Figure 1--The key country in the liberation of Western Europe was the United States. Yet America at the time the NAZIs began their conquests not only did not have an army of any size or had an important arms industry. While the Germans were turning out tanks. American industry was using its steel to churn out crome embelished cars, washing machines, and refrigerators. The conscript army that America just began to build in 1940 started training in Lousiana. They had virtually no heavy weapons to train with. The Arsenel of Democracy President Roosevelt announced in fact did not yet exist. This would, however, be the army along with the commanders that would hold the fate of not only Europe, but the oppressed people of the world in the hands of evil totalitarian conquerors.

NAZI Germany succeeded in invading and occupying most of Western and Eastern Europe. The liberation of Western Europe was primarily accomplished by three countries: Britain, Canada, and the United States. All three combined to launch the liberation of Westetn Europe on D-Day. The United States was the one indespensible country. Without America, the British and Canadians could never have ammassed the power to reenter continental Europe. Not only was America the most populace nation, but it was the an industrial giant which became the Aresenal of Democracy. America not only armed and equipped its own military, but those of its allies and the Soviet Union as well. Hitler and Stalin who launched the War did not see isolationist America as an immediate problem, just as the Kaiser had not a generation earlier. The United States in 1939 was mot a threat. It did not have a large army or arms industry. Hitler's and Stalin's assessment was that they could complete their conquest of Europe befpre America could intervene. The American Army was not only smaller than that of most European armies, even small countries like Romania and the Netherlands, but also virtually unarmed. It was the British after saving their Army at Dunkirk that would prevent the NAZIs from totally dominating Europe and thus place a crucial role in the liberation of Western Europe. Canada although having a small population also played a vital role, fighting with the British. Perhaps more than any other World war II beligerant, Canada would punch far beyonnd its weight. More countries wre involved in the Italian campign, but this was ironnically the liberation of Fascist Italy. The situation in the East was very different. The Soviet Union was not an Allied nation, but rather a cobeligerent. The Soviets began the War as a NAZI ally conducting their own series of unprovoked aggressions. The Soviets only changed sides because they were attacked by the NAZIs in Opperation Barbarossa. It was the Soviet Red Army that broke the back of the Wehrmacht. But what followed in Eastern Europe was not the liberation that took place in the west. The Red Army drove out the NAZIs, but in doing so were relacing one evil tyrammy for a lees murderous, but still repressive regime.

Created: 1:39 AM 5/4/2017
Last updated: 1:39 AM 5/4/2017