A few nights ago, after finishing "Saint Joan of Arc", I began "Why the Allies Won", by Richard Overy. I'm now 20 pages in. At this point he's summing up what will come in depth.

He's said some things I've been concluding on my own as I understand more of the pieces of this very complex puzzle.

First of all, we didn't win World War Two because we put things off for the sake of appeasing the aggressor/killers. We nearly lost because of it.

Next, it took years to catch up and surpass the war production of Germany. Hitler knew his intended victims weaknesses. He knew we were not ready, AND, that our social atmosphere was one of Isolationism. He was happy about both points. We made the start of the war very easy for him.

Had it not been for the attack on Pearl Harbor, we would have stayed in the background even longer. We WERE supplying old equipment and weaponry to Britain, Europe, China, and Russia (on a Lend-Lease, profit basis), but had no immediate intentions of getting "mixed up in Europe's or Asia's problems".

Hitler's largest desire was to conquer Russia. Yes, the European countries were to become Aryan States of Germany, but Russia was the big goal. Why? Natural resources. Russia would feed and lubricate The Third Reich for a thousand years. Because of this vision, he reduced major fights in the other "theaters". Because of THIS, we were given time to build up forces to his West and South.

Hitler, having already conquered most of Europe, was very optimistic about the time it would take to conquer Russia... which he wanted complete before Winter. Hitler, therefore his warriors, were unprepared for the harshness of the Russian winter. Death, disease, & vanishing morale helped kill German soldiers on the "Eastern Front".

Finally, Hitler (and most of the Allies) underestimated the determination of the Russian people. Not only did the Russians know how to live in their harsh Winters, but had such a huge population of steadfast, live-or-die, no nonsense, TOUGH civilians as well as soldiers, they were almost never-ending. Every man, woman, old person, or child who could walk fought each in their own way every day. And, when a retreat was needed, they put a torch to their homes, barns, oil fields, carts, and cattle - they left NOTHING - NO LIVING, USEFUL THING - behind that could be used by the Germans. "Scorched Earth".

The Russians were tough. Over TWENTY MILLION Russians died in that war, and they didn't stop for a second to debate the righteousness of protecting their way of life. Plainly put, it was fortuitous we were on the same side. (The Germans conned them for a short, embarrassing period of time, but that was soon shown to be a lie like all the other "treaties" with Hitler... then Stalin joined Roosevelt and Churchhill).

Over in the Pacific, the Japanese were also driven by greed, chauvinism, and a near-religious fervor we will never entirely understand, but they are a whole other can of worms. For now, I just want to make the point that had it not been for Russia, the outcome of World War II would've been up for grabs. Really.

(The atomic bomb was essentially a late-comer but effective against Japan, yet wasn't needed against Germany.)

I've said this before, but I think it bears repeating: When I think of who suffered and died in that war, I don't exclude anyone. Sure, I think of my Dad, all the Americans, and yes, the Europeans... but also the Asians, Scandinavians, Africans, Middle Easterners, and always the people of Russia.

I am humbled by what all of these people did.

We PALE by comparison. WE are dilettantes.