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CrossTalk:
Remembering Victory
The War in Europe came to an end 70 years ago. The Soviet Union and its Allies stood supreme over the vanquished Nazi enemy, with the continent on its knees. What lessons have been learned since that vast conflict? And what lessons have been unlearned? Was the loss of so many millions in van?
CrossTalking with Geoffrey Roberts, Jeffrey Tayler and Dmitry Babich.
Episode 5 - Barbarossa
From
Gdansk to Dachau: Europe marks 70 yrs since WW2 victory
8
May, 2015
Europe
marked the 70th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World
War II on May 8th with commemorative events across the continent.
The
ceremonies kicked off in the Polish port city of Gdansk, known as
Danzig in German, where the first shots of the deadliest conflict in
history were fired on September 1, 1939.
The sky over the Baltic Sea was lit up by a salute fired from 21 guns at the Westerplatte peninsula in Gdansk late on Thursday night.
The sky over the Baltic Sea was lit up by a salute fired from 21 guns at the Westerplatte peninsula in Gdansk late on Thursday night.
Poland
initially organized the event as an alternative for Western European
leaders, who decided to boycott Moscow's Victory Day Parade due to
the dispute with Russia over the conflict in Ukraine.
However, most of European leaders opted to attend WWII commemoration events in their home countries.
However, most of European leaders opted to attend WWII commemoration events in their home countries.
Poland's President Bronislaw
Komorowski (front L) and officials attend a ceremony to commemorate
the anniversary of the end of the World War Two, at the WWII
Westerplatte Memorial in Gdansk, north Poland May 8, 2015 (Reuters /
Rafal Malo)
The UN leader praised the “collective effort” and bravery that led to the “ultimate triumph” over the Nazi threat.
“The
terrible long years of World War II were a time of unspeakable
atrocities, of lost faith and lost humanity. The war took a heavy
toll on many countries, including all those represented here, and
particularly on their youth,” Ban
is cited by the UN website.
In Paris, French President Francois Hollande and US Secretary of State John Kerry laid wreaths on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe.
In Paris, French President Francois Hollande and US Secretary of State John Kerry laid wreaths on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe.
According to Hollande, the victory in World War II 70 years ago represented the “victory of an ideal over a totalitarian ideology.”
“We didn't experience the war, we see it as a far-off reality, sometimes abstract, even though it is not so far from us, in Ukraine, further still in the Middle East… There is also terrorism which can strike us, racism, anti-Semitism. There are still causes which should spur us on,” the French president said.
200 beacons were lit across the UK to remember the 55 million lives that were lost during the war.
Earlier in the day, a two-minute moment of silence was observed and wreaths were laid at the Cenotaph in London’s Whitehall by re-elected British Prime Minister, David Cameron, and Duke of York, Prince Andrew.
In Germany May 8 isn’t considered a holiday, but the country’s MPs from Bundestag and Bundesrat still met on Friday for joint observances.
Bundestag President Norbert Lammert said that the end of the WWII in Europe “was a day of liberation" for Germany.
“On
May 8, a war was ended that a German regime had begun with criminal
intent,” Lammet
is cited by Deutsche Welle.
During the session, the speakers paid tribute to the Soviet Army and the Allied forces which defeated Adolf Hitler’s regime.
During the session, the speakers paid tribute to the Soviet Army and the Allied forces which defeated Adolf Hitler’s regime.
German
president, Joachim Gauck, laid a wreath at a military cemetery in
Lebus dedicated to Soviet soldiers killed fighting Nazis.
A Mass was held at the infamous Dachau concentration camp, where 32,000 people died according to official documents, but where thousands more were killed unofficially.
A Mass was held at the infamous Dachau concentration camp, where 32,000 people died according to official documents, but where thousands more were killed unofficially.
Ukraine celebrates Victory Day with Europe, not Russia
For
the first time in 70 years, Ukraine celebrated the end of World War
II on May 8, the same day as Europe, but one day ahead of
Russia.
The new holiday, entitled the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation, is seen by the country’s leadership as a symbolic change marking Ukraine’s break with its Soviet past."On May 8, for the first time, the people of Ukraine will join the European tradition to commemorate the victims of World War II. The very next day in Moscow, under the pretext of the Great Victory, the aggressor's army will brandish its lethal might in front of the world,” Petro Poroshenko, Ukrainian president, said.
The new holiday, entitled the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation, is seen by the country’s leadership as a symbolic change marking Ukraine’s break with its Soviet past."On May 8, for the first time, the people of Ukraine will join the European tradition to commemorate the victims of World War II. The very next day in Moscow, under the pretext of the Great Victory, the aggressor's army will brandish its lethal might in front of the world,” Petro Poroshenko, Ukrainian president, said.
The
country has also adopted the red poppy as a symbol in memory of war
victims, as many countries in Europe have.
The St. George Ribbon, which used to be a traditional symbol of Victory in the USSR, was dropped due to its use by eastern Ukrainian militias, which have been fighting the Kiev government for over a year.
Russia has repeatedly denied unsubstantiated claims by Kiev and the West blaming Moscow for supporting the rebels with arms and manpower.
On
May 8, 1945 Nazi Germany signed an unconditional surrender, marking
the end of the war in Europe. The document was signed at 22:43 CET –
or 00:43, May 9 Moscow time.
The global conflict continued for another three months, however, until the surrender of Japan in September 1945.
The global conflict continued for another three months, however, until the surrender of Japan in September 1945.
More
signs of preparations for war?
6
May, 2015
As
most of you already know, the
Chinese Navy has sent warships into the Black Sea.
They are headed for the Russian naval base at Novorossiysk.
There have been several reasons given for this trip:
- As part of the preparations for the visit of Xi Jinping to the May 9th celebrations
- As part of a possible sale of its frigates by China to Russia
- As a preparation for joint Russian-Chinese exercises in the Mediterranean
They
all sound plausible to me. While some have speculated that the
purchase of Chinese frigates by Russia would be a “black eye” for
the Russian building industry, I disagree. If
a country is preparing for war, then the quantity of defense
equipment is far more important than the country of origin.
Besides, it is well known that the design of Chinese Navy ships is
based on Russian ships, so this is not a case of “Russia cannot do
this” but rather a case of “Russian shipyards are already at full
capacity, while the Chinese can deliver immediately”. As a
stop-gap measure, it makes perfectly good sense to buy equipment from
an ally, especially when the design of this equipment is based on
yours.
Whatever
may be the case, the arrival of these Chinese Navy ships is a slap in
the face of the USA and the rest of NATO, who have been trying hard
to show what they call “resolve” in the Black Sea, only to have
China clearly indicate that it sides with Russia. The fact that
the Russians and Chinese will be conducting join exercises in the
Mediterranean, which NATO has always considered as mare nostrum,
is even a bigger affront to the wannabe global hegemon.
In
the meantime check out this video which a friend has just sent me:
When
I saw this video, I thought, ‘this
is exact kind of “mobilizational music,” which a country
preparing to go to war, produces.’
There is nothing wrong with patriotism, as long as it does not
degenerate into nationalism, but this mantric repetition of “Russia!
Russia! Russia! Russia!” makes me feel very uncomfortable, because
it is either designed to elicit “mobilizational feelings” or,
even worse, to cater to the already ‘mobilized’ state of the
population.
I
am not saying that Russia is about to attack anybody. But what
I am saying is that there are numerous signs that Russia is acting
like a country preparing for war. Also, I am not criticizing
Russia, because she is preparing to go to war, I am only saddened
(and frightened) by the fact that Russia feels that she has to do so.
Finally,
I find it both scary and discouraging that the general public in the
West is kept blissfully unaware of the fact that, as of right now,
the AngloZionist Empire and Russia are on a collision course.
How could anybody oppose something he/she is unaware of?
This
is why I will continue to sound the alarm, in the hope that the
“silence barrier” can be broken down, before it is too late.
The
Saker
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