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Robert Fico Forgets When and How the Second World War Began
A few days ago, Robert Fico said:
“Dear Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Slovakia, I will say this honestly and from the heart. And I am not exaggerating. I am very glad to be among normal people. We don’t often have the opportunity to meet people who know exactly what happened between 1941 and 1945.”
In the same speech, he added:
“There’s a wise saying that reminds us: those who forget history or refuse to learn it are condemned to see it repeated.”
So let me remind Mr. Fico of the history he conveniently forgot or does not wish to acknowledge.
When he speaks of the Second World War, he seems to overlook when and how it actually began:
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The Second World War started on September 1, 1939, when Germany and Slovakia militarily invaded Poland.
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On September 17, 1939, the Soviet Union joined the invasion of Poland.
I honestly do not understand how, in today’s world, we cannot call things by their real names and instead twist or forget the most basic historical facts. How can we expect to come to terms with history or learn from it if we do that?
It is simple: the Second World War began with the invasion of Poland, in which the Soviet Union participated, coordinating its efforts with Germany. Slovakia was part of that invasion from day one. And I do not need a book or Wikipedia to remember that — my great-grandfather was deployed as a soldier on the Polish border at the time.
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Common questions on this article's topic
When did the Second World War actually begin?
Did Slovakia participate in the invasion of Poland in 1939?
Did Slovakia pay to deport its Jewish population?
What was the Slovak National Uprising?
Did the Slovak president award medals to those who suppressed the uprising?
Why does selective historical memory matter?
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