On Russian Commander ineptitude. A great example is the Rzhev Salient. That kind of foolishness was almost universal across the entire war. They were what Grant

On Russian Commander ineptitude. A great example is the Rzhev Salient. That kind of foolishness was almost universal across the entire war. They were what Grant was always caricatured as - butchers of their own men. Take a look at Zhukov at the Seelow Heights. Even when the Russians had 10:1 force ratios, their casulty rations where almost always 3 or 4:1. No question that that Soviet strategic thinking got better. Stalin's purges had ensured that. But the casulty nunbers never approached parity, unlike every single other army in any other theater given the supuriority. Another example I would point out is Stalin's bald face lies to the western allies about his intentions to Berlin. Stalin wanted the glory - and more importantly the political control - of Berlin, and deliberately misled the allies into attacking south rather the risk the allies getting any share of the battle. This for example freed up Wenck's XII Army to to try and break back into Berlin in a effort to build a escape corridor. On the lines around the factories - I'd point out that quite a few American factories, power stations, research facilities were also torn down and shipped to Russia. Sean McMeekin makes the argument that the balance of power was provided by American and British airplanes, and even tanks. In fact the uranium that help kick start the soviet bomb program was supplied - by America. On Bagration, the point is fair - but it is nowhere near true or fair to state that "it was the soviets who defeated nazi germany" and to point at horrific soviet casualty numbers as justification. Those casualty numbers that had almost as much to do with Stalin's purges, his decision to clandestinely enable the rearmament of Germany in 1920s and 1930, his own wars of aggression against Poland and Finland and the constant and systemic view of the total worthlessness of soviet and civilian lives. To think otherwise is to buy into the soviet propaganda, now being endlessly trumpeted by our very own dictator in the 21st century - Herr Putin. Allied victory in World War II was exactly that.