Showing posts with label World War 2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label World War 2. Show all posts
Azar Majedi ✊ On May 8 and 9 of this year the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII and the defeat of Nazis was commemorated in two different ceremonies, one in Ukraine with British, French, German and Polish heads of states, and one in Russia that was attended by 30 state leaders including the Chinese.


80 years after the end of WWII the world has turned around a whole circle and is back to where it left off. WWII is considered to be a determining point in the history of modern world. The war exposed the inherent inhumanity and brutality of capitalism. The death and destruction that the war imposed on the world was brutal.

Now 80 years later, after a year and a half of genocide, slaughter and mass murder in Palestine and the Middle East, few years of warmongering propaganda, expansion of NATO, monumental investment in arms, the extreme suppression of civil liberties (1), complete censorship of mainstream media and extreme measures against social media, suppression of freedom and the right to protest, we are witnessing the same horrid situation. Fascism is taking over the whole West. The threat of another world war is looming over us. It is unbelievable how it only took 80 years for the monster to reappear.

The war started by a European power and led to an unimaginable death and destruction. Around 80 million people lost their lives worldwide; 7 million Germans, 2.7 million Western Europeans and Americans, 27 million from the Soviet Union, 20 million Chinese and millions in Africa and Asia. WWII is recorded as the most horrendous crime of modern time (from 1500 to today) considering that since the rise of colonialism there have been many genocides committed by Western states, on top of slavery which is one of the darkest chapters of human history; it shows the extent of brutality and inhumanity exerted in this war.

WWII Just like the first one was about world domination and power. It was created to resettle the results of WWI which aimed at re-dividing the world. And the world indeed changed; some empires fell and some gained more power; new countries were created. However, one thing nobody had expected was the October 1917 revolution in Russia which changed the political dynamic and relationships and created a great challenge for the world powers. The threat of communism became the biggest threat of all time for capitalism and western imperialism. As a result fascism started to grow in Europe.

Hitler’s and the fascists’ aim was to defeat the working class and communist movements which were strong in Germany and also in Europe and to crush the Soviet Union. Many communist and labour activists were sent to concentration camps, something which is never talked about. Since WWI, when Russian revolution shook the world, fascism came to the political scene in Europe first and foremost as an anti-communist movement to combat the Soviet Union and the rise of socialist and working class movements in Europe, and in great parts of the world. Italy is considered the birth place of fascism, but it became very strong in Germany, it was in power in Portugal (Salazar regime) and Spain (Franco regime) collaborating with Hitler but officially neutral, it was the de facto power in France, and very strong in Austria, Greece, Romania, and Yugoslavia. Even though British government officially opposed Hitler, Its leaders, notably Winston Churchill were ideologically fascist.

In 1937, while speaking in favour of allowing Jews to settle in Palestine, Churchill made a statement which is eye-opener:

I do not admit ... for instance, that a great wrong has been done to the Red Indians of America or the black people of Australia. I do not admit that a wrong has been done to these people by the fact that a stronger race, a higher-grade race, a more worldly wise race to put it that way, has come in and taken their place.

Soviet Union was the main force in defeating the Nazis; the force that they waged the war against. According to all historical documents Soviet Union played the main role in defeating the Nazis, after losing around 27 million of its population. It was the “Red Army” who freed Auschwitz. The picture of the Red army soldiers raising the red flag over the Reichstag Building in Berlin has become iconic. (2) This is not about taking sides. It’s about historical facts and trying to understand and expose the West’s intentions for falsifying the history. Soviet Union was not a socialist state. It claimed to be one. But the world capitalism could not even tolerate a fake socialist state.

However, Western imperialism has been trying to change the history by creating a false narrative. This narrative portrays US as the saviour of the world from fascism and the country that ended the war. They even try to bury the abhorrent US crime of dropping nuclear bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of the war, just as a show of force, testing nuclear bombs or warning the world who the real boss is! The ruling class has created this fantasy world of the good and evil worlds fighting each other, and of course the West is the good, and Russia the evil.

As Western imperialism practically lost the war to the Soviet Union and as a result Soviet Union grew bigger and took over part of Europe, the West chose a very clever ideological-political path or solution to raise the flag of democracy, human rights, individual freedom, rationalism and international law. To create a welfare state with democracy in the West as a propaganda showcase against the Soviet Union and to destroy any socialist movement in the world under the banner of fight for democracy. It was this goal and obsession that led to the creation of Truman Doctrine (3) to rule the world and Marshal Plan (4) to assist Europe.

This only lasted a few decades. By the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the cold war, the “sweet” era of democracy and human rights came to an end in the West.

Comparing the world today with 80 years ago, brings to mind Marx’s deep observation of human history: “History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.” (The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte) However, the farce has gone to the point of absurdity. Two years ago in May 2023 the G7 held a summit in Hiroshima and condemned the war crimes of Russia without even mentioning the nuclear bombs dropped by the US on that very same city!

This only shows how far the ruling class has come and how obnoxious they’ve become. They’re completely disconnected and feel untouchable. They don’t give a damn about what the public think and feel. This is when you scratch your head and ask how far they’re prepared to go and how far will the people take it? The answer to the first question is as long as they are forced to stop. The answer to the second one is more complicated.

The rise of fascism in the West is real. The ideological narrative promoted by the ruling class is fundamentally the same as the Nazi era, but turned around. Throughout history the WWII narrative has completely changed to Nazis against Jews and all the other factors have been minimised and sidelined. And now in a bizarre way anti-Judaism (anti-Semitism is used in mainstream discourse) has come to mean anti-Israel. By this jugglery they have arrived at the position to call anyone who opposes and condemns Israel an anti-Semite and therefore a criminal. Criminalising any opposition to Israel and its genocidal crimes and to criminalising defence of a suppressed and downtrodden people are the best proof of the rise and power of fascism. Upholding Talmudic values and principles has become officially acceptable and promoted: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently stated that “Europe holds the values of the Talmud,” referring to the central text of Rabbinic Judaism. (5)

NATO has expanded both in size and military capability; warmongering is an integrated official narrative and more bold and practical steps are taken to violate the current international law in order to provoke Russia and China. These are worrying signs.

The West has never stopped creating wars. The West has been more or less safe from war, but wars have been ravaging all over the world, thanks to US, Britain, France, Israel, etc. (We said “more or less”, this refers to the war NATO waged against Yugoslavia that led to thousands killed and misplaced. Belgrade was bombed by NATO for 78 days in 1999). But when the dominant and mainstream spokesmen speak of world war, they mean war in Europe like the 2nd one. The US and the West are struggling with deep crises. Crisis is an inherent nature of capitalism. It is periodical; and each time to overcome the crisis, the stronger becomes stronger, and concentrate more wealth under its control and the weak gets eliminated. The chaotic nature of crisis, if deep enough, can lead to wars.

US while creating the UN as an international institution to deal with world issues, started a brutal campaign to take over the world, suppress any voice for equality, freedom and progress. In fact, the nuclear bombs dropped by the US on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were a glimpse to the future, a sign of the shape of the world to come. US organised more than 70 coups during the cold war, bombed many countries, including Vietnam, Cambodia, South Korea and Laos. Millions were killed under US bombs, by famine and starvation imposed as a result of war, under military juntas supported by the US.(6)

UN has been exposed as the instrument of US and the West to keep their supremacy and power over world affairs. UN is nothing but a theatrical show to engage and distract the minds. Its downfall was accelerated by the genocide in Gaza and its total inability to make any difference. However, when one delves into its history one discovers that from the beginning it was nothing but farce. The former UN general secretary Kurt Waldheim was a former Nazi military officer. He served in the German Wehrmacht during World War II, including in Greece and Yugoslavia.(7)

80 years from its inception, UN has become an exposed, discredited joke in the world. The Genocide of the Palestinians tore the mask and charade of human rights, international law and democracy. All the propaganda about democracy, human rights, superior science-based, humanitarian-based civilisation has been shredded into pieces.

We have enough proofs and documents to expose the ruling class and its plan for the world destruction in an attempt to deal with capitalist crisis on world scale. We need to mobilise. We need to wake up. We need to fight back. The future of humanity is at stake. Tomorrow might be too late.

(1) UK police is investigating Kneecap, an Irish band, and has charged for terrorist offence under terrorism act for singing against Israel and shouting Free Palestine.

(2)  The Red Army raised the flag over the Reichstag building in Berlin on May 2, 1945, marking the end of the Battle of Berlin and a symbolic victory over Nazi Germany. This iconic image, often referred to as "Raising a Flag over the Reichstag," is a well-known symbol of Soviet triumph in World War II.

(3) The Truman Doctrine, articulated by US President Harry S. Truman in 1947, committed the United States to providing political, military, and economic aid to countries threatened by communism. It aimed to counter the spread of Soviet influence and establish a policy of containment, where the US would work to prevent the expansion of communism. Another aim not addressed openly in this doctrine is threat of Arab nationalism which Eisenhower Doctrine, announced in 1957, addresses more openly. Eisenhower privately admitted that the real goal of the doctrine was to combat Arab nationalism. US under Truman was the first country to recognise Israel.

It’s been documented that former US National Security Adviser, Zbigniew Brzezinski, was promoting China to support the Khmer Rouge in 1979: “I encouraged the Chinese to support Pol Pot. Pol Pot was an abomination. We could never support him, but China could.” According to Brzezinski, the USA “winked, semi-publicly” at Chinese and Thai aid to the Khmer Rouge.

(4) The Marshall Plan was a US-led program of economic aid to Western Europe following World War II, aimed at rebuilding war-torn economies and preventing the spread of communism was a US foreign policy that pledged American support to nations resisting communist aggression or subversion.

(5)  1953 coup ‘d’état in Iran, Turkey 1960 and 1980, Greece 1967, Korean war 1950-53 which resulted in at least 3 million death, Indonesian coup 2-3 million death, genocides in Vietnam and Cambodia, bloody coups all over Latin America; these are some of the atrocities committed by US in cold war under the banner of defence of democracy.

(6) What is dumbfounding is the complete silence of the secularists and feminist movement and organisations with regard to this statement. Those who are lamenting over Islam condemn the misogyny and backwardness of Islam, said nothing, even to raise concern over such outright misogynist and reactionary values. Their silence is deafening.

(7) There were more high Nazi officers and collaborators in Western establishments including Hans Speidel: A general who served in the Wehrmacht and later became the Supreme Commander of Allied NATO ground forces in Central Europe. Adolf Heusinger: A general who served in the Wehrmacht and later became the head of the West German military and Chairman of the NATO Military Committee. Many were employed by NASA.

⏩Asar Majedi is a Member of Hekmatist Party leadership & Chairperson of Organisation for Women’s Liberation.

80 Years After WWⅡ 🪶 Fascism On The Rise

Caoimhin O’Muraile ☭ June 6th 2024 marked the eightieth anniversary marking the D-Day (Destination Day) landings by the allies in Normandy, France. 

The landings were commanded by US General Dwight D. Eisenhower and consisted of troops from many countries, most notably Britain, Canada and the United States. There were also many soldiers not so broadly spoken of who took part in this the third stage of the fight against fascism and Nazism in Europe. 

The first stage, arguably consisted of the Battle of Britian in 1940 and the Soviet victory over the Third Reich at Moscow December 1941, and the second stage being the Battles of Stalingrad and Kursk in 1943. During the Battle of Britian many RAF pilots were not British at all but Free Polish airmen, Free Czech and Norwegian pilots who flew with the Royal Airforce (RAF). During the Normandy landings which were unquestionably heroic in themselves there were many unsung heroes who hardly receive a mention. For example, the Free Czechoslovakian armed forces had an armoured division fighting alongside the aforementioned countries troops in France. Indian soldiers and troops from the African continent also took an equally heroic part in neutralising the forces of the Third Reich. Why do these soldiers, not to mention the Brazilian forces who took part on the allied side during the war from August 1942, not get a mention and praise worthy of the name afforded to the main three countries of Britain, Canada and the United States?

Eisenhower’s second in command was British General Bernard Law Montgomery who almost fucked the entire venture up at Caen. He was supposed to take the town in a day - it took him two months. Yet this General, who after Caen was trusted less by Eisenhower, is constantly spoken of in the most heroic way. He gets all the plaudits for an almost fuck up while soldiers of non-white pigmentation are hardly recognised or mentioned. Why could this be? Incidentally the same man later also made a bollocks of ‘Operation Market Garden’ in Holland.

It is perhaps understandable the British will promote the part played by their armed forces in Normandy as any coverage by the United States and Canada would undoubtedly push the rolls played by their armies to the fore. I am not suggesting for one second that the British soldiers fighting the Nazis never played a most heroic role because they certainly did as, no doubt did the US and Canadian armed forces along with all the allied countries soldiers who fought in France. Over 130,000 Irishmen fought on the allied side in the British army, normally an antithesis to many, against fascism from both traditions on the island of Ireland and they too are seldom mentioned. 

What is open to scrutiny is why are soldiers of a different colour skin not given the same praise? The Soviet Union who lost upwards of 20 million souls and whose victories at Stalingrad and Kursk paved the way for the Normandy landings. These battles are not credited in the same way as D-Day but without those Red Army victories over the Third Reich it is unlikely the Normandy landings would have taken place, certainly not in 1944. Some Western historians try to blame the ‘Russian winter’ for the collapse of the Third Reich in the Soviet Union. This is, of course, bollocks because it was the same winter for both and the tank battle of Kursk took place in the middle of summer. Perhaps these same historians would have preferred a Nazi victory, after all the NSDAP (Nazi Party) were, in an albeit distorted way, pro-capitalist funded by Germany’s big business. If the USSR were not part of the allied collective bringing about victory maybe these historical supposed experts could speak their minds more openly?

On 5th December 1941 after six months of Nazi victories over the Red Army, due to Stalin’s policies in no small part was weakened and leaderless, Marshal Georgy Zhukov took command. One of his first tasks was to repel the Nazis from the gates of Moscow which he successfully carried out. Surely all the personnel, men and women, from many different countries deserve the same credit in the fight against fascism.

At the commemorations to mark the occasion in France British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak left early and has been, rightly so, severely criticised for insulting the memory of the British and allied dead during the landings and subsequent victory in Europe. As the leading British parliamentarian Sunak should not have left the event early leaving David Cameron as the British Governments representative. This incident was criticised by far-right British politician Nigel Farage but criticised for all the wrong reasons. Farage said on 9th June on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg over Sunak’s early departure; “he does not understand our culture,” hinting strongly that the Prime Minister based on skin colour was not really British. This was the kind of discourse Hitler in his first years of government would say about Jewish people not being “true Germans”. Farage, having made what could be described as a pro Hitlerite statement then tried to give his comments an air of respectability by praising the role played by soldiers from the British Commonwealth, still loosely referred to as the ‘British Empire’, in the battles in France and North Africa who were classed as British troops. Who was this praise aimed at, tepid as it was from the ‘Commonwealth'? Perhaps the Canadian, Australian and New Zealand soldiers, the majority of whom were white was who he was talking of. This thinly veiled attempt to give his statement about Rishi Sunak some form of respectability was less than convincing. Farage now heads the ‘Reform UK’ party who are seeking Conservative and Unionist party votes on the 4th July, date of the UK General Election.

Farage once headed the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) and employed Irish far-right politician, Herman Kelly, once describing the Irishman as a “big strapping Paddy lad” an ethnocentric if not racist remark in itself. Kelly was and, arguably still is, very much a protégé of Farage. How Kelly can support a united Ireland while supporting the United Kingdom far-right - the UK includes the six counties for now - is a not very clear. Perhaps he does not want a united Ireland at all as he goes about whipping up racial tensions across Ireland! He works very much to a Farage agenda, the same Farage who is strongly in favour of maintaining the partition of Ireland. Is Kelly a British fascist fifth columnist? Forty years after the defeat of fascism in Europe a leading British politician on live television shows his not so hidden contempt for those who gave their lives fighting such ideologies as his. What an insult. Perhaps we should ask the question: if Nigel Farage had been around during WW2 which set of ideological policies would he have supported?

It is perfectly understandable the British Prime Minister should face criticism for leaving such an important commemoration early but that criticism should be based on his policies, not his ethnic or racial origins. The criticism should be about the offensive nature of his leaving the event early and not, as Farage claimed, “he doesn’t understand our culture” which is the wrong argument. It showed Nigel Farage for what he is, a racist neo-fascist who will use any opportunity no matter how sensitive to promote his vile policies even the commemoration of the war dead of D-Day.
 
Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent Socialist Republican and Marxist.

D-Day Eighty Years On

Caoimhin O’Muraile ✒ In the General Election of December, 1918, the results in Ireland were a huge electoral victory for Sinn Fein, taking 73 of 105 seats for the country. 

In January 1919 the elected representatives formed their own parliament, Dail Eireann, the First Dail, in defiance of the British Government. On 21st January, the same day, four members of the Irish Volunteers – soon to be restyled the Irish Republican Army (IRA), Dan Breen, Sean Treacy, Sean Hogan and led by Seamus Robinson attacked, while intending to procure gelignite, a consignment of the explosives guarded by the Royal Irish Constabulary at Soloheadbeg Co. Tipperary killing two RIC men. These are the shots credited with starting the Irish War of Independence. 

From this point on the IRA grew in stature and certainly effectiveness, carrying out various guerrilla warfare tactics across the country against the British occupying forces and their police force, the RIC. The IRA developed quickly into one of the most effective and clinical guerrilla armies Western Europe had/has ever seen. 

One leading IRA man, Michael Collins, originally from Cork, based in Dublin set up an intelligence unit called “The Squad” which had tentacles everywhere from Dublin Castle, the seat of British administration in Ireland to the Civil Service and outlying barracks. Collins had working for him, as a squad member, Lily Mernin – Irelands Matta Hari as termed by Tim Pat Coogan – who ostensibly worked as a Secretary in Parkgate Street Barracks, and was an IRA Intelligence Officer working undercover for Michael Collins. Other valuable “squad” members, to name only two were David Neligan, a Sergeant in the RIC and Edward – Ned – Broy who was based in Dublin Castle working in numerous attached barracks. This is to name but three of Collins spy network but the calibre of his agents can be gleaned.

On 21st November 1920 Collins squad, acting on reliable information went into action, not for the first time: their mission to assassinate a group of undercover British Agents, known as the Cairo Gang. This was the name afforded them because they met in the Cairo Café in Grafton Street, Dublin. Another theory as to how they got this name was because they all served British Intelligence in Cairo, Egypt – though this theory was/is not considered as reliable as the former. IRA volunteers of “The Squad” acting on the information received passed on to them by such people as Lily Mernin visited a number of addresses across Dublin killing or fatally wounding fifteen men. Most of these were British Army Intelligence Officers along with one RIC Sergeant and an Auxiliary. The Auxiliaries were a brutal force of former British Army officers who, along with another force of ex-servicemen, the Black and Tans, who were of equal brutality were to take the war to the IRA. None of these men would be doing so again after 21st November 1920. These assassinations sparked panic among the British authorities, many of whom fled to Dublin Castle for safety.

One week after the assassination of the British officers in Dublin the IRA in Cork launched an attack on the Auxiliaries. On 28th November 1920 the Kilmichael Ambush took place near the village of Kilmichael in County Cork. The operation was commanded by Tom Barry when two lorries of Auxiliaries were ambushed killing seventeen of their number, the IRA lost just three volunteers. As dusk fell between 4.05 and 4.20 the vehicles carrying the former British officers, who constituted the Auxiliaries, came into view when the IRA struck, after Barry wearing an IRA tunic, looking not dissimilar to the Auxiliaries, halted both lorries. With the republican forces in position Barry gave the order to open fire. The Auxiliary Division were taken completely by surprise by this well thought out attack which resulted in an emphatic IRA victory. 

The success of the Kilmichael Ambush was both a political and military victory of major significance. It elevated the IRA to a commanding position over superior numbers who were better equipped and was a needed response to the introduction in Ireland of the Auxiliaries and Black and Tans, both ruthless in their actions. The republican forces had to meet brutality with an equal level of force.

On 19th March, 1921, the Battle of Crossbarry took place. Here the IRA, again commanded by Tom Barry this time with Charlie Hurley, near the small village of Crossbarry outwitted and outfought 1,200 British troops and 120 Auxiliaries. Around 104 volunteers were surrounded by the British yet they managed to outflank them, killing 10 and wounding 5 while the IRA suffered 3-6 dead and 3 wounded. Ironically the British commander was a certain Arthur Percival, the man later responsible for surrendering the British prize possession of Singapore to the Japanese during World War Two. The British tried to encircle the IRA but were outwitted resulting in them suffering higher casualties and the republicans escaping to fight again.

The three incidents very briefly described above were three of many battles where the guerrilla fighters of the IRA successfully engaged and defeated far larger and better equipped numbers in the field, actions which were eventually to force the British Empire to the negotiating table. The guerrilla tactics of the IRA during this period did not go unnoticed by the higher echelons of the British military and civilian establishments and were later to be used as a role model by the British Special Operations Executive during the Second World War.

On 1st September 1939 Nazi Germany invaded Poland which was the start of the war in Europe. Britain and France declared war on Germany as a result of this invasion [or this is the official reason] on 3rd September. By the end of June, 1940, France capitulated and the British Expeditionary Force along with some French and Belgium troops had retreated to the port of Dunkirk. The Royal Navy assisted greatly by small shallow hulled civilian craft managed to evacuate around 340,000 troops to fight another day. This was largely made possible by the bulk of what remained of the French Army fighting a rear-guard action to hold the Germans back sufficiently for the evacuation to take place.

In July 1940, London, the Special Operations Executive was formed under utmost secrecy. The role of the SOE was to carry out reconnaissance, sabotage and espionage behind enemy lines across German occupied Europe, aiding various resistance groups in the occupied territories. Responsibility for the SOE was given to the Minister of Economic Warfare, Hugh Dalton who had studied closely the tactics and strategies of the IRA during the Irish War of Independence, briefly outlined above. The SOE along with various resistance fighters ambushed German troops, in much the same way as the IRA had done at Kilmichael, they blew up bridges which generally frustrated the forces of Hitler ability to operate. The SOE also had responsibility coordinating intelligence on German troop and goods movements, their spy network and intelligence personnel again emulating the IRA squad in Dublin on 21st November 1920.

Dalton and other ranking British officers, politicians and Intelligence had been studying the IRA's methods since Hitler annexed Austria (The Anschluss) in 1938. After the fall of France and the launching of the SOE it was decided these tactics, once described as “murder” by the same British establishment, were to be adopted by themselves and the resistance fighters against the Nazis. A clear case of poacher turned gamekeeper, or, in this case, the other way round?

Caoimhin O’Muraile is a Dublin 
based Marxist and author. 

The IRA 1919-21 & The Special Operations Executive 1940

From Strategic Cultural Foundation It is astounding and deeply disturbing that 75 years after the end of World World Two the history of that event is being re-written before our very eyes.

That war resulted in over 50 million dead with more than half of the victims from the Soviet Union. 

It incorporated the worst crimes against humanity, including the systematic mass murder of millions carried out by Nazi Germany, known as the Holocaust. The victims included Jews, Slavs, Roma, Soviet prisoners-of-war and others whom the fascist Nazis deemed to be “Untermensch” (“Subhumans”).

The Soviet Red Army fought back the Nazi forces all the way from Russia through Eastern Europe, eventually defeating the Third Reich in Berlin. Nearly 90 per cent of all Wehrmacht casualties incurred during the entire war were suffered on the Eastern Front against the Red Army. That alone testifies how it was the Soviet Union among the allied nations which primarily accomplished the defeat of Nazi Germany.

Continue reading @ Strategic Cultural Foundation.

Rewriting History of World War II Is Ominous Warning