Nikolai Platonovich, many Western politicians and historians today try to consider through the prism of Realpolitik, reducing it only to “geopolitical game”, forgetting about the danger of carrying to mankind a fascist ideology. What, in your opinion, lies the danger of this approach?
Nikolai Patrushev: History is essential to study and not try to adjust. You cannot change the past. Gained by the previous generations of positive experiences should be used and allowed in a particular moment in the history of mistakes you should try not to continue to repeat. However, we are witnessing attempts to rewrite history and silence the bloody atrocities of fascist regimes. And this is one of the reasons that a hundred years after the fascists and Nazis raised its head in Europe, their slogans are heard again today in the squares of a number of countries.
What slogans and ideas can be called fascist? Those who in the 1920-ies used Mussolini and Hitler, or these concepts are much broader?
Nikolai Patrushev: Both dictators used the ideas initially developed by French and British theorists of “scientific racism” ideology of extreme conservatism, monarchism, mystics and philosophers. Among these ideas – the dominance of some races and peoples over others, the cult of war and brute force, neglecting moral values, totalitarianism in all spheres of activities, the suppression state of the individual.
And this ideology fell on fertile soil, which originated in the devastated Europe after the First world war?
Nikolai Patrushev: We discussed this issue with members of the scientific Council under the security Council of Russia, with representatives of several research institutes. Many historians reasonably believe that after the First world war a significant number of people passed through the horrors of the bloody battles, realized that imposing the European society of liberal values did not prevent the slaughter of 1914-1918 and did not ensure the return to normal life or to soldiers-winners, nor losers. Problems of post-war economic recovery, separation by artificial borders yesterday of a United Nations – caused despair to millions of people. Thousands of small shopkeepers, factory owners, artisans and their families went bankrupt, unable to bear the hardships of wartime. They, like returning from the front the soldiers didn’t need to be thrown out of society. Believed that put power in the name that endured hardships, fought and died. Money on military orders that big business used to do, attracted more than peaceful trade, and aggressive geopolitical doctrine of the Nazis are Zach��PS promised in abundance. Finally, fascism was formed and a favourable international environment. Manipulation about the “threat from the East”, which Russophobes of Europe were intimidated his compatriots are not the first generation received a new impetus with the emergence of Soviet Russia.
However fascism in the 1930-ies was not confined to Europe. The clear imprint of fascism carried and polity faithful ally of the German militarist Japan.
Nikolai Patrushev: According to many historians, its aggressiveness, cruelty and ambitions of Japan in these years was not inferior to the Third Reich. Inspired by the idea of their superiority over other Nations, in the years 1937-1945, the Japanese army brutally killed millions of civilians in China, Korea, Indochina, Philippines, Indonesia. To the last adhering to the principles of the militarist ideology that Japan was in no hurry to surrender, despite the defeat of Germany.
and That was one of the reasons for the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 75 years ago on August 6 and 9?
Nikolai Patrushev: the Americans sent a nuclear weapon on a civilian population and, therefore, their actions differed little from the crimes of the militaristic Japan. The victims of the Japanese victims of the horrific bombing cannot be justified by military actions. At the same time, as you know, applying for the only time in the history of mankind military atom, the United States pursued the main goal – to intimidate the Soviet Union and other countries to the existence of new and as a powerful weapon of mass destruction.
the lessons of this tragedy we must always remember, to prevent its recurrence in any part of the world. The visible manifestation of a responsible approach to the future of humanity is the realization of the wrongness of those American politicians who today are pushing Tokyo to the military buildup and the expansion of the boundaries of the possible use of Japanese armed forces.
Back to the story. He left there in oblivion fascism after the triumphant victory of the Soviet Union and the Western allies in 1945?
Nikolai Patrushev: In 1945 the collapse suffered not all fascist regimes. Survived, for example, the dictatorship of Franco in Spain and Salazar in Portugal, where he found refuge to many Nazi criminals, who then with the knowledge and sometimes with the support of Western intelligence agencies was shipped to other regions for transfer of experience. Even countries that defeated fascism retribution found not every criminal. In the dock at Nuremberg was only the most notorious Nazis. A similar character and of the Tokyo process. The prosecution of other criminals faced difficulties. Says a lot about the fact that while in Khabarovsk with��Eskie authorities judged the officers of the Kwantung army, put horrific experiments with biological weapons on prisoners and civilians, they had time to surrender to the Americans colleagues continued their deadly work in the United States.
As actually a former German punitive and voluntary “helpers” in the occupied territories.
Nikolai Patrushev: the Results of this were not slow to affect in the years 1960-1970: in the world there are dozens of political regimes are more or less pronounced fascist character (the so-called parataxis). The vast majority of them belonged to the camp of allies of the United States. So, in 1967 in Greece came to power, the “black colonels”, and in 1973 in Chile began a seventeen-year dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. It is worth Recalling that even in this very far country, the organizers of the coup used and Russophobic slogans – “Anxiety, Chilean, Russian stand at the door!”.
Is the cultivation of anti-Russian hysteria as one of the main threats to the security of the state is such an effective method?
Nikolai Patrushev: History shows that he worked for, leading many to nervous exhaustion. Remember, in 1949, Secretary of defense James Forrestal is so zealously engaged in the preparation of a new war with the Soviet Union by supporting anti-Soviet propaganda to increase appropriations for the defense that in the end, write the American edition, he was in a psychiatric hospital, where he jumped out the window with the words “the Russians are coming, they’re already here.”
something is very similar to today’s situation, when in the twenty-first century, under the slogan “Russian go” in our neighboring countries come to power outright nationalists. Work on the old anti-Soviet manuals?
Nikolai Patrushev: this has been Especially true in Ukraine, where the leading role in politics after the events of 2014 broke a neo-Nazi organizations such as “Freedom”, UNA-UNSO, “Right sector”, “national corps”, “Volunteer movement OUN” (banned in Russia). Their leaders are in favor of construction in Ukraine “corporate-syndicalist”, and in fact the Nazi state. Russophobia that these organizations inherited from the Ukrainian collaborators 1930-1940, imposed on the fraternal people. Inspired by the examples of Nazi Germany, the Ukrainian neo-Nazis raiding shops with signs in Russian, Russian books burn, and sometimes people – activists of “Antimiani” in the Odessa trade unions Building on may 2, 2014. Ukrainian radicals intimidated their fellow citizens, interfere with the normal socio-political processes.
in addition, the methods by which Kiev 2014 is at war with his citizens, calling them terrorists and not engaging in the conversations, also differ little from those atrocities, which at the time practiced by the Nazis in the occupied territories.
Nikolai Patrushev: Against civilians was used by the aviation and phosphorous bombs, heavy artillery and jet systems of volley fire, and in “filtration” camps set up ostensibly to identify separatists, have become a common occurrence of torture and abuse.
it is Known that the reincarnation of Nazism going on in the Baltics, where former and still living veterans of the SS and their followers feel particularly comfortable.
Nikolai Patrushev: And it openly promoted the authorities of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The suppression of dissent, shameless propaganda, the slogans of the nationalist content creates an environment unhindered functioning of the neo-Nazi movements. There is no obstacle to the systematic implementation of the marches of SS Legionnaires, actively enforced the idea that these groups can stand in the way of far-fetched “potential Russian invasion.”
Ukraine and the Baltic States – only the most odious examples of how neo-Nazi and neo-fascist sentiment is becoming popular not only in society but also the political elite. How strong are these trends in other countries?
Nikolai Patrushev: unlike Ukraine and the Baltic States, other European countries and in the whole world neo-fascism is viewed as a marginal phenomenon of political life. But in the case of irresponsible policy, no state will be immune from the revival of fascism. So, in Europe on the background of growing social and racial tensions again declare themselves neo-Nazi and neo-fascist movements with anti-Semitic slogans and antiemigrantskoy. Internet censorship and technologies of modern Western propaganda, including anti-Russian, sometimes I repeat Goebbels ‘ methods. Calls to unite against a “common enemy”, which without any reason the West considers Russia and create conditions for the emergence of ideas of national superiority. The idea of “blackshirt” and “brown” are taken up by the creators of the “color revolutions” that impose xenophobic and other myths for the violent removal of legitimate governments.
Holding the US and its allies policy of “managed chaos” in the middle East gave rise to the humiliation of national and religious dignity of large groups of the population, inter-religious conflict. As a result, after the American invasion of Iraq there is a terrorist organization ISIS (banned in Russia). Her supporters are guided by the principles of religious intolerance and fanatical “war against all”, which is very close essentially fascist�� ideology.
That is how the Soviet Union during the Second world war, today Russia is once again at the forefront of the fight against the spread of the “brown plague”?
Nikolai Patrushev: the approach promoted by Russia, is the formation of the intolerance of the fascist movements and their voluntary allies, avoiding excuses, and rehabilitation of Nazi and fascist atrocities. Such crimes are, in principle, can not have a Statute of limitations. The democratic world community should be aware of the bloody consequences of misanthropic ideology – it is this knowledge is the surest guarantee against the recurrence of such events in the future. Due to the state cultural and educational policies should be aimed at the development of critical thinking, rejecting any attempts to spread the totalitarian views and manipulate ethnic myths.
not least the fight against falsification of history?
Nikolai Patrushev: of Course. This implies serious scientific research aimed at formation of an objective picture of the past. In addition, it is necessary to intensify the scientific dialogue within the international academic community for a joint confrontation of historical fiction. Just as in the war, tens of countries and peoples, despite ideological differences, have United against a common enemy, today their heirs have to present a United front, not allowing the revival of fascism and Nazism in the modern world.
