The tenacity, courage and sacrifice of the Red Army managed to stop the greatest genocide
history. Photo by File/Prensa Latina
By Maria Josefina Arce
Today is Victory Day. 78 years ago, during World War II, the longest and bloodiest war of the 20th century, Nazi Germany signed its unconditional surrender to the then Soviet Union in Berlin.
Decisive for the defeat of fascism was the heroism of the Soviet people, who fought the Great Patriotic War from 1941 to 1945 to oppose foreign intervention.
The tenacity, courage and sacrifice of the Red Army managed to stop the greatest genocide in history. Between 50 and 70 million people are estimated to have lost their lives as a result of this conflict, which left about 27 million dead among the Soviet people.
Precisely the historical leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz (1926-2016), stressed that while it is fair to recognize the role played by the internal resistance in the occupied European territories and the contribution to the victory of all forces that who participated in the anti-fascist alliance, it is an indisputable fact that it was the people and the Soviet army that bore the fundamental and decisive weight in the defeat of fascism.
World War II was marked by events of enormous impact, such as the mass extermination of Jews and the first use of nuclear weapons.
In August 1945, with Germany’s surrender already signed, the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Berlin-allied cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. 400 THOUSAND people died and to this day the effects of this criminal act remain.
Today the specter of fascism, which Fidel Castro Ruz would describe as “the fullest expression of reactionary bourgeois and imperialist thought,” has not disappeared from the world.
Of course there are differences depending on the time, but there are also similarities in some aspects. The existence of neo-Nazi groups revering fascist symbolism and ideology is a reality in many countries.
In the United States, for example, with the arrival of Donald Trump in 2017, white supremacist groups proliferated, emboldened by their hatred and racist statements.
Likewise, the far right has gained ground, with much in common with fascism such as xenophobia. Immigration is one of his favorite topics.
Today is a momentous date for a world that, in the mid-20th century, was the scene of one of the greatest tragedies and humanitarian catastrophes in its history.