... World War have taken shape—narratives that, while not always central, nonetheless constitute important elements of their national biographies.
China and the DPRK: The Great Victory
Echoes of World War II. RIAC Special Project on how the memory of WWII influences politics and society in the world (In Russian)
A triumphalist narrative of the Second World War has taken shape in both China and the DPRK, where the defeat of Japanese militarism is presented as a watershed moment in national history ...
... will attend the celebrations marking Great Patriotic War Victory.
Historians seldom completely agree with one another even on some of the most important events of the past. There are different views on various historical events such as World War II (WWII). With new documents being declassified and new excavations at the sites of the main battles, we are likely to see new theories and hypotheses emerging that will feed more discussions and offer contrarian narratives of the most devastating military ...
Russia’s brand of exceptionalism is not messianic. It is rooted in the isolation of an Orthodox country and its belief that it possesses the gift of a true religious faith. It has been strengthened by Russia’s successful—if costly—defense of its state sovereignty, and confirmed by Russia’s status as a major global player that refuses to take orders from anyone.
Russia’s brand of exceptionalism is not messianic. It is rooted in the isolation of an Orthodox country and its belief that it possesses...
As Europe marks today (29 September) another anniversary of the 1938 Munich agreement, the Permanent Representative of Russia to the EU Ambassador, Vladimir Chizhov, reminds what he calls “some noteworthy historical parallels”.
As Europe marks today (29 September) another anniversary of the 1938 Munich agreement, the Permanent Representative of Russia to the EU Ambassador, Vladimir Chizhov, reminds what he calls “some noteworthy historical parallels”.
Vladimir Chizhov is a career diplomat. Before...
Elbe Day commemorates the linking of the Soviet and US Armies at the River Elbe in Germany on April 25, 1945, which was an important step toward ending the Second World War.
"I would like to underline that the fact that so many Russian and US citizens who remember the feat of our peoples have gathered here is extremely important not only for the present generation but even more for the future ones," Kislyak said. "It is especially important when there are the attempts to rewrite the...
Be that as it may, the personage of an aged relative
seems to grow in our memory
as we are told of a past time and society.
Maurice Halbwachs
“Historical Memory and Collective Memory”
1950
On May 9, 2015, Russia will hold celebrations in memory of the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Second World War (in Europe). Even the youngest veterans are approximately ninety years old now. It seemed reasonable to expect, optimistically, that the change of generations would bring appeasement...
Earlier this September Beijing hosted a great parade commemorating the end of the Second World War. Prior to this major event there was yet another one, no less important. Korea celebrated the 70th anniversary of its liberation on August 15 this year. This achievement is a key part of the history of World War II.
The end of 40 years of Japanese colonial rule in Korea resulted from several factors, including the Korean people’s struggle for liberation in their own country and abroad.
There is little...
..., i.e. freedom of speech and unacceptable nature of Holocaust denial. Great Britain, for instance,
strictly prefers the first principle
, setting a bad example for the East Europeans.
The memory of the Holocaust in East Europe is specific, as their WWII trauma is largely connected with a futile struggle for national independence and statehood, while full-fledged integration into the European values appears possible only after all the aftereffects of collaborationism have been dealt with.
Europe ...
Africa was affected by both world wars. The African continent, which seemed so far away from the European political conflicts, was compelled to take a very active role in both wars. However, the contribution made by Africans to the victory over fascism remains largely underappreciated.
For Africans, World War II began in 1935, when Italy invaded Ethiopia. In a sense, the war continued – in the form a battle for independence – long after 1945, when Africans demanded that their contribution to the...
... world witnessed the unspeakable cruelty – both in the initial aggression and the often disproportionate retaliation
[1]
. International humanitarian law (IHL), already present at that time, was not enough to protect victims of war and combatants, and WWII highlighted the need to amend the existing international legal regime. Paradoxically, wars, by presenting the impetus for further development of IHL, do not bring only atrocities – they bring a faint hope that future wars would be less inhumane....
