History is something that has always fascinated me. On this day as we remember those who have fought and died for Canada, I would like to give a different perspective of WW2 that many of you are not familiar with. It centers around the tiny nation of Estonia but actually involves Canada and many of the countries that today remember.
I was reminded of something most of us have long forgotten and it has to do with the "allies" that fought against Hitler. I saw an old poster from early WW2 and the flags of the allies were displayed at the top of this poster. There were just four flags, indicating that the US was not yet in the war. The allies were England, Canada, Russia and China. In 1941, despite a pact agreed upon by Hitler and Stalin, Hitler attacked Estonia and kicked out the Russian army. For Estonians who had suffered for over a year at the hands of the Russians, this was seen as liberation. Some of you will probably read this and be offended but perhaps an explanation will clear that up.
In June of 1941, Stalin ordered the elimination of all Estonians that were well educated, businessmen and land owners. My grandfather and two uncles were forcibly removed from their home and never seen again. Russian soldiers tortured, raped and killed Estonian women for no reason other than to entertain themselves. These then were Canada's "allies" in 1941. This scene was repeated in other countries as well but unfortunately Hitler was portrayed as the only enemy to freedom. History books for years, told us very little of what Stalin did during WW2. The fact is, he ordered the murder of many more people, including his own citizens, than Hitler did. Consider how repugnant Hitler is to all of us and yet Stalin and the USSR have never been held to the same scrutiny.
The belief is that Winston Churchill understood the evil Stalin represented but his hands were tied by other allies that saw Hitler as a greater threat to the world. There is no doubt that Hitler was a mad man that needed to be stopped but the compromise of the west needs to be honestly discussed. The USSR was never required to compensate families who lost husbands and sons and their entire belongings, including large parcels of land, businesses and homes. With the fall of Communism in Russia, some of the property was recovered but restitution has never come. Unlike Germans who genuinely changed and admitted the evil caused by the Nazi regime, Russia has steadfastly refused to admit anything. What may be even more troubling is that the "allies" have not demanded restitution for those that suffered. That would include my family.
As a Christian I believe in forgiving those that have hurt me. However, criminals should always be brought to justice according to the laws of any nation. WW2 was just the beginning of the atrocities perpetrated by Stalin and Russia. A friend recently told of a university in the US that erected a statue of Stalin and many could not understand why there was an uproar about this. Can you imagine a US university erecting a statue of Hitler? Yet this is what many of us have faced as we have tried to expose the evil surrounding Russia for over 50 years. The other troubling thing in all this is that Russia today, including Putin, absolutely refuse to admit any wrong doing during WW2. They maintain that Russian soldiers were welcomed in as liberators in 1940 and then 1944 by Estonians. Funny that no Estonians see it quite that way, except of course the handful of Communist sympathizers of the day. Consider for a moment what happened to the Nazi sympathizers in places like France, Italy and Holland.
Take a look at the link below to get some perspective of what Communism was all about.
http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/282296/checkpoint-charlie-museum-thor-halvorssen
