Peace in Our Time - Part 8
This series of articles has been investigating similarities between Germany's 1938 annexation of the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia and Russia's recent aggression against Ukraine.
Part 1 of this series, reviewed Hitler's 1938 speeches justifying acquiring the Sudetenland. Hitler's justification for taking the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia resembles Putin's for invading Ukraine.
In part 2, we looked at British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's defense of the appeasement of Germany.
In part 3, we looked at the opposition to the 1938 appeasement policy.
In part 4, we reviewed Ukraine’s historical development.
In part 5, we examined Putin’s justification for the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
In Part 6, we looked at Putin's 2021 speeches, setting the stage for the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
In Part 7, we looked at Putin’s February 21, 2022 speech, 3 days before the invasion of Ukraine.
Putin's February 24 Speech
On February 24, 2022, Putin announced the invasion of Ukraine, which he called a ‘Special Military Operation.’ For a full transcript of the speech, click here. Highlights of the address:
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) expansion is a security threat to Russia:
“[NATO’s] military machine is moving and, as I said, is approaching our very border. “
“… promises [were made by the West] not to expand NATO eastwards even by an inch [were not kept].”
“… a military presence in territories bordering on Russia, if we permit it to go ahead, …will create an ever-mounting and totally unacceptable threat for Russia. “
“…With NATO’s eastward expansion, the situation for Russia has been becoming worse and more dangerous by the year.”
“For our country, it is a matter of life and death, a matter of our historical future as a nation. This is not an exaggeration; this is a fact. It is not only a very real threat to our interests but to the very existence of our state.”
Situation Analogous to 1940 and 1941:
Putin made an analogy to 1940 and 1941. World War II in Europe started when Germany and the USSR invaded Poland in September 1939. Putin says that the USSR appeased Germany in 1940 and 1941, and, as a result, the country was unprepared when Germany launched its June 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union. He says he would not make that mistake again by allowing NATO expansion to Russia’s borders.
“…in 1940 and early 1941, the Soviet Union went to great lengths to prevent war.”
“…the USSR sought not to provoke the potential aggressor…by refraining or postponing the most urgent and obvious preparations it had to make to defend itself… When it finally acted, it was too late.”
“As a result, the country was not prepared to counter the invasion by Nazi Germany, which attacked our Motherland on June 22, 1941…the country [USSR] stopped the enemy [Germany] and went on to defeat it, but this came at a tremendous cost.*
Western Aggression
Putin says that the West has been an aggressor against other countries, and shows what could happen to Russia.
“…a bloody military operation was waged against Belgrade, without the UN Security Council’s sanction but with combat aircraft and missiles used in the heart of Europe. The bombing of peaceful cities and vital infrastructure went on for several weeks.” [Putin is referring to the Kosovo war in the former Yugoslavia; NATO forces conducted an air campaign in 1999]
“The illegal use of military power against Libya and the distortion of all the UN Security Council decisions on Libya ruined the state” [Putin is referring to the 2011 NATO bombing campaign during the Libyan Civil War. Libya has been unstable since then]
“The combat operations conducted by the Western coalition in that country without the Syrian government’s approval or UN Security Council’s sanction can only be defined as aggression and intervention.”
“the invasion of Iraq without any legal grounds.”
“Wherever the United States brought its law and order, this created bloody, non-healing wounds and the curse of international terrorism and extremism.”
The speech was full of bellicose rhetoric.
“…fundamental threats which irresponsible Western politicians created for Russia consistently, rudely and unceremoniously from year to year.”
[Referring to his attempts to negotiate with the West:] “Where did this insolent manner of talking down from the height of their exceptionalism, infallibility, and all-permissiveness come from? What is the explanation for this contemptuous and disdainful attitude to our interests and absolutely legitimate demands?”
[referring to diplomacy after the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union:] “..we saw a state of euphoria created by the feeling of absolute superiority, a kind of modern absolutism, coupled with the low cultural standards and arrogance of those who formulated and pushed through decisions that suited only themselves.”
“[the West] …sought to destroy our traditional values and force on us their false values that would erode us, our people from within.”
[accusing Ukraine of oppressing ethnic Russians]: “We had to stop that atrocity, that genocide of the millions of people who live there and who pinned their hopes on Russia.”
“[after the USSR dissolved] The United States and other Western partners…immediately tried to put the final squeeze on us, finish us off, and utterly destroy us.”
Threats against those who might threaten Russia:
“…there should be no doubt for anyone that any potential aggressor will face defeat and ominous consequences should it directly attack our country.”
“No matter who tries to stand in our way or all the more so create threats for our country and our people, they must know that Russia will respond immediately, and the consequences will be such as you have never seen in your entire history.”
Putin claims Russia will respect borders, but…:
“Russia accepted the new geopolitical reality after the dissolution of the USSR. “
“We have been treating all new post-Soviet states with respect and will continue to act this way. We respect and will respect their sovereignty….”
“However, Russia cannot feel safe, develop, and exist while facing a permanent threat from the territory of today’s Ukraine.”
Special military operation
In his earlier February 21, 2022 speech, Putin recognized the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic (the regions in Eastern Ukraine with significant numbers of ethnic Russians). In this February 24 speech, three days later, he announced a ‘special military operation.’ He describes it:
“The purpose of this operation is to protect people who, for eight years now, have been facing humiliation and genocide perpetrated by the Kyiv regime.” [referring to Donetsk and Lugansk]
“we will seek to demilitarise and denazify Ukraine.”
“It is not our plan to occupy the Ukrainian territory. We do not intend to impose anything on anyone by force.”
“The current events have nothing to do with a desire to infringe on the interests of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. They are connected with defending Russia from those who have taken Ukraine hostage and are trying to use it against our country and our people.”
As of mid-July 2022, the ‘special military action’ (war, in other words) has gone on for over 140 days. Both sides have experienced heavy casualties. Parts of Ukraine have been heavily damaged. And the final outcome is yet to be determined.
* The USSR incurred over 20 million casualties during World War II, more than any other nation. The bulk of Germany’s military efforts and deaths occurred in its fight with the Soviet Union.