The U.S. is also rewriting history

Another attempt to rewrite history, this time by the White House – U.S. claims credit for defeating Nazi Germany in World War II.

René Zittlau

Chancellor Scholz’s political, moral and human declaration of bankruptcy is followed by the White House on its heels.

In a press conference on May 9, 2023, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre left no doubt about the official U.S. view that only the United States and its allies had won the war against fascism. 

She dressed it up in the following sentences:

“This week, as you all know, marks the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe and the victory of the United States and Allied forces over fascism and aggression on the continent.”

These words could well serve as an introduction to an official joint appearance of the victorious powers in remembrance of the victory over German fascism and in commemoration of the victims this victory had claimed.   

But in May of the year 2023, the White House spokeswoman places these words in a context that casts doubt on the official U.S. inclusion of the one country in the official commemoration in the form that does justice to the unimaginable material and human sacrifices that this country made for this victory – the Soviet Union.

Let’s talk numbers

Let’s look at some numbers. 

The following graph shows the total casualties of World War II of selected countries (blue: military personnel, black: civilians).

This overview shows at a glance why May 9 has such overriding historical and emotional significance for Russia. It explains the sensitivity with which not only official Russian bodies reacted to statements such as the above from the White House and the appearance of Chancellor Scholz on the same day in Strasbourg, “Voice from Russia” reported.

Also the purely military burden in the struggle for victory lay mainly on the Soviet Union. For which the following figures should be mentioned as an example: 

The following forces took part in Operation D-Day, i.e. the Allied landing in Normandy, the largest operation of its kind in history in June 1944:

US and allies:         ca. 1.530.000 soldiers

Germany:                ca. 350.000 (about 1 million soldiers spread all over France)

Source: Wikipedia

Shortly after the Allied landings, Operation Bagration began in Belarus, the largest encirclement battle in military history, which led to the complete collapse of the German Army Group Center. Involved in it on both sides were:

Soviet Union:              more than 1.4 million soldiers

Germany:                850.000 soldiers

Source: Wikipedia

By June 1944, however, the Soviet Union had already been through a series of battles of this dimension, each taking an enormous toll of blood: 

Participants in the battle for Stalingrad:

Soviet Union:              around 1.7 million soldiers

Germany:                around 1 million soldiers

Source: Wikipedia

Battle of Kursk:

Soviet Union:               1.9 million soldiers

Germany:                800.000 soldiers

Source: Wikipedia

I include these figures here for one reason only: The current effort of Western politics to rewrite history in general and that of the Second World War in particular does not stand up to any objective scrutiny. 

Honesty and honor to whom honor is due

Unter zivilisierten Völkern und Staaten sollte im Gedenken an herausragende und oft bedrückende Ereignisse gelten: Ehre, wem Ehre gebührt. Russland gedenkt bis heute mit Dankbarkeit all jenen, die dem Land in jener schweren Zeit zur Seite standen, ausdrücklich auch den USA und Grossbritannien. Und das völlig unabhängig von späteren politischen Entwicklungen. 

Vergleichbares lässt sich über die Länder des Westens leider nicht sagen, wenn die Sprecherin des Weissen Hauses zum Tag des Sieges unmittelbar an den obigen einleitenden Satz meint sagen zu müssen: 

“President Putin has used the occasion to fire another wave of cruise missiles and armed drones at the Ukrainian population.” 

So Russia is shelling Ukraine only to murder and expel civilians: A statement that does not stand up to scrutiny and cannot be further from reality. 

The White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre continues:

“Victory Day should be about peace and unity in Europe. It should be about the end of war, bloodshed and suffering. Instead, Putin has only promised more violence and spread more lies about the war he falsely claims was unleashed against Russia.”

Voice of the other America contradicts the White House

The real situation of Ukraine and the role it actually has to play for the West is now openly discussed in the USA, for example in an interview by Noam Chomsky in the Statesman on May 7, 2023. 

In it, Chomsky expresses that the U.S. and the U.K. completely dominate Ukraine and, based on this dominant role, force Ukraine to continue to wage war even when Ukraine is “broken and devastated.” At the same time, Russia is behaving far more humanely than the U.S. did in Iraq. 

Chomsky on the genesis of the Ukraine conflict, specifically on the country’s NATO membership:

“This is the red line that every Russian leader since Yeltsin and Gorbachev has insisted upon. Mexico likewise cannot join a military alliance that is hostile to the United States. There is no treaty on that, but it is quite obvious.”

Conclusion

Readers of this blog could find out firsthand what President Putin had actually said on May 9, 2023, in Moscow’s Red Square, here and here.

Thus, each reader can judge for himself to what extent what the White House officially had to communicate to the world on 09 May, the day of victory over German fascism, was appropriate to the occasion and corresponded to the truth.