I read the article and I won’t disagree, he was an absolute tyrant. However, like I said, he did contribute to defeating Germany.
I personally think the man rates as one of the worst scum that has ever lived, but don’t take the statue as a celebration of him, but as a historical lesson.
Have you ever been to Russia? I have. The scars of what happened in WWII are still there in many parts of the country. It’s in the eyes of the people that live there, old and young. There, they have two versions of the war. The official version that glorifies Stalin and the Soviet leadership, then the real version... the one of the people that fought and died. The people that never gave up and fought, not for their government or a single leader but for the people and for the world. In the real version, Americans to this day are praised for our sacrifices that saved their lives over there. They praise the British, Australians, Canadians, French, and everyone else that landed on the shores of Normandy. They also know that Stalin forced pressure on their front with the Germans to give us the chance to beat back the Germans.
Stalin was a monster, and I won’t disagree with that but don’t lie to yourself or to others thinking he had nothing to do with D-Day. Without the sacrifices of the people of Russia, we never would have gotten off the beaches. Remember that no matter what.
My uncle on my mother’s side was killed fighting the Russians to keep them out of Latvia. Most of my father’s family lived in Latvia with the boot of communism on their necks. Screw Stalin.
Uh...no. I suspect that if there had not been a second front in Europe, we would have re-prioritized and put the pacific theater on the back, back burner. Instead of incinerating Japan with waves of B-29s, we would have hit Germany with those resources. We could have effectively doubled our naval resources around Europe. Corsairs and Hell Cats would have been contributing to the air campaign. Oh yeah, add six Marine divisions to the fight. The United States fought two separate wars in WWII and supplied the Soviets with vital equipment at the same time. Stalin wasn't fighting Hitler to help us, or Europe; he was fighting Hitler to save his own fat a$$. He does not belong at a D-Day memorial.