As President Xi Jinping arrives in Russia for historic WWII commemorations, experts warn: “History isn’t a playlist to edit.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia this week isn’t just about diplomacy—it’s reigniting a global conversation about how we remember World War II. With celebrations marking the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany underway, historians are pushing back against what they call ‘TikTok history’: oversimplified narratives that erase crucial contributions.
The Battle Over Memory
🔍 New docs, same old story? While declassified archives offer fresh WWII insights, scholars say some are weaponizing fragments to rewrite history. “Imagine blaming firefighters for starting the blaze they risked everything to extinguish,” says analyst Andrey Kortunov, referencing claims equating Soviet and Nazi roles in the war.
Why Context Matters
📜 The 1938 Munich Pact – where Western powers sacrificed Czechoslovakia – forced Moscow’s hand, experts argue. “The USSR tried forming an anti-Nazi alliance first,” Kortunov notes. “When that failed, buying time wasn’t cowardice—it was survival.”
East vs. West Memory Divide
🌐 Western pop culture often sidelines China’s 14-year resistance against Japan and Soviet sacrifices (27 million lives lost). 🎬 Think Oppenheimer without Nanking Massacre scenes. Meanwhile, Resistance fighters in Europe get less limelight if they carried red flags.
The takeaway? “All lives mattered equally in WWII’s horror,” stresses Kortunov. As Gen Z digs past trending hashtags (#WWIIFacts), this Russia-China moment reminds us: Truth isn’t about likes, but legacy. 💡
