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In reply to the discussion: Putin wants to promote objective truth about WWII [View all]Wounded Bear
(58,584 posts)Both sides were evil. We can argue all day long about which side was more evil, but that's kind of like deciding whether you want your throat cut or your head chopped off.
It was the largest, and probably the most brutal military campaign in history. Of the hundreds of thousands of prisoners taken on both sides, probably less than 10% were ever repatriated. Germans invaded the USSR essentially without provocation, they almost won. They brutalized the countries they invaded, and when the Russians bounced back and counter-invaded, they returned the favor.
Yes, this is propaganda, no doubt. But getting into a pissing contest about whether Commies were worse than Nazis is beside the point, and works to reward Putin for his efforts. It's another form of divide and conquer.