The Failures of Stalinism and the Soviet System Resulted in 90% of the 27 Million War Dead

Russians should consider the debacle that was World War II when celebrating their war of genocide against Ukraine.

Courtesy of WWII Day By Day

Russians gather each May 9th to commemorate the victory over fascist Germany. 80 years ago, the Allies forced Germany to surrender in the smoldering ruins of the former capital of Nazi German, Berlin. By the time the peace agreement was signed, it was May 9th in Moscow, so Russia celebrates the victory a day later than the rest of the allies.

There is no denying that Russia suffered tremendously in World War II. Unfortunately, however, accepting Russia’s narrative of how and why the suffering took place buys into Putin’s faux narrative about why he launched what history will one day call the “Great War of Genocide Against Ukraine.” Many Russians, however, would never agree with my assessment. They regard this war as a continuation of World War II.

Not-so-bright, Putin-supporting Russians sincerely believe that Russia is protecting itself from European fascism again. Participation and support for the war in Ukraine is viewed as a sign of respect for the sacrifices of their grandparents and great-grandparents. In many ways, however, the war in Ukraine is a continuation of the Soviet Union’s participation in World War II, only not in the way they would like.

On June 22nd, 1941, when Operation Barbarossa was launched, the Soviet Union was allied with Nazi Germany. The two dictatorships attacked Poland and fileted the country in an assault that, sadly, most historians seldom regard as being as vicious and brutal as Germany’s invasion of Russia. Poland was, in every way imaginable, shredded by two massive armies from both sides. Despite the brutality, the Soviet armies occupying Poland and the Baltic countries were poorly supplied and led by green officers who had been promoted not on merit but for political loyalty (sounds like Trump world, yes?).

When Germany invaded, the struggling Soviet army was quickly overwhelmed. Located in countries where the locals hated them, the retreating Soviet armies either surrendered or were killed outright. By the end of August 1941, the Soviet Union had already lost nearly 2 million troops to death or capture, which usually later led to death. The western parts of the Soviet Union and Ukraine were occupied by the onset of winter. Tens of millions of citizens fell under the occupation of an army that regarded them as sub-human. Hitler’s “race police” went to work, and millions were slaughtered.

The utter incompetence of Stalin’s leadership, the power of the cult of personality that hypnotized most of the Soviet Union, and the purge of talented and experienced army officers had turned the Soviet army into something resembling what it looks like today. “General Winter,” in the way it slowed Napoleon over a century earlier, again stopped an invading army and permitted the Russians to activate tens of millions of reserves. Were there amazing acts of heroism on the side of the Russians? Absolutely. Of course, those heroes were simple men and women fighting for their homeland and their families, not Stalin and communism. Questioning the resolve of the Russian people is not my goal here.

Many Russian people then probably realized that the Soviet system had caused more suffering than was necessary. Of the 27 million who died, it is fair to say that that number could have been reduced to fewer than 5 million had Stalin been sane and the Soviet system been less brutally effective at destroying its own people.

Comments from friends in Russia yesterday and today have all been filled with pride and enthusiasm. The celebrations in all major Russian cities were the “biggest and best ever.” The shame and anger many felt against the war in Ukraine had, for a few hours, been replaced with great pride for the country and the army. This is the army of Bucha, which Putin purposely celebrates every chance he gets, and yesterday, some of the Bucha killers sat with him on the viewing stand on Red Square, and like the armies of World War II which brutally raped millions of women wherever they went — to include Russian women fighting alongside of them — Russians from all walks of life are celebrating these monsters. They are the heroes. They are the great Russian warrior preserving the laughable goodness of the Russian soul.

From my 28 years of living in Russia, I never dared to comment on the suffering the country experienced during World War II. It was not my place to point out the obvious incompetence that led to the deaths of millions. I listened and let their sometimes ridiculous narratives wash over me like an incoming tide. There was just nothing I could do. I only reacted when I couldn’t let the audaciousness of the propaganda stand. Topics like the lack of U.S. participation, D-Day was “nothing big,” that the Soviet Union defeated Japan, and how the U.S. was guilty of genocide because of Dresden always got me going.

Here is the thing: this same over-the-top rejection of reality and rewriting of history is already underway concerning the war of genocide against Ukraine. Whenever and however this war ends, millions of Russians will have died or been ruined for life, not to mention millions of Ukrainians, and Russians will raise their flags, sing popular WWII songs, ooh-and-aah looking skyward at fireworks, and yet again be overwhelmed by how great and good Russia is — the “kindest and holiest and bravest” of all countries.

It all makes me want to vomit. It confirms one thing: I will never live in that society again.

My mother used to say that when cooking lobster, put them in a pot of warm water, pour in a can of beer, and slowly raise the heat. She said they would fall asleep by the time it was boiling (my father thought his was cruel as hell). I don’t know if my mother was right, but the fact that Russians today — and MAGA Americans — have been lulled into a stupor by the lunacy and lies of their respective cult leaders demonstrates clearly that Darwin was right: The fittest, and the smartest, will survive.