Perhaps it's because I was a history major, but I am constantly shocked at how so many from politicians to average citizens seemingly know nothing about history and cannot see patterns from the past in current events. One case in point is the parallels between Adolph Hitler's policies toward Czechoslovakia in the late 1930's and what is happening in eastern Ukraine now under the scheming of Vladimir Putin. Here are snippets from Wikipedia on what happened in the 1930's:
The German occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945) began with the Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia's northern and western border regions, known collectively as the Sudetenland, under terms outlined by the Munich Agreement. German leader Adolf Hitler's pretext for this effort was the alleged privations suffered by the ethnic German population living in those regions.
"I am asking neither that Germany be allowed to oppress three and a half million Frenchmen, nor am I asking that three and a half million Englishmen be placed at our mercy. Rather I am simply demanding that the oppression of three and a half million Germans in Czechoslovakia cease and that the inalienable right to self-determination take its place."—Adolf Hitler's speech at the NSDAP Congress 1938
The Czechs, Hitler claimed, were slaughtering the Sudeten Germans.
Hitler used a Nazi supported "political party" inside Czechoslovakia to generate claims of mistreatment and calls for German intervention. Sound familiar? Fast forward three quarters of a century and we see Vladimir Putin mimicking Adolph Hitler to a frightening degree. Does no one recall where appeasement by the West can lead? A piece in The Daily Beast looks at Russia's ongoing mischief making in Ukraine. Here are highlights:
The new pro-Moscow leader in the breakaway republic of Donetsk bragged openly today that Russia has strengthened his besieged rebel forces with men, armored vehicles and tanks. His boast would appear to confirm Ukrainian claims that the Kremlin is stepping up backing for the insurgents, defying the West with a dangerous escalation of the conflict Russian President Vladimir Putin said midweek he hoped would end soon.
Alexander Zaharchenko, who was appointed “prime minister” of the self-styled Donetsk People’s Republic earlier this week, told The Daily Beast that the rebels have received reinforcements from across the border, and specified in an interview with Russian radio station that “1,200 men trained in Russia have joined his force and that separatists have received also 120 armored personnel carriers and 30 tanks.”
It remains unclear whether this was the military column British reporters saw crossing the border at the dead of night Thursday near Izvarino, or whether this was a separate column.
Kremlin officials deny they dispatched any column across the border on Thursday, slamming the allegation as fantasy.
[I]n recent days there has been a growing swagger to rebel fighters in Donetsk, even if they remain twitchy under the barrage of Ukrainian government artillery shelling. Zaharchenko on Friday night projected defiance rather than bravado, no doubt buoyed by the Moscow-sent materiel and fighters.
Anyone gullible - should I say stupid? - enough to believe a word coming out of Putin's mouth seriously needs to do a quick brush up on their history of the late 1930's. Hitler got away with his lies and aggression for a time and was initially supported by many Germans. Russians would likewise be wise to relearn history about Hitler and then take a good look at what Putin is doing. Things ultimately ended badly for Germany and the same could well be the case with Russia.
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| A Russian convoy inside Ukraine |
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