of the Axis) Colombia, November 26, 1943 Liberia, January 27, 1944 Romania, August 25, 1944 (formerly a member of the Axis) Bulgaria, September 8, 1944 (formerly a member of the Axis) Finland, September 19, 1944 (formerly a member of the Axis) San Marino, September 21, 1944 Albania, October 26, 1944 (formerly a member of the Axis) Hungary, January 20, 1945 (formerly a member of the Axis) Bahawalpur, February 2, 1945 Ecuador, February 2, 1945 Paraguay, February 7, 1945 Peru, February 12, 1945 Uruguay, February 15, 1945 Venezuela, February 15, 1945 Turkey, February 23, 1945 Lebanon, February 27, 1945 Saudi Arabia, March 1945 Argentina, March 27, 1945 ??but allowed Nazis to Live in their country Chile, April 11, 1945 People's Republic of Mongolia, August 9, 1945

Answer 3

You are correct, we joined the fight late and the British had put up a hell of a fight against Hitler. Churchill is possibly the most enigmatic and charismatic political leader of the 20th century. His courage, his steadfastness kept Britian from tumbling into the void.

Now what about America? There was a strong isolationist movement in the USA in the 1930's. Roosevelt knew he could not enter the war just because he knew it was right to do so. So he snuck around the isolationists and began the Lend Lease program which provided much needed war material to the UK. This included destroyers, airplanes, tanks, vehicles and communications equipment.

Of course, Pearl Harbor changed everything. Not only did the Japanese attack the USA but they also attacked you, in Malaysia, Singapore and Burma.

The Pacific became the US battlefield, along with ANZAC troops. The British Army fought hard and valiantly in Burma and eastern India.


But in Europe, the mass of American troops, equipment and airplanes turned the tide. Just think: even with American intervention, the end still was more than 3 years away. D-Day was a joint American, British, Canadian operation but the majority of the equipment and men came from the USA. It wasn't that the American army was better, but it was bigger and had not been bloodied like the British army. In addition, the US Army Air Corps, along with the RAF jointly bombed the living hell out of Germany, the US during the day and the RAF at night. This around the clock bombing crippled the German war machine.

Finally, America supplied Eisenhower. If there was ever a right man at the right time in the right place it was Ike. He wasn't a combat general like Montgomery or Patton, but a manager who was able to keep all these egos in line, and keep the Allies focused and at the German's throats.

America didn't win the war: We did, the Americans, the British, the Canadians, the ANZAC troops,the South Africans and the French. And the Russians, but that's another question...

And we should be proud of them all.

Answer 4

I think there were really two wars that happened to have coincided: the Pacific War and the European War (incl. North Africa).

The Americans and British happened to have been on the side that won in Europe - the USSR by June 1944 was doing very well, having pushed the Germans back into Poland, without any significant military effort from Britain or the US.

It was only after D-Day and the opening of a second front that did two things: 1) ensured that the war ended in 1945 and not 1947 or 1948 and 2) meant that Western Europe did not fall into the Soviet sphere of influence as happened with Central and Eastern Europe in the late '40s.

The Battle of Britain was over by Spetember 1940 - the RAF reconnaissance could tell that the barges that had been assembled for a possible invasion were being dispersed, and the Germans had switched to bombing civilian targets (eg London) rather than military targets (eg airfeilds).

They did not need to know as we do now that Hitler had postponed any invasion indefinitely at that time with the failure of Goering's air campaign in the summer of 1940 - it was obvious to everyone. The Americans did not arrive in Britain in 1942 to prevent invasion but to fly air raids against occupied Europe and prepare for D-Day.

There was only one clear winner in the Pacific War - the US.

Answer 5

Well lets give them credit where its due -

Because of their man power, production techniques they helped OUT PRODUCE the Germans in WW2. At the end of the war for every 1 tanks the Germans were producing the Yanks were producing 4.

As for "Saving England" - Well there is a very strong argument that they were saving themselves. After all, having taken Europe, how long would it have been before Hitler set his sights on adding USA to the Third Reich?

Also, it has to be said (and I know that thousands of Americans laid down their lives for freedom) the USA did do well out of it financially. They lent us about £440 million for the war effort. Which has only just been repaid by the British Government - How much was paid in total WITH interest? £4 Billion.

As for claiming "They won it" - well, one of the key issues of that is Hollywood - they made the films, showed the USA doing all the work & that filtered into the American way of thinking!

Yes the USA did a tremendous amount for us - BUT IT WAS A JOINT EFFORT AND WITHOUT THE BRITS AND OTHER NATIONALITIES THEY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A SUCESS.

Answer 6

WW2 was a joint effort in every sence but at the end of the day American industry,agriculture and dollars and to a certain extent Canadian won the war.
These two countries provided the tools to win.
What people should think about is this, all these countries with the manpower and goods, look what it took to defeat Germany let alone Japan, the German Soldier really was the best fighting man at the time and only shoddy leadership and lack of materiel stopped them from lasting a whole lot longer.

Answer 7

Basically, the British won the Battle of Britain, which ensured the Germans could not launch an invasion. They were also hard pressed in the East. It's a lot more likely we could have ended up speaking Russian.

The US won by using bases in England..AFTER the Battle of Britain.

It unlikely we could have retaken Europe without the Americans., It's just as unlikely they could have retaken Europe without Britain as a base.

Answer 8

Let us agree that no single army could have defeated the nazis alone. Had the US had to fight them alone it's reasonable to conclude that the best we could have hoped for was to contain them. But congruently, the British might well have been defeated by them without American assistance. But to say "well, you only fought part of the war", is not totally accurate. Ever hear of Lend-Lease? Ever hear of unrestricted warfare against convoys traveling between europe and the US before Hitler declared war on us? We also jumped into WWI for only 10 months because that's all it took for us to end it. Had we not jumped in to WWII, god only knows how long it would have gone on or what the outcome may have been. Thankfully we shall never know.

Answer 9

It just so happens that the Americans entered the war at a time when the Allies were losing to the Germans. But, it was actually a collaborative effort between the British, the French, the Russians, the Australians, and the Americans, along with the Dutch resistance, and Philipino military, that ultimately won WWII both in the European and Pacific theaters.

Answer 10

Yes even though we joined half way through we did have the "saving grace" to add to the war. I wouldn't put it that WE won cause we all won. Every country who was fighting the Nazis and the Japanese. Not any one country could have done it without the others but you have to admit the bombing of Japan had a lot to do with winning the war. My father was 60k from the bunker where Hitler killed himself at that time.

Some people here in the US are spoon fed these things from birth and they are told we won WW II but there are those of us that do know the truth.