The article by Ben Norton commemorates the 80th anniversary of the defeat of fascism in World War II, arguing that it was primarily the Soviet Union and China that played pivotal roles in this victory, contrary to the Western narrative often portrayed in media. Norton highlights that around 80% of Nazi casualties occurred on the Eastern Front, where the Soviet Red Army suffered over 26 million deaths, while the U.S. and British casualties were significantly lower. He claims that the heroism of Soviet and Chinese contributions has been intentionally obscured in favor of a narrative emphasizing Western involvement.
Norton points to historical events, including Churchill’s acknowledgment of the Red Army’s contribution, and emphasizes that prior to WWII, Western nations had engaged in appeasement towards Nazi Germany out of a mutual fear of communism. This created a political landscape in which fascists were favored over socialists.
The article also asserts that while the U.S. briefly allied with the USSR and China during the war, it rapidly shifted to recruiting former Nazis after the conflict ended, beginning a Cold War strategy that repurposed fascists to combat socialism. This trend continued with the establishment of NATO, filled with former Nazi officials, and the U.S. support of fascist elements in post-war Japan.
Norton further discusses the ongoing geopolitical tensions, framing modern U.S. engagements, particularly with Russia and China, as echoes of historical imperialism and anti-communism. He stresses that understanding the true contributions of the Soviet Union and China to WWII is critical to prevent the repetition of past mistakes and to confront contemporary imperial violence today. The article concludes with a call to correct the historical record as a defense against the revival of fascism and imperialism.
