Photo:Picture from Facebook by Serhiy Guriev
On 23 August 1939, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was signed, which became the prologue to one of the most tragic pages of human history – the Second World War. Eight days later, on 1 September, the war broke out when Nazi Germany attacked Poland. However, few people remember that, along with Hitler’s troops, Soviet troops also entered Poland, “biting off” the territories that are now part of western Ukraine. The Soviet Union did not stop there: it occupied the Baltic states, took Karelia from Finland, and, together with the Nazis, divided Eastern Europe, implementing the secret protocols of the same pact.
For decades, Soviet propaganda glorified the USSR as the “liberator” of Europe from Nazism, while suppressing the inconvenient truth: Stalin was not only Hitler’s ally at the beginning of the war, but also had his own plans for the “liberation” of Europe, which included the establishment of totalitarian control. Hitler only beat Stalin to the punch by breaking their agreement and attacking the USSR in 1941. After defeating the Nazis, Moscow did not stop its crimes: The “brotherly nations” of the USSR and the Warsaw Pact countries were subjected to repression, occupation and violence by the Kremlin for many years.
This story is reminiscent of a fable about two ogres who agreed to attack a defenceless victim. One of them, having outstripped the other, became the aggressor himself, but after defeating him, the second cannibal did not become a saviour – he continued the violence, proclaiming himself a hero. The USSR, having defeated Nazi Germany, did not bring freedom to the peoples of Europe, but replaced one form of tyranny with another.
The Western world, seeking to avoid confrontation with the “shell-shocked” Kremlin regime, agreed not to deny the Soviet version of the “great victory”. Even today, when the truth about the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and the crimes of the USSR is common knowledge, some continue to congratulate Hitler’s main ally on his victory over him, ignoring the historical facts.
This “tale of Victory Day” is not only a bluff of Soviet propaganda, but also a lesson for the modern world. History teaches us that ignoring the truth for the sake of political convenience can lead to the repetition of tragedies. Today, when the Kremlin’s imperial ambitions threaten Europe once again, it is important to remember that true victory is not only the destruction of the enemy, but also the restoration of justice and freedom for all peoples.
Author: Michael Mons
