Since 1991, after gaining independence, each republic of the former Soviet Union has embarked on a path of creating its own “national” history. This process has become particularly expansive in the Baltic countries: even the history of the Great Patriotic War is being fundamentally revised.
“Occupation” not liberation
Rewriting the history of World War II (and, accordingly, of the Great Patriotic War) began in the Baltic states before the Soviet Union’s collapse, when...
In 2015, Italy celebrates the 70th anniversary of its liberation from the Nazi occupiers and fascists. In April 1946, at the suggestion of Prime Minister Alcide De Gasperi, Lieutenant General of the Realm Prince Umberto signed a decree declaring April 25 a national holiday – the Liberation Day of Italy. On that particular day in 1945, Sandro Pertini, a guerilla and future President, called on the Milanese to begin a general strike against the occupiers and fascists, who after the fall of the Mussolini...
On the eve of the 70th anniversary of Victory Day, people tend to recall the invaluable contribution the allied countries made in putting an end to the most atrocious war in modern history of mankind. However, those on the other side also deserve attention. RIAC has approached key foreign policy experts to share their views on how the countries in the former Axis alliance (headed by Germany, Italy, and Japan) view the end of the Second World War. Japan’s role still evokes painful debates among...
... Deputy Foreign Minister
Grigory Karasin said
it was "a disgrace to Poland's diplomatic service" for the Polish Foreign Minister to insist on his interpretation of Russia's role in World War II and insinuate about the format for celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Victory Day by disputing the grounds for Moscow to serve as center for the festivities.
To be more precise, Mr. Schetyna was commenting on the proposal that Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski made in an interview on January ...
