Monday, May 9, is a Big Day in Russia. Victory Day celebrates the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. The Great Patriotic War, as World War II is known in Russia, is the biggest event in the country’s history; to understand it in American terms, one would have to combine the Fourth of July, Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day, and then multiply by a factor of 10. Historians agree that between June 22, 1941 and May 8, 1845, the USSR lost somewhere between 20-27 million citizens - military and civilian. Most Americans are unaware that the Soviets lost more troops killed at Stalingrad than we did in the entire war on all fronts. In fact, 80 percent of the losses on all sides in all theaters of World War II happened on the Eastern Front. It’s an incontrovertible fact of history that the armies of the Soviet Union were primarily responsible for the defeat of Nazi Germany.
All K-12, me and every school child did not know the real history of WWII. The Soviet's participation was white washed. As a catholic school grunt, we always had to pray for "the conversion of Russia". Plus we boomers who had fathers and relatives fight in that war, when we played " war" as kids you were either a Nazi, Japanese, or American.
Thinking back as a history major in the 70's, I don't believe I ever really studied the Soviet contribution.
Only in grad school and taking a mid 20th century history class did I learn of the true sacrifice.
The thought past, present (still) and future of all sacrifices from our current enemies was "white washed".
The usual quote: After the US entry into the war, it was essentially over.
Again, that fucking American exceptionalisim lie is repeated again and again and again.
When we entered the European theater, we really did play a role and that was controlling the west and south. There was a reason that being sent to the " eastern front" was such a threat to Sgt. Schultz in Hogan's Heroes. Imagine a stupid sit com contained more truth than and American history book.
America's entry was incredibly important and the right thing to do. Thinking back, Americans at home made victory gardens, war bonds, rationed gas, meatless Tuesday's, collecting tin, and yes, even cooking lard was taken back to the butcher, women entering the workforce by the millions, working in defense plants ( my mother was a Rosie the Riveter), and doing every kind of work. Black Americans wanted in also ( fuck if I can ever figure that the fuck out) both in the military and at home. Everyone pitched in.
Now we can't get a fucking Amerikkkan to wear a goddamned face mask during a pandemic that murdered millions.
Being a "War, what is it good for..." type of person, I would never voluntarily seek to find the truth about any country's participation in any war effort. So my gratitude to you, TC, for doggedly capturing our attention with your excellent accounting, leading this reader to finally reckon with the truths embedded in this essay, warts and all.
This was informative and instructive. Revisionist history is occurring at this very moment in Florida and Texas. Woe be to us.
When I read about the awful truth of the USSR and Russia and the many, many millions who were murdered by their own "leaders," I wonder why anyone would love that "Motherland." I'd be packing my bags and fleeing along with those young Russians!
Nazi hubris cost USSR dearly. Stalin received many warnings as you say but believed them to be British disinformation to open an Eastern front. Stalin was looking for evidence that Germany was preparing for the Russian winter and saw no evidence of use of light oil or increase in wool prices for winter uniforms. The Germans managed to convince themselves that they could drive the Red Army behind the Urals in four months and launched Barbosa.
Thank you for this elaborate extension of my history knowledge. Acknowledging what was, is a powerful tool to healing wounds of the past. History correctly told and ever corrected for the better, is basic to have a future.
Somewhere I read that more US bombs were thrown over North Korea, than US bombs used during the entire WW II. Do you know if that is correct? It made sense to me when the Swedish former Swedish prime minister came back from a visit to North Korea and said: "It is not only an autocracy, it is a nekrocracy"; with the worship of a dead leader.
The tragedy is that we needed the Russians to defeat the Germans it was one of those “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” kind of things, the bastards never were our allies, as has been obvious ever since. They should have listened to Patton and allowed him to push the Russians back into Russia, he got it and so do I, I have Russian iron in my leg and a broken back to go with it, I have had it for over 50 years. I am very clear about Russia, as a social order they have been unspeakably evil and have been so for over a century. Putin is just the latest manifestation of how inhumane they continue to be. Monday should be interesting, the bastard is loosing and he knows it, as do more and more Russians.
The Soviet contribution was very well known during the war, not only through newspapers and radio accounts, but in the popular arts. Movies like “The North Star” and “Mission
To Moscow” and even American-centered pictures like “Action in the North Atlantic” stressed the importance of the Soviet contribution. But the onset of the Cold War and the Red Scare led to the suppression of the films and in some cases blacklisting or other repudiation of the work. With the fading of the blacklist, books like Alexander Werth’s “Russia at War” and Harrison Salisbury’s “The 900 Days” began to bring the Soviets back into American memories of WWII. But of course, far more people knew Dana Andrews and Anne Baxter (and Bogart) than read those books. And they were not made into movies like “The Longest Day.”
yep...these are getting better and better. in my honors American History class in 1963, I actually don't remember if we learned ANYTHING about the Russian effort in WWII. many years later, when I worked in a high school, I'd stand in the hallway with a friend and we'd be so appalled at how badly history seemed to be taught that we'd ask random kids things like "what important event happened in the US from 1861-1865" and "who did the US fight against in WWII?" the answer to the latter was, almost universally, "the Russians."
Excellent piece, Tom.
All K-12, me and every school child did not know the real history of WWII. The Soviet's participation was white washed. As a catholic school grunt, we always had to pray for "the conversion of Russia". Plus we boomers who had fathers and relatives fight in that war, when we played " war" as kids you were either a Nazi, Japanese, or American.
Thinking back as a history major in the 70's, I don't believe I ever really studied the Soviet contribution.
Only in grad school and taking a mid 20th century history class did I learn of the true sacrifice.
The thought past, present (still) and future of all sacrifices from our current enemies was "white washed".
The usual quote: After the US entry into the war, it was essentially over.
Again, that fucking American exceptionalisim lie is repeated again and again and again.
When we entered the European theater, we really did play a role and that was controlling the west and south. There was a reason that being sent to the " eastern front" was such a threat to Sgt. Schultz in Hogan's Heroes. Imagine a stupid sit com contained more truth than and American history book.
America's entry was incredibly important and the right thing to do. Thinking back, Americans at home made victory gardens, war bonds, rationed gas, meatless Tuesday's, collecting tin, and yes, even cooking lard was taken back to the butcher, women entering the workforce by the millions, working in defense plants ( my mother was a Rosie the Riveter), and doing every kind of work. Black Americans wanted in also ( fuck if I can ever figure that the fuck out) both in the military and at home. Everyone pitched in.
Now we can't get a fucking Amerikkkan to wear a goddamned face mask during a pandemic that murdered millions.
We sure have come a long way, baby.
Next up, the Pacific theater...........
Being a "War, what is it good for..." type of person, I would never voluntarily seek to find the truth about any country's participation in any war effort. So my gratitude to you, TC, for doggedly capturing our attention with your excellent accounting, leading this reader to finally reckon with the truths embedded in this essay, warts and all.
This was informative and instructive. Revisionist history is occurring at this very moment in Florida and Texas. Woe be to us.
When I read about the awful truth of the USSR and Russia and the many, many millions who were murdered by their own "leaders," I wonder why anyone would love that "Motherland." I'd be packing my bags and fleeing along with those young Russians!
Nazi hubris cost USSR dearly. Stalin received many warnings as you say but believed them to be British disinformation to open an Eastern front. Stalin was looking for evidence that Germany was preparing for the Russian winter and saw no evidence of use of light oil or increase in wool prices for winter uniforms. The Germans managed to convince themselves that they could drive the Red Army behind the Urals in four months and launched Barbosa.
Thank you for this elaborate extension of my history knowledge. Acknowledging what was, is a powerful tool to healing wounds of the past. History correctly told and ever corrected for the better, is basic to have a future.
Somewhere I read that more US bombs were thrown over North Korea, than US bombs used during the entire WW II. Do you know if that is correct? It made sense to me when the Swedish former Swedish prime minister came back from a visit to North Korea and said: "It is not only an autocracy, it is a nekrocracy"; with the worship of a dead leader.
Really well written TC. Your books and comments here, consolidated, would make a fascinating history of the US. Might even be a textbook.
The tragedy is that we needed the Russians to defeat the Germans it was one of those “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” kind of things, the bastards never were our allies, as has been obvious ever since. They should have listened to Patton and allowed him to push the Russians back into Russia, he got it and so do I, I have Russian iron in my leg and a broken back to go with it, I have had it for over 50 years. I am very clear about Russia, as a social order they have been unspeakably evil and have been so for over a century. Putin is just the latest manifestation of how inhumane they continue to be. Monday should be interesting, the bastard is loosing and he knows it, as do more and more Russians.
The Soviet contribution was very well known during the war, not only through newspapers and radio accounts, but in the popular arts. Movies like “The North Star” and “Mission
To Moscow” and even American-centered pictures like “Action in the North Atlantic” stressed the importance of the Soviet contribution. But the onset of the Cold War and the Red Scare led to the suppression of the films and in some cases blacklisting or other repudiation of the work. With the fading of the blacklist, books like Alexander Werth’s “Russia at War” and Harrison Salisbury’s “The 900 Days” began to bring the Soviets back into American memories of WWII. But of course, far more people knew Dana Andrews and Anne Baxter (and Bogart) than read those books. And they were not made into movies like “The Longest Day.”
Fascinating, incisive; thanks for this revelation of historical distortions. What a reckoning you have laid out for us.
yep...these are getting better and better. in my honors American History class in 1963, I actually don't remember if we learned ANYTHING about the Russian effort in WWII. many years later, when I worked in a high school, I'd stand in the hallway with a friend and we'd be so appalled at how badly history seemed to be taught that we'd ask random kids things like "what important event happened in the US from 1861-1865" and "who did the US fight against in WWII?" the answer to the latter was, almost universally, "the Russians."