For seven decades have passed since the tragic date in the history of black civilization - September 1, 1939. First day of the most destructive and bloody war, which had endured Europe and all humanity.
When Prime Minister Donald Tusk has sent me an invitation to the event to launch the Second World War, I do not hesitate to accept it. Just could not do otherwise. Because this war has claimed the lives of 27 million of my countrymen, and in each of Russia's own family is living the pain of loss and loss from generation to generation, passed pride in the great victory, for deeds of their grandfathers and fathers, past the front-line roads. Because Russia and Poland were allies in the fair battle. The general moral obligation to people living today - to lay his head to the fallen, the courage and fortitude of soldiers from different countries who fought and crushed the Nazis.
XX century left deep, unhealed wounds - the revolution, revolutions, two world wars, Nazi occupation of the greater part of Europe and the tragedy of the Holocaust, the division of the continent along ideological lines. But in the memory of the Europeans - and a victory in May 1945 the second, the Helsinki Accords, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the huge democratic changes in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe at the turn of the 90-ies.
All of this - our common history, and it is inseparable from us. And there is no such judge, who could make the past completely impartial verdict. Just as there is no country which has experienced a tragic, drastic changes, government decisions, far from the high moral principles. We must learn from history if we want to have a peaceful and prosperous future. However, it is harmful and irresponsible to speculate on the memory, to dissect the story, look at her reasons for the mutual claims and grievances.
Half-truths are always insidious. Old tragedy - nedoosmyslennye or meaningful false and hypocritical, will inevitably lead to the emergence of new historical and political phobias, which face each other nations and peoples. Affect the consciousness of society, distorting it in favor of the unscrupulous politicians.
The historic fabric - it is not a cheap reproduction, which can be carelessly retouched. Upon customer's request - to remove what does not like or change the tone, adding a light or dark colors. Unfortunately, with such examples perelitsovki past often had to face in our day. We see attempts to rewrite history to the needs of short-term political expediency. In some countries went even further - geroiziruyut Nazi collaborators, put in a number of victims and executioners, liberators and occupiers.
Artificially break out individual episodes of a common historical background, political, economic or military-strategic context. Pre-war situation in Europe is considered fragmented and out of a causal relationship. It is symptomatic that the distortion of history is often divided among those who actually applying double standards in modern politics.
One can not help wonder about how far away from authors such Mythmakers memorable Stalinist «Short Course of History», in which black out unwanted «leader of all peoples» names or events imposed template, through ideology-driven version of the events.
So, today we offer is void sumnyashesya recognize that the only «trigger» Second World War was the Soviet-Hitler pact of August 23, 1939. However, proponents of this position are not specified by elementary questions - Is the Treaty of Versailles, which is summed up by the First World War, did not leave behind a lot of «minutes delayed action»? Home of them - not just fixing the defeat, but the humiliation of Germany. Did the boundary in Europe have not begun to fall much earlier on Sept. 1, 1939? And there was the Anschluss of Austria, was not dismembered Czechoslovakia, where not only Germany but also Hungary and Poland in fact, participated in the territorial redistribution of Europe. On the same day with the conclusion of the Munich deal, Poland sent an ultimatum to Czechoslovakia, while the German troops entered his army in Cieszyn and Frishtadskuyu area.
And how can we turn a blind eye to the underhanded efforts of Western democracies «pay off» from Hitler and redirect his aggression «East»? In fact, as planned and with the public acquiescing dismantled guarantees of security and arms control system that existed in Europe.
Finally, what was the military-political echoes of collusion that took place in Munich on Sept. 29, 1938? Not then if Hitler had finally decided that «everything is permitted». With France and Britain «finger» does not hurt to protect its allies. «Strange War» on the western front, the tragic fate of the abandoned without the aid of Poland - unfortunately, showed that his hopes were in vain.
Without any doubt, it is reasonable to condemn the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, signed in August 1939. But the year before, France and Britain signed the Munich agreement with Hitler known, destroying all hopes for a united front against fascism.
Today, we understand that any form of collusion with the Nazi regime was not acceptable from a moral point of view and had no prospects in terms of practical implementation. However, in the context of historical events of that time, the Soviet Union not only left alone with Germany, because Western nations have refused from the proposed system of collective security, but also faced the threat of war on two fronts - it was in August 1939 to a maximum force of the conflict flared up a fire with the Japanese on Khalkhin Gol.
Reject the proposal by Germany to sign a nonaggression treaty - in a context where the possible allies of the USSR in the West have already made similar arrangements with the German Reich and did not want to cooperate with the Soviet Union, alone to face the most powerful military machine of the Nazi - Soviet diplomats at the time it is reasonable to assume, as at least, unwise.
I think it is a conspiracy in Munich pushed divisive objective allies in the fight against Nazism, called mutual mistrust and suspicion. And looking back, all of us - and in the West and East Europe - need to remember to bring some tragedies cowardice, cabinet backroom politics, the desire to ensure its security and national interests at the expense of others. There can be reasonable, responsible policy outside the moral and legal framework.
In my opinion, the moral aspect of the policy is particularly important. And in this regard, recall that in our country immoral nature of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was unambiguous parliamentary assessment. Why has not the case in several other countries - although they also took away a mixed solution of 30-ies.
Another lesson from history. The whole experience of the interwar period - from the Versailles Peace Treaty before the start of World War II - demonstrates convincingly that it is impossible to establish an effective system of collective security without the participation of all countries of the continent, including Russia.
I am sure Europe afford to come to a common objective evaluation of joint tragic past, to insure against a repetition of previous mistakes. And therefore can not inspire optimism that progress was held in May in Warsaw, an international conference of historians, which were well represented Russia, Polish and Germans researchers sounded much weighted, objective assessments of the causes of World War II.
For the peoples of the Soviet Union, Poland and many other countries, it was a war for life, for the right to have their own culture, language, the very future. We remember all those who participated in this struggle with the Soviet people. Polyakov, who first stood in the way of aggression, bravely defending Warsaw and strengthen Westerplatte in September 1939, and then - fought in the Anders Army and the Polish troops, detachments of the Home Army and the Army Ludovit. Americans, Britons, Frenchmen, Canadians, other fighters «Second Front», liberated Western Europe. The Germans, who, without fear of reprisals, resisted the Hitler regime.
The anti-Hitler coalition - is, without exaggeration, a turning point in the history of the twentieth century, one of the major defining events of the past century. The world saw that the countries and peoples, for all their differences, the variety of national aspirations, tactical contradictions - are able to unite in the name of the future, to counter the global scourge. And today, when we affirm the same values - we just have to use the experience of partnership in order to effectively confront common challenges and threats, strengthen global space cooperation, to erase such anachronisms as the dividing line - what character they were.
Obviously, this logic does not fit relapses confrontational legacies of «cold war», uzkoblokovye approaches to key issues of our time. A truly democratic multipolar world requires the strengthening of humanistic principles in international relations, implies the rejection of xenophobia, the rejection of attempts to stand above the law.
Yet it can be argued that Europe, the world as a whole - move to greater security for all, to understand the importance of working together, to cooperate, rather than to multiplication of strife.
Postwar historic reconciliation between France and Germany opened the way for the creation of the European Union. In turn - the wisdom and generosity of Russia and German peoples, the vision of statesmen of both countries - led to a decisive step towards the construction of Greater Europe. Partnership between Russia and Germany was an example of movement towards each other, focus on the future - when caring for the memory of the past. And today, Russo-Germanic cooperation plays an important positive role in international and European politics. I am sure that Russo-Polish relations, sooner or later reach such a high, truly a partnership level. This is - in the interests of our peoples and the entire European continent.
We are deeply grateful for the fact that in Poland, in the land which lies more than 600 thousand Red Army soldiers who gave their lives for its liberation, care and respect for our military graves. Believe me, those words - not a tribute to the protocol, they are sincere and come from the heart.
The people of Russia, whose fate ruined totalitarian regime, is also well understood by a heightened sense of Poles related to Katyn, where lie thousands of Polish soldiers. We must together keep the memory of the victims of this crime.
Memorials «Katyn» and «Copper», as the tragic fate of Russian soldiers taken prisoner in Polish during the war of 1920 - should be a symbol of the shared grief and mutual forgiveness.
Shadows of the past can no longer cast a shadow today, and even more so - the next day of cooperation between Russia and Poland. We owe the consigned, before history itself - to do everything to rid the Russo-Polish relations from the burden of mistrust and prejudice, we inherited. Turn the page and begin writing a new one.
Today, recalling the first day of the Second World War, our thoughts turned to her last day - the Day of Victory. We were together in the battle for the future of mankind. And only depends on us all the best and good things that binds the peoples of Russia and Poland - grow new business, to multiply in the coming twenty-first century.
It is important that today in Russia-Polish relations began to appear exactly like this - creative - the logic. After unduly prolonged pause resumed the work of the key mechanisms for bilateral dialogue - both at the state and at the societal level. Developing interregional contacts, expand cultural, educational and other humanitarian exchanges.
Successful for the trade and economic relations between our countries began in 2008 - the mutual trade turnover grew by more than half. And in today's complex global crisis, we will make every effort to overcome the unfavorable world economic environment and to reach new prospective projects. We are talking about energy, transportation, high technology and innovation, on the counter-flows of investment in industry, agriculture and infrastructure. In short, to Russia and Poland opened up promising prospects for partnership work, to sustain a relationship worthy of two great European nations.
In conclusion I would like to convey to all Poles, and, above all, veterans of the Second World War - my warmest wishes for peace, happiness and prosperity
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