Brilliant and lucid, but more importantly, FACT-BASED (and not Hollywood fictional) description of the contribution of the Red Army to defeating the Nazi hordes. I am sure many curious people in the world know this. Alas, we Americans lack the curiosity to go learn the truth and continue to believe in the Western post-WWII propaganda, designed to diminish the Soviet contribution and demonize the "Russian Commies" in order to execute the Cold War and now the Hot War (albeit proxy war through Ukraine) with the specific goal (for the past 80 years) of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia and subjugate it for our exploitation of its immense resources.
It is a long article, logically laid out to show that without the Red Army, we would have never been able to defeat Nazi Germany, except with the use of a nuclear weapon later in the war, say 1945. but just remember the following two points:
1. For the better part of 4 years, the Red Army bore the brunt of Nazi onslaught and with colossal losses and sacrifices (both military and civilian) defeated and FATALLY WEAKENED the Nazi Army to the extent that even without Normandy invasion by the West, Soviets would have won ANYWAY, but perhaps with some delay.
2. Allies waited until Nazi Germany was fatally wounded before opening the second front (we don't know if it was done deliberately), partly because of the fear that Soviets would otherwise occupy all of Europe. If the Soviets had not launched Operation Bagration at the same time the Normandy invasion took place, as the author makes clear, and stood idly by, the Normandy invasion would have ended in a disastrous allied defeat.
For those people, who still believe allies won WW2, just ask them: Who took the capital of Nazi Germany, Berlin, and raised their flag on the Reichstag? The answer will be obvious even to the
most deluded and most conniving (US, UK and Europe at present).
I must say Scott has a way with words. The way he presents material is brilliant and makes him a great story teller. Thank you Scott. I am envious (in a complimentary way).
You are discounting the air war and invasion of North Africa/Italy, let alone the war at sea. The air war over Europe cost more then 100,000 allied lives. Those "fronts" diverted an enormous amount of resources from tbe Eastern front, and needed to be defeated in turn. Realistically the Allies couldn't have gone much faster then they did to reconquer Europe.
A missed opportunity. For Trump. Why didn’t he put in a telephone call ☎️ to President Putin asking if he could come to Moscow to express on behalf of the American people the respect, admiration and gratitude to the Russian people for the great and decisive role they achieved at such great cost in the victory over the German Wehrmacht?
A fine piece, Scott, factually irrefutable. Only the twisted and morally shrunken homunculus fronting The Empire and his ignorant ilk could claim otherwise.
I am in my late 90s and I lived through that was and narrowly escaped death from falling German Bombs. I Was also in its last stages on the front line Those who say war is hell should rewrite it in capital letters. HELL!!!
Just to add a bit to Scott's narrative, with his indulgence of course:
There were other compounding effects that led to Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo:
1. It rained heavily the day before the battle. Napoleon was a master at rapidly moving and deploying artillery to devastating effects on the battle, but the soggy ground delayed French artillery deployment and wasted precious hours that would have been crucial later in defeating the English and pivoting toward Blucher's Prussians.
2. Napoleon was tired amidst the battle and went to take a nap, precisely when his subordinate marshals ordered a disastrous cavalry charge against English infantry squares, WITHOUT infantry support.
3. French cavalry charged and occupied the heights where English artillery was deployed, but no one had thought of bringing iron nails to hammer shut the firing holes of the English artillery. When French cavalry eventually retreated, English artillery resumed its firing.
4. Marshal Ney, a very capable military commander under Napoleon, was sent to block some other troops. Instead of taking the initiative to hurry back and reinforce Napoleon after the battle started, he just did nothing. His troops would have been instrumental in wiping out Wellington's army. You see under Napoleon, French army groups always marched separately, but rapidly converged on the battlefield to deal a decisive blow to the unsuspecting enemy. This cardinal rule was violated by Ney.
5. Blucher arrived with his Prussian army just in the nick of time. A few hours delay could have made a difference, but a huge number of fresh troops joining the battle sealed Napoleon's fate at Waterloo.
So, it was sheer luck that led to Wellington's victory in Waterloo.
Excellent observation: too often the truth of history is ignored to promote selfish, egotistical agendas. One thing that stood out to me was how the Germans were in every scenario outnumbered and defeated, yet managed to inflict more casualties than they suffered...that is scary.
Thank you Scott for your work in preparing and presenting the material. I have been dealing with the period of the Second World War and the time afterwards for several years. I was often in the Buchenwald concentration camp. For me, the moment 1 - 2 weeks before May 9th is a special time to remember this time. I don't see different sides. I see people fighting and slaughtering each other. Dead and survivors, many of them severely traumatized. Veterans coming home to their families and having problems in their everyday lives with a big impact on family life. Not necessarily a good influence. Not heroes. That's why I ask often myself: Why? Why were they enemies? What made them enemies?
They were people like us. You live in the United States and I live in Germany. You are one of my people and a friend I don't know yet.
For me, this year was very much a day of remembrance, a day of respect for those people who fought for the liberation and defense of their fellow human beings and my motivation to fight for the same.
Thanks Scott for all you do. I'm in my mid 80's and have seen our once great Country slide into a disaster that I cannot see any way out except to make peace with the rest of the World and ask forgiveness for all the wrongs we have done. To denigrate Russia is so wrong but nothin is taught in school anymore so people don't know how the Russians saved us all. Thanks for the good read! Nice to see real information.
Very good article Scott. I only wish more Americans would take the time to learn this history, instead of listening to or believing in the likes of a blow hard who knows nothing of WW2 history, let alone much of anything else. 😢🙁😞🤮
Whoever has read this excellent post and is not moved to tears and is still on the side of these warmongering, degenerate and incapable western European politicians of our days has no understanding of what is important today here in Europe. Diplomacy, diplomacy, diplomacy. Never forget the Ukrainian nationalist supporters of Nazi-SS forces in WW2 who are still honored there today. That is not to say that the Ukraine of our times should have been ambushed by Russia. But it has happened and there are reasons on the Russian side to be considered. In our media this aspect never appears in the middle of the daily hugging of Selenski by European leaders.
Yes, without the sacrifice of Russian soldiers and civilians WW II might have ended quite differently. But it wasn't Russian soldiers or civilians who went to war; it was the USSR, every bit as evil as the Nazis, and without whom the war might never have happened. What we must never forget was the Nazi-ism and Communism were two peas in a pod. And both could have been stopped without war. Hitler rose on the strength of German resentment over their treatment as the defeated side of WW I, which, also, could have been prevented.
It was triggered by family squabbles among the leaders of European countries, The King of England, the Tzar of Russia, and the Kaiser of Germany. Had they settled their spats there wouldn't have been a war. And if Tzar Nicholas had not been a tyrant, Russia wouldn't have gone Communist. General Smedley Butler was right, war is a racket. They have always been about greed: for power, wealth, and land. The USSR, France, and Great Britain recovered their losses from dividing up the spoils after the war. Not from the losses of men--that can't be recovered from--but losing men is the least of 'great' leaders' concerns. America's profit from the war was the atomic bomb the they held over the world's head for most of the time since. The proliferation somewhat dimmed the advantage but MAD, stupid as it was, did keep the Cold war from turning very hot.
My dad's life was changed drastically from getting malaria is Southeast Asia, and I lost an uncle, brother to my mother, in Europe. Most of my seven uncles fought in the war. Two were too young to enlist. I have great respect for all of the soldiers who fought in the war, but none for the leaders who were responsible for sending them into battle: American, English, Russian, French, German, Italia Japanese, and all of the other countries' soldiers. And today's Russians who are no longer under the iron fist of Communism, should not have been dissed by Trump. But, I understand his lingering disgust with the USSR. I share that disgust--and hatred. But I don't feel that way about Russians, post-1991.
Excellent work and, historically, spot on. Scott has given us an excellent review of why Russia made D-Day successful. Thanks, Skipper.
I love it when you bring a historical focus to one of your posts. This was excellent.
Brilliant and lucid, but more importantly, FACT-BASED (and not Hollywood fictional) description of the contribution of the Red Army to defeating the Nazi hordes. I am sure many curious people in the world know this. Alas, we Americans lack the curiosity to go learn the truth and continue to believe in the Western post-WWII propaganda, designed to diminish the Soviet contribution and demonize the "Russian Commies" in order to execute the Cold War and now the Hot War (albeit proxy war through Ukraine) with the specific goal (for the past 80 years) of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia and subjugate it for our exploitation of its immense resources.
It is a long article, logically laid out to show that without the Red Army, we would have never been able to defeat Nazi Germany, except with the use of a nuclear weapon later in the war, say 1945. but just remember the following two points:
1. For the better part of 4 years, the Red Army bore the brunt of Nazi onslaught and with colossal losses and sacrifices (both military and civilian) defeated and FATALLY WEAKENED the Nazi Army to the extent that even without Normandy invasion by the West, Soviets would have won ANYWAY, but perhaps with some delay.
2. Allies waited until Nazi Germany was fatally wounded before opening the second front (we don't know if it was done deliberately), partly because of the fear that Soviets would otherwise occupy all of Europe. If the Soviets had not launched Operation Bagration at the same time the Normandy invasion took place, as the author makes clear, and stood idly by, the Normandy invasion would have ended in a disastrous allied defeat.
For those people, who still believe allies won WW2, just ask them: Who took the capital of Nazi Germany, Berlin, and raised their flag on the Reichstag? The answer will be obvious even to the
most deluded and most conniving (US, UK and Europe at present).
I must say Scott has a way with words. The way he presents material is brilliant and makes him a great story teller. Thank you Scott. I am envious (in a complimentary way).
You are discounting the air war and invasion of North Africa/Italy, let alone the war at sea. The air war over Europe cost more then 100,000 allied lives. Those "fronts" diverted an enormous amount of resources from tbe Eastern front, and needed to be defeated in turn. Realistically the Allies couldn't have gone much faster then they did to reconquer Europe.
True. Allies DID contribute to the Soviet war effort, but ... the life and death struggle was at the Eastern frontier of Nazi Germany.
A missed opportunity. For Trump. Why didn’t he put in a telephone call ☎️ to President Putin asking if he could come to Moscow to express on behalf of the American people the respect, admiration and gratitude to the Russian people for the great and decisive role they achieved at such great cost in the victory over the German Wehrmacht?
Very good question, but highly unlikely due to his hubris, narcissistic and arrogant nature.
Trump, like about half the population of the West, is not merely ignorant, but stupid to a degree that veers into mental illness.
A fine piece, Scott, factually irrefutable. Only the twisted and morally shrunken homunculus fronting The Empire and his ignorant ilk could claim otherwise.
Thanks so much for this article.
I am in my late 90s and I lived through that was and narrowly escaped death from falling German Bombs. I Was also in its last stages on the front line Those who say war is hell should rewrite it in capital letters. HELL!!!
Just to add a bit to Scott's narrative, with his indulgence of course:
There were other compounding effects that led to Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo:
1. It rained heavily the day before the battle. Napoleon was a master at rapidly moving and deploying artillery to devastating effects on the battle, but the soggy ground delayed French artillery deployment and wasted precious hours that would have been crucial later in defeating the English and pivoting toward Blucher's Prussians.
2. Napoleon was tired amidst the battle and went to take a nap, precisely when his subordinate marshals ordered a disastrous cavalry charge against English infantry squares, WITHOUT infantry support.
3. French cavalry charged and occupied the heights where English artillery was deployed, but no one had thought of bringing iron nails to hammer shut the firing holes of the English artillery. When French cavalry eventually retreated, English artillery resumed its firing.
4. Marshal Ney, a very capable military commander under Napoleon, was sent to block some other troops. Instead of taking the initiative to hurry back and reinforce Napoleon after the battle started, he just did nothing. His troops would have been instrumental in wiping out Wellington's army. You see under Napoleon, French army groups always marched separately, but rapidly converged on the battlefield to deal a decisive blow to the unsuspecting enemy. This cardinal rule was violated by Ney.
5. Blucher arrived with his Prussian army just in the nick of time. A few hours delay could have made a difference, but a huge number of fresh troops joining the battle sealed Napoleon's fate at Waterloo.
So, it was sheer luck that led to Wellington's victory in Waterloo.
Utterly shocking how un-taught and unknown this is to most people in the US.
Thank you, Scott.
Excellent observation: too often the truth of history is ignored to promote selfish, egotistical agendas. One thing that stood out to me was how the Germans were in every scenario outnumbered and defeated, yet managed to inflict more casualties than they suffered...that is scary.
Thank you Scott for your work in preparing and presenting the material. I have been dealing with the period of the Second World War and the time afterwards for several years. I was often in the Buchenwald concentration camp. For me, the moment 1 - 2 weeks before May 9th is a special time to remember this time. I don't see different sides. I see people fighting and slaughtering each other. Dead and survivors, many of them severely traumatized. Veterans coming home to their families and having problems in their everyday lives with a big impact on family life. Not necessarily a good influence. Not heroes. That's why I ask often myself: Why? Why were they enemies? What made them enemies?
They were people like us. You live in the United States and I live in Germany. You are one of my people and a friend I don't know yet.
For me, this year was very much a day of remembrance, a day of respect for those people who fought for the liberation and defense of their fellow human beings and my motivation to fight for the same.
Thanks Scott for all you do. I'm in my mid 80's and have seen our once great Country slide into a disaster that I cannot see any way out except to make peace with the rest of the World and ask forgiveness for all the wrongs we have done. To denigrate Russia is so wrong but nothin is taught in school anymore so people don't know how the Russians saved us all. Thanks for the good read! Nice to see real information.
Thank you and -- all important FYI:
Mike Benz: “Impossible not to see CIA involvement when State Department is with Soros”
Europe's Censorship Industrial Complex threatens US, says free speech leader
Michael Shellenberger - May 09, 2025 – OUTSTANDING – UK as a hostile country to US
https://www.public.news/p/mike-benz-impossible-not-to-see-cia?r=byea&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=audio-player
Very good article Scott. I only wish more Americans would take the time to learn this history, instead of listening to or believing in the likes of a blow hard who knows nothing of WW2 history, let alone much of anything else. 😢🙁😞🤮
Whoever has read this excellent post and is not moved to tears and is still on the side of these warmongering, degenerate and incapable western European politicians of our days has no understanding of what is important today here in Europe. Diplomacy, diplomacy, diplomacy. Never forget the Ukrainian nationalist supporters of Nazi-SS forces in WW2 who are still honored there today. That is not to say that the Ukraine of our times should have been ambushed by Russia. But it has happened and there are reasons on the Russian side to be considered. In our media this aspect never appears in the middle of the daily hugging of Selenski by European leaders.
Yes, without the sacrifice of Russian soldiers and civilians WW II might have ended quite differently. But it wasn't Russian soldiers or civilians who went to war; it was the USSR, every bit as evil as the Nazis, and without whom the war might never have happened. What we must never forget was the Nazi-ism and Communism were two peas in a pod. And both could have been stopped without war. Hitler rose on the strength of German resentment over their treatment as the defeated side of WW I, which, also, could have been prevented.
It was triggered by family squabbles among the leaders of European countries, The King of England, the Tzar of Russia, and the Kaiser of Germany. Had they settled their spats there wouldn't have been a war. And if Tzar Nicholas had not been a tyrant, Russia wouldn't have gone Communist. General Smedley Butler was right, war is a racket. They have always been about greed: for power, wealth, and land. The USSR, France, and Great Britain recovered their losses from dividing up the spoils after the war. Not from the losses of men--that can't be recovered from--but losing men is the least of 'great' leaders' concerns. America's profit from the war was the atomic bomb the they held over the world's head for most of the time since. The proliferation somewhat dimmed the advantage but MAD, stupid as it was, did keep the Cold war from turning very hot.
My dad's life was changed drastically from getting malaria is Southeast Asia, and I lost an uncle, brother to my mother, in Europe. Most of my seven uncles fought in the war. Two were too young to enlist. I have great respect for all of the soldiers who fought in the war, but none for the leaders who were responsible for sending them into battle: American, English, Russian, French, German, Italia Japanese, and all of the other countries' soldiers. And today's Russians who are no longer under the iron fist of Communism, should not have been dissed by Trump. But, I understand his lingering disgust with the USSR. I share that disgust--and hatred. But I don't feel that way about Russians, post-1991.