To be fair, all three major allies were essential:
1. The US kept Britain and Russia going with aid throughout the war, including food. Khrushchev's memoirs supposedly credited SPAM (the processed canned pork) with keeping the Soviet army alive in WWII.
2. Russia absorbed most of Germany's military might and destroyed it, at great cost to themselves. Their contribution was not that they suffered more than the others (though they did), but that they killed more Germans than the others (though by the time they turned around and invaded Germany,
3. Britain brought much of the Empire's forces to bear on the western front, kept the northern sea lanes open for American supply convoys, and halted German expansion on the Western front by denying them entry to Britain itself. It's quite remarkable--Russia defended its territory with costly, genocidal scorched earth policies and millions of deaths, while Britain was protected from the first German bootstep by the English Channel, radar, and the Royal Air Force.
Oh, I forgot to mention--Britain also broke Enigma.
Furthermore, Russia and Britain only gave salutary support in the Pacific War, for entirely understandable reasons.
It should also be noted that while all the allies engaged in some degree of war crimes, the Soviets were the worst offenders in that category as well. I am loath to show respect for Red Army pilots who strafed columns of evacuating German civilians, or Red Army soldiers who raped and murdered whatever Germans they could find. Likewise, many of the Soviets' own civilian losses were their own fault (through scorched earth policies).
Oh, I forgot to mention--Britain also broke Enigma.
Polish 1930's Cipher Bureau would beg to disagree, having working deciphering procedures as early as in middle 30's. Turing's "Bombe" design closely followed Polish prototype cryptologic bomb and was named after it. You may want to read up about "Polish gift" Brits received after the war broke.
You're absolutely correct. I was too lazy to write an in-depth response, but if I were to write one, I would have written pretty much what you wrote.
And, indeed, the Red Army's greatest contribution was to kill millions of German soldiers on the eastern front, particularly during the sieges of Leningrad and Stalingrad, and during the barbaric battle for Berlin. The Red Army forced the Nazis to allocate most of their resources on the eastern front, thus making thing easier for the Allies in Italy and the Normandy.
Last but not least, I have no admiration for the Red Army. They invaded Finland and Poland. They were known for being brutal. But, truth be told, their brutality was Western Europe's gain.
1. The US kept Britain and Russia going with aid throughout the war, including food. Khrushchev's memoirs supposedly credited SPAM (the processed canned pork) with keeping the Soviet army alive in WWII.
2. Russia absorbed most of Germany's military might and destroyed it, at great cost to themselves. Their contribution was not that they suffered more than the others (though they did), but that they killed more Germans than the others (though by the time they turned around and invaded Germany,
3. Britain brought much of the Empire's forces to bear on the western front, kept the northern sea lanes open for American supply convoys, and halted German expansion on the Western front by denying them entry to Britain itself. It's quite remarkable--Russia defended its territory with costly, genocidal scorched earth policies and millions of deaths, while Britain was protected from the first German bootstep by the English Channel, radar, and the Royal Air Force.
Oh, I forgot to mention--Britain also broke Enigma.
Furthermore, Russia and Britain only gave salutary support in the Pacific War, for entirely understandable reasons.
It should also be noted that while all the allies engaged in some degree of war crimes, the Soviets were the worst offenders in that category as well. I am loath to show respect for Red Army pilots who strafed columns of evacuating German civilians, or Red Army soldiers who raped and murdered whatever Germans they could find. Likewise, many of the Soviets' own civilian losses were their own fault (through scorched earth policies).