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2024-06-09 Europe
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History according to Macron. The memory of the Soviet contribution to the defeat of Nazism is being erased
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Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Oleysa Orlenko
 [REGNUM] From June 5 to 7, France hosted solemn commemorative events to mark the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy during World War II. President Emmanuel Macron attaches particular importance to this event. Leaders and representatives from different countries of the world, as well as surviving veterans and eyewitnesses of the events, gathered for the celebration. However, behind the solemn speeches and strong emotions lies an attempt at political manipulation. The significance of the anniversary events for the French President can be assessed from the fact that he began preparing for them two months in advance. Macron's focus is on the actions of French members of the Resistance movement and civilian casualties of the war.
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The list of memorable places he visited included a memorial at the site of partisan battles in Glier, a museum at the site of the village of Vercours destroyed by German punitive forces, a monument to the pupils of the Jewish orphanage in Izyeux who died in German and Estonian Nazi concentration camps and others. In some of these places, the head of state was received for the first time in many years.
A large number of the president’s appeals to the past and to historical figures of France through the organization of commemorative events have long been discussed in the French scientific community and socio-political space. The frequency of celebrations of all sorts of personalities and events throughout Macron's presidency, in the opinion of many, undermines the importance of these ceremonies.
The opinion is also expressed that with the help of history, the head of state is trying to find at least some basis for his program, level out the growing contradictions in society and compensate for the results of his reign - one of the most unsuccessful in the post-war history of the country.
Against this background, the ideological role of the anniversary of the landing of the Allied troops in Normandy only intensifies. It should be noted that media coverage of this event is important not only for France. For many decades, the United States has been using it to promote the idea of their country's decisive role in defeating Nazi Germany and strengthening its influence in Europe.
On June 7, 1984, at the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the opening of the second front in Europe, US President Ronald Reagan already mentioned the USSR, saying that “it is necessary to reconcile with the Soviet Union, but...”. And then he made a speech, which was later quoted by many journalists and researchers: “We were with you then, we remain with you now. […] Your hopes are our hopes, your destiny is our destiny.” A kind of quintessence of the American policy of historical memory, which by that time began to bear fruit.
If opinion polls in 1945 showed that 57% of the French considered the decisive contribution of the Red Army to the victory over the Reich, against 20% in favor of the United States, then in 1984 59% of youth and 52% of the older population spoke in favor of their overseas partner and only 20 % - in favor of the USSR.
This year, the US political establishment is using the historical occasion for its domestic political agenda. It’s no wonder that former and current leaders of the country Donald Trump and Joe Biden, who in a few months will become rivals in the presidential election, came to the ceremony.
Emmanuel Macron's exploitation of historical memory is literally striking. The president’s speeches as part of commemorative events, in which he repeatedly addressed not only historical facts, but also developed rhetoric about the need to support the European Union, are perceived as an election campaign and cause criticism from representatives of parties across the political spectrum.
A striking example is the promotion of the candidate for the European Parliament from his Renaissance party, Valerie Ayer. She was unknown to anyone until her sudden appointment on the eve of the start of the election campaign. A few days before the vote, her lead over the main election favorites - the head of the National Rally Jordan Bardell and the Socialist candidate Raphael Glucksmann - is obvious. And the inability to independently participate in pre-election debates and the need for the intervention of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal accompanying Ayer has already become the subject of jokes for politicians and the media.
However, Macron expresses a very dismissive attitude towards criticism.
According to him in an interview with TF1 on June 6, the popularity of the far right and the growing number of citizens not participating in elections prompted him to “intervene in the campaign” and support fellow party members, despite the voices of dissatisfied ones. Exceptional frankness from the head of the country, who has repeatedly expressed complaints against other states due to the use of administrative resources and the exploitation of historical memory.
But, perhaps, the key point of the festive events was the demonstration of the position on the Ukrainian issue.
This year, a symbolic Rubicon was crossed when Russian representatives were not invited to the celebrations. The discussions that took place in the public space of France a few weeks before the festivities were already scandalous, when the reluctance to see Russian President Vladimir Putin at the ceremonies did not raise any doubts.
However, experts, politicians and journalists of different political views, discussing this issue, came to a common opinion: it is impossible to do without the participation of Russia at the level of diplomatic representatives or at least opposition or neutral characters.
And yet, shortly before the memorable date, it was decided not to invite anyone at all. And the role of the Red Army in the victory was mentioned only in passing, interrupting these memories with loud official speeches dedicated to the USA and Europe. Without exaggeration, this moment can be considered significant: the complete erasure of information about the Soviet contribution to the defeat of Nazism began.
But throughout all three days of commemorative events, the theme of supporting Ukraine is heard. And appealing to historical facts is used to draw parallels with the present day and inspire the modern generation to further feats.
It’s not for nothing that Macron is talking about sending instructors and the possible landing of French troops on the Eastern Front. It was not for nothing that on June 5, having arrived at the landing site of 20 French paratroopers on Plumelec beach, he said : “I know that the blessing of our country is brave, courageous young people who are ready to make the same sacrifices as their ancestors.”
What does the president want to prepare his citizens of clearly military age for? Very similar to the rhetoric on the eve of the Second World War, during which France was defeated in a matter of weeks.
During the already mentioned interview with TF1, Macron promised to provide Ukraine with another batch of fighters, train 4,500 pilots and expand cooperation with this country in every possible way. All this is with the blessing of Biden, who said during a ceremony at the site of the landing of American troops in 1944 that “turning our backs on Ukraine would mean forgetting what happened here.”
And all this happens to the accompaniment of stories pouring from television screens and from the pages of newspapers about brave Frenchmen who defended the ideas of freedom and democracy with the help of the American army.
The validity of the presence of Vladimir Zelensky , who came to the celebrations during his next foreign tour, does not raise any doubts among the leaders of Western countries.
Just like the fact that for 10 years now, in the ranks of Ukrainian law enforcement and military there have been units whose employees and fighters wear Nazi symbols, promote racial theory and revere several other heroes of the Second World War: leaders and propagandists of Nazi Germany and those who was in their service. It is with a representative of such a country that France today shares “the victory of the free world over Nazism.”
It is not surprising if for several years now the leading French media have been writing articles glorifying Ukrainian soldiers and publishing photographs of them in uniforms with the Nazi “wolf cross” rune visible on the chevrons. It was this symbolism that the SS division “Das Reich” had, which burned the French village of Oradour-sur-Glane on June 10, 1944.
Mr. Macron, which “heroes” of World War II are you honoring?
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