The Past Isn’t Past for Moscow and Beijing
Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping are using changing views of World War II to unify people at home and project power abroad.
Putin and Xi lay flowers at the Tomb of the Soldier in Moscow in 2015.
Photographer: Host photo agency/RIA Novosti/Getty Images
World War II ended 75 years ago, but it has rarely been invoked as frequently for political purposes as in 2020, from Britain's "Blitz spirit” lockdowns to Italy’s “darkest hour” in March. Even Donald Trump described himself as “wartime president.”
No one, though, has perfected the art of tapping the conflict's history for today’s purposes quite like Russia and China. The unimaginable suffering and contribution to the eventual Allied victory — frequently underestimated in the West’s narrative — serve a unifying purpose. Increasingly, it bolsters great power ambitions too. It’s no accident that Vladimir Putin chose this year to spend time in the archives rethinking the causes of the conflict. In China, 2020’s blockbuster movie has been an epic account of heroism set during the battle of Shanghai.