by Tanker Thu May 30, 2024 6:13 pm
Would Germany have surrendered in 1918 if the US had not entered the war with fresh reserves of huge numbers of soldiers?
Was that not the tipping point? Germany lost all hope at that point. In addition to crushing any hope of not having to surrender the United States’ production of armaments met not only its own needs but also those of France and Great Britain. American loans to the Allies, totaling $7 billion between 1917 and the war’s end, maintained the flow of U.S. arms and food across the Atlantic. (Google search)
In one sense, the newspaper article is correct, while simplistic and lacking context, the American entry into WWI did give the Allies victory.
The unfortunate impression that such incomplete articles give to people ignorant of history is that America's entry was the only reason that the Allies forced Germany's surrender. This leads to the American centered views you're talking about.
Saving Private Ryan was a specific story about an American squad searching for and retrieving an American soldier in the context of D-Day. With limited time to tell a story, the producers and directors were not going to weave in characters and plot lines from all the allied nations.
The Longest Day film is a better argument. Although, including story lines from Gold, Juno and Sword and all the other allied nations would have fattened an already bloated film. A mature John Wayne, who was old looking in every movie I've ever seen him in, portraying a combat officer always annoyed me.
I'll counter that argument by mentioning A Bridge Too Far. This was produced and distributed by American companies, although it had a British director. It also had an international cast. I think it did a fairly good job of portraying a broad view of all participants.
Regarding America's role in WW2 before December 4, 1941, in 1939 the US allowed sale of military supplies to Great Britain.
In 1940 FDR proposed the Lend-Lease program to support Great Britain without demanding immediate payment.
US destroyers were fighting U-boats and escorting convoys at least part way from the US to Britain.
The US provided 50 old destroyers to Britain as anti-submarine vessels in exchange for basing right at British installations. This was done at a critical time in the Battle of the Atlantic.
While it is true, as you said, that if GB had fallen there would not have been a land base from which to launch the invasion of occupied Europe or the bombing of Germany, it is also true that GB did not preserve itself solely through it's own efforts in 1940 and 41.
This is all a bit of rambling on my part. In summary I believe it is a truism that the Allies could not have won WW2 without America's participation but conversely, America could not have won it by itself.