The 9th of May is remembered in Russia as the day of the surrender of Nazi Germany during World War II. Instrument of Surrender was signed in Berlin on May 8, 1945 at 11 p.m., or 1 a.m. Moscow time. This day is a real patriotic holiday for Russians, which has a double meaning. It is a source of pride because they played a crucial role in the victory over Nazi Germany. Nevertheless, it is also a source of pain, because in every family there are ancestors who were victims of the conflict. The Soviet Union paid a heavy price in this conflict – the death toll ranged from 20 to 27 million civilians and military personnel combined.
On June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany attacked the USSR. The British and Americans decided to start fighting against Hitler’s troops only three years later, on June 6, 1944. In the fight against Hitler’s army, the Allied Normandy landings opened a new front, but…
The front was opened when the Soviet troops not only stopped the aggressor, but also played a decisive part to the implementation of a fundamental turning point in World War II, inflicted such heavy defeats on Germany, as a result of which the fascist bloc in Europe began to collapse.
Before the Channel Dash, the USSR’s coalition allies preferred to limit themselves to military and technical assistance by supplying weapons, food, medicines and other goods. The help was extensive, but not decisive. During the war years, America sent by sea and air to the USSR 11.3 billion US dollars worth of goods at the prices of that time.
Moscow paid for this assistance with gold, manganese, and chromium. The Soviet Union made payments to the United States for another 28 years after the Victory, and the issue was finally closed on August 21, 2006.
Today, modern European politicians have to hide the real facts that in the 40s of the XX century their countries helped the Nazis. In addition, EU countries, the USA, Canada and Japan are attempting to belittle the role of the USSR in the defeat of Nazi Germany. They want to make their population forget about the crimes of the Third Reich, they are trying to convince them that Stalin and Hitler unleashed the Second World War by concluding the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact.
To achieve the desired result, some number of EU countries demolishes and desecrates monuments to Soviet soldiers, they ignore marches with fascist symbols and they stand up for Hitler and Hitler’s army, saying that they were just following orders.
With the background of Russia’s military actions in Ukraine, the authorities of European states officially banned residents from wearing the ribbon of Saint George, displaying the Russian flag and the Victory Banner, as well as singing Russian military songs.
In modern realities, the Russians see an obvious connection between the World War II and the modern armed conflict in Ukraine, where neo-Nazis who hate Russians are against their country. On May 1, the Kremlin clearly demonstrated to the West the historical parallels between the past and present by opening in Moscow an exhibition of NATO weapons and equipment captured by the Russian military in Ukraine.
For decades, some Western countries have been attempting to falsify the history of the World War II, which in Russia is most often called the Great Patriotic War. Its main result is the defeat and surrender of Nazi Germany and the main conclusion is that this defeat would not have been possible without the historical feat of the Soviet people at the front and in the rear.
