“Rusiian Military Deaths: 8,700,000 on the low end.
US and UK military deaths: about 800,000”
Soviets suffered more on the order of 14.5 million military deaths.
“Now tell me they did not contribute.”
The subject was not whether or not the Russians contributed to winning WWII against Germany, Italy, and the rest of the Axis. The subject was whether or not the West gives credit to the Russians for contributing to the Allied victory over Germany. My answer was, yes, the West gives Russia such credit and perhaps more credit than Russia earned. In other words, you don’t earn credit for suffering 14.5 million military deaths and vastly more other casualties while failing to inflict more than a tenth of such casualties upon the Germans. Greater credit goes to those military forces who inflicted equal and greater casualties upon the enemy while defeating the enemy’s defenses in a fraction of the time and with a very small fraction of the casualties. it’s like Patton said, you want to make the other SOB die for his country rather than you die for your country without accomplishing a thing.
I would suggest that if you went onto to the street of any US city and asked people, there would be complete ignorance. Yes, students of history would get it, but not the average joe.
A lot of the war was fighting inside of Russia, of course their casualties would be extremely high.
Something about lend-lease
http://ww2-weapons.com/lend-lease-tanks-and-aircrafts/