USSR flys its flag over Nazi Germany

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is coming up in today's news a lot. While we completely condemn the Russian government initiating and continuing an invasion of Ukraine, a sovereign country, the overall geopolitical situation is incredibly complex.

Polls show that a overwhelming majority of Russians have a positive view of the Soviet past, while Ukrainians are divided on this. A poll conducted in 2019 found that 59% of Russians believe the Soviet government "took care of ordinary people". A poll conducted in 2020 found that 75% of Russians believe the Soviet era was "the greatest time" in the country's history. It's hard to trust these polls completely, media suppression and propaganda hasn't ended yet.

Despite a strained relationship, following the first red scare, the United States would call Soviets their allies, a degree of cooperation and was essential to securing the defeat of Nazi Germany. The greater evil, and a common enemy. And while the United States enjoys glorifying its involvement in the Second World War, the USA and USSR have something in common.
We would not join to fight Hitler until after we get attacked.

In 1939 the USSR was relatively new and contained many ethnic groups, the majority being East Slavs at 78% of the population. 99,591,520 of which where Russian, 28,111,007 where Ukrainian. While we're more or less familiar with Russian involvement during WW2. It's easy to forget other ethnic groups that fought against Axis powers under the Red Armies flag.

The 1st Belorussian Front and the 1st Ukrainian Front encircled Berlin, and started the battle for the city itself.
The successes of the 1st Ukrainian Front during the first nine days of the battle meant that by 25 April, they were occupying large swathes of the area south and south-west of Berlin. Meanwhile, the 58th Guards Rifle Division of the 5th Guards Army in 1st Ukrainian Front made contact with the 69th Infantry Division (United States) of the United States First Army near Torgau, on the Elbe River. These manoeuvres would break the German forces south of Berlin into three parts. There are many other examples of other ethnic groups fighting under the red banner against axis powers. People from Mongolia and Kazakhstan were regular features of the Soviet army. Troops from the other stans, such as Uzbekistan and Turmenistan were also common. Mongolia was allied with the USSR. And fielded an actual army fighting alongside the USSR against the Japanese in the east.

The Soviet flag would fly over the Reichstag May 2, 1945.
Nazi Germany would surrender 5 days later. May 7, 1945

While we should not diminish the contributions of any side, arguably, the Soviet Union played the largest role in defeating Nazi Germany. While historians typically point to the amount of casualties the USSR suffered. We also have to look at what their deaths amounted to. 80% of German casualties came from Soviets. They destroyed Hitler's most experienced armies which left the Atlantic Wall poorly defended thus saving countless US and British lives on the Western Front, and turned the tide of the war by inflicting Germany's most devastating defeats (Moscow, Stalingrad, Kursk, Bagration)

The legacy of the USSR remains a controversial topic. But the soldiers who fought deserve our respect.

Art by YBS Artist JJS