Why do historians say that the US won the war but lost the peace?

Answer 1

Is this in reference to WWII? If so, clearly the USA won almost nothing fighting Germany in the European theatre. The British supposedly got involved in attacking Germany in order to free Poland from foreign domination. However, by backing the Soviets, the British and Americans got a replacement regime about as bad as the Nazis, perhaps worse. Yes, Britain and America liberated France/Belgium and about half of Germany from tyranny, but the only reason France/Belgium were occupied to begin with was the Polish issue. Germany itself, as a people, neither required nor desired 'liberation'. To top it off, the concessions so quickly granted the Soviets resulted in a massive dictatorial empire ruling the Balkans for fifty years. Soviet expansion into the Middle East and Africa also followed. In the Far East things could hardly have gone worse for the Americans. Again, the Americans got into the war to protect China from Japan. (Japan only attacked American possessions in 1941 in order to hobble the USA which was enforcing economic sanctions against Japan over the China issue). Ultimately the USA did completely crush the Japanese and all of their empire was re-distributed. But who benefited? By crushing the Japanese home islands, the Americans enabled to Soviets to easily defeat the Japanese armies in China. The vast arms so captured were given to the despotic tyrant, Mao, who used them to overrun the entire Chinese mainland. Probably the greatest slaughter of humanity in all history ensued from this takeover. China became an overt enemy of the USA that has only in very recent history begun to partially warm to America. The takeover of China led immediately to a Soviet inspired invasion of Korea, another x-colony of Japan. The USA had to step in and suffer massive casualties just to ensure freedom for half of that nation, with an occupation that continues sixty years later. Further south the results were just as bad. The Japanese were thrust out of Indochina, resulting in the French attempting to re-establish their control. A bloodly civil war ensued which ultimatly brought in the American army. Vast casualties and incalculable treasure was lost fighting this war, basically an extention of a colonial war. The USA still reels when confronted with similar situations. Thus, while American arms were everywhere successful, the peace was won by more deft political manuevering of the Soviets who expanded their empire over China, Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, half of Germany, and Cuba. The USA was left defending a slice of Germany and the Japanese home islands, where substantial American forces remain to this day. So inept was American political posturing at this time that all thought of victory vanished and a simple policy of 'containment' ensued. This ethically bankrupt policy continued until President Reagan came to power in the 1980s and quickly cut the Gordian knot put together by Roosevelt/Truman/Eisenhower/LBJ/Carter and company.