[alexander_busek]

First, the history. Although by 1944 the war’s outcome was never in doubt, if all efforts [had] failed[,] the Soviet Army would eventually have crushed the Reich by itself. Victory at that point was a national and industrial effort, and would belong to the countries with the most steel plants and masses of citizens under arms.

Doesn't the author realize that much of the industrial might supporting the Soviet war effort was based in America? I'm sure that there are others here who are far more qualified and who could enumerate all the war goods (armaments and foodstuffs) which the U.S. sent to the U.S.S.R. to be used against the Axis.

Regards,

[Pan_Yan]

You, and everyone else who’s commented, are probably right in questioning the author’s assumption about a Soviet victory. His main point, however, was that Germany was fighting a slow retreat by the time of D-Day. Their expansion days were over.

[Vigilanteman]

What killed the Reich was two fronts and a poorly executed winter offensive in Russia.

Most of Russia doesn't realize that. In a previous life, I knew an old pilot who told me the grounds crew would have to paint American made planes into Russian markings and specifications.

Once the planes were produced, they would make a night flight out of the factory (California or Kansas) into some remote base in North Dakota where the markings were painted on under top secret conditions. Then there would be another night flight to Gander, Newfoundland, where CAF and RAF pilots would take over and ferry the planes to Murmansk after a refueling stop in Iceland. Again, these were night flights.

The Russians on the ground were sure these planes were coming from Russian factories.

[LS]

Exactly. Our “Patriot’s History of the Modern World,” volume 1, hammers this point really hard.