On May 9, 1945, Nazi Germany surrendered to the Soviets in Berlin. Since then, May 9 has been celebrated as Victory Day, recalling the massive sacrifice of the peoples of the world, led by the then Soviet Union, to defeat Nazi-fascism in World War II.

Workers' Weekly salutes the working people of Britain, as well as the peoples of Europe, Asia, Africa and the entire world, who waged this titanic struggle to win their historic victory over fascism. This includes the resistance fighters in the occupied countries who continued the struggle against the Nazi occupiers. We pay deepest respects to all those who died as a result of the anti-human bestiality of Nazi-fascism. We pay tribute to the over 60 million who lost their lives during the Second World War, including the 27 million in the Soviet Union alone. Workers' Weekly salutes the courage and sacrifice of the peoples of the Soviet Union under the leadership of J V Stalin, fighting for peace, freedom and democracy so that humanity would never again know the scourge of fascism and war.

In marking this anniversary, we recognise that we are not just celebrating a historical event from 75 years ago. The issue is to unite as one when the dangers to peace, freedom and democracy, which the peoples of the world fought for and are striving to affirm today, are so great, requiring the release of the power of the initiative of the peoples themselves.

Today, this anniversary is held under conditions of the Covid-19 pandemic. Humanity is engaged in the fight to defend itself in the face of the coronavirus. At odds with the claim in this situation that we are all in this together, Anglo-US imperialism and its cohorts are continuing their attempts to arouse animosity towards China and to isolate Russia, going so far as to deny the Soviet Union's role in the anti-fascist war. One would think from the propaganda of the ruling circles in Britain that the struggle was Britain's alone. This propaganda is also used to suggest that the people should unite in the "battle" against the coronavirus since, like World War II, "we are all in this together" and succumb to the diktat of those in power from the Queen down.

Even before the end of the Second World War, the ruling class was demonstrating that it was hostile to the people's cause. They hatched "Operation Unthinkable" by which they tried to get the Germans to surrender to US General Eisenhower in a deal that violated the "Terms of Surrender of Germany" drawn up by the three allied powers - Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union - on July 25, 1944. The US warmongers and their cohorts including Britain today actively instigate or condone acts of war, aggression, interference and sanctions. Their rendering of what was at stake in World War II is an Anglo-American chauvinist and anti-communist attempt to promote the anachronistic liberal democratic institutions as the pinnacle of human freedom, even as they show their utter contempt for the well-being of the people and their mission to use the state to pay the rich.

The 75th anniversary of the victory over the Nazi menace in Europe underlines the need once again for the people to build their unity around an anti-war perspective and rally round the banner of the cause of peace, freedom and democracy in today's conditions. Today more than ever, it is necessary to oppose wars of aggression and occupation and the use of force to resolve conflicts between nations, so that the dangers of another world war and other calamities that threaten humanity in the most profound ways can be stemmed and prevented. There are concrete demands and struggles such as to dismantle the US-led warmongering NATO alliance, demand that all troops be brought home from foreign soil, and an end to all wars of aggression and occupation. The people demand also the end of coups d'état to attempt regime change, as well as imperialist sanctions, as being criminal acts of war and violations of human rights.

On May 9, 2020, Workers Weekly once more pledges to strengthen the work to envisage and work towards a form of democracy where the people have the decisive say, which would end the domination of pro-war governments. Let us honour the memory of all those who fought to defeat fascism by working towards this goal of an Anti-War Government in Britain, settling scores with the Cold War mentality of the ruling elite, and making the use of force to resolve conflicts between and within nations a thing of the past.

Hail the 75th Anniversary of the Victory over Nazi Fascism in Europe!

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