Monday marks the 60th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Germany, with remembrance events taking place in Moscow. The head of state from 53 nations will be president to remember the significance of the eradication of a fascism that threatened the existence of civilization, and various bilateral talks are planned as well. Since the Soviet era Russia has held commemorative events the day after the Nazis signed a surrender agreement. During the Cold War the absence of Western leaders made the event seem like something was missing. Now it has become a grand observance, and you even hear cynical criticism that it is all little more than a show for realizing the political ambitions of president Vladimir Putin.
The victory celebration is being accompanied by an ill-timed "history debate." Meeting with the leaders of the three Baltic states US president George W. Bush said that the end of the war brought peace but also brought occupation and communist oppression. Putin responded by saying that the Red Army was the liberator of Eastern Europe, not an oppressor, and he wrote off the three nations' demand for an apology. In Japan there was criticism regarding prime minister Junichiro Koizumi's attendance because the Soviet Union broke with its neutrality agreement and went to war against Japan as World War 2 came to a close.
However, it is not right to disregard the horrible sacrifice the Soviet Union made in fighting fascism according to today's political calculations. In World War 2 the US suffered losses that equaled 0.3 percent of its population, the United Kingdom 0.6 percent, and the Soviets 14 percent. The war dead in the Red Army's two months of fighting in Stalingrand and Kursk, fighting that stopped Nazi Germany's advances across Europe, were almost the same as for the US and the UK during the duration of the whole war. Victory in World War 2 was the precious accomplishment of all forces opposed to fascism and not the exclusive prize of any one side. However weathered it may have become with the passage of time it is most important that the sacrifices of those who lost their lives be remembered.
The Hankyoreh, 9 May 2005.
[Editorial] Don't Take Away from Significance of VE Day Event |
