@Roy Dowling: Roy Churchill had already stopped hitler in the Battle of Britain. Germany had neither the airforce nor the navy to take Britain.

Probably would have ended in a stalemate. Of course the American developing Nuclear weapons first would have changed everything.

@Roy Dowling: I think you have a bland stereo typical view of history. The Germans lost the war! Do they not speak German. Its an old cliche we would be speaking German. Also ask the German people or the Eastern Europeans what Russia did to them. I am shocked that many of my Polish friends say the Russians were worst than the Germans & listen to the German people in Berlin today to hear what they endured when the red army entered the city. Nothing glorious about what the Russians did during WW2 or even ask the Jewish historians about their treatment in the soviet Union.

@John Comerford: In a US / USSR free WW2 Britian’s fate I’m afraid would have been inevitable defeat as it couldn’t hold off the might of the full German military for ever.

That’s why Churchill was desperate for the US to be dragged into the war somehow.

In reality what lost the war for Germany was the fact that they had an utterly inept leader who was far more of a hindrance to his military than a help.

Had Germany had decent leadership they would have wiped out the BEF in Dunkirk in 1940, not invaded the USSR in 1941 and done everything in their power not to drag the US into the war (ie sign a treaty with an imperialistic Japan.)

And the Americans would never have been able to use atomic weapons against Germany as it would also have impacted the rest of Europe.

@Stanley Marsh: the original plan was to use the a bomb on Berlin. At the time they did not fully understand the issues around radiation and felt that if the war continued into 1946 the bomb would be used on Germany.

@Stanley Marsh: not sure I agree with you. Difficult to take Britain without air superiority and no navy. He lost the Battle of Britain. Lots of speculation as to why hitler held back at Dunkirk. Many felt we wanted peace with the British. In fairness to the Brits they were left alone to fight hitler and they did stop him.

@Allora: “the original plan was to use the a bomb on Berlin”

Um, no it wasn’t.

Roosevelt did inquire as to the possibility but was quickly told that for a variety of reasons Germany was not a viable target (one of which was the fear that if the bomb failed to denotate the Germans would be able to gain valuable info from it for their own program).

The effects of radiation were well understood by 1940 and were well researched by 1945 by the Manhattan Project themselves but didn’t play any part in the discussion to drop the bomb on Japan.

Central Europe however would have been a different story.

@John Comerford: Without help from the US German industry would have insured that the Luftwaffe would have eventually gained the upper hand in the skies.

As the rest of the war proved once you have air superiority navies become largely irrelevant.

Britian did brilliantly to a point but without the US / USSR their eventual defeat was inevitable.

@Stanley Marsh: Nice bit of WWII fantasism. AH outlined the primary focus of his campaign as conquest of the East. War with Russia and eventually the US was inevitable even if he had not stupidly declared war on the US in late 1941.

@Stephen Gill: As I said above if AH wasn’t the Fuhrer and somebody competent was….

@Stanley Marsh: Having Italy as an ally was also a hindrance. North Africa was never in the German war plan. Erwin Rommel had to shore up the Italian defence of its African colonies. which eventually lead to Germany’s defeat in Africa. leading to allied victory In Italy which costs many German units and equipment. Germany was not just fighting on two fronts but three.

@Allora: The Red Army, because they leave a sea of red in their wake. 2 million women raped as they advanced towards Germany WWW2, nothing has changed.

@Stanley Marsh: we will have to agree to disagree. I believe the advancement in radar and air defences gave the defender a huge advantage. The spitfire was also arguably superior. The Germans were losing 5 planes for every one the RAF were losing. You can’t win over time with those odds.

@martin: when I read your piece,it shocked me that 2 million women were raped.and probably going on again now,for the women that weren’t lucky enough to get out of Ukraine..when history will be told,it will be about the lives lost,it’s the horrendous cost of ordinary human people have had to endure aswell isn’t it..

@Kate Peters: Kate unfortunately I think Martin underestimated it. Many put the figure at 3m raped including 500k murdered. The age range is put at 8 to 80.

The greatest mass rape in history.

Forgive me for not wanting to celebrate along with the Russian on this day.

That is what Russian soldiers do.

@Joseph Devine: Grateful because when D day was happening three quarters of the German army was on the Eastern Front fighting Russians.
Stalin killed many more Russians and other people after the War.

@Roger Bond: Russian or Soviet?

@Roger Bond: Those Russians, actually Soviets including thousands of Ukrainians, are dead. The Russians acting now have nothing to be proud of.

@Roger Bond: Stalin was a bad as hitler. He didn’t liberate anyone – they re conquered these countries and didn’t leave.

@Roger Bond:real history is the only real truth. Terrible over there what the USA started ..step in step out stir the shixx ..send in arms package …send in contractors to rebuild …team America world police.. light a candle for the Ukrainians… desperate thing to happen to any nation

@John Comerford: worse I’d say if u go by attrition

@Michael Nolan: to blame america for this war is twisted.

@Roger Bond: indeed, we owe a great deal of thank you.

@ChronicAnxiety: simply not true. FYI the Russian invasion started in 2014. The Russians are the aggressors

@ChronicAnxiety: totally agree

@Michael Nolan: Go back to some the comments he made last week. He is another Russian cheerleader.

@Michael Nolan: Then again I acrually forgot, so are you.!

@ChronicAnxiety: amazing how that story of yours keeps changing….shelling now? The original invasion kicked off in 2014, again initiated by Russia….. amazing how Putin’s speech is blaming the west, not any imaginary shelling prior to invading.

@ChronicAnxiety:

The Ukrainian war against the Russian nationalists in the east is another tragedy for which the Russians are to blame. Putin funded the extremist nationalists who started the war in Donbass in 2014, not the Ukrainian people who rightly own that land.

@John Comerford: What is not true?

@ChronicAnxiety: everything you said. The un published figures by year of civilian casualties in the Dunbas. It was less than 30 in each of the last three years. And let’s not forget Russian soldiers where in the Donbas (part of Ukraine) supporting separatist militia. The Dunbas is part of Ukraine. Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014.

Russia also agreed not to invade Ukraine in return for Ukraine giving up their nuclear weapons. Russia are not to be trusted.