Sixty years ago, at 0:16 on May 9, 1945, the representatives of Nazi
Germany's supreme headquarters signed the instrument of unconditional surrender
at the base camp of the Russian army in the outskirts of Berlin. At that very
moment, the horrible antifascists war on European battlefield in World War II
finally ended.
It happened in a pitch-dark night at Karlshorst, Germany. From then on, the
world broke loose from the darkness and made for the dawn.
About exactly five years, eight months and eight days before that
night, i.e. on the dawn of Sept. 1, 1939, the German troops launched large-scale
attack against Poland. The invasion started at 4:45 in the early morning. When
horrendous sound of explosion woke up Polish soldiers from their dream, the
world began to slip into abyss of darkness of the World War II.
World War I, which started from July 28, 1914, lasted for four years and
three months, and involved 1.5 billion people from 35 countries and regions. It
spread from Europe to sea areas in Asia, Africa and the Atlantic Ocean, the
Mediterranean and the Pacific, resulting in death of over 20 million people.
However World War I paled into insignificance compared to World War II in
terms of scale, casualties and losses. In World War II, two billion people from
over 60 countries and regions were involved, accounting for 80% of the world
total population. World War II lasted for six years, and its flames spread to
Europe, Asia and Africa and four oceans with the number of people killed
amounting to 55 million.
For Europe, World War II started from Sept. 1, 1939 when the German forces
attacked Poland. For China, the war started on July 7, 1937, or even earlier
from the September 18 Accident in 1931. China was the earliest country to be
involved in the world's antifascists war, and incurred the greatest losses. The
protracted fighting by the Chinese army and people with their
"never-to-surrender" spirit had successfully enabled two thirds of the Japanese
forces bogged down in quagmire, and had thus made great sacrifice and
contributions to the victory of the world's antifascists war.
As the
earliest country to start the antifascist war, the Chinese people must also
remember forever the memorable sites where the Chinese people fought stubbornly
against the Japanese aggressors under the most arduous conditions, such as the
Lugou Bridge, the Pingxingguan Pass, Taierzhuang and the Langyashan Mountain….
Only by engraving the names of these places in our hearts, can we be truly aware
of how the Chinese nation is able to achieve the glory today after going through
great tribulation.
Today, someone in our surrounding areas openly want
to revise the "Constitution of Peace", and tamper with history textbooks and
visit the Yasukuni Shrine where the souls of the war dead are revered alongside
Class A war criminals. What's more, they even said openly that although it is
the 60th anniversary for the surrender of Japanese militarism this year, it is
also the 100th anniversary for the victory of the Japan-Russia War, and also
said that: "We must not only remember our defeat, but also our victory…" In the
face of such mindset, can you say that the mission of the war has been
accomplished?
The prerequisite for having no war in the world forever is to keep alive
the memory of history, and always maintain sharp vigilance.
By Jin Yinan
(May 10, PLA Daily)