Sorry for dragging this topic up again, but to me the whole topic seemed to drift off topic to the specific battles, to the various armaments involved in WWII, abilities of Generals etc.
AND 9th of May is approaching, so it seemed fitting to me reiterate my point :-)
Quoting the OP
*Lots of people like too say the Russians won WW2, or that America saved Russia from the loss*
Having lived in England and Russia and also having met a large amount of Americans in my time, I have found that all 3 nationalities have their own view on the war and who won and why!
Anyone that had to live through the war and come out alive, in my opinion, has the right to say they won. War is not a game and no amount of history books and documentaries could convey the horrors of that time. England had the Battle of Britain and numerous other battles, Russia had the Great Patriotic War and America fought across many fronts across the globe.
*In my opinion we saved Russia from annihalation by taking pressure off of them, and yet they still claim they beat the Germans. Not that we didnt need them, its that they didnt win the war*
Your opinion, coming from an American should of course be on the side of the US of A and that it was soley American influence that "turned the war" and therefore achieving the victory.
During 1939 to 1945, there were many countries that fought on the "allies" side and can also lay claim to helping with victory.
I come from a small pacific nation that also fought in the war in Europe, in both WWI and WWII, these wars formed a major part of the development and culture of our very young country. When I 1st arrived in the UK I was appalled to hear some old timers explaining to me that I come from "the colonies" and that the UK alone won WWII. But, as time went by and understanding more about what happened in the UK from 1939 to 1945, I could understand their opinion and not begrudge them from thinking it in that way.
The same happened when I went to live in Moscow, but again living there and learning more history (which has only become available in the last 15 years after communism) I again could see why the former Soviet Union Countries should be so proud to win their war too (which from my previous post I explained is not WWII).
Americans I have met in all corners of the world and the propaganda that is fed to the general population it is natural to expect a one-eyed view on any topic. But, again I wouldnt begrudge anyone from claiming victory considering the human sacrifices involved on their side too!
Finally for those that don't know, 9th of May is Victory Day or День Победа. This is the day a large amount of countries commemorate the victory over Nazi Germany and Facism!
[Victory Day](
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_Day_(9_May))
In Russia, it is a magical day, with many celebrations, marches and showering of gifts and flowers to surviving veterans. For some of the survivors of the war this is the highlight of their year and rightly so, as the sacrifices they made all those years ago are applauded and remembered in the hope it will never have to happen again!
I was lucky enough to watch the parade in 2010 which was the largest in non-communist times! Simply amazing
[2010](
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Moscow_Victory_Day_Parade)
For WWII history buffs I would highly recommend "The Greatest Battle" by Andrew Nagorski - a superbly written best seller on the battle for Moscow that takes account from both sides of the battle.
And check out this [site](
http://english.pobediteli.ru/) if you want see a depiction of war from 1941 onwards from the Russian side. This site is a dedication to the veterans of the USSR and is not politically motivated (please check the "questions and answers" before starting viewing.
С Днем Победа!!