The Americans helped both sides enough to ensure they could keep fighting, but too little to enable either side to emerge the victor.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: The long road to victory

STILL, IN spite of the government's continued diplomatic incompetence, there are reasons to think that Israel may emerge the perceived victor in the current campaign against Hamas (and I will be forced to eat my hat).

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Iran's Gaza diversion

Official Russian history asserts that Stalin believed that Germany, even if it were to emerge from war as a victor, would be so exhausted that it would be unable to wage war with the USSR for at least a decade.

BBC: Stalin's bid for a new world order