[Mohoender]

I have a few more things to say on our little exchange on WW2.

I might not have been clear when saying US didn't win WW2. What I mean is that the war was won by three contributors who were and should be treated equally: Commonwealth, Soviet Union and United States. A fourth one was China but it fought only in Asia.
- Commonwealth had stand alone and strictly alone for a full year in front of Germany (a year and a half when it comes to US).
- The Soviet Union has sacrificed more of its citizens to achieve victory than any other ally (I remind you that Soviet Union was among the Allies).
- United States came late to the war and suffer less than the others in term of casualties. However, it was the prime industrial contributor and was industrially involved as early as 1940 (thanks to Roosevelt).

Last, France was made a prime contributor but that was illegitimate. As a result, East Germany (Soviet occupation zone) was equal to 1/3 of the three Allies occupation zones as the Soviet Union refused to recognize France as a prime contributor to the war and IMO they were right (and it was rightly felt as a treason by Stalin). Unlike a common French belief, the armistice was not signed on May 8th at Reims but on May 9th at Berlin.

France could have been a prime contributor if it had chosen to continue the war as it could have done it in 1940 (IMO and in that of Paul Reynaud and De Gaulle should have). It didn't and should have been, therefore, treated as Belgium, Norway, Poland... (as an ally and a victim of Germany). Worse for France, that country still refuses as we talk to pay full pensions to French combattants (and their families) from its former colonies (It pays only in Francs CFA). In addition, since the 1960's and until the years 2000, French soldiers from our former colonies had not been invited to the 14th of July. Without these guys and governor Felix Eboué, the Free France would not have been able to contribute more than a few thousand soldiers. Then, I go as far as I should and as I want: Africa as a continent was and should have been made a prime contributor to the war in place of France (South Africa, AEF, AOF, Zaïre, British colonies, North Africa).

What I'm saying here (outside of France) is not a matter of opinion it's how it was understood by Commonwealth, Soviet Union and US at the time: They were three at Yalta and they should have been three to take control of Germany (too bad but with victory at hand more politics get in). They also should have been four at the UN security council (China, Soviet Union, UK and US). France again shouldn't have been there.

Moreover, I have been talking with many people who had fought that war:
- Civilians who had lived under Nazi occupation in the West usually tell you that they had been freed by US (no clue for the East).
- Civilians who had lived the war under the bombs but not under Germany's rule thank US and praise their own soldiers.
- Soldiers who had fought that war (Scots, Australians, Americans, Belgian, French...) don't make any difference as they were all fighting a common ennemy.

I have a tendency to listen to the last two.