Astonishing photos from WWII and just after

[southbiochem]

Beautiful and meaningful, too.

America played a huge role (and they later contained Stalin) but it was the USSR that truly defeated Hitler.

Canada seems to have played a very important part too, but most people forget it today.

True, true...

The Red Army could have won over Germany even without the Allies, they had already destroyed 80% of the Wehrmacht by themselves..maybe it would have taken just a bit longer..

But of course we can't forget American and British aid to the Soviet Union in the form of resources, raw materials, weapons, and most specially: food...

The United States truly shined with their brilliant and coordinated campaining in the Pacific against Japan..

Canada was a major player in the game, in France, North Africa and Italy...people tend to forget it outside of Canada, mainly cause Canadians fought largely under British officer corps, so the stats usually pertaining Britain are really of the British Commonwealth, including Canadians and ANZACs

[Evan88]

Will view it later cause im at work.. Just thought my city was the second most destroyed after Warsaw..

Im afraid for World War III, i think its coming and would start in Asia.

[Bowyn Aerrow]

THe impact of that WWII on different continents has lead to different nations having a totally different take on War.

For the USA there was no at home damage, if anything WWII was a boon for us, leading directly to the car and suburb Era. For Europe it was a much darker time, many bombed out buildings remained for decades, grim reminders that war is bad.
Today we have a trigger happy America and a most reluctant to get involved Europe.

A lot of these pictures from the end of WWII do not carry the full impact of why 'we will do anything before doing THAT - again' attitude, which causes Americans to think Europeans are weak and spineless, scared.

Its a real pity Hitlers V Rocket program was stalled so early. I think if the USA got bombed a bit during that conflict the rest of the 20th century and up to this part of the 21st century would have played out much differently.

[southbiochem]

Will view it later cause im at work.. Just thought my city was the second most destroyed after Warsaw..

Im afraid for World War III, i think its coming and would start in Asia.

Yep...I believe Tokyo will be very much high on the list too...granted, it was an aggressor country...

[MisterTinkles]

People awe in wonder over photos like these, but still yet to learn any lessons from them......and keep on repeating the same crap over and over and over...........

[LONDONER]

The reason that Germany is the economic powerhouse of Europe today is precisely because so much of it's infrastructure was destroyed and after the war, so much economic aid was poured in to help it rebuild. Thus, rather than be saddled with so many antiquated factories and so much antiquated machinery, it was able to start from scratch. Rather than complain that it is being asked to prop up ailing economies today, it should be grateful that it is in the position to do so.

[LONDONER]

People awe in wonder over photos like these, but still yet to learn any lessons from them......and keep on repeating the same crap over and over and over...........

Yes Mister Tinkles. There are many variations on it and no one knows who said it first but:

He who ignores history is doomed to repeat it

[southbiochem]

The reason that Germany ios the economic powerhouse of Europe today is precisely because so much of it's infrastructure was destroyed and after the war, so much economic aid was poured in to help it rebuild. Thus, rather than be saddled with so many antiquated factories and so much antiquated machinery, it was able to start from scratch. Rather than complain that it is being asked to prop up ailing economies today, it should be grateful that it is in the position to do so.

That's all true...

but try to explain that to the avegare German citizen nowadays..

of course they won't understand, for example why they should bail out Greece...

I'm afraid, it may cause resentment..

Germany has been doing fairly well in establishing good relations with their neighbours..

hoepfully it will remain that way..

[Vigilias]

Liverpool was the most bombed city in Britain after London.

There is a church in Liverpool city centre, St Luke's, built in 1811 which was hit by a German bomb in May 1941. It was completely gutted but has been left so ever since as a memorial to the civilians of Liverpool who died in the May Blitz.

http://www.stlukeliverpool.co.uk/

[LONDONER]

Liverpool was the most bombed city in Britain after London.

There is a church in Liverpool city centre, St Luke's, built in 1811 which was hit by a German bomb in May 1941. It was completely gutted but has been left so ever since as a memorial to the civilians of Liverpool who died in the May Blitz.

http://www.stlukeliverpool.co.uk/

But at least is was left standing, unlike Coventry Cathedral that needed a new cathedral to be built.

http://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/cathed...ns-now.php