German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and German historian Andreas Wirsching also called for careful handling of the story.
Germany alone is responsible for starting the Second World War; he who tries to portray other peoples as criminals rewrites history and divides Europe. This is stated in a joint article by German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and German historian, Professor Andreas Wirching, published in Der Spiegel on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II.
It notes that 8 May “was Liberation Day for the millions of disenfranchised and persecuted, Memorial Day for victims, victory over lawlessness. “The Germans paid the price for allowing January 30, 1933 (the appointment of Adolf Hitler as Reich Chancellor) and were unable to free themselves from National Socialism”, – the article says.
“Germany’s past shows the danger of revisionism, which replaces rational thinking with national myths”, – said Maas and Wirsching. In this regard, they called for careful handling of history and recalled that in most former Soviet republics and Western coalition countries, on the anniversary of the end of the war, celebrations and military parades are held, while in Poland, the Baltic States and some other European countries it is met with mixed emotions.
“For them, the joy of defeating National Socialism is linked to the beginning of a new form of unfreedom”, – says Maas and Wirsching.
They noted that it is precisely Germany, given its past, that should make its opinion clear when “those who have been attacked are turned into aggressors and victims into criminals. “The constant attempt to rewrite history in such a shameless manner in recent months requires us to take a clear position, which, in fact, is not needed at all in the light of an immutable historical fact – only Germany alone launched World War II by attacking Poland,” – stressed Maas and Wirsching.
“And Germany alone is responsible for Holocaust crimes. He who doubts this and represents other nations as criminals acts unjustly towards the victims, he uses history to his advantage and divides Europe”, – the article stresses. – “He who tries to put an end to this part of German history not only mocks the victims, but also deprives the German policy of trust”, – Maas and Wirsching noted.