Some also worry that Putin may announce a mass mobilisation, calling able-bodied men into service. Instead, my fear is that Putin will use the holiday to announce a new offensive and new phase of the war.” It’s hard to see any sort of victory being declared. “Given how important Victory Day has been to Putin and Putinism, it’s hard to imagine that his government won’t try to use it for some purpose. “Putin and his advisers certainly pay attention to historical anniversaries and like to use them to bolster their hold on power,” Norris said. Nobel-Prize-winning author Svetlana Alexievich has captured this well, by stating the history of victory replaced the history of the actual war.”Īs Victory Day approaches, some observers believe that the top brass, frustrated at the lack of progress in subduing Ukraine, will call for a push, and Putin will declare total war. It also validated the sacrifices made during the war. “Twenty-seven million Soviet citizens died during the war, and victory obviously came at a great cost. “Victory in World War II became the defining myth in post-war Soviet life, outstripping even the Revolution in its significance,” explained Stephen Norris, professor of Russian history at the University of Miami. This day of pride, which will mark the 77th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, is seen by some observers as a propaganda tool for President Vladimir Putin’s government, which is drawing on history for its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.Īnd some fear that Putin will use this year’s celebratory occasion to ramp up war efforts. On Monday, thousands of soldiers, tanks and military vehicles will march through Moscow’s Red Square, while fighter jets roar overhead as part of the annual Victory Day parade.
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