DISINFO: Historical revisionism on WWII is used to justify geopolitical measures against Russia
SUMMARY
During the Cold War, history was used as a propagandistic weapon against the enemy, but three decades later there is still no search for historical truth on WWII. Today it is common to put at the same level the role played by the Third Reich and the Soviet Union, practically considered a historical certainty that is even backed by European Parliament resolutions. To maintain those narratives 75 years after the defeat of the Third Reich is vital to adopt and justify current geopolitical measures.
RESPONSE
This is part of the Kremlin’s campaign on historical revisionism on WWII in order to boost its legitimacy and deny the USSR’s responsibility in the outbreak of the conflict. Though pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives on WWII predate the mentioned European Parliament resolution on historical remembrance of September 2019, they increased as a reaction to it, after which Russia launched a campaign blaming Poland for the war and accusing it and other EU members -especially the Baltic states- of twisting history to justify anti-Russian measures. See other examples of Russian disinformation narratives on WWII in our database, such as bogus claims that Western countries revise history to avoid responsibility for allowing Hitler to attack the USSR; that the Soviet Union tried to create an anti-Nazi alliance but the West didn’t respond; that the USSR had no role in the outbreak of the war; that Western democracies are primarily responsible for this conflict; or that by defeating Nazism, Stalin atoned for crimes against his own people. [Note: This disinformation message appeared in the same video clip as the claims that “Western media try to minimise Soviet victory in WWII".]