Were America joining WW2 significant for the winning of the war?
Not with regards to Europe alone. We helped the British fight the Japanese (I’ve just been informed that the British were indeed fighting in the Pacific) so that they had more resources to wage the war in Europe. I still think that we Americans tend to claim more credit than is due us. Without a number of other people’s, we couldn’t have triumphed, yet we tend to act like we alone are responsible for the winning of WWI and WWII. Hence my accentuating the contributions of the English, and to some extent, the Russians. Germany was fighting in the USSR (always a HUGH mistake unless you can win before Winter), North Africa, and launching attacks on England. General Montgomery had Africa tied-up. He managed to do the “undoable.” Namely, to beat one of the best and most brilliant military minds of any century – Erwin Rommel. Note that the American casualties and loss of equipment under General Eisenhower were catastrophic. He didn’t inflict much damage, but certainly took a lot. The Germans