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As for WWII, you have to consider the situation... America made a huge contribution to the victory of the Allies, but it was Russia who really destroyed Germany (and Russia paid a human cost over 10 times that of the US and UK combined)... Russia evolved from a virtual 19th century army to the equal of the Nazi's in three years.
Japan never had any chance of defeating a nation as mighty as the United States, their only hope was to win sme ground in the Pacific and then negoiate a favourable peace... of course they underestimated the resolution of the American people - outraged to be attacked they would not rest until Japan was destroyed as an independent nation state - the great credit to America is that so many of the Japanese people were saved in this action.
You have to bare in mind that as America (with UK and free French forces) swept through Western Europe, the Red Army had already beaten Germany... American's intervention in the war certainly did change the course of history... without America some sort of peace with the Nazi's could have happened... ground to a halt by the Russians, Hitler (who was dying anyway by 1945) would (as he eventually was) have been replaced by a more moderate and reasonable figure, there would have been a partial withdrawal... who can say what would have happened... although after 1941 the UK was not under serious threat of invasion, they lacked the forces to invade German France... France was gripped in a virtual civil war and unable to mount effective opposition.. the Balkans would have fallen to the British after Montgomery's vitory in Africa and the continued Greek and Yugoslav resistance... personally I think without the US attack on Germany (and the Japanese attack on America) Germany would have withdrawn from Holland, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Italy - and the boundries would have been drawn through the middle of Ukraine between the Soviet empire and the German empire... what would have happened next I cannot guess. We must never underestimate the impact of America on the WWII, but I think we have to be careful of thinking America "won world war II and saved Europe's ass" this is a very simplistic misunerstanding of the real situation.
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"Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate,
for all things are plain in the sight of Heaven. For nothing
hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain
without being uncovered."
The Gospel of Thomas
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