Obiektivi Claims that the Role of the US and the UK in Defeating Fascism was Minimal

On May 8, 2018, during a phone call at the Night Studio of TV Obiektivi, a host of this channel and the Leader of the Socialist Georgia, Valeri Kvaratskhelia, offered an alternative history of the Second World War. According to the host of TV Obiektivi, the participation of the United States and the United Kingdom in the Second World War was minimal, that these countries were encouraging and funding the Fascist Germany, and that they became Allies only after the Soviet Union, practically, won the war:

Valeri Kvaratskhelia, the host of TV Obiektivi: “The participation of the United States and the United Kingdom, as the Allies [in the World War 2] was between 2-3% with all its resources… Even more, the participation of the US and the UK in the war against this monster called Fascist Germany meant financing and encouraging them against the Soviet people and the Soviet Union… However, Stalin’s genius, his outstanding political, diplomatic, and commanding skills succeeded in involving the UK and the US as the Allies at the end of the war. However, as I have already mentioned, this participation was minimal. The Soviet Union was winning and they only got involved in war only when it became inevitable.”

Lie #1: The United States and the United Kingdom’s participation in the war was minimal.

Fact #1: The human losses of the Great Britain and the United States in the Second World War amount to nearly one million, whereas the funds spent for defeating the Fascist Germany exceeds USD 460 billion.

Britain joined the war in September 1939, when the non-aggression pact was still in power, whereas the United States joined in December 1941. Both countries saw up to one million in human life losses – 451 thousand British and 419 American soldiers died in the war.

Between October 1940 and June 1941, when Hitler and Stalin were still considered partners, Germany was actively bombing Britain, especially London. The British Air Forces successfully protected the country from the German aggression and inflicted a significant damage to the Nazi Air Forces (1918 German fighter jets were destroyed).

London 1940 

In 1942-1943, Britain and the United States defeated the Axis powers in North Africa, Sicily, and South Italy, cutting Germany the access to fuel and necessary resources. Opening of Western Front in Europe became a decisive event of the World War 2. In parallel with the fighting between the Red Army and Germany on the Eastern Front, from 1944, Britain and USA were attacking Hitler from Normandy, the Western Front, which significantly weakened the Nazi powers and made Germany’s defeat inevitable.

Success achieved by the Allies on the different fronts and the financial aid played the biggest role in destroying the German fascist forces. During the World War 2, the United States spent USD 341 billion, while the United Kingdom spent USD 120 billion for the purpose of defeating fascism, which is nearly 2.5 times higher than the financial resources spent by the USSR.

The involvement of the United States in the World War 2 from September 1941 significantly determined the fate of the war. By that period, the USA had quite advanced military equipment, strong economy and industry.

In addition, one of the main factors of the victory of the Allies was the military, technical and financial aid by the United States. From March 1941, in the framework of Lend-Lease state program, the United States was supplying the United Kingdom, Soviet Union, China, France and other allied nations with numerous military materials, weapons, food and strategic resources.

In the framework of the program, the United States gave out aid worth USD 50 billion: 31.4 billion to Britain, 11.3 billion to the Soviet Union, 3.2 billion to France, and 1.6 billion to China. In 1941-46, Britain and the USA provided aid to the USSR worth USD 308 million, in total.

Locomotives transferred by the USA to the Soviet Union were 2.4 times higher than the USSR’s capacity to produce them, whilst wagons exceeded the given amount 10.2 times. Food transferred to the Soviet Union in the framework of the Lend-Lease policy was enough to sustain a 10-million army for 1,688 days. The Lend-Lease program played a significant role in the victory of the allies.

In 1941-46, Great Britain provided the USSR with equipment, resources and food.

Britain’s aid to the USSR.

Lie #2: The USA and Britain were encouraging and financing Hitler against the USSR.

Fact #2: In 1939, Great Britain and France declared a war against Germany, ceased trade relations with it and declared a marine blockade, while the USSR was supplying Germany with military equipment and natural resources.

The marine blockade aimed to cut Germany the access to military industry, resources necessary for war, and products. Right in this period, in the framework of a trade agreement signed together with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Germany and the Soviet Union, the latter was supplying Germany with military equipment and natural resources. In addition, the Soviet Union was providing the security of fuel transit from the North Sea to Germany.

“The friendship of Germany and the Soviet Union, welded with blood, will be long and strong” – Joseph Stalin’s Christmas greetings to Adolf Hitler and the Foreign Minister of Germany, Joachim von Ribbentrop, 1939.

 

Lie #3: The USSR forced Britain and the USA to join the World War 2 on the Soviet Union’s side; whereas, the USA and Britain only got involved in the war, when the Soviet Union was already winning.

Fact #3: Great Britain declared war to Germany earlier than the USSR, on September 3, 1939, whereas several months after the Soviet Union joined the war (June 22, 1941), the United States joined the war as well (December 1942).

The reason for Britain’s involvement in the war was Germany’s attack on Poland, whereas, in case of the United States, it was the declaration of war against Japan in response to the Pearl Harbor attack, and the subsequent declaration of war by Germany to the USA. Therefore, the USSR was not an encouraging factor in any of the two involvements in the war.

In 1939, the USSR signed a non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany, the so-called Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which turned out to be surprising for the entire world. With this pact, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany were dividing “spheres of influence” in the Eastern Europe in the period of 1939-1941. Despite Hitler’s evident aggression and expansionism, Stalin declined Britain’s and France’s offer to fight against Hitler together. The USSR only declared war on Nazi Germany after Germany crossed the border of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941 and attacked it directly.

Signing of the non-aggression pact between Germany and the USSR, 1939

Under the Non-aggression Pact, before Germany declared war on the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, Stalin invaded Poland on September 17, 1939. This was followed by Soviet annexations of Finland on November 30, 1939; Lithuania on June 16, 1940; Estonia and Latvia on June 17, 1940.