Posted on 10/09/2009 9:49:10 AM PDT by kronos77
Albert Axell, the American military writer, historian and author of Marshall Zhukov: The Man Who Beat Hitler, explains just how much the West has undervalued the Soviet Union’s contribution to victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War.
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Do you believe people are still interested in WWII, which was over a fairly long time ago?
My friend, a British professor, told me about a survey that revealed striking ignorance: 95pc of young people in the UK believe Germany was an ally of their country in that war, whereas the Soviet Union was the enemy.
Today most Americans know nothing about Marshal Zhukov. And neither do the British. Yet I would like the contemporary generation in the West to fully realise to whom we owe our existence. That is why I wrote my books.
By writing your books you tipped the balance so heavily towards recognition of the role of the Soviet Union in winning WWII that a number of generally loyal observers were rattled. I heard British historians and journalists say that, although until recently the role of the USSR in WWII had been understated, you promoted it to the point of exaggeration.
I can responsibly say that most Western historians who are not politically engaged do share my point of view. No other nation in the world was prepared for such a heroic effort and sacrifice as the people of Russia. In Great Britain, WWII claimed about 300,000 soldiers and civilians, whereas the Soviet Union lost about 27m. Is it possible to “exaggerate” the price the Russians paid for the victory?
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
One of the quotes from The World at War I’ll always remember was taken from the diary of a German Officer during the early days of “Operation Barbarossa” when the Germans were rapidly advancing.
“This fight is like an elephant fighting a colony of ants. The elephant may kill millions, but ultimately the ants will overwhelm the elephant and eat him right down to the bone.”
True.
But just because it was battle to life or death.
There was not much sacreficing of soldiers as much as self-sareficing of russians to defeat and hold germans.
ooo - doubletap!
“And the Generals’ reward after the war was demotion, in the case of Zhukov.”
Well, at least he wasn’t summoned to the Kremlin and shot, or tortured at the Lubianka prison, as that murderous bastard Stalin did to many of his imagined “enemies.”
The Soviets were an evil regime. They helped create the Nazis and helped them rearm when it was illegal according to treaty obligations. They should have been held culpable at the end of the war for this, and for helping start the war with the invasion of Poland and securing Nazi Germany's Eastern flank during its initial stages. I'm glad it blew up on them.
- the same Stalin that had any remaining resistance fighters rounded up after the Soviets finally entered Warsaw.
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