Victor Davis Hanson: The Truth About World War II

In a recent interview, historian Darryl Cooper presented several flawed theories regarding World War II, particularly concerning the treatment of Russian prisoners and the war's origins. Contrary to Cooper's claims, Hitler's Wehrmacht was not unprepared for the mass surrender of the Red Army in 1941. Instead, Hitler had issued orders for the extermination of Soviet officials, Jews, and others, leading to the deaths of millions of Russian POWs. These directives were part of a broader plan to invade and resettle European Russia, which Hitler had envisioned long before the war began. The invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, marked the beginning of the conflict, and it was Hitler's unprovoked aggression that prompted Britain and France to declare war. Despite his frustrations, Hitler had been warned that his actions would lead to war with these allies, as he had repeatedly broken prewar promises. The narrative that the Allies were responsible for starting the war is fundamentally flawed. Many German generals later claimed to oppose Hitler's orders for total war, which included the mass killing of communists and Jews, but few could substantiate their claims. The Wehrmacht's officers were aware of the brutal treatment of Russian prisoners, yet they were instructed to disregard their fates as part of the regime's genocidal policies. Ultimately, the war was a result of aggressive fascist expansionism, not Allied provocation. The consequences of these actions were catastrophic, leading to immense loss of life and suffering across Europe, and shaping the geopolitical landscape for decades to come.