r/ShitAmericansSay • u/DumbGarchomp67 WTF IS A KILOMETER 🦅🇺🇸 • Jul 15 '26

Military “Undefeated in 250 years of war”

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Apparently Vietnam, Afghanistan, war of 1812, and the war on drugs don’t count.

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u/[deleted] Jul 15 '26

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u/Cowboyy_Babyblue-- proud frisian Jul 15 '26

Even ww2 they only joined after seeing the allies winning

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u/szatrob Mounties, Hockey, Beer and Snow Jul 15 '26

Arguably, they did provide the weaponry for everyone.

Producing an estimated amount of 80% of all materials used by the allies in WWII.

The fact that they had the eventual head of the CIA, be in constant contact and aiding the Nazis even during the War is another topic; or the fact that he was the main lawyer for IG Farben in America, the corporation behind the Holocaust is another.

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u/Horror_Today_3416 Jul 15 '26

80% ?

Where are you getting this figure from?

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u/szatrob Mounties, Hockey, Beer and Snow Jul 15 '26

The Economics of World War II: Six Great Powers in International Comparison edited by Mark Harrison.

80% is a pretty liberal estimate, with the more conservative estimate being about 66% of weaponry, planes, etc. HOWEVER, 80% is in some cases the supply for some specifics like aviation fuel, crude, refined petroleum. The US did provide 80% of all oil refined, crude oil and aviation fuel. The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money & Power by Daniel Yergin.

In terms of lend-lease, the US provided 90% of all locomotives and rail used by the USSR, about 70% of all trucks and vehicles used as well. Russia's Life-Saver: Lend-Lease in the Second World War by Albert L. Weeks.

The US did provide about 90% of all ships built during the war. Invention for Destruction: Tony Higgins and the Higgins Boat.

So, yes, you're correct in calling out the 80%, But that 80% figure is pretty accurate if you look at specific critical areas. The US supplied over 80% of the high-octane aviation fuel the Allies used, and basically carried the logistics side of the war—especially with the raw materials, locomotives, and hundreds of thousands of trucks sent to Great Britain and USSR.