What they write in Western history textbooks about the role of the USSR in the Great Patriotic War

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

In the German parliament, Russian schoolchildren apologize for the "innocently killed Germans taken prisoner at Stalingrad." In the Tula Region, youngsters fry potatoes on the Eternal Flame. In Novorossiysk, girls dance twerk (in common parlance - "shook") at the memorial to the defenders of Malaya Zemlya. Why do guys do this? The motives are different, but the reason is the same: there are fewer and fewer veterans of the Great Patriotic War, and more and more distortions of historical memory.

But if Russian curricula somehow try to maintain objectivity, then Western youth, if asked about the role of the USSR in the Great Victory, will only shrug their shoulders in bewilderment. So "KP" and decided to find out what the school textbooks of our "foreign partners" tell about the Second World War.

Germany

Textbook: "Germany from 1871 to 1945"by Jens Eggert. This is such a workbook for the middle classes: a few facts - and questions for assimilation. Thanks to this, adolescents, willy-nilly, will remember the text better than in a regular textbook.

What they write about: In the list of the main events of World War II, the battles on the Eastern Front are mentioned only once. “After the defeat and surrender (to whom? - Ed.) Of the 6th German army at Stalingrad in January

In 1943, the long-awaited turn began in this war. " That is, it follows from the text that the turning point would have taken place without the participation of this “no one knows who,” and the defeat of Hitler on the Volga did not play a role here. But read on. "Gradually the allies (Great Britain, France, the United States and the Soviet Union) were successful." Estimate the sequence: the USSR is in last place, but France is also among the victorious countries (which, before liberation in 1944, regularly supplied the Reich with ammunition and food).

“Step by step, the German army was smashed and driven back. In July 1943, the British and Americans liberated the south of Italy, in June 1944 the Allied landings began in Normandy, and Soviet troops were advancing from the east to Germany. " Then Hitler, "frightened by the Russian captivity," made it known to himself. How the Red Army reached the Reichstag is not reported. Apparently, she went out for a walk and arrived. Neither the Kursk Bulge, nor Operation Bagration, nor the Battle of Berlin, nor the fact that 90% of the Wehrmacht troops were on the Eastern Front.

Quote: “On September 1, 1939, the Reich invaded neighboring Poland … But not only Germany took part in this - on September 17, the Soviet Union occupied the eastern part of the country. The reason for this was the secret agreement between Hitler and the Soviet dictator Stalin of August 23, 1939”. (And not a word about the most difficult international situation, about how we tried in vain to agree on an anti-German front with London and Paris … What conclusion should a teenager draw? Moscow is guilty of the war on a par with Berlin! - Ed.)

Great Britain

Textbook: "Britain in the XX century", by Charles More. For high school students and students.

What they write about: The book opens with a table with the dates of the main events of the century. The Eastern Front of World War II is mentioned exactly once: "1941: Germany attacks Russia." The rest is the victories of the allies in North Africa, Italy, Normandy. The main events of 1942 were the capture of Singapore by the Japanese. You can, of course, object: this is the history of Britain, so they cite events where they themselves participated. But, not knowing about the battles of Stalingrad and Kursk, the student, in principle, will not be able to understand, but how the coalition actually crushed Hitler!

Quote: “Russia's contribution to the war was, of course, invaluable, but she was involved only on the Eastern Front. Its direct contribution to British efforts in the war was nil, and Russian involvement in the overall strategy of the Allies was limited to demanding supplies of resources or an immediate (Anglo-American) landing in France. (Actually, when at the beginning of 1945 the Allies were defeated in the Ardennes, Stalin began the Vistula-Oder operation 8 days ahead of schedule in order to draw off the Wehrmacht forces to the Eastern Front. - Ed.)

Italy

Textbook: "History of the XX century"(manual for high school students), authors - Alberto De Bernardi and Shipione Guarracino. Of the 737 pages of the book, only 33 are devoted to the largest conflict.

What they write about: The turning point of 1942 fit into three paragraphs, of which two larger ones describe the battles in the Pacific Ocean and the successes of the Anglo-Americans in North Africa. Only two lines are devoted to the main battle of the year: "Soviet troops at Stalingrad inflicted the first major defeat of the German army under the command of General Friedrich von Paulus."

In fact, the "first big defeat" followed in the battle for Moscow a year earlier, but oh well. But at Stalingrad, the 8th Italian Army was also defeated, 300 thousand soldiers, whom Mussolini sent to help "friend Adolf". But there is not a word about this in the textbook.

If there were "good guys" in that war, then they are definitely Americans: "President Roosevelt understood that the war would be a decisive battle between totalitarianism and democracy" there are traitors among them).

Quote: "In March - April (1945 - Ed.), The Soviet offensive in the east and the Anglo-Americans in the west took Germany into a vise." In parallel, the Soviet Union occupied Romania and Bulgaria. " (He did not release, no. Only the West “liberated” someone in that war. - Ed.)

USA

Textbook: "History of our world" … Written by Heidi H. Jacobs and Michael L. Levasser. For high school students.

What they write about: The book of more than 800 pages covers the entire world history from the Stone Age to the present day. There is only one paragraph on page 623 devoted to World War II. In general, in the States, school education is decentralized, curricula may differ from district to district. However, almost all of the training manuals agree on one thing: the West won, the Eastern Front did not seem to exist. Only a few textbooks speak of the Battle of Stalingrad as a turning point in the war, but that's all.

Quote: “Following the military campaigns in North Africa and Italy, the Allies opened the Western Front against the weakened Nazis. (Who weakened them so much? - Ed.). On June 6, 1944, Allied ships with 156 thousand American and other soldiers on board landed in Normandy (France). Now known as D-Day, the Normandy landings marked the beginning of the Allied campaign eastward. Six months later, the allied armies reached Germany. After the Battle of the Ardennes, the German Wehrmacht was crushed. The Allies proclaimed victory in Europe on May 8, 1945."

ANOTHER EXAMPLE

Turkey

“In our schools, the Second World War is studied in the fifth grade,” says Turkish political scientist Selim Yalcin. - No "alternative history", the presentation of the material is almost no different from the Russian version. The Germans are the occupiers, the Wehrmacht and the SS are the embodiment of evil, which was stopped thanks to the USSR and the allies. The Soviet army fought as an injured party. The textbooks say: “Turkey managed to remain a neutral country in that war. Berlin wanted Ankara's support, but she did not want to spoil relations with the Soviet Union and did not participate in the conflict."

TOTAL

"This is part of the big anti-Russian game"

- Abroad, the demonization of our country is being carried out consistently, starting from the school bench. At the same time, the West really does not like to remember that half of Europe was in the service of Nazi Germany. Western textbooks on the history of World War II do not write that crimes in our land were committed not only by the SS, but also by soldiers from different European countries who were Hitler's allies. At the same time, condemning Hitler as an absolute evil, the West is very loyal to the revival of Nazism near the borders of the Russian Federation, in the same Baltic states. What should we do in such a situation? It is easy to understand that this “big game” will not end as long as we exist as a strong and independent country. And do not forget to instill in Russian youth the memory of our history.