[rbg81]

Well, the Nazis certainly lost the war. And, lets not forget, that despite the West German economic success, Germany remained divided for 45 years. It is quite possible that we STILL don’t know who won WWII, because its effects are still being felt. It may be that the ultimate winners of WWII will be the Muslims.

[Vanders9]

The nation that won WW2 was unquestionably the USA.

[BroJoeK]

rbg81: "Well, the Nazis certainly lost the war.
And, lets not forget, that despite the West German economic success, Germany remained divided for 45 years.
It is quite possible that we STILL don’t know who won WWII, because its effects are still being felt.
It may be that the ultimate winners of WWII will be the Muslims."

I've made this case before here, and promise you, I'm at least half serious. ;-)

How do you tell who won a war?

• Well, first of all, isn't war all about killing people and breaking stuff? No WWII nation killed more people or broke more stuff than Germany.

  Yes, you can argue that Stalin was a bigger murderer, but remember: Stalin began his carnage in the 1920s, while Hitler didn't really get started until 1939.
  During the war itself, Hitler's people killed more.

• After a war is over, does the victor not collect reparations from the losers -- to rebuild its economy and restore its infrastructure?
  Well, how many billions of Marshall Plan reconstruction reparations did Germany collect after the war?

• Doesn't a victorious army usually absorb as tribute, some of the better units of its defeated adversary, to help with the next big battles?
  Well, how many millions of Allied troops stood guard in Germany against the Russians -- some still there to this very day?

• Doesn't a victorious nation usually enjoy the fruits of it's wars -- prosperity, an easy life, others to do its bidding, easy access to the world's best vacation resorts, and long vacations to enjoy them?
  And don't the losers have to bear the burdens of high taxes, long work hours, short vacations and constant military defense against repeated attacks on every front?

• Finally, don't the winners usually end up in control of the territories they conquered?
  Well, how much of Europe does the US or Britain, or the USSR control today?

  By contrast, the Germans really do control most of Europe today.
  How is that possible, you may ask?

  Easy, because when the whole world is going insane, those who are relatively sane gain control.
  And the Germans, except for a, ahem, ahem, brief period have been amongst the most sane people on the planet.

  For example, Germans have never forgotten the First Rule of Economic Survival: in the long run, you must make and sell more than you buy.
  Nor did they forget the Second Rule: in the long run, good quality beats low price.

  And that is how they enjoy the easy life of victory -- high prosperity, short working hours and long vacations at the best resorts.

Naturally, the Germans are not immune from various social forces which are turning Europeans into an endangered species, but I doubt if they will be quite as quick to succumb as some of those other weaker nations.

As for those small matters of 1945 territorial adjustments, East Germany, the Berlin Wall, etc... well, yes, victory always demands some price, and of course the Germans had to pay something.
But overall, they paid a lot less than many others -- the Jews, the Poles, Ukraines & others come to mind...

So I say, Germans are winners, and we're just a bunch of losers.
And please don't think I'm being less than half serious. ;-)