Soviet-Nazi Collaboration and World War II

World Affairs Journal ^ | 30 Apr 15 | Alexander J. Motyl

[elhombrelibre]

As May 9th, Victory Day in many post-Soviet states, approaches, decency demands that we celebrate the defeat of Adolf Hitler’s Germany and honor the millions of soldiers and civilians who gave their lives to rid the world of the scourge of Nazism.

At the same time, if we truly want to honor the dead, we must take heed of the historical lies that the Kremlin, both in its Soviet and post-Soviet hypostases, promotes about the USSR’s relationship with Nazi Germany.

For starters, the Moscow-controlled Communist International, and its sidekick, the Communist Party of Germany, made Hitler’s rise to power possible, if not indeed inevitable, by tarring the German Social Democrats as “social fascists” who threatened to split the proletariat and were, thus, a greater evil than the Nazis. Had the German left remained united against the real threat—Nazism—Hitler might not have come to power. (Many leftists make a similar mistake today, preferring Vladimir Putin’s fascism to American capitalism and thereby promoting war in Europe.)

[elhombrelibre]

For 19 months, the political party Putin served and loved and still loves, the Empire he wants to restore, collaborated with Hitler. That empire that he's working to restore provided the fuel for the planes that bombed England, the steel, and other minerals for weapons. Putin's communist party, invaded peaceful nations, and had brutalized and starved the Ukrainians in the 1930s in a manner that still shock decent human beings (not Putinistas, I'm sure) (these were Putin's good old days that his chauvinist criminal admirers wish they could do now!), and Putin's party generally granted Hitler a freehand wherever he wished to pursue his crimes. Now, we're to believe that when Putin is maudlin about the loss of his beloved Soviet Empire that his strength and nationalism is admirable. That's according to the dolts, philistines, and misanthropes who admire bullies and genocide.

[Trapped Behind Enemy Lines]

Commonly forgotten in history is the fact that BOTH the Third Reich and the Soviet Union started WWII together. The Germans did not invade Poland all by themselves.

As for the horrors of the Holocaust, also commonly forgotten is the fact the Soviets slaughtered at least as many Ukrainians as the Nazi slaughter of Jews.

[ealgeone]

Commonly forgotten in history is the fact that BOTH the Third Reich and the Soviet Union started WWII together. The Germans did not invade Poland all by themselves.

Excellent point and one I've not considered previously. Great Britain and France had promised to come to Poland's aid if invaded by Germany....but not a peep was raised when Russia went in.

[elhombrelibre]

Shush, Putin has blind admirers who think he’s God’s agent on earth to protect and restore the Russian/soviet empire. They don’t like to hear that Putin’s working for the communist party and admiring it’s horrors is like a holocaust denier. They’ll call me for McCarthyism for associating communist turned pseudo ultra-nationalist Putin with the party he served in the KGB for 17 years as Colonel. They like him because he’s not Obama. Deep thinkers, one and all.

[jjotto]

Well, when the declared war a day or two later, that might be considered a peep. They weren’t able to help much, it’s true.

[dfwgator]

And at the very least Poland might have been able to hold out against the Germans long enough for the British and French to give them some assistance, had the Russians not invaded.

[FredZarguna]

If you haven't, buy this book: Hollywood Traitors: Blacklisted Screenwriters – Agents of Stalin, Allies of Hitler to get a hint of the "cultural Left's" role in the evil collaboration of Stalin and Hitler here in America. It's a great read.

The most amazing thing is that American Communists and fellow travelers spewed out propaganda in books, columns and films against "fascism" with unrelenting relish during the Spanish Civil War and thereafter. When they got their marching orders from uncle Joe on the day the Ribbentrop-Molotov was signed, they suddenly became pacifists, calling US aid to Britain and other countries opposing Hitler "criminal" and "imperialist."

Naturally, in June of 1941, they turned on a dime, demanding America send billions of dollars in aid and millions of her sons to rescue their beloved Stalin.

A reminder to FReepers that Russia's denunciation of "Nazis" [in Germany, Ukraine, or anywhere else] is usually a matter of propaganda, and certainly never one of historical accuracy:

[jjotto]

Good point, although Russians then, as now, can smell weakness and did not act irrationally. And the add all the commie sympathizers in the West. No downside for the Soviets.

[17th Miss Regt]

Would not have mattered. The only help they could provide was for the French army to advance into German territory and the French were not willing to do that. Had the Soviets not invaded, Poland might have lasted another few days at most. But the Soviets would not have liked having German troops on a border so far to the east. They wanted more buffer space in the west so they were driven to cooperate in the destruction of Poland.

[Lisbon1940]

USSR entered Poland September 17, 1939, more than two weeks after Germany attacked on September 1.

[Trapped Behind Enemy Lines]

Yes and that was a brilliant move on the part of Stalin. The Germans were thus tasked with all of the heavy lifting of destroying the Polish armed forces. By the time Stalin moved his divisions into eastern Poland, the country was already in shambles.

[Leaning Right]

A reminder to FReepers that Russia's denunciation of "Nazis" [in Germany, Ukraine, or anywhere else] is usually a matter of propaganda...

Interestingly enough, the Soviets themselves almost never used the term "Nazi". Instead, the term "Fascist" was used. So a Soviet press release would never say "The Nazis were crushed at Stalingrad". It would be "The Fascists were crushed at Stalingrad".

And here's why. As I'm sure you know, Nazi is the German abbreviation for National Socialist German Workers Party.

And no way would the Soviets want to admit to the Socialist part!

[tcrlaf]

“Commonly forgotten in history is the fact that BOTH the Third Reich and the Soviet Union started WWII together.”

Hitler offered Stalin the chance to recover Polish lands that were lost to Russia due to WW1 and the Bolshevik Wars that followed.

Stalin jumped at the chance.
Which gave him the confidence and “justification” to give the Bessaribia Ultimatum to Romiania some months later.

[Ohioan]

Yes and that was a brilliant move on the part of Stalin. The Germans were thus tasked with all of the heavy lifting of destroying the Polish armed forces. By the time Stalin moved his divisions into eastern Poland, the country was already in shambles.

Yes, the exact same pattern that Stalin elected in seizing Manchuria from Japan a few days before the Japanese surrender, to later turn over to the Chinese Communists, after first looting heavy industry.

[dfwgator]

Ironically, Hitler in the early 30s offered Pilsudski an opportunity to reclaim Soviet lands for Poland if he aligned with Hitler against Russia, knowing of Pilsudski’s hatred of the Russians, but Pilsudski, wisely did not trust Hitler enough to take the deal.

[tcrlaf]

“The Germans were thus tasked with all of the heavy lifting of destroying the Polish armed forces. By the time Stalin moved his divisions into eastern Poland, the country was already in shambles.”

The Finnish War, though a victory in the end for the Soviets, exposed severe flaws in a Soviet Army run by Political Komissars, instead of military officers, many of which Stalin had already had murdered in the Purges.

Russia was in the middle of returning to a military ranks system when Poland happened, and would still be mired in it when Barbarossa came.

The very poor performance of the Soviet Army in Finland, in Poland, and again during the Romanian Crisis, encouraged Hitler to think that an attack on the Soviet Union would be successful.

[Lisbon1940]

The Red Army had 100,000 troops in Manchuria fighting the Japanese. They couldn’t have gone against Poland on September 1 if they had wanted to.

[tcrlaf]

“The only help they could provide was for the French army to advance into German territory and the French were not willing to do that.”

The French Frontier was held by only seven divisions of German troops during the invasion of Poland.

But France was paralyzed by internal dissent and political unrest, an antiwar fervor from the aftermath of WW1, and the leadership was confident that the incredibly expensive Maginot Line would protect France from Germany.

[Army Air Corps]

Thanks for the book suggestion.

[FredZarguna]

USSR entered invaded Poland September 17, 1939, more than two weeks after Germany attacked on September 1 as soon as it was clear to Stalin he wouldn't need to fight anybody.