The new historiography of the Zeitenwende/ turning point: Holodomor as genocide and the Ukraine war as a „breach of civilization“

The new historiography of the Zeitenwende/ turning point: Holodomor as genocide and the Ukraine war as a „breach of civilization“

After the Holomodor classification as genocide by the German Bundestag, Selensky now wants to organize a Nuremberg Tribunal 2.0 for the Russian and Putin elites responsible for the Ukraine war. In addition, Baerbock speaks of a “breach of civilization” with regard to the Ukraine war, which was previously the official code for the Holocaust, although Jewish associations and Israel have often protested in the past because they often saw the uniqueness of the Holocaust as “relativized” The same dispute is now raging between Jewish associations and Israel with the postcolonial, postmodern gender feminists and representatives of the much-cited Global South, who want to see the crimes of the colonial powers and imperialist states against the colonial peoples taken into account as well.

 Conversely, there were at least Hitler comparisons and unspoken Holocaust comparisons with Screbrenica, Milosevic and Saddam Hussein. In any case, some Germans now seem to want relativize or even forget their own breach of civilization in the past by equating it with the Russian “Zivilisationsbruch” in the Ukraine war. But that is only possible to a certain degree and one does not want to do so completely, because now the Nazi history is being reinterpreted and rewritten as a special responsibility towards the Ukrainians and Eastern Europeans and no longer towards the Russians. Which is not an accident either, since Putin and his ruling clique themselves despised, instrumentalized and exploited anti-fascism, be it with alleged “genocides” by the “Nazi government” in Kyiv on the Russian-born East Ukrainians, which never took place, which served as official reason for war as well as the Putin called “denazification ’ of  Ukraine as the reason for and aim of war, in addition the war atrocities committed by the Russians became known and Russia under Putin developed into a quasi-fascist dictatorship. In addition, Lavrov officially welcomed the fascist German AFD with a red carpet rolled out in the Kremlin. The only things missing as the next step are facist Höcke in the Honor Gallery on Red Square at the military parade on the Great Anti-Fascist Patriotic War or the joint celebration of the anniversary of the Hitler-Stalin Pact.

The Ukraine war is now bringing about a lasting turning point/Zeitenwende in historiography in the West (of course also in Russia, especially since critical tones such as Memorial were erased). The Soviet historiography supported by German Ostpolitik for decades, to which Putin also adhered and used them as instrument, along with the German guilt complex for the 25 million murdered Slavs, who were always or primarily portrayed by the Russians as Russians, is now being cleared away. The new historiography now focuses on Eastern Europe as the victims of Stalin and Hitler and now places central emphasis on Eastern European historical narratives.

The Russia expert Dr. Rah said:

“ That’s true. And entire universities and institutes are actively involved in rewriting history:

Russia no longer a victim of Germany, but Hitler’s accomplice in conquering Eastern Europe Eastern

Europeans, Soviet peoples, except for the Russians, victims of Russia (Stalin)

Germany is putting war guilt into perspective by now standing by the side of the victims of Russian aggression

Putin is the new Hitler”

The Eastern Europeans will probably tend to be idealized and romanticized as a counter-movement historically, despite Bandera, Piludski, Iron Guard, Horthy and Pfeilkreuzler, etc., in whose tradition many of today’s Eastern European nationalists from Melnyk to Kaczynski or Orban see themselves from illiberal democracy to soccer scarves at the World Cup with Greater Hungary map. If it were up to a few Eastern European nationalists, one would like to present Schröder and Merkel as the new Hitlers and Minsk together with the refusal of NATO membership for Georgia and Ukraine at the Bucharest NATO summit in 2008 by Germany as the new Hitler-Stalin pact. But one does not go that far (yet), but rather leaves it at comparisons with Chamberlain’s appeasement policy. Although zealous EU democrats may seek to place Kaczynski, Orban and other Eastern European nationalists in the tradition of Nazi collaborators and autocrats. But probably with the handbrake on and rather vague words, especially since Germany is historically sitting in a glass house and Russia is the new, old main enemy. The reactions to Melnyk’s Banderra worship, which is shared many Ukrainians, were also very revealing, but protests from Israel and thus also Germans in the slipstream led to his dismissal, although he is now making a career in Ukraine as Deputy Foreign Minister and maybe one day in the future could become Selensky’s successor. As with the Russians, some Polish politicians see in the case of Germany the historical, eternal continuity as an imperial great power that has always sought to submit to Europe and especially Eastern Europe and ignore their interests – and Tauryggen, Rapallo, the Hitler-Stalin Pact and Ostpolitik are all accordingly in one line. There is also an unspoken demand in the direction of the USA that Europe should exclude Russia forever, that a European security architecture should be a Europe without Russia and Germany should be incapacitated because it has always been, is and will always be an insecure power. The balance of power is shifting more towards Poland als Spokesman for the Eastern Europeans, especially to be delegated in the Weimar Triangle. Ex-NATO General Domroese also said: „NATO is becoming more easterly and northerly, Germany is losing importance“. You could already see that with Trump, when he criticized Germany for the 2% GDP target and made a demonstrative visit to Poland and decided to withdraw US headquarters for Europe from Germany and to relocate US troops to Poland. This trend will probably continue under the Democrats or with another US president, especially since Biden has also been described as “the last European and transatlantic president”, especially since the US really wants to focus on Asia in the future. All those Germans who are now hoping for a new German leadership role in Europe have to constantly justify themselves against the general suspicion of national special paths or hesitation, which could then also result in an outbidding competition in terms of politics for the new German strength, which is already running on the back burner, Scholz and Lambrecht still trying to slow down this process against Baerbock, the Christian Union and the FDP, but a US general said quite openly that Poland would have the new leadership role in Europe for the USA because of its role as a new frontline state against Russia, the immense armament efforts by  exceeding the NATO 2% GDP targets (5%) and the right fighting spirit. Of course, it doesn’t work entirely just in Eastern Europe and Poland, but Germany is already leaving a lot of feathers, especially since Scholz had also upset the French and other countries in the EU. It is therefore also interesting how friendly Biden received Macron  in Washington AUKUS seems to have long been forgotten, the new conflict is now more of an emerging trade dispute between the EU and the USA, which Macron is trying to avoid for the EU. Biden, in turn, praises France’s leadership role in Europe and Macron’s still existing channels of communication with Putin. In any case, there seems to be a lively race within NATO and the EU whom the USA accepts as the actual leading power. Some experts hope that this conflict could also be clarified by means of a new leadership trio, namely a newly adjusted and weighted Weimar Triangle, as was recently discussed at a Körber Foundation event on a new European security architecture and peace order. The turning point in history will logically be part of it.

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