Russia commemorates start of Great Patriotic War

RIA Novosti ^ | 22/06/2009

[vladimir998]

Obama’s fault.

I’m just staying in practice.

[pobeda1945]

World War 2 Sacred War clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzdG21cVJRY&feature=related

[Carl LaFong]

Is that the war where Stalin made a non-aggression pact with Hitler to slice up Poland after the Nazis attacked it?

[Carl LaFong]

Correction: before the Nazis attacked Poland.

[Ingtar]

At least 26.5 million Soviet civilians and soldiers died during the conflict, according to official statistics.

Nowhere near the number of those who died because of Stalin.

[BlueLancer]

I guess the Russians would prefer to forget that, for them, the war actually began on 17 September 1939 when they, allied with Nazi Germany, invaded Poland ...

... but, hey, I guess when thieves fall out, the one getting shafted wants to play the victim.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

I notice, they only commemorate from 1941-1945. Maybe they should have a commemorate when they teamed up with Nazi Germany to slice up Poland. Or when they invaded the Baltic states or maybe commemorate when they invaded Finland and got their butts kicked for six months before Finland capitulated.

[US Navy Vet]

“Great Patriotic War” = more ways for “Uncle Joe” Stalin to kill more of his own people.

[Leisler]

Socialist murdering off a hundred millions.

Yeah, real patriotism.

[Leisler]

That must of been the Little Not So Patriotic War...er..or something.

[WKUHilltopper]

“Correction: before the Nazis attacked Poland.”

A little piece of history people conveniently forget...

[fso301]

Is that the war where Stalin made a non-aggression pact with Hitler to slice up Poland after the Nazis attacked it?

No. What the Russians call the Great Patriotic War began with the German invasion of Russia

[fso301]

Ignoring everything else, the two keys to the German defeat in the East were:

1. Bloody nose delivered to the Japanese army in 1939 by Georgy Zhukov at the Battle of Khalkhin Gol. This caused Japan to change her entire strategic thrust away from Russia and kept Japan from opening up a second front against Russia in 1941 to 1943.
2. Winter War of 1939-1940. Russia entered this war against Finland every bit as ill prepared for Winter combat as the Germans were ill prepared in 1941. Lessons learned by the Red Army from losses suffered due to:
   • weather; cold not only kills men, it kills vehicles and equipment.
   • the Finnish Suomi M31 submachinegun; a highly effective tool for close-quarter fighting in forests or built-up urban areas which the Russians made nearly identical copies of in the form of the PPsH-40/41.
   • Finnish snipers; used to great effect against the Red Army
   • egg type grenades in forests and close quarters. "Potato masher" type grenades favored by the Red Army can't be used effectively in forests or built up urban areas.
   • molotov cocktails as a close quarter anti-armour weapon. Dangerous to use but effective against tanks.

   were used to great effect against the Germans in 1941 and beyond.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

You left out the torture and rape of the citizens of the newly “freed” countries.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"You left out the torture and rape of the citizens of the newly “freed” countries."

Wonder when the last time a Russian/Japanese leader apologized for their countries past behavior. I won't be holding my breath on this one....

[fso301]

Wonder when the last time a Russian/Japanese leader apologized for their countries past behavior. I won't be holding my breath on this one....

Actually, Japan just delivered an apology for the Bataan "Death March"

http://www.mysanantonio.com/military/Bataan_Death_March_survivors_hear_apology.html

[<1/1,000,000th%]

To my knowledge they haven’t even acknowledged anything they’ve done.

[Welcome2thejungle]

Exactly. You made my point. The USSR and Nazi Germany BOTH started WWII with their invasion of Poland.

While Hitler was absorbing Austria and Czechoslovakia into the Reich, the USSR attacked Finland and invaded and occupied Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

While murdered 6 million Jews, the Soviets slaughtered 8 million Ukrainians.

Yes indeed Hitler and Stalin were partners in crime as they divided Europe up among themselves and engaged in genocide. Facts almost completely ignored by contemporary history.

For me watching the Soviets and Nazis fighting eachother was much like watching the Iran/Iraq War. You hope both sides lose.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"Actually, Japan just delivered an apology for the Bataan "Death March"

That's a nice start. Now they can apologize for the rape of Nanking, all of the Korean women who they made into prostitutes for their soldiers etc..