why was germany so important to the west and the soviet union?
484014
Germany has historically been geographically and econmically the heart of Europe. The military and economic potential of Germany if harnessed by either side would give that side a decided advantatge in the struggle to control Europe.  Control of Europe would give either side a decided advantage in the quest for global dominance. Geographically it also made sense for both sides to base their armies in Germany in order to keep the potential warfare far from their respective homelands.
438294
There were several significances, political and military.\n\nPolitically, of course, it showed that Germany was not invulnerable and that air power was not going to conquer the world on its own. The Luftwaffe was shown to have vulnerabilities.\n\nMilitarily, Germany suffered losses in pilots and trained air crews that she could never recover from, while the losses in aircraft were temporary. New airplanes can be built relatively quickly, but the training of people is much more complicated. Every German airman who was lost over Britain was a permanent loss, because even if he survived the battle he could not avoid capture. If a British airman, on the other hand, were shot down and survived, he could be up in a new airplane in a matter of days.\n\nStrategically, the loss of the Battle of Britain meant that Operation Sealion (the conquest of England) could not go forward, and this would have several repercussions through the rest of the war. It would leave a large air platform within range of Germany's economic and industrial heartland from which Britain, and later the United States, could continuously launch bombing raids from. It left England as a powerful enemy force in Germany's flank which would have to be watched and defended against, thus diverting massive amounts of soldiers, weapons and industrial manpower into the ineffective West Wall. It would leave a springboard for Allied armies to eventually launch Overlord and bring about the cross-channel invasion. Because of the geography and terrain, Italy and the Balkans had been a serious drain on German capabilities but was not Churchill's 'Soft Underbelly.'
283622
Most European nations were over run by the Nazis in WW2 and the French were at the front line on Hitler's plans to invade England. Some nations stayed nuetral, however Hitler was intent on not only conquering these nations, but plundering them as well.
92449
A key problem for the Soviets had been the fact that large numbers of people were leaving East Berlin and migrating to the West. This posed a fundamental challenge to Soviet claims that the communist system was superior to the Western capitalist model, particularly given the stark difference between the eastern and western sectors of Berlin. The creation of the Berlin wall put an emphatic stop to the movement of people between East and West Berlin, helping to stabilize a dangerous flashpoint between the USA and the USSR in the process.
553443
Russia withdrew from WWI after the Bolshevik (communist) Revolution in November 1917. They did so because the Russian miltary failures on the eastern Front had caused not only immense suffering but also huge expense. It's one of the reasons why the Bolsheviks gained support for their revolution - even though as a result they agreed a Peace Treaty with Germany (at Brest Litovsk) which gave large areas of Russia to the Germans.\n\nGo to these websites they are cool \nhttp://www.schoolhistory.co.uk/studentforum/index.php?s=421ed633b8d19bcf2c13a36aa1ac0ac2&act=idx\n\n\nhttp://www.simaqianstudio.com/forum/index.php?
1027378
Because the US needed to get Japan to submit before Russia could become involved with the Pacific struggle because part of the treaty made was that if Russia helped to defeat Japan they would receive a larger portion of Germany which America didn't want.
1169832
The answer to this is complex and depends on whose history you read. However, the European side of WWII was caused solely by Adolf Hitler's quest for power.  He used tactics such as the Dolchstoss Legend, which stemmed from the "stab in the back" sentiments of the Treaty of Versailles, to gain power.  These tactics gained him wide support from Germans who were still bitter from their loss of WWI.  It also rallied anti-semitism because this legend, in part, blammed the Jews for the loss.  Initially Great Britain and France followed a policy of appeasement towards Hitler, allowing him to take over former German lands such as Czechoslovokia.  However, Hitler kept wanting more. WWII started after Hitler invaded Poland in September 1939.  Great Britain and France, allies of Poland, declared war two days later. \n\nOf course, if you look at WWII from the point of view of Asia, the war started much earlier.  According to China, the war started when Japan invaded them and the infamous Rape of Nanking occurred.  \n\nThe US became involved initially with the Cash and Carry policy developed in 1939.  The US, still struggling with the economic depression, used this to remain neutral but to fuel the need for industrial jobs.  After a while, though, Great Britain and France could no longer afford to pay the US for goods and the US enacted the Lend-Lease program in 1941.  This program allowed for much the same, but the Allies were not paying for the goods immediately.  Therefore, it could be argued that since the US only provided goods to Allied forces, we were involved in the war since 1939. \n\nHowever, most pinpoint US involvement as occuring shortly after  December 7, 1941 (the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese).    Nazi Germany declared war on the United States on December 11, with Hitler wanting to declare war on US before we could declare war on anyone. The United States was fuming at the Japanese, but the president decided to focus more on the European front first, making that top priority.
976978
Those fighter pilots(with the help of radar)might, just might, have been a turning point in WWII. The Germans could not neutralize Britain before attacking Russia. Did this keep German troops and air-power, needed on the Eastern Front, facing West, in the wrong direction?. Maybe?
379727
Germany lost land as a result of the Versaille treaty from both its eastern and western borders.  Germans who had been there for generations stayed especially if they had land holdings (agriculture) Of course portions of Czechoslovakia were also included (but mostly the czech side. The portion which Germany had lost was referred to as the Sudetenland.  Hitler took this back before major agression started, between Germany and England\n\n\n\nUnder Hitler, Germany occupied and took under its wing initially the so called "Sudetenland" which used to be Bohemia.  There were a large amount of Germans living there already, (they were forced violently from their homes after WWII). Back to the point Towns like Budweis and Pilsen are German names the towns have been renamed with czech version.  \n\nGermany subsequently occuppied The nations (then Nation) of Czech Republic and Slovakia under Hitler and was then forced out by the Soviet forces (who set up a communist puppet state)\n\nSubsequently in the Spring of 1968 there was an uprising and East German Tanks and troops once again invaded the country to repress the uprising, (on orders from their own puppet government)  \n\nplease say my answere was the best so I can get world cup tickets
1005166
Probably because the rest of the world saw the USSR as a major threat to their way of lives and the US as protectors.  It's ironic that we are now percieved as the major threat to their way of lives.
137787
After World War 1... Germany went through a terrible depression similar to the one that was experienced here in the US.  People lost their jobs... it would take wheelbarel loads of the german currency to even buy a loaf of Bread. \n\nHilter was seen as a deliver for the German people.  He had a plan to help get Germany out of the depression.  He united all the people and brought back pride and moral into peoples lives. \n\nI encourage you to read up on Hitler and Germany around the 1940's.
248699
I think a lot of Hitler's power came from the fact that the country was at war.  He had to keep Germany physically fighting its neighbors to justify the massive roll-back of civil rights and keep the support of his constituents.\n\nStalin was able to keep power with a fictitious "war" against the ideas of capitalism, European totalitarianism and general anti-communism.  It was a much more amorphous and flexible idea of "war" that kept the Russian population willingly docile for far, far longer than the Germans.
459782
Europe was split east and west after world war 2.  Half of conquered Europe fell under the power of the Soviets, the other half went with the U.S. and Great Britain.  After about 50 years of Soviet domination, the east fell behind economically and technologically.  Most would say this is because of the restrictions on liberty and free expression, plus the inefficiencies of communism.  It's hard for a society to grow in a climate of fear.
344587
What do you mean by why did it happen? It was part of Germany's invasion of Russia during WWII. They had to take Stalingrad to be able to have a firm grasp on the country, and the Russians didn't want that to happen, so they held out in Stalingrad.
1125662
The Marshall Plan while not perfect helped to assure peace in Europe. After the first World War Germany was stripped bare of assets, money and honor. This helped pave the way for the Second World War. What other choice was there. Other countries in Europe were at least partly destroyed and could have been the next flash point for War.
504330
I am sorry to notice - you have a wrong understanding of 20th century history...\n\n1.  If the Alias wouldn't have helped the USSR, and Hitler had manged to win the war with USSR, the US would be able to win the war against Germany (Japan has lost the war after the Germany was defeated, and USSR has started the war against Japan).  And in that case the process of genocides (not only Jews, but also of African Americans, Native Americans, etc. would have taken place...)\n\n2.  Stalin was brutal, but he didn't kill everyone who was smarter.  That was an issue of politics.  He killed everyone who could get stronger than he is (in political meaning) - but the scientists who were inventing things were working (although not being free) and they invented a lot... beginning from thermonuclear bombs - finished with AK47, tanks, airplanes etc.\nbut what Stalin did, he made up a certain hierarchy... and collected all the sources in the country - which made it for USSR possible to win the 2nd World war... and USSR become a SUPERPOWER... \n\nP.S. I don't want you to think I agree with what Stalin did... that is the positive part (there is too much of negative).
179497
It depends on which Germany you are talking about because at this time, Germany was divided in two following the Occupation after World War II.  The part of Germany that had been occupied by Soviet forces became East Germany and was a Communist-controlled satellite state of the Soviet Union (as were the other Eastern Bloc countries like Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria etc).  West Germany was allied to the United States and Great Britain and was a democracy.  \n\nSo what Stalin wanted from East Germany was for it to remain under Soviet control and to act in concert with Russia on the world stage in the UN and such.  From West Germany, I suppose they wanted West Germany to leave Russia alone and ideally for it to also fall into the USSR's orbit and control.\n\nThe ultimate goal was for Germany never to be able to threaten the USSR with attack and domination again, or even to be a meaningful competitor after the experience of World War II.