"It was American manpower that turned the tide."

Ha! Typical Bloody Yank! :-P

It was Aussie lives that were spent in making most of the critical breakthroughs which moved the front lines in critical spots - the Aussies were used extravagantly by the British as shock troops - it was an Aussie General who insisted that they be brought under Aussie command - not to forget the NZ troops who fought with them, hence the perpetual coupling of 'ANZAC' which started in Gallipoli ...

The US troops were useful and needed to relieve the exhausted ANZACs, and were appreciated - but it is really pulling a long bow to claim that they were 'critically indispensable'...

Ross is correct that the breakup of the Ottoman Empire contributed to the M.E. carnage - but the British contributed greatly to that by allowing T E Lawrence to let the Arabs think that they would get independence after the WWI - the British screwed them, then conned the Jewish Influential Intelligentsia that they 'would have a homeland' during WWII. The US then pissed in the pot and 'discouraged' the British from staying.

Ross agrees with me basically on Vietnam.

"The atom bomb would not have been used on Japan."

This statement is just pure fantasy - sorta like 'Steam Punk' - mighta, coulda, shoulda.... :-)

Japan was 'on the right side' in WWI - but thought that they were THE greatest world power - and by the 1930s - they were in China - a few brave US guys formed 'The Flying Tigers', but the USA refused to do anything, although as Japan got more aggressive, eventually vital supplies were held back by the US. Japan was not to be stopped except by being utterly crushed, as their invisible magic sky fairies had told them that they were invincible and were the best people to rule the world.

It was Jewish scientists, working in Germany that came up with the basic concepts that led to nuclear weapons - and the British and the US needed 'to get there first' and Germany was definitely planning to use them and to send them at first by long range bombers to the USA, then was working on long range ICBM style weapons to take them there. It was only possible to NOT have nuclear weapons if history had taken a 'steampunk' alternate style path.

As the weapons were ready, the decision was taken in light of the fanatical opposition by the Japanese - it was feared that should mainland landings take place, the massive losses already experienced on the islands would pale into insignificance. Thus a rapid end was possible. If nuclear weapons had not been available, it was planned to burn every Japanese structure - mostly highly inflammable - and indeed a start to this had been made - the results would have made a bombed out Germany look like a verdant paradise...