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Disinfo: Facebook distorts historical truth about WWII

Summary

Facebook has removed the photo of the Victory Banner over the Reichstag: was it an accident? I don’t think so. In the situation of removal of the famous photo of the Victory Banner, no one can believe in some kind of mistake or accident.

This time, Facebook blocked an account of a user, who published an original and well-known photo from Berlin of 1945. This photo is an illustration of a real historical event. But in current reality, the corporations, together with the authorities of particular countries, try to impose censorship, distorting the historical truth.

Disproof

A pro-Kremlin conspiracy narrative about Western social media (primarily, Facebook), which are used by foreign governments or “secret elites” in order to promote various anti-Russian messages or inspire “Colour revolutions”.

The claim that Facebook carries out a policy of censorship aimed at the distortion of historical truth about WWII is conspiracy theory not supported by evidence.
According to the response from Facebook quoted by TASS, the situation with the removal of the recently-coloured photo of the Soviet Victory Banner took place as a result of a mistake of automated instruments used by the social network. This mistake was quickly fixed - the historical photo of the Soviet Victory Banner over the Reichstag is widely available on Facebook.

See similar disinformation cases connected to Facebook - Google and Facebook manipulate information to destroy Russia; Facebook is a project of the Soros Foundation, financed by National Security Agency; Facebook is in the service of the US State Department.

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publication/media

Sputnik Poland (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 197
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 12/05/2020
  • Language/target audience: Polish
  • Country: Russia, US, Germany
  • Keywords: Facebook, Censorship, USSR, Anti-Russian, Historical revisionism, WWII, Conspiracy theory

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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Warsaw Pact prevented global conflict, NATO escalates the situation along the Russian borders

The Warsaw Pact prevented the outbreak of global conflict during the Cold War. After its dissolution in 1991, the world has become unipolar, which negatively impacts international security.
After the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact and NATO enlargement to the east, this buffer [Warsaw Pact] had disappeared. As a consequence of this situation, we see the recent escalations realised by NATO along the Western borders of Russia.

May 16, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative involving historical revisionism about the Cold War and presentation of NATO as a threat to global peace because it has an aggressive anti-Russian agenda.

The Cold War was a direct result of aggressive actions of the Stalinist USSR in Eastern and Central Europe as well as the Middle East (Turkey, Iran). The incorporation of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe into the Warsaw Pact was carried out under conditions of military occupation, one-party dictatorship and the violent suppression of dissent.

Ukraine and the Baltic states want to present the USSR as an “absolute evil” in WWII

The West wants to minimise the role of the USSR in the victory over Nazism. This policy is determined by Poland and the Baltic states. Currently, a new trend in the presentation of WWII has emerged – it presents as “absolute evil” not only the Nazis but also, the USSR. This strategy of turning the USSR in an “absolute evil” emerged in Eastern Europe – primarily, in Ukraine and the Baltic states.

May 16, 2020
Disproof

This message is part of the Kremlin’s policy of historical revisionism – it accuses the Baltic states, Ukraine and Poland in “falsification and re-writing” of history and imposition of their historical views on the EU. Read more here.

The claim that Ukraine, the Baltic states and Poland determine the view of the EU countries on WWII history is a distorted. The EU countries are sovereign states, which take their own decisions regarding the perception of WWII history. Ukraine, the Baltic states and Poland cannot impose decisions on the EU and its institutions.

The National Security Strategy of Poland is a manifestation of traditional Russophobia of the Polish authorities

The new National Security Strategy of Poland is a continuation of a traditional Russophobic course of the Polish authorities. It shows their determined and permanent orientation on the United States and manifests their Russophobia. This situation is connected with active use of nationalism in the ideology of Poland – nationalism requires the presence of an enemy. It is important for the Polish authorities to have an enemy as they build their entire domestic policy on this fact. This document underlines the loyalty of Poland to the USA as its main European ally.

May 16, 2020
Disproof

This message is a part of the widespread Kremlin’s narrative about the Russophobic Poland - the Kremlin-controlled media regularly accuses the political elites of Poland in Russophobia and implementation of anti-Russian policies. Within this narrative, the “Russophobic” policies of Poland are often explained by the claim that the United States fully controls the domestic and foreign policy of this country (presenting Poland as an American “puppet-state” or a “banana republic”).

Poland is a sovereign state, which develops its own national security strategy, which is based on the national interests of Poland.