I am 42, and I was not personally affected by the horrors of fascism. I read about the war in school textbooks. The reminiscences of my parents, who have already died, gave me a deeper insight into those events.  

When World War II broke out my father was just a bit over 30, and my mother was 23. Father was an organist. When the Germans occupied Krakow, he earned his living by playing in restaurants. My grandfather, a specialist in the manufacture of artificial marble, was made to work day and night in a cold basement. Poor working conditions ruined his health. He fell seriously ill and didn't live till the end of the war.  

When the Russians came, people were overjoyed. Mother recalled how a  group of Soviet soldiers entertained my two-year-old brother, taking him in their arms and giving him a ride on their shoulders. Then they treated him and Mother to a supper. Many people gave parties to celebrate the liberation of the city. 

From people who endured the horrors of war and who sincerely rejoiced at the liberation of Poland I know how it really was, and today I see with bitterness that the Polish press portrays the Russians as occupants, forgetting that they spilled their blood for our country. 

I don't feel any threat on the part of Russia. Rather, I am afraid of the dubious values pouring in from the West. Violence, the cult of money and other Western "joys" are not Slavic or Christian values. Fascism and communism originated in the West, and not in Poland or Russia. Unfortunately, part of our society has been deluded. 

Today at the turn of the milleniums steps must be taken to eradicate the madness that seemed to have been conquered 55 years ago, swords must be beaten into plowshares.  
I am very pleased to get support from Voice of Russia programs. You don't silence the problems that emerged at difficult periods of history, you don't forget those who gave their lives for the freedom of your own country and other countries of the world. My best wishes to all of you. 

 

The whole world knows that Europe owes its liberation from fascism mainly to Russia.  

I don't believe  that World War III is possible. But today we have hundreds of local wars taking a huge death toll. What I want to stress is that it's very important for the Russian army to maintain its combat efficiency. This is the main guarantee of peace. Let those who are fanning the flames of world war and terrorism remember that they will be eliminated. 

During World War II we regularly listened to news in Russian and Bulgarian. We immediately multiplied it on the most primitive equipment, most often by hand, and the following day many people read it. The  Soviet Army's successful offensive be compared with a fire that kindled anti-fascist struggle throughout the world. 

Today Bulgarian media say little about those grandiose and difficult times. I doubt that young people can learn much about them. During the World War II forum I think you should tell more about Russian army and guerrilla commanders and secret servicemen. We also want to know how the Russians lived in those years, how the industry was being rebuilt and weapons updated, how new weapons were designed -  we want to know  everything that brought forward Victory Day.  

Boris Lonev, retired Colonel, World War II veteran, Bulgaria

 

Regarding the forum about World War II, I am thinking of concentrating on the subject of the VOR Radio Series - how Soviet people worked and fought in World War II. My particular concern: the Siege of Leningrad, reports about Soviet People's heroism. I feel very humble, that my life has been so smooth. However I shall be writing about the Soviet people. I am thinking of including in my answer my translation of Simonov's poem "Wait For Me" that was read on one of your programmers and also my translation of a poem by Isakovsky about Soviet women's heroism in World War II. 

Geoffrey Lund, 63, Preston Lancs, Britain

 

I've just read you summary of letters for the World War II forum and was deeply, deeply moved. It was so comforting to know that many Westerners also remember the sacrifice and great courage of you country in defeating Hitler. I am so very thankful that he was stopped. I know that the movement didn't die then, and went underground ... but where it is today is certainly no where as pervasive as it would-be been if Hitler would've won. 

You guys edited the letters beautifully. It reads a lot like a story. A very sad, but inspiring one ... about loss and the power of love.  

Thanks again for putting those letters together. I will remember many of those words for a long time. 

Cathy Case, California, USA

 
 

I would be happy in taking part in you Radio Forum - I have already started making notes, research, etc so I can put together some thing for you! I've listened to the Radio Forum a couple of times and find it very interesting. I would like to have some of my own commentary make an appearance on the program. As a radio reporter with CBC Radio (the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) - I've had the chance to do commentary pieces. 

I bet the Voice of Russia station must be a great, interesting place to work - I'd love to have an opportunity to visit it sometime and see how the radio experience in your country compares with ours here in Canada. 

Sue Hickey, Newfoundland, Canada

 

I am far past my youth and I remember the war. I am sincerely grateful to the Soviet Army which, supported by Yugoslav troops, drove the Nazi out of Belgrade and a greater part of Serbia. America stepped into to the struggle towards the end of the war. That was a shrewd policy - to enter the war when Hitler's defeat was already in sight.  

I remember the bombing of Belgrade on April 6, 1941. It was Sunday. The air raid started at dawn. Bombs kept falling, sowing death and destruction's.  Those who didn't wake up remained in their beds forever. And those who did, saw the city lying in ruins. And than tanks moved in... 

60 years later it happened again. Why? I saw on television how Robertson, visiting the Aviano base in Italy, kissed missiles which were then fired at Yugoslavia. Our people will never forget that! 

Milivoje Pejovic, Belgrade, Yugoslavia

 

I am happy to take part in the VOR World War II forum.  

Last century Europe lived through one of the darkest periods in its history, the reasons for which lie in the fascist ideology. Hitler and Mussolini built an empire of terror and evil which caused irreparable damage to the European community. Millions of people died in that war. The idea of Great Germany purified of "bad" people turned into a real tragedy for mankind.  

From my point of view, Russia's victory over Nazi Germany is of great historic significance. It demonstrated Moscow's might and it also created pre-requisites for the peaceful coexistence of nations.  

 At school our teachers barely touched upon these problems. Now I think with bitterness about thousands of Russian soldiers killed in that war. School textbooks should tell more about it. 

The lessons of the that tragic war should never be forgotten. The bitter experience of those years should've warned  those who are behind the numerous military conflicts of the 90s - from the Kosovo conflict to fratricidal wars in Africa. I say "should've warned" because despite the lessons of history mankind is falling into the same trap. 

Unless we learn to respect each other's opinions and renounce from the use of force in settling disputes, the threat of a new world war will always loom  behind the corner. 
          

Francesco Morsilli, Venice, Italy

 

Dear friends, 
Thank you very much for your World War II series. 

I was born in 1942 in a small village. Until 1945 my father worked with Russian, Yugoslav and Polish POWs. He did what he could to help them, gave them food and clothes. When in 1945 the war was over and Nazi leaders were called to account, the POWs thanked my father profusely. Things were pretty bad for Germans then. And  it was my father's turn to receive help from Russians. He corresponded with one of them for a long time. 

I am grateful to the Soviet Army for defeating Nazi Germany. Had the Nazi won, the Earth would have been real hell. 

Carl-Heinz Feuerhan, Brounschweig, Germany

 

This is my first letter to the Voice of Russia. I was deeply moved by your programs about World War II, about the heroism and privations of the Soviet people. The theme brought up by the Voice of Russia inspired my profound respect for your radio station. I would be glad to take part in your radio forum timed to the 55-th anniversary of the victory over fascism. 

I was born in 1967 and learnt about the war from books and films. I am not sure that they will help young people to understand the real damage caused by that war. I think that casualties and destruction's cannot be justified. But some are still trying to justify wars.  

After the war Russia and America embarked on an arms race.  Japan signed a treaty on security and military cooperation with the United States and provided its territory for US military bases. In my opinion, this is a violation of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution. Today bloody ethnic conflicts are still flaring in various parts of the world, taking away human lives, destroying nature and material values. This makes me think that mankind has failed to draw proper lessons from World War II. 

Does a military balance really help maintain international security? How can the death of other people arouse a feeling of satisfaction? How does it feel to be a victim? These a questions we must think over. I am sure that nothing can be achieved through the use of force. All problems must be resolved at a negotiating table. It is always possible to reach mutual understanding. 

Matsubara Yasushi, aged 33, Tokyo, Japan

 

I bow my head before all the victims of World War II. I hope this tragedy will never recur. In those years Russia and China helped each other. I am very glad that today our countries are maintaining and developing the bonds of friendship. This became especially evident in the 90s. Over the past years our countries' heads of state have regularly exchanged visits that produced many important bilateral agreements. Both countries benefit by this kind of relations based on solid economic and political foundations. We have much in common in our history and have accumulated a vast cooperation experience. Successful cooperation and development can only be possible in peaceful conditions.  

Lu Way-Way, China

  
Russia's role was crucial in crushing Nazism. Russia bore the brunt of the German force. Just recently there was a television programme here in England about Russia and World War II. Twenty million Russians lost their lives in the war. You fought and fought for each city, but lost much ground until there was a crucial turn around, which chased the Germans back. The Germans were very cruel to the Russians. They inflicted so much pain and suffering. That was the great fight for the Motherland with all Russians working together to beat the Germans. Stalin made many errors. But you could say that about Churchill and the Americans.  

I don't see how we can forget those awful memories. Many millions of people lost their lives to crush this evil horror - Nazism. We have a great debt owing to all those people who lost their lives for our freedom. We don't ever want to return to that awful time, so we should try to learn from the lessons, and, yes, it is very relevant for today.  

      I was born after the war, in 1949. I know we got involved because Germany marched on Poland. England fought hard in the war. London was badly bombed. Many civilians lost their lives through the bombings. We lost many lives in Africa and freeing France. Many lives were also lost at sea. My father was on a ship protecting the convoys. Churchill had a saying: " We will fight on the land, we will fight in the air, we will fight at sea. We will never surrender." I thank each and everyone who lost their lives for my freedom.  

      John Ramsey, UK

 
 

I am not a historian, but I’m interested in history, particularly, in World War II. I’m a retired corporal of the Uruguayan army, and it’s only natural that I’m interested in this subject. 

The Soviet armed forces and the Soviet people played the decisive role in the victory of the allied forces in World War II. At the moment of Germany’s surprise attack on the Soviet Union, the situation was critical for the allies. I would even say, the situation was desperate: France was defeated, and Hitler was master of the entire Western and Central Europe, from Cabo Norte in the Mediterranean to La-Manche and farther on to the Russian border. Hitler had a mighty offensive machine at his disposal. Yet the Nazi leader was too self-assured and unaware of the enemy’s determination to win, of the heroism of the Soviet soldiers and the entire nation. 

Your country showed nearly superhuman combat morale. It shook the world by taking only three years to drive the aggressor out of its territory and moving on to Eastern Europe, finally, reaching Germany. Thanks to Russia, the war was over much sooner than it might have been otherwise. 

How did the Soviet soldiers fight? After the treacherous attack, there was little hope that the Soviet Union would hold on for a long time. Yet the Russian authorities declared the state of total war and thus opened a new page in the great history of Russia. Learning from their mistakes and adjusting the strategy on the go, they managed to stop the Nazi offensive and launch a counter attack. Russian industries switched to producing what was needed by the front, and Russian soldiers fought to the bitter end. There were numerous facts of unbelievable acts of heroism committed at the most critical moments by the Russian army and the whole nation. The invincible combat morale combined with the thought-out tactics and strategy of military operations show how a country can hold out against such a mighty enemy. 
  

  Alberto Machado, Retired Serviceman  Uruguay, Rocha

      
 

 I've had enough information regarding the way the Soviet people fought and worked during the Great Patriotic War to be able to truly appreciate what a tremendous concerted effort was accomplished, without which the Nazis could very well have achieved their nefarious objectives. I've never been in favor of Communism, but I certainly admire true patriotism in whatever nation or political system it happens to be manifested. The world has a lot to thank the Russian people for. There's absolutely no doubt about that.  

      I was in the US Air Force during WWII and, as I look back on it, every time I asked myself why I was there, my first reply was that I was doing my duty. I grew up in a family where honor and adherence to duty were considered two fundamental ineluctable qualities that every man had to have before he could be considered worthy of any respect. I felt the United States - having been stabbed in the back at Pearl Harbor - had no alternative but to do what was universally considered, at least by most Americans, to be justifiable retaliation. I suppose it would have been nice if I could have continued studying at the University of Wisconsin but, at a certain point, I did what I thought was the only honorable (and patriotic) thing to do: I joined the Air Force. I waited to finish school and get my degree when the war was over.  

      Michael Zaccone, Italy

 

I am a Bulgarian and I feel closely linked with Russia. I like Russian nature, the Russian language, Russian grief, Russian grandeur and, above all, the Russian people. There is no other people like Russians, with their open hearts. Russia has twice liberated Bulgaria: first time from the Turks, the second from the Nazis during World War II. It’s only thanks to Russia that today we breathe the air of freedom. We must never forget this. 

      Gancho Rainov, Bulgaria, Burgas

 

Is there a threat of a new world war? Though 55 years have passed since the end of World War II, military catastrophes continue to shake the world. The great nuclear scientist Einstein said once: “I can say nothing about a third world war but in the fourth people will fight with bows and arrows.” This is a serious warning to all the countries. 

I think it’s very bad that when the war is over no one wants to remember what prompted it. Perhaps, the creators of one-polar world stand to benefit from this? In my opinion, fascism is changing faces, adapting to new conditions, and the reasons for wars are still there. The world needs consolidation in the face of this threat. 

Let’s go back to the past. At the beginning of World War II, the “Eastern Tiger” – Japan – joined the Nazi Germany-led bloc. The balance of forces was upset, when one country decided it could rule the rest of the world. 

They say history can teach. Today, more than half a century after World War II, the danger of a new war is still there. And this takes place in an epoch of nuclear weapons! Certainly, it’s hardly possible to completely destroy nuclear weapons, but the non-proliferation treaty is a way out. 

If reason prevails, the world will be saved. Why do some people fail to realize the threat of nuclear destruction? They have forgotten the lessons of the past war! 
I take this opportunity to send my greetings to your war veterans who won in that war, and wish them good health and all the best. 
  

  Zoya Alexandri Sadeki, 17, Student, Iran, Teheran

 
 

      I am the administrator of a medical clinic in Arkansas and was able to come to Moscow last November on a medical mission with a doctor from the United States. It was my first trip to Russia after studying your country for many years, and I really enjoyed meeting the people of Moscow. I have listened to many programs on the Great Patriotic War from Radio Moscow from about 1978 until 1989. I used to tape some of these shows and still have a copy of a show that you had on June 6, 1984, the 40th anniversary of D-Day.  

      I am not sure how much our current generation knows about the major role your nation carried in this great war. My own thoughts on this are that no one can say for certain how the war would have ended if Hitler had not attacked your country on June 21, 1941. When Prime Minister Winston Churchill heard the news of this attack, he did a BBC broadcast that evening mentioning that evidently Herr Hitler had not received a good primary education. He evidently had not been taught the lessons of Napoleon and winters in Russia. I feel certain that Churchill must have known that night that Germany would lose the war.  

      I am just now rereading General Eisenhower's book, "Crusading in Europe". His appreciation of your country and especially Marshal Zhukov is very clear. It seems to me that there were almost two separate campaigns of this great war, and while we tended to carry the major burden in air power, sea power and man power in the Pacific war against Japan, Russia certainly supplied the greatest burden in manpower in the European war against Germany.  

      The loss of life suffered by your people was so immense, it is still difficult to comprehend. Last year on my visit to Moscow, I think most people I talked to had suffered direct loss in their family during this war.  

      Lee Wimberley, USA

Dear Russian friends! I’m a war veteran, a participant of World War II. I’m 87. I have always admired the courageous Armed Forces of the Soviet Union, which made great sacrifices to save the world from being enslaved by Hitler’s fascism. I also admire the Russian soldiers today who are saving Europe from Pan-Islamism, which, led by Bin Laden, seeks to take over our continent. 
         

Fernand Talon, France, Cannes -Sur-Merre

 

I’m writing to you to express my gratitude for your programs and above all for the programs devoted to World War II. Yours is the only short-wave radio station that devotes a special feature to that war, giving its listeners valuable information. 
   

    Fernando Revuelta, Argentina

 
 

In your program "55 Years of the Victory in World War Two" I would like to focus on the role of Russia in the victory over fascism, and on whether the world faces the threat of another war. 
  
The first point is important because in the past decade western propaganda has been eradicating everything Russian in this country. Obvious lies are being fed to our people. For an ordinary Bulgarian, these lies, if repeated hundreds of times, turn into the only "truth". Our younger generations begin to believe these "truths". Every day "The Voice of America", the BBC, "The German Wave" along with national space, private, cable and other television and radio channels manipulate with facts and turn everything living into zombies.  The whole world knows that this war involved many states and fighting took place on vast territories. But the Soviet-German front played the key role. Not for a moment did bloody fighting stop there. As for the other fronts, military action was limited ther. The final turning point in favor of the anti-fascist coalition trook place only after the defeat of the Nazi armies in the battles of Stalingard and Kursk. The Soviet Army destroyed the enemy's main ground and air forces. At the end of the war the Soviet Army crushed the Kwantung grouping, the main body of Japanese armed forces, which speeded up the victory. Such are the facts. 

But we are being imposed theories about "turning points" in Africa, South Italy, the Midway Island in the Pacific and the like. These battles of secondary importance are ranked among the decisive battles.  For a long time Britain and the United States were engaged in defensive fighting and concentrated their forces on secondary directions, delaying the opening of the Second Front in Western Europe until it became clear that even on its own the Soviet Union would cope with Nazi Germany.  It's imposed on people in Bulgaria that it was British-American bombings that defeated Germany. According to American data, Germany's aviation industry sustained the greatest losses from these bombings. Anyhow, it's known that aircraft production in Germany was constantly on the rise.  I'm far from trying to ignore or play down the significance of the military action and resources of the British-American bloc. But the point is that we should remember the real facts of World War Two and learn our lessons from them.  Russia is a great country. It has a huge intellectual potential and enormous natural wealth, a tasty morsel for many dictators. But there is no way to conquer the Russian people. Napoleon reached as far as Moscow, set the city on fire, but had to flee the country. Hitler reached Stalingrad and was crushed. Churchill, Truman, Reagan, and Bush all waged "the cold war", reached the times of Gorbachev and Yeltsin and then became political figures belonging to the past. In the future the great Russian people will not give way to the pressure of the United States and NATO. It's the time now to launch scientific, technological and economic offensive. This rich country must have the richest people.  As for the threat of another war, we have to look at the current unstable situation. The world faces the threat of a one-polar system. The US strategy is aimed at destabilizing and dismantling the main countries in Europe and Asia, especially, Russia, China and India. It remains to be seen whether the great European countries - France, Germany, Italy and Russia - learn any lessons from the 20th-century wars, which allowed America to build its skyscrapers on the ruins of Europe. Today Clinton cynically teaches Europeans what they must do: "We have devastated Yugoslavia, spent billions. Now it's up to you to restore it and pay."  All this makes us remember the lessons of history that mankind received at great sacrifice. 

Vasil Kpapchanski, Bulgaria 

 
 

Look at these statistics about the number of soldiers that died in World War II. I'm sure you're already aware of this, but it just blew my mind (and broke my heart). Look at the comparison of how many Russians gave their lives in World War II to stop Hitler. It even says that 80 percent of Soviet males born in 1923 didn't survive World War II.  

      Cathy Case, USA

 
 

Russia played the key role in crushing Nazi Germany. The contribution of the Soviet Army to the victory is indisputable, though today some people in the West are trying to play it down, saying that it was the Russian winter that stopped Hitler’s offensive. I doubt that there would’ve been be a victory if Russia had not shouldered the largest burden of that war. 

I have seen documentaries and read books about that war. And I know that the Soviet people displayed great patriotism as they fought the enemy. The whole nation was up in an all-out effort. With perseverance and selflessness men fought at the front and women worked on the home front.  

I think that every soldier who died for his Motherland was a hero. Everyone, who fought in that war, bringing about victory, was a hero. Everyone who defended his country working at the home front was a hero.  

Unfortunately, today many people have forgotten the lessons of that war. Governments, without the slightest remorse, don’t hesitate to start a war wherever they choose. Recent developments in Kosovo provide a good example of that. If we recall all the wars waged by the United States after World War II, we can say that the lessons of that war have been lost on the United States. The revival of nationalistic ideas in some of the European countries also shows that people in these countries have failed to learn from mistakes made by older generations. 

I must mention the cowardly position of my country during World War II. Beginning with 1930, Argentina was governed by fascist-like politicians who admired the Italian and German governments and tried to imitate them in many ways. Up to 1944 Argentina pursued the policy of sham neutrality. In 1944 under the pressure of the United States it declared war on Germany. But in the years that followed it gave refuge to many Nazi criminals who had fled Germany. Many of these people continue to live on our land.  
  

 Claudia Viazzo, 38, Teacher of physics, Argentine, Cordova

 
 

Your new feature “Russia in War” is very interesting. With a special feeling I listened to the program about the death of the Russian soldier Fyodor Poletaev here, in Italy, on February 2, 1945. Poletaev fought bravely in the mountains of Liturgia in the Italian guerilla Garibaldi Brigade for the liberation of Italy. After his death he was decorated with this country’s highest award – the Gold Medal. In Russia he was given the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union. 

It’s a pity that few people today know about these landmark events of World War II. 
  

     Enrico Radaelli, Italy, Leniano

 
 

I am an American and a veteran of our armed forces. I never served in a conflict, but I would have, if called to do so. I would like to share with you and your people how hard both our peoples had to fight the Nazis. I have a relative who went to Berlin after the fall of Hitler, where he met his Soviet comrades, and they talked about how young they all were, and how they had the same kind of farmers faces as we did. He enjoyed his time with his new friends, but this was cut short due to both our countries' beliefs at the time. We should never forget the effort and sacrifice that we both shared in beating the Nazis.  
      

 James Thompson, USA

 

Two landmark events of the 20th century - the victory over Fascism and the defeat of Communism - come to prove the maturity of Europe. Unfortunately, recent events show that both East and West have trends that may lead to new dictatorships of various forms and colors. Now and again we can see local wars erupt. We must not forget the lessons of history. We must remember that the lack of memory can result in global catastrophes. 

 Salvo Micciche', Italy, Sicily 

 

   Russia's role in crushing the Nazis was very important. Particularly important was the role of the siege of Leningrad, in which a city held out against the German forces. As you are aware, after the Battle of Britain in 1940, Germany turned its attention to the eastern front to try to defeat Russia. Had Hitler not done this, and persisted in his invasion plans for Britain, then the course of the war - and the current map of Europe could have been very different. Because Russia held out for so long against the Nazis, coupled with the harsh winter of 1941, and, I feel, the military resources of the US, the tide turned in favour of the Allies.  
       
In schools in the UK, the WW2 is taught as part of the curriculum. However, to many young people, I would imagine that all those black and white photographs of people in strange uniforms seem a long way away. It is also a problem now when fewer and fewer of the people who actually fought in the war are alive. In the west in particular, we have a tendency to 'rubbish' the views of the old, and so forget the lessons of history. You need only look at the rise of fascism today in places like Denmark, Germany, Austria, the UK and areas of Eastern Europe to see that. Problems also arise from people who deny such things as the holocaust, I recently visited Poland and went to Auswizch and Birkenau -it is a sight I will never forget, and one that many more should see.  
       
The war changed Europe drastically, abolishing monarchies and creating partitions in the Cold War. The memories of that war should be in such a way that we learn from them, to ensure that such a war and such people as Hitler can never exist again. However, it is also important for those memories to not go so far as to persist in hating the 'enemy'. Forgive, but never to forget.  
       
Great Britain's role in WW2 was very important. We were the last stronghold on the western fringes of Europe - and an important tactical base for anyone wishing to control the Atlantic Ocean. The Battle of Britain in 1940, the alliance with America and the final push into France in 1944 were landmarks in the war. Both my grandparents were in the war in the RAF; my mother was evacuated from London to the country; and my father can remember German prisoners of war in his town. These memories are still fresh.  
       

Peter Morgan UK

 

Unfortunately, fascists have not learned their lessons from the past war. Their descendants and followers in different countries form new ranks and march (along the streets of our cities). We must join our forces to oppose the evil that threatens the entire mankind. We must do this to defend the holy principles of humanism and justice. 

Petar Yanic, Yugoslavia

 

When someone mentions World War II, I recall a photo that features the capture of Reichstag by Soviet troops in May, 1945. The key role in the crushing defeat of fascism belongs to Russia. And Russia sustained the greatest losses in that war. Our future was decided at the Soviet-German front. Russia's allies opened the Second Front years later. The list of personalities involved in that war is endless. For us, people living in Catalonia, the figure of our President Louis Companis is symbolic. During the war Companis was turned in to Franco and shot in Barcelona.   

 Eduard Boada and Aragones, Spain, Catalonia, Tarragona

 

From what I have learned about Russia's role in crushing Nazism, it appears that Russia's was the most significant single contribution of any country. The supreme sacrifice of its people, the figure of 26 million dead, should be enough to secure the eternal gratitude of the world to Russia and its people. But even more significant, and so tragic. was the destruction of your country by the Nazis that left the Soviet Union devastated in 1945. How sad that the Allies could not bring themselves to forge a post-war partnership with their Russian compatriots that could have helped to bring about peace in the world.  
       
Though some documentaries are shown from time to time about the War, information from the Soviet perspective made available in the West, is far from comprehensive. After all, who can tell the story better than you who lived it? It has not been easy to find books by Russian authors about the war. And most of the important Russian films about the war are rarely seen here. "The Cranes Are Flying" gives us some idea of the trials of families and young lovers in this time. On the other hand, Mosfilm's epic "Stalingrad" is hardly known. There are, fortunately, a number of books by Western authors that testify to the bravery and incredible determination of the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War. Most of the so-called Western documentaries about the war lead one to believe that Churchill and Roosevelt were the sole architects of victory.  
       
Many of my uncles served in the Canadian forces in the Second World War, and some were decorated for bravery. Canada's role was that of a country that was asked to engage the enemy in the most thankless and difficult conditions, often at great cost. The Atlantic convoys, the landings at Dieppe in 1942, Italy in 1943, Juno Beach and the tank battle at Arnhem in 1944 were critical operations where Canadians were sent in to test the enemy defenses. Canadians gave unselfishly to the war effort. We were indeed fortunate not to be attacked directly by Hitler's forces. In the Canadian wartime publications I have seen, Soviet forces were praised for their bravery.  
       
The lessons and memories of that war will always have their place. It is only through a profound understanding of the origins, the magnitude, the tragedy and triumph of this struggle, that we can learn to find a way to a peaceful world.  

      David Morris, Austria

 

At the beginning of 1944 I surrendered (to the Russians). This happened in Crimea, not far from Yalta. In such cases it was the rule in Germany in those years to tell the relatives that the soldier was killed or missing. My parents, too, were informed of my death. After some time, however, they found in their mailbox a note written in block letters (for the note not to identified by the handwriting): "Your son is alive!" It was Radio Moscow that had to be thanked for this note. In those years it read out the names of German soldiers who were taken prisoner. Nazi Germany didnot want to pass over the letters coming from POWs in the Soviet Union, and many people knew nothing about their fathers and sons. This was meant to feed the rumor that Russians "didn't take prisoners".  What was my relatives' reaction to the news that I was alive? Unfortunately, I never saw my mother again, she didn't live to see the end of the war. But people told me that, out of fear to be caught by fascist searchers, she had burned the note, so dear to her. My case was one in millions.  Meanwhile, my stay in the Soviet Union made my anti-fascist sentiments increasingly strong. Once, when the war was drawing to an end, I was on my way to the Central Anti-Fascist School, accompanied by a Russian officer. A woman sitting next to me in the train addressed me: "Sonny, who are you? How old are you? You are not a Russian soldier, I believe?" The officer briefed her on the main points of my story and how I had joined the "Free Germany" movement, which fought against fascism. We spoke about the war. I showed her a photo of my mother. She began to cry, saying that her son was the same age and that he had been killed at the front. He was 23 and he dreamed of becoming a physician. "I don't know you," the woman said, "but I wish you would not be killed and get the profession you would like to have. And remember ordinary Russians who fought against fascism."  Today I'm nearly 80. Many times I have recalled this episode while speaking with my friends. I was ashamed that my country had attacked the Soviet Union, and this way or another I had been involved.  From the bottom of my heart I wish Russia to find peace, happiness and prosperity in the new millennium. 
  

Hanz-Ioahim, Germany, Zul

 

 More than half a century ago millions of people paid a great price for the defeat of Hitler Germany. Many of them gave their lives. Their graves are scattered all over Europe as monuments of the enormous sacrifice made by their generation. Russia, the Soviet Union at the time, sustained enormous losses, having shouldered the burden of the struggle against Hitler occupants. The major battles, at Stalingrad, Kursk, Moscow and Leningrad, became turning points in World War Two. Fighting for every town, every village, every house were important because they brought Victory Day closer to us. That struggle was waged not only by soldiers. It involved newspaper and radio journalsits, who reported the situation at the fronts. Daily reports about the victories of the Red Army and the armies of the allied states boosted morale and inspired hope for an early end to the war. The Polish department of "The Voice of Russia", called Radio Moscow at the time, began its work in June, 1941.  Unfortunately, today attempts are being made to play down the contribution of the Russian people to the defeat of fascism. You can even hear that Russian soldiers were not liberators but occupants. This is unjust. Our media carry distorted reports about developments in Russia. This must be done with a view to diverting our attention from our internal problems.  I believe that every participant in World War II, be he a general or an ordinary soldier, will remain a hero in human memory. 
  

Robert Yanik, Poland

 

Today, 55 years after the defeat of fascism, we are facing new attempts at reviving fascism. These nostalgic attempts, rooted deep in history, take place in hidden, slack forms and also openly and frankly. These processes are being fed by the feeling of uncertainty that has swept Europe in its drive for global economic integration, by economic problems with no solution, by unemployment and absence of social protection. Struggle against fascism during World War Two is a landmark in recent history. It shows peoples that they must overcome alienation and solve disputes by negotiation and dialogue, that they must preserve the spirit of mutual understanding, which inspired us 55 years ago.  Resistance units fighting against fascism on Italian territory united Italians, Russians, Czechs, Britons and Americans. Today's generations must not forget about the price paid for our freedom. 
  

Bruno Berne', Italy, Rome

 
 

As a retired Naval officer, I am better informed on the USSR's role in defeating Nazism than most others in my country. It was the Soviet Forces which had destroyed nearly eighty percent of the Third Reich's armored and aviation capabilities, before our General Eisenhower executed "Operation Overlord" (the invasion of France). Your country had moved most of its strategic defense industries east of the Urals, away from the prying eyes of Luftwaffe aircraft, to create the goods needed to defeat Nazi Germany at Stalingrad, Kursk, and other places. The people of Leningrad held fast, during a nine-hundred-day siege, then rose up to push the Nazis westward. I believe you did it to guard and preserve the "Rodina", not to save the Bolsheviks. My own father saw the courage and tenacity of the Russian people, first-hand, as a crew member of "Convoy Dervish" and other PQ convoys.  
      

 John Kraft USA

 

I think that after 1945 the world has repeatedly faced crises at the brink of a world war. Yet we have managed to avoid a new war. This shows that the lessons of World War Two were not lost on us. People understood quite a lot. Since that war nobody has used nuclear weapons again. The younger generation, I belong to, may find it difficult to understand what is "the heritage of World War Two". I would like to give my opinion. When "heritage of the war" is mentioned, many people in Japan will immediately recall "The Nuclear House" in Hiroshima. Others, including myself, prefer to speak of our Constitution, which declares democracy, human rights and refusal to engage in war. People in Japan have been observing the Constitution for more than half a century. But there are people who, speaking of the Japanese, would say: "Japanese are all fascists". But how long are we, younger generations, supposed to bear the responsibility for the heritage left to us by our fathers?  
  

Sato Hiranobu, Japan

 

I accept your invitation to think about the 55th anniversary of the Great Victory. I believe that younger people are not very interested in stories about the past. Recollections of the past make sense to and can emotionally move only those who have firsthand experience of these events. Unfortunately, many Russian and Yugoslav young people have had firsthand experience of recent wars. Yet, we should listen to war veterans. Thanks to them, we were born free. The word "freedom" is magic! It's freedom that gives us this opportunity to speak of the past, present and future. 

 Valery Saarenac, Yugoslavia

 

]I was born on May 24, 1945, and my mother who was in late pregnancy on VE day tells of ringing the church bell to mark the end of the war in Europe. I grew up during the cold war and lately I have come to feel that in some ways the cold war was an outgrowth of World War II. Russia and America each feared the military strength of the other and began to arm against each other. Haunted by the memories of World War 
 II, each side feared a new war. Thus was born the arms race and the cold war. Mercifully for our entire planet, the cold war ended without a nuclear war. If there is a lesson in all of this, it must be that peace loving people everywhere must seek peaceful negotiation instead of war. As history teaches us one war often leads to another. Often the second war is worse than the first. I would also like to say that I admire the courage shown by the Soviet peoples during World War II. I wish people in Canada and the US better understood the 'Eastern Front'. As we look forward to a new century, let us all resolve to work towards global peace.  
       

Gordon Ball, Canada

 

It's wrong that people forget their history. Many do not remember that in the years of fascist occupation the peoples of almost entire Europe were crushed under Hitler's boot, that the Soviet people opposed Nazis and shouldered the main burden of the war. Hitlerites were sure of an early victory, but, having been crushed at Moscow, Stalingrad and Kursk, they had to retreat. Eternal glory to Soviet soldiers, who fought for your and our freedom! These soldiers gave their lives for every liberated spot of land. In Poland alone 600 thousand soldiers were killed. These soldiers saved many Polish cities from destruction. Particularly moving is the story about the salvation of ancient Krakow. Russian soldiers died but did not use artillery fire to avoid doing damage to this memorial city. Along with the Soviet Army, fought the soldiers of the 1st and 2nd Polish Armies. And there were no differences between them. I remember how Poles were welcoming the Soviet liberators: there were tears of joy, embraces and flowers on the tanks.  On the liberated territories people immediately got down  to work to restore their factories, plants and houses. There was an acute shortage in basic things, and we rejoyced at every restored factory, dwelling house, at our first harvest. It would be well for young people to watch newsreels of those years. We must not forget about that war if we don't want the past happen again. 

 Vladislav Dzuba,  Poland, Warsaw

 
 
 
 

In World War Two, Russia suffered disproportionately. After Jews and Gypsies, Hitler probably disliked Slavic people most. In fact, the siege of Leningrad can only be regarded as a genocidal attack on innocent civilians.  
       
After the war, Russia was robbed of its rightful respect for the tremendous sacrifices the Russian people made, due to Cold War politics. In hindsight, this was largely American hysteria, but Stalin was fully to blame for that.  
       
In war no one wins…but of all who suffered. the United States suffered least. There was (essentially) no battle on our shores, we came in late after other countries were battered and bruised, and at war's end our economy was the only one left standing. Although the United States was indispensable to the Allied effort, it was richly compensated for its efforts and deserves no further adulation.  
       

Dan Weston, USA