Auschwitz liberators

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randwick
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Auschwitz liberators

#1

Post by randwick » 24 Jan 2015, 00:13

.
Auschwitz is in the news for the 70th anniversary of its liberation ,
there is some pretty stupid statement
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/01/22 ... auschwitz/
the guy probably got confused by the name "the 1st Ukrainian front ".... politicians are not chosen for being smart

I've seen the liberation attributed to various outfits , the 8th guard army was certainly the mother unit ,
does someone has a better idea on the particular outfit which liberated the camp ?

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wm
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Re: Auschwitz liberators

#2

Post by wm » 02 Feb 2015, 11:36

Well, that man is a historian, so maybe he knows too much for his own good.

The camp was liberated by the 100th and 107th Soviet rifle divisions.
And for example the 100th was almost annihilated during battle of Lviv ( total casualties: 80%) in July 1944. its ranks were replenished with Ukrainian recruits from the predominately Ukrainian Volhynia and Galicia.
Even more at the beginning of 1945, a half the First Ukrainian Front soldiers were Ukrainians - usually, like the Ukrainians form from the 100th, freshly conscripted.

For example the commander of the first tank that drove through of the gates of Auschwitz was an Ukrainian - Ihor Pobirczenko, he died three years ago.
The commander of the battalion that directly liberated the camp was the decorated with the highest Ukrainian and Polish military medals Ukrainian Jew, Ukrainian writer, a volunteer in the Red Army, a man who personally opened the gates of the Auschwitz-I camp - Anatoly Shapiro.
The commander of the 472nd Infantry Regiment, who fell during fighting around the camp was Semen Lvovich Bezprozvann, Lvovich - from Lviv.
So yes, it can be said the Ukrainians liberated the camp.

In all over million Ukrainians served in the Soviet Army, and many more other non-Russians too - without them even the victory would not be possible.


history1
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Re: Auschwitz liberators

#3

Post by history1 » 02 Feb 2015, 12:23

randwick wrote:[...] the guy probably got confused by the name "the 1st Ukrainian front ".... politicians are not chosen for being smart [...]
Calling him not smart is wrong. He just added another bit to the Polish/Russian conflict.
In this way he offended Putin once more what was sure his goal. You need to make yourself familar with the Polish foreign affairs, especially in refer to their political support of the Ukraine.

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wm
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Re: Auschwitz liberators

#4

Post by wm » 02 Feb 2015, 13:21

This year the Auschwitz museum didn't send invitations to anyone, precisely to avoid any political misunderstandings, although everyone was welcome. So HE didn't come because he didn't want to.
And really the ceremonies can do well without those Russian and American leaders, that couldn't say a word without mounting a high horse, cladded in type IV body armor, and disrupting them with hordes of secret agents.

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Re: Auschwitz liberators

#5

Post by history1 » 02 Feb 2015, 20:21

I´ve to correct your informations, wm. This year Poland used a diplomatic trick. It was not like in all the former celebrations the gouverment who invited their foreign counterparts. Instead they changed the organizer and it was the Auschwitz Memorial & Museum now, who only sent event notes, not offical invitations (!) to the foreign gouverments. Most of the parlament sceretaries/ministries for foreign affairs responded if they can consider themself as invited, the Russians understood the broad hint that they are not welcomed.
Mr. Putin, not stupid, inaugurated with the Russian Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar a Jewish Museum in Moscow instead.

BTW, in May 5th 2013 I was invited, by the Austrian minister for inferior affairs, to the liberation ceremony and the inauguration of the new exhibitions in the fromer KL Mauthausen. There were lots of international politicans, camp survivors and other honored guests. But only Tzipi Livni from Israel saw a need to bring her own police to Austria, guess she did consider the Austrian forces as not enough efficient.

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wm
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Re: Auschwitz liberators

#6

Post by wm » 03 Feb 2015, 20:57

He wasn't welcomed, or his presence would make things awkward for everybody present there. In this regard Poland expressed what the others were thinking.

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Marcus
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Re: Auschwitz liberators

#7

Post by Marcus » 03 Feb 2015, 20:58

Please leave present day politics out of the forum.

/Marcus

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