80 years of D-Day and rewriting the history!

Moscow - Veterans news. This week saw the commemoration of D-Day, the landing of the Western Allies in Normandy and thus the opening of the Second Front 80 years ago. It should have been an occasion to pay tribute to the military achievements of the anti-Hitler coalition, the main burden of which was borne by the Soviet Army on the Eastern Front. Instead, it became a further step towards the rewriting of history, as we have had to experience several times in Europe in recent years. In the speeches by government representatives, reference was made solely to the heroic achievement of the Western Allied forces, whose invasion had brought about the liberation of Europe and the military defeat of the Nazi regime. The role of the European resistance, the women and men in the partisan units who contributed to the liberation of their countries as part of the anti-Hitler coalition, was also simply “forgotten”.

A visible expression of this rewriting of history was the fact that the main representatives of the Soviet armed forces, namely representatives of Russia, were not invited, the same we experienced five years ago. The French government intensified this revision of history this year by inviting Ukrainian President Zelenskyy instead. His government “qualified” itself by rehabilitation of NS-collaborator Bandera. This follows the line to name Ukraine instead of Soviet army as liberator of extermination camp Auschwitz, with reference to the troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, which reached Auschwitz on January 27, 1945. In this way, the invitation of Zelenskyy not only sends a political signal, but also takes historical forgetfulness in Europe to the extreme. 

This year's commemorations have brought clarity in other respects. Even 80 years after the historic event, the German government is still not willing to express more than words of regret for the crimes committed during the second world war. 

Until today, there has been no declaration by a German government acknowledging German responsibility for their war crime, which would also have practical consequences for the victims and their relatives.  German representatives also this time had the opportunity to correct this when a large German delegation took part in the commemoration of D-Day, but it didn’t happen this time either.

On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of these crimes, The World Veterans Federation, expects a clear statement from those politically responsible in the German government that can be understood as appropriate by the victims and their relatives. And such a statement must also refer to compensation to the victims of German war crimes, both done on the west and east front.

Dan-Viggo Bergtun, Honorary President of the World Veterans Federation

Photo // American troops land on Omaha Beach, 6 June 1944. Image: Alamy