When Americans claim they "bailed us out" of WWII, what about the Aussies?

navysarguy

The Nazi's were steamrolling Europe until the United States joined the war. No other country was as capable of raising such a large and well equipped fighting force. Also remember that the US fought the war on both fronts, in Europe and in the Pacific. Without American intervention all of Europe would have fallen to Nazi Germany.

Rik

I think the claim is more that without them we (the other western nations, French, Belgians, Dutch, Polish, ...) would have had a lot more trouble (with material, man power, ...).
It's the same as what the Russians are claiming : that they have won the war and saved us.
Sometimes it is good to remind every one that it was a joined effort of many people and not only of the two big powers. Without everyones effort the war should have lasted much longer.
We may never forget ALL those that died for our freedom.

Taylor29

Don't forget the Asian people. I was amazed when an Asian guy once told me how many of his people died helping us out in the war. We did'nt learn that at school

Stephen M

the sad but true fact is that without the US help britain would eventually have been taken over by the Nazis, and it is because of them that the allies were able to win the war. I don't think anyone purposefully forgets about the efforts and sacrifice of the millions of other people from around the world who helped to free europe, but it was the US which provided the largest number of troops. I think that it shouldn't be a competition about who was the most important in winning the war because everyone who fought in it is equally important, and i thank the yanks (and everyonr else) for coming to our aid in our time of crisis.

Black Sabbath

Australia lost 40,000 men, the US lost 400,000. The US outproduced everyone in the war. Without our tanks guns and airplanes, the commonwealth would have been the largest German Territory.

xiy

don't forget the Chinese, Canadians, guerillas in the pacific, resistance movements in europe,

bob kerr

I'll join you in your Thank You to all those in the Allied forces from many countries. They were there, they done well and many made the ultimate sacrifice.

Robespierre

Let us not forget that the second world war was a good result for the then British colonies. Churchill wanted to maintain the grip on the colonies and Hitler wanted to loosen it. The British expended all their resources during the war that they had nothing left to fight the independent movements, who sensed a weakened GB.It is swings and roundabouts really.

rightwingers

The Aussie and New Zealanders were a help but it was the USA and its manufacturing machine that bailed your sorry hind ends out.

Actually it was the USA and the UK that bailed the Europe out, Great Britain was a real country back then, not the nest of cowards it has become.

soobee

i am a canadian, and my grandfather fought in the 2nd world war for four years.

I think the Americans were "in it" in the sense that they were supplying much of the materials needed, although at a cost that enriched that nation. I believe Roosevelt never intended to get in, but Pearl Harbour forced the Americans in. Once in, they had to be in command; it is inherent in being American, I think.

As victors, it was largely the Americans who remade Europe, not the British commonwealth. As such, they made the history, too.

There are many aspects of wars which are not "remembered", even at the time. Enough people know of the great contribution to the wars which the commonwealth nations made, but we were citizens of the realm, too and our cooperation was implicit.

The Canadian soldiers, like all commonwealth soldiers, were brothers to Britain in a much greater sense than the Americans, who were neighbours. Perhaps the commonwealth members don't feel the need to inflate their chests as much as our neighbours? We don't fear being forgotten; at least I never got that sense here at home. I don't know about Australia, New Zealand, et. al. but Canada only got its flag in 1969. I was raised for most of my young childhood with the Union Jack as my flag and God Save the Queen as my anthem, just like my folk in Britain.

I do think we get credit for our condtribution, and here in Canada we recognise troops from all over the commonwealth who fought with us.

Just a little Canadian perspective. Have a good day, eh.

Pretorian

You forgot Rhodesians & South Africans. Ian Smith (last PM of Rhodesia) was a fighter pilot & then fought with partisans in Italy.

tgace

Because you win wars by outproducing your enemy in manpower and equipment coupled with national will. The US provided the most men, goods and the best logistical train. We became an industrial superpower. Thats why.

You will not find it difficult to prove that battles, campaigns, and even wars have been won or lost primarily because of logistics. - General Dwight D. Eisenhower

The tactics...no, amateurs discuss tactics,.... Professional soldiers study logistics. - Tom Clancy, Red Storm Rising

Dunrobin

Black Sabbath demonstrates the myopia of which the questioner speaks. America contributed more than any individual Commonwealth country, but NOBODY gave more than the USSR. America lost 400,000 - that sounds like a lot. But the Soviets lost 20 MILLION - 13 per cent of their total population, versus less than 1 per cent of America's population who died. The war was won on the Eastern Front. Had Hitler not attacked the USSR, he would have won the war.

jrnh5150

check it out limey. America did bail your asses out.

- "In a nutshell, everything we got from America in World War II was free," says economic historian Professor Mark Harrison, of Warwick University.

- The UK took a loan for $586m (about Â£145m at 1945 exchange rates), and a further $3,750m line of credit (about Â£930m at 1945 exchange rates). The loan was to be paid off in 50 annual repayments starting in 1950, although there were six years when payment was deferred because of economic or political crises.

- Anne Moffat, the MP for East Lothian, asked the parliamentary question that revealed the end of the WWII loan after being pressed by an interested constituent. She is a little surprised that we are still paying the Americans off all these years later.

"It is certainly bad that no-one seems to have known about it. It seems to be a dark, well-kept secret."

- And while the UK dutifully pays off its World War II debts, those from World War I remain resolutely unpaid. And are by no means trifling. In 1934, Britain owed the US $4.4bn of World War I debt (about Â£866m at 1934 exchange rates). Adjusted by the Retail Price Index, a typical measure of inflation, Â£866m would equate to Â£40bn now, and if adjusted by the growth of GDP, to about Â£225bn.

"We just sort of gave up around 1932 when the interwar economy was in turmoil, currencies were collapsing," says Prof Harrison.

- All of this from the BBC.

Roadrunner58-79

You should brush up on your History of WWII and the History of the World. During WWII, everyone was UNITED not DIVIDED as people are in this stupid
brain-dead world of today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dick Skinner

Dang, I hope nobody's claiming that! "Bail out" is'nt automatically meaning we get all the credit. It's a pretty uncharitable choice of words. Some I'm sure have that attitude, and if so, they deserve to have a "a.s.s.whoopin" delivered. EVERYbody who fought and died deserves eternal honor as having done no less than save the world.
I may be wrong, but if you're basing this on U.S. television, education etc. it's a case of perspective. A country will by nature, focus on history from it's own point of view. Being a foreigner seeing this, it may look like they're self aggrandizing.

HHH

America didnt bail Britain out of anything,the battle of Britain was mostly British and most of the pilots who did the best work were British

intelligent_observer

Presumably having been late for the two World Wars this explains why America is so keen to rush into war in Iraq this time.
Maybe if the Kaiser or Adolf Hitler had a little oil . . . ?

platukism

you make valid points about other allies being forgotten, but the US contributed a lot more than they did.

wolverine

the German forces would attack miles away from their intended point if they saw Canadian flags flying at their point of attack, Most american movies about the war are actually deeds done by other countries which the americans take credit for (U-571, the Enigma machine was actually taken out of Poland by the underground and Allied forces before the yanks joined the fray,for example). Thanks for your Thanks, I'm a Canadian soldier who's family served for years.

pmsteph

Although the USA did contribute machinery (from 1939/40 Lend Lease Act) & men from 1942 the biggest contribution to defeating the Nazi's was probably the USSR especially in terms of manpower

About a third of the people killed in World War 2 were from the USSR

commentator

The fact is the Americans have never actually won a war by themselves ever so they have to take credit wherever they can.

I agree with the allied contribution and the fact that they should be thanked for the sacrifices made by brave men and women.

ole_lady_93

Thanks to you --to Lucky for You-- You weren't even there.
The Americans finally came over there and Put and end to it.
So you should be gratefull.

canadian

many brave people lost their lives, and i certianly do not want to take away anything that the americans did. they did take a heavy toll in the pacific and they did lose many in europe. as an avid ww2 historian and as a canadian that wants to be american, i have to say that nobody here seems to mention the russians. the us and british delay in opening a second front by invading europe was the foundation for the cold war. by the time of d-day, the russians had already won the european war, it was just a function of time before they destroyed the nazis. the russians by far took the largest share of casualties. once they won stalingrad thier weapon production numbers ensured the destruction of germany. if anyone wants to talk about the brutality of war look at the battles of stalingrad and leningrad. hey i am not a commie but credit must be given where credit is due.

gerald

I was so mad watching a documentary on ww2. Canadian troops fought to Rome loosing many lives. When they were at Rome they were told to hold back . The US wanted to liberate them .AND if you dont we will fire on you. Canadians should have kicked their ass to but we are to polite

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