The issue was why did the US have the Soviet Union as an ally? The answer is obvious.
Most history books in US schools don’t give the Soviets the credit they are due for the role they played in winning WWII. The enormity of their sacrifice in terms of human losses are beyond the comprehension of most in the West. It has shaped the Russian psyche to this very day. In the half dozen or so times I have visited Russia starting in the early seventies thru the nineties, I was struck by how affected the people were by the war regardless of age. It was like it happened yesterday.
Again not denigrating or diminishing the sacrifice that the Russian people suffered. There would not have been a victory over nazi germany without them.
May not have been a ww2 or certainly not played out as it was without Soviets early cooperation with Hitler either
With that said, I am a history buff, have been since early childhood.
Not sure I totally agree with your position on Soviet contributions being taught in the west. I learned of the battles, the massive loses that they had, but I stand by my point that in Russia the contributions the Allie’s made toward victory are massively downplayed.
Little regard is given to the incredible aid, and I might add at great cost by many including sailors lost, that was sent that supported the Soviet war effort.
Nor is it taught that the Soviets let the Germans train on their territory prior to the war and that Soviets were in essence allied with Germany during the invasion of Poland
Putins statements to tucker about how basically Poland was at fault for not submitting to hitlers demands shows an interesting take.
The similarities to then and now jump out to me.
Ukraine is to blame for Russia invading them…..
As to locked into Russian psyche, the loses they suffered I am sure are still felt today, however the Soviets and now Russians also make sure their version is kept in the forefront of Russian minds.it is something they use quite effectively to keep the people rallying around mother Russia…
An interesting aside, for as much as the Russians have this in their minds. The Poles, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, Finns… also have memories of events, and many don’t jive with Russian narratives