On the Kremlin website published an article by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “75 years of Victory: a shared responsibility before history and future”, dedicated to the history of the Second world war.
“Our responsibility to the past and the future to do all we can to prevent the repetition of terrible tragedies,” one of the main theses of the article of the Russian President. A detailed analysis of the causes that led to world war II, a reflection on its complex events and lessons. Moreover, relying only on archival materials and testimonies of contemporaries, excluding any ideological and politicized guessing.
“For me and my peers it is important that our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren understand what tests and flour were their ancestors. How and why were able to survive and win? Where did their true iron fortitude, which surprised and delighted the whole world? Yes, they defended their home, children, relatives, family. But all were United by the love for the Motherland, for the Fatherland. It is a deep, personal feeling in all its fullness is reflected in the very essence of our people and has become one of the determinants in his heroic, sacrificial struggle against the Nazis.
Often wonder how the current generation will behave, how to act in critical situations? Before my eyes young doctors, nurses, and sometimes former students who today are in the “red zone” to rescue people. Our military in the fight against international terrorism in the North Caucasus, in Syria were killed, very young boys! Many soldiers of the legendary, the immortal, the sixth airborne company was 19-20 years old. But all of them showed that they are worthy of the heroism of the soldiers of our country who defended it during the Great Patriotic war”, — says Vladimir Putin.
plans to write an article devoted to the analysis of the preconditions of the Second world war and great Patriotic war, Vladimir Putin publicly announced in December 2019 in Saint-Petersburg when nearmaximum meeting of the CIS heads of States it was about the preparation of the celebration of the anniversary of the great Victory. Shortly before that, the European Parliament issued a resolution “on the importance of preserving historical memory for the future Europe”. The paper, which the Russian President “was somewhat surprised, even a little bit hurt”.
“What’s written? According to this paper the so-called Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact — that’s the foreign Ministers of the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany — as they say further, “divided Europe and the territories of independent States between the two totalitarian regimes that paved the way to the beginning of the Second world war.” The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact paved the way for the Second… Well, maybe.
moreover, the European MPs demand Russia to cease efforts to distort historical facts, to promote the thesis that the real instigators of the war are Poland, the Baltic States and the West. In my opinion, we have never said that someone is of the listed countries the instigator.
what’s still true? I wanted to deal with it, so I asked my colleagues to raise some archival documents. And when I started to read, you know, I thought it would be interesting for all of us because, I repeat, all of us and there former Soviet Union”, — said Vladimir Putin.
Archival documents impartially record the state of Affairs in the late 30-ies of the last century. On the one hand, the prisoner in the First world war the Treaty of Versailles. For Germany he became a symbol of profound injustice that has formed the breeding ground for radical sentiments in which he played the Nazis. And for Europe — a time bomb: randomly decorated the borders of the new States provoked territorial disputes and mutual claims. As a consequence, the Munich agreement, that is, the division of Czechoslovakia. In whichrum along with Germany acted and Poland.
“the division of Czechoslovakia was cruel and cynical. Munich brought down even those fragile formal guarantees, which remained on the continent showed that mutual agreement is worthless. What the Munich agreement was the trigger, after which a big war in Europe became inevitable.
European politicians, especially the Polish leaders would like to “silence” in Munich. Why? Not only because their country then betrayed their commitments, supported the Munich agreement, and some even took part in the spoils, but because it is inconvenient to remember that in those dramatic days of 1938, only the Soviet Union stood up for Czechoslovakia.”
At this time, Moscow is using any chance to create anti-Hitler coalition. Even receiving intelligence information about the secret Anglo-German contacts. And about the position of Poland, which did not want any obligations to the Soviet side. In this situation, the non-aggression Pact with Germany, which became the face of inevitable war, the Soviet Union signed the last of the European countries, trying to win precious time to strengthen the defense of the country.
“however, other States prefer not to think about the agreements, which was signed by the Nazis and Western politicians. Not to mention the legal or political assessment of such cooperation, including the tacit compromise of some European leaders with the barbaric plans of the Nazis until their direct encouragement. That there is a cynical phrase of the Polish Ambassador to Germany J. Lipsky, said in a conversation with Hitler on 20 September 1938: “…For the solution of the Jewish question we [the poles] will deliver him… a beautiful monument in Warsaw.
When this statement of the Polish Ambassador in Germany józef Lipski was first cited by the head of state on the informal meeting in St. Petersburg, the official Warsaw declared the whole toamaniu to justify diplomat-Semite. Forgetting that such rhetoric was not exceptional. For example, the Minister of foreign Affairs of Poland Beck has admitted that his country “fully commend the position of the Fuehrer and Reich Chancellor”.
“the Second world war did not happen overnight, it does not start unexpectedly, suddenly. And the aggression of Germany against Poland was not unexpected. It is a result of many trends and factors in the world politics of the period. All pre-war events lined up in one fatal chain. But, of course, the main thing that determined the greatest tragedy in the history of mankind, is a state of selfishness, cowardice, pandering to the gaining strength of the aggressor, the unwillingness of political elites to seek compromise.
So unfair to say that a two-day visit to Moscow, the Nazi foreign Minister Ribbentrop Pact — the main causes of the Second world war. All the leading countries in varying degrees, have their share of the blame for its beginning. Each made a fatal mistake, presumptuous thinking that you can outsmart others to secure a unilateral advantage or to stay away from the looming world of trouble.”
an Open and trusting dialogue is the main guarantee that the terrible history of the XX century will not be repeated. After all, forgetting the lessons of history, as noted in his article, Vladimir Putin, has inevitably had a severe retribution. Stand firmly for the truth, based on documented historical facts, is one of the most important tasks. And it is addressed by a large-scale project on creation in Russia the largest collection of documents on the history of world war II and prewar period. Genuine, not smoothed and not patent the truth is 27 million dead: every seventh citizen of the Soviet country. It is the battles of Moscow and Stalingrad, Sevastopol and Odessa, Kursk and Smolensk. This Rzhev, where the Red army lost 1 million 154 thousand soldiers, numbers the article of the head of the state presented for the first time.
“it is Our duty to all those who take the political responsibility, first of all representatives of the victorious powers in the Second world war, to ensure that the system is preserved and improved. Today, as in 1945, it is important to show political will and work together to discuss the future. Our colleagues — Lord XI Jinping, the Makron, trump, Johnson supported the Russian initiative put forward to hold a meeting of leaders of the five nuclear-weapon States — permanent members of the Security Council. We thank them and we hope that this face-to-face meeting could take place at the first opportunity”.
the Preservation of peace and strengthening global and regional security, strategic arms control, the situation in the global economy — that is, overcoming the consequences of the pandemic. All this topics on the agenda of the forthcoming summit of the “Five” (Russia, China, USA, UK and France), which may play an important role in the search for common responses to current challenges. Answers that should look all together, based on common historical memory, for the sake of strengthening stability and security. Which concludes in his article, Vladimir Putin, is the duty and the responsibility powers before the world.
