Russian in Normandy

United Press International , USA
Peter Lavelle
June 7, 2004

Vladimir Putin became the first Russian leader to have the honor of attending a ceremony on June 6 this year dedicated to the next anniversary of the landing of allied troops in Normandy.

The invitation of the Russian president, 60 years after the world's largest landing operation, which marked the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi occupation, symbolizes the West's recognition of the merits of the Soviet Union in the war, which the Russian people used to call the Great Patriotic War.

Vladimir Putin's presence at the celebrations was also seen as recognition of the important role that Russia plays in the joint initiative - the war on international terrorism. Indeed, George Bush is keen to show that the war, which has proven to be a greater burden than it seemed two years ago, is being fought with a united front. However, Putin's arrival in Normandy is primarily a step forward towards giving the Second World War a more global character.

One of the many consequences of the Cold War was the need to rethink world history and the role of various countries in the process of its formation. Victory over Nazi Germany required colossal joint efforts. The Western countries' fear of the "Red Scare" and the Soviet Union's suspicions of capitalists hating the workers' and peasants' state were forgotten during this historic enterprise.

Being in an ideological confrontation, the West and the Soviet Union were allies until Germany was defeated. Immediately after the great victory, politics and ideology again came to the fore. The liberation of Europe legitimized the viability of two opposing political regimes - liberal democracy and Soviet communism. The war ended with the division of Europe; the symbol of the post-war period was Germany split into two parts, where completely different approaches to understanding the consequences of the recent war were reflected.

Until recently, Russian history textbooks described the day of the Allied landings in Normandy, which marked the “opening of a second front,” as the beginning of an offensive operation in a war whose outcome was already a foregone conclusion. Having dealt with the consequences of unprecedented military and civilian losses, the Soviet Union was close to victory - the liberation of Western Europe would not significantly affect the rapid advance of the Red Army troops to Berlin.

As for the West, in particular the United States and Great Britain, for them the Second World War was more global in nature. While fighting in the Pacific region, North Africa and Europe, the leaders of the allied states saw themselves not only as fighters against fascist ideology, but also as saviors of human values ​​in the name of world progress. The Normandy landing fits better than any other military operation of the war with the idea of ​​a new crusade.

For many years after the war, both the West and the Soviet Union, relying on the availability of popular culture and using various political tricks, annually performed the same ritual - taking credit for the victory, ignoring the role of their former allies. Victory in that war became the foundation on which each of the warring parties built the edifice of ideological confrontation in the Cold War. The West knew very little about the price the Soviet people paid for the victory over fascism; the USSR saw no reason to once again emphasize the West’s participation in World War II.

With the end of the Cold War, these individual interpretations of history were no longer necessary. Russians can now watch such famous Hollywood films as “Saving Private Ryan”; Western filmmakers even made a film dedicated to the Battle of Stalingrad and called “Enemy at the Gates.” Today, international teams of historians are compiling educational textbooks about the war for schoolchildren around the world.

Despite the fact that the victorious countries are increasingly willing to acknowledge each other's role in that war, the United States and Russia are now close to reinforcing the significance of the joint victory over fascism and thereby making it coincide with the realities of the current political situation in the world .

For the United States, the importance of World War II is equal to the importance of the fight against international terrorism. This idea is confirmed by the speech of George W. Bush, who spoke in Washington at the opening ceremony of a monument dedicated to American soldiers who fell during the liberation of Western Europe: “The Second World War was a just war, fought by the defenders of freedom, and in this sense it is no different from the war which we are conducting now."

As for Russia, the victory over fascism no longer symbolizes the historical righteousness of the old political regime. Soviet communism did play a key role in the defeat of Nazi Germany, but victory in that war must now be seen as the reason that should encourage Russia to regain its role as a key player on the world political stage. Ideology no longer matters as much as a sense of historical chosenness.

When Vladimir Putin meets with the leaders of other countries that participated in the defeat of Nazi Germany, he may be pleasantly surprised that the West has finally recognized at the state level the significance of the sacrifices that the Soviet Union made on the altar of victory in the Great Patriotic War.

However, the agreement of the victorious countries on how the war was actually won does not at all mean the unity of their views in the future. History tends to repeat itself. Standing on the beach in Normandy and reflecting on the past, Vladimir Putin may have already taken the next step towards a clearer understanding of Russia's role in the future.

Published on the website inosmi.ru.