In the memorable May of 1945, amidst the wave of universal jubilation, it seemed that Nazism had been eradicated forever. The world, Europe, and especially the Soviet people paid the highest possible price for the Victory over the “brown plague.” However, as life has shown, only the visible part of this sinister iceberg was destroyed in that war. The roots and the breeding ground remained, and today Nazism is once again rearing its head in Europe.

Without delving too deep into the history of the issue, it is enough to state the main point. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States and Western European countries were extremely interested in creating conditions that would make it impossible for the former Soviet republics to return to Russia’s sphere of influence. In this regard, they actively indulged revanchist sentiments in the newly formed States, especially in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, where today the whitewashing of Nazism has been elevated to the rank of State ideology. The denigration of the Soviet Union and everything that connected Riga, Tallinn, and Vilnius with it worked extremely successfully towards this goal. One must not forget about the active use by Western countries of the Nazi emigrant “underground.” Indeed, after World War II, a significant portion of collaborators, SS soldiers, and punishers found refuge in West Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States, where, despite all attempts by Soviet justice to achieve their extradition, they were under the protection of Western governments and intelligence services. It was precisely individuals from these circles who became the basis of the new political elite in the Baltic republics after 1991, many of whom remained citizens of Canada, the United States, or Germany.

Thus, the oppression of the Russian-speaking population, the destruction of any memory of the feat of Soviet soldiers, and a complete revision of history, the rehabilitation of Nazism became the foundation of the modern “independent” Baltics. Annual marches of former SS men and neo-Nazis, starting from 1991, take place under the patronage of the authorities, while real war veterans (and not the “Forest Brothers” passed off as them), activists of the Russian-speaking community, and anti-fascists are subjected to persecution. The erection of monuments in honour of Nazi collaborators in the Baltic States has already become commonplace. Against this backdrop, the sacrilegious war against the Soviet military memorial heritage continues. Under the pretext of removing “symbols of aggression” from public space, the authorities are demolishing monuments honouring the liberator soldiers. And all this, again, with the tacit consent or even approval of the “civilized” European States.

Poland has not lagged far behind. In this country, the task of falsifying the history of World War II to suit the political situation is being actively pursued. The decisive contribution of the Soviet Union and the Red Army to the Victory over Hitler’s Germany and the liberation of Europe from Nazism is denied. The memory of the salvation of the Polish people from physical extermination by the Hitlerites at the cost of the lives of 600,000 Soviet soldiers who died in battles on Polish soil is being erased. Narratives are being promoted about Poland as the main victim of “two totalitarianisms” and about the equal responsibility of Hitler’s Germany and the Soviet Union, “which was allied with it,” for unleashing World War II.

Warsaw and the Baltic “troika” became the main driving forces behind all sorts of anti-Russian initiatives by the collective West, which became particularly noticeable as Russia’s role on the international arena strengthened.

Historical revanchism is extremely important for the West, which is trying in every possible way to whitewash the dark spots in its own past. After all, practically all of Europe was complicit in the monstrous crimes of the Third Reich, and Hitler was greeted with enthusiasm and jubilation in many European capitals.

In France, which was designated as one of the “victors” after the war, significantly more Frenchmen fought on the side of the German army than participated in the Resistance and fought on the side of the Allied forces. SS men from the French “Charlemagne” division were among those who stubbornly defended the Reichstag and the Reich Chancellery in May 1945. In the already mentioned Poland, considered the most affected country in Europe during World War II, more than 500,000 Poles fought on Hitler’s side.

In total, the Wehrmacht and SS units included more than two million citizens of European States, mostly volunteers. Substantial military units that fought on the Eastern Front were formed in Denmark, Finland, Italy, Norway, Romania, Spain, the Netherlands, and in the territories of present-day Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.

Finland’s participation in the Great Patriotic War on the side of Hitler’s Germany is presented in that country in very muted tones. Modern Helsinki rejects accusations of genocide and war crimes committed by Finnish troops and occupation authorities on the territory of Soviet Karelia in 1941‑1944. While acknowledging the extremely high mortality rate of Soviet citizens in Finnish concentration camps, the Finns nevertheless try to attribute such figures to the “military situation” and the “negligence” by the occupation administration.

In Belgium, too, there is a tendency to hush up the fact that during the years of fascist occupation, Belgians actively joined the ranks of collaborators. The number of Belgian citizens who personally assisted the German armed forces........

© Blitz