There was as much represion in eastern europe after the was as there was in Germany during it. repressions in eastern europe after war? you're real cold-war brainwashed product. do you really mean that soviets sent jews to crematories just the way nazis did? if so, then you speak outright slander.
What about the MILLIONS sent to the Gulags in Siberia? Have you any idea what went on there? Ask my Latvian mate what he thinks of the Soviets and what they did to friends of his.
millions? who told you? thanx stalin, trotsky and those alike were asassinated, and all the rest of bolsheviks were sent to gulag, thus the world was saved from worldwide bolshevik revolution. friends of your latvian mate were in nazi army and supported hitler.
No, the Latvians wanted their Independence from the oppressive Soviet Union. By the way , my friend was in the SOVIET ARMY in the 1980s. He saw the messed up lads that came back from Afganistan. If you deny the millions in the Gulags I wonder what history book you learn from.
independence from su as exchange for dependance from oppressive nazi germany? do you know how many jews was killed in latvia when it was under fascist authority? what books you learned from? i bet, they were all anti-soviet, aimed at debasement of achievements made by russia.
No, like now Latvia wanted independence. Full stop. Just like in 1918 until Soviet Union took them over. No I don't know how many Jews died in Latvia, however I agree that was wrong.
latvia did not want an independence whatsoever at the moment [in 1945]. in fact, it applied for being allowed in soviet union, but when russia lost a cold-war they changed their minds.
No I've read some very good books on the Soviet Union that have used material from old Soviet archives. The events don't need an author's anti-Soviet bias. They are distateful and depressing enough.
very good books on the Soviet Union... from which point of view "good"? distateful and depressing events... at the moment most latvians were glad to join russia.
Read a version of this book this last year, very depressing read but forced myself to finish it. http://www.booknotes.org/Program/?ProgramID=1785 This one is a different edition to the one I had. A few years ago I read a book called Siberia (?) it was about travels in modern day Siberia but the chapter about the Gulag was also very depressing.
Yes but what was the definition of "enemy of the state"? It could be literally anyone you took a dislike to, I could report YOU to the Soviet authorities and you would end up in a gulag. That is why I found aspects of the book disturbing. Please try and get hold of the book and see what I mean. High ranking Soviet people ending up in Gulags for simple things. Examples are ; to have affairs with someones wife, someone owned a better car, better apartment which the denouncer took over, really trivial and petty things. In the Gulags terrible events occured such as an all male camp was allowed to visit an all female camp and mass rape them. Another time one camp had a "strike" so the Soviets machine-gunned the whole camp. It really was sickening to read. That information came from survivors, ex-camp guards and newly opened Soviet files. Now is that enough for you? Not Western propaganda but reports from people who were there and actual Soviet reports.
I am afraid that Stalin is blind in one eye and cannot see out of the other one. He sadly is a result of the system of progressive denial. A little better than the Japanese, but not much. If I disagree with Stalin, I am a yank lover, if the Latvian disagrees he is a Nazi collaborator, if Soviets disagree they are Bolsheviks. You lie to yourself to honour a man with the same name who was an animal to his own people and to his enemies alike.
If I disagree with Stalin, I am a yank lover, if the Latvian disagrees he is a Nazi collaborator, if Soviets disagree they are Bolsheviks. Help! I must be a Yank-loving Nazi-collaborating Bolshevik! (and a Fascist of course.) I'm so conflicted.
You lie to yourself to honour a man with the same name who was an animal to his own people and to his enemies alike. actually, stalin was a human being. you're propaganda victim, poor boy...
Stalin I will ceasefire to ask some questions. Are you a Serbian living in Moscow? What was your family history with regards to Russia. Were you russian posted(military)in Serbia? I am now curious rather than to battle over ideology.
actually, stalin was a human being. Of course he was, so are you, so am I. Stalin was a murdering dictator......just a bit different. you're propaganda victim, poor boy... of yours possibly!