22 Comments

This is consistent with the warnings that holocaust survivor, Vera Sharav, has been giving and why she has been arguing that the holocaust never ended; it never ended because the same mind-set and elitist ideologies still exist and maintain influence in a variety of ways but only now intend to dominate on a world-wide scale; whether it's a continuation of eugenics into population control, fake plandemics and 'vaccines", genetic manipulation and the massive propagandizing, etc., it's all part of the same overall agenda where crimes against humanity are ongoing and limitless.

Expand full comment

A great big thanks to Matt Ehret for bring to bear the history of fascism that Russia is still fighting.

Expand full comment

It was propaganda, with errors and conclusions that don't make sense.

Expand full comment

Let's not forget that Britain, the US, and the USSR collaborated to bring the Nazis to power in Germany with the aim of annihilating Germany as a state after enticing them to attack the USSR.

I will soon be publishing a review of Guido Giacomo Preparata's monumental history: "Conjuring Hitler: How Britain and America Created the Third Reich and Destroyed Europe."

Richard C. Cook

Expand full comment

that's a good book. Looking forward to seeing your review

Expand full comment

Yes, I am in touch with Preparata on it.

Expand full comment

interesting...

Expand full comment

I appreciate the level of discourse here...re Sweden, and yet, somehow, the King and the country accepted the hundreds of Danish Jews who fled there in fishing boats and other vessels, and protected them throughout the War. I personally knew someone who was rescued as a child with her family from Copenhagen.

The late Mae Brussel did extensive pre-internet research in the 1970s and 1980s about all the fascists in place around the world post WW2, including Reinhard Gehlen and his organization, the P2 Lodge and so much more. She is the one who coined the phrase "the Fourth Reich". You can find her taped recordings, which were originally broadcast on Pacifica Radio, which was created as an alternative to NPR, online.

At first, she bought and read the entire Warren Commission Report, and went on from there. She lived in the Carmel Valley and grew up in LA. Her followers called themselves Brussel Sprouts and her program was called WorldWatchers International.

Leslie Howard, after he returned to England from Hollywood in early Sept 1939, began making films as a response to Goebbels' propaganda. One of them is "The First of the Few" and is about Mitchell who created the Spitfire. In the 20s Mitchell went to Germany for a European show of aircraft, and realized the Germans were already building up their Air Force Luftwaffe war machine. When Mitchell returned to England, he tried to warn the government, but no one would listen to him. He kept on doing his work, and passed away just before the War began.

Expand full comment
Mar 18Edited

The title and the content of this article seem to be in conflict. There's actually nothing much here about fascist traditions, not back then or now. Only one: von Rosen's history is talked in the article.

Expand full comment

It is strange, how this article from Ehret is titled about fascist tradition, but instead makes its points about Finland's road into Continuation War, not about fascism in Finland (and there were fascist movement in Finland, not a popular one, but still) or Sweden. Well, about one Swedish fascist.

The issue if Finland's road to the Continuation War was self defence, or was the clique of the Finnish president willing to get Finland involved in the war, is a lot debated issue in Finland.

It is undeniable Soviet Union had will to a rematch, finish what it couldn't in Winter War, and conquer Finland (not just protect Leningrad). It is also undeniable that Soviet Union attacked Finland right when Operation Barbarossa started. And the clique of Finland's president was undeniably criminal, as they did not inform government nor parliament about the secret preparations. It is also undeniable, that some of the secret preparations could be used as causus belli.

Expand full comment
Mar 17Edited

7. "The Strange Case of Finland’s Enduring Swastika"

It is not strange. Swastika is millenias old pattern all over the world (including Russia and Americas), and in Finland too. They were commonly used in jewelry and textile pattern in Finnish Iron Age. It was a known symbol.

Swedish count von Rosen gifted Finnish White Guard during Finnish Civil War an aeroplane, which was the first one for Finnish airforce. It had Rosen's swastika signs, which he supposedly picked from an old runestone. 1918 was far away of what became a Nazi movement, but that was when it was made as the official sign for the Finnish airforce, after von Rosen's plane, and from that it catched on generally for military use pattern. Von Rosen of course was right wing (not strange considering his background) and thus gifted it to the White Guard.

Nothing strange of it, except if you are a propagandist and want to make it look like strange. Maybe Goebbels was influenced by von Rosen's swastika in 20's, I don't know. But I think Finns used it in military before German Nazis started to use the symbol.

Expand full comment

6. "The subunits and men of SS division Wiking engaged during the march into the Soviet Union and the drive through Ukraine and the Caucasus were involved in numerous atrocities… The diaries and recollections by the Finnish volunteers show that practically everyone among them must, from the very beginning have been aware of the atrocities and massacres”.

They were aware of the massacres from the beginning? As of beginning when the massacres started, or beginning they joined the German army? That's vague.

Germans wanted for propaganda reasons to fom this international army, for which Nordic nations also sent volunteers. The Finns who took part, were largely former White Guard (anti-communists) and generally those of right wing nationalists, who wanted a Geman military education.

I think it would be bold to claim though, that they knew there would be massacres already when they joined. I would think massacres came as a surprise to almost everyone, including regular German troops. I don't have much knowledge of this issue. It's just strange this is put a blame on Finns and Swedes. Certainly you could have picked volunteer right wing nationalists from any country, who wanted a German military education in the side. But as it was WWII German propaganda, they wanted these volunteers according to German interests.

Expand full comment

5 "When Barbarossa was officially launched on June 22, 1941, there were 400,000 Finnish and German troops in Finland, as Finnish airfields were given over to Nazi bombers."

The airfields were part of the Finnish-German transit treaty. Nothing of Operation Barbarossa was known when the treaty was made.

After OB went hot, the following morning a German flight used one of these airfields to refill their planes that had laid mines on the sea front of Leningrad. The Soviets used the German mine layer flight as the causus belli (reason for war) against Finland. However, Soviets had attacked Finnish targets both land and sea many hours earlier, right the night when Germany started their attack. So using the German flight as the reason was an excuse: the Soviets sought a reason only after they had attacked Finland.

There were secret preparations made, by the small criminal clique of Finnish president, in case of German-Soviet War would also drag Finland into the war. Some of these preparations they made that could be causus belli: the worst was to give permission for Germans to establish a secret head quaters in Finnish Lapland to manage German invasion into Soviet Union, and allow them pass through Finnish Lapland. Another was mining of Estonian waters by a Finnish submarine.

Soviets though proved Finnish politicians were correct, when they thought Soviet Union would use German attack as an opportunity to attack Finland too.

Finnish troops were called into a war exercise before OB went hot. It was part of the secret preparations. Yet for 3 days Finland remained passive and announced neutrality in German-Soviet war. When in fourth day Soviets launched a massive aerial bombardment of all Finnish major cities, Finland declared war.

Expand full comment

4. "In September 1940, a secret Finnish-German transit treaty was approved and the trainwreck that was Barbarossa was put into motion."

Finns didn't know anything about Operation Barbarossa in 1940. Had nothing to do putting Operation Barbarossa into motion.

The treaty actually was found out by Soviet and British before first German troops arrived to the Finnish harbor.

Finland had made already earlier a treaty with Soviets that they could transport their troops by railways to the Hanko base, which was leased to Soviets according to the peace treaty after Winter War.

Also Sweden had similar transit treaty with Germany, made months earlier than the treaty was made between Germany and Finland.

The treaty allowed Germans to use Finnish railways and airfields to move their troops into occupied Northern Norway.

Finnish politicians thought it would reduce Soviet desires to attack Finland, if German troops used Finland as a logistic route.

Expand full comment
Mar 17Edited

3. "Winter War” ended by March 1940 with a reduced and humiliated Finland aching for revenge."

Winter War was seen as a Finnish success all around the world, also in Finland. How small very poorly armed Finland was able to defend against modern mechanized war machine of giant Soviet Union was seen nothing but a miracle ("Talvisodan ihme", in Finnish).

But Finnish politicians were very worried that Soviet Union would renew its attack. During the inter war (Between Winter War and Continuation War) relationships between Finland and Soviet Union remained tense, Soviet politicians openly hostile and media demonizing Finnish politicians. Soviet Union shot down a Finnish passenger plane on its way to Estonia, Russian troops invaded several times Finnish side of the border, Finnish soldiers were shot at and 212 were captured (of which only 79 were returned), they demaded to get Petsamo nickel mine contracts, they demanded Finns to give property Finns had taken with them when evacuating formerly Finnish Karelia, they arranged military exercises next to Finnish border with provocative radio traffic, for example Mannerheim in his diary wrote that January -41 Russian operations by Finnish border were so alarming, giving order for mobilization of troops was hair width away. Winter War was started by Soviet false flag Shelling of Mainila event, so these exercises increased tensions.

Soviet Prime minister Molotov visited Berlin November 1940 and discussed their desires to start a new war against Finland. A month before Molotov's visit, Soviet defence ministe Timoshenko and Leningrad district commander Meretskov had made plans for war against Finland. The visit was recorded by Germans and they leaked the results of the negotiations to Finns, telling that Soviets wanted to attack but Führer had protected Finland. Of course because Hitler had in his plans to use Finland in their future war against Soviet Union. And according to records Hitler was also worried that Finland would this time get support from foreign nations against Soviet invasion.

Germans told about their plans to attack Soviet Union to Finnish officer visiting Germany 30 Jan 1941, the name and details of the plan were not yet told then. A group of Finnish officers visited Germany 25th May 1941 (about a month before Operation Barbarossa went hot), with a mission to feel what Germans would do in case Soviet Union attacked Finland. Germans revealed to them confidentially that they plan to attack Soviet Union soon, which started a small group around Finnish president to start secret preparations in case of the coming war.

Only the very small group around the Finnish president knew anything about the German plans to attack Soviet Union, this included Mannerheim and some military officers, everything was "need to know bases". So Finns, the people, had no reason to expect payback time with German help. And Finland was an under dog by a huge margin compared to Soviet Union.

Of course Winter War replaced about 11% of Finnish population who had lived in the ceded Karelia. Sure they wanted their home back. Even if home lost Karelians wanted their homes back, their hopes realized only AFTER Continuation War had started: they had no information about the coming German attack into SU. After Continuation War had started, you can say there was feelings of rematch, but before the war that would have been crazyness, unrealistic. And if there was feelings of revenge, it had nothing to do with fascism. So why is it put under that title, is propagandist.

Expand full comment
Mar 17Edited

2. "The pro-German government of Ryti and Mannerheim had publicly been cozying up to the Germans during the 1930s".

There was no government of Ryti and Mannerheim.

Risto Ryti was working as a banker in the bank of Finland from 1923 to 1939! He became the prime minister AFTER Winter War had already started.

During Winter War Finland fought without German support, and Germany was a secretly allied with Soviet Union (the Molotov-Ribbentrop Secret Protocol).

Mannerheim didn't hold any political position in the 1930's, he was not elected to any role. The very reason was that he was the commander of White Guad during Finnish Civil War, and hence he was not regarded suitable for a political role. He was nominated the chairman of Finnish Defence Committee, which was an advisory group for the president of Finland: they were reponsible of development of Finnish military and defence industy. Its foreign relationships were military co-operation with SWEDEN, not with Germany.

Continued:

I would somewhat understand if this was claimed about the 40's. Although "cozying up" is not what I would call it. In Finnish leadership it was rare for them to want co-operation or help from Germany, and even more rare to want war with Soviet Union. And Germany was unwilling to assist Finland in the 30's too! In fact Germany and Soviet Union signed the Molotov - Ribbentrop Pact August 1939, and the Secret Protocol according to which they divided Europe, and Finland was marked for Soviet sphere. Finnish government in the 30's, before Winter War, had primaly looked assistance from western powers (Great Britain, France, the USA) and Sweden.

But when Germany had occupied Denmark (May 1940) and Norway (early June 40), Finland was isolated from all directions: the only help against Soviet invasion could come from Germany (or Sweden, but they were unwilling). Hence inter war phase the idea of help coming from the Allied powers was seen unrealistic.

Expand full comment
Mar 17Edited

Very propagandist fashion written, which is clearly visible in the words he uses: "Field Marshall Mannerheim and PM Ryti were DEVOUT believers in the ‘greater Finland’ myth with Mannerheim proclaiming LOUDLY to his soldiers on the eve of Finland’s agreement to JOIN HANDS with the Nazis..." It is fitting to his style he uses the biggest possible area of Greater Finland image there is. Having Russian text, probably used in Russian propaganda too.

1. Greater Finland was an idea of a small fraction of Finns, the extreme right wing nationalists. By large majority Finns were social democrats and centre party before and during the Finno-Soviet wars. Fascists never got into Finnish governments either. Extreme right wing was small fraction, even moderate conservatives were a small political movement. Neither the social democrats or centre party fancied facist ideology, it's an important thing to know when someone tries to feed you the idea of a fascist Finland: there was no such thing.

In the parliament election 1939:

1. Social Democrats with 85 seats (of total 200).

2. Centre party with 56 seats,

3. National Coalition Party (moderate conservative party still today popular, not fascists) 25 seats,

4. Swedish People's party 18 seats,

5. Patriotic People's Movement (nationalist anti-communists, fascists) 8 seats,

6. National Progressive Party (Liberals) 6 seats.

Patriotic People's Movement participated first time elections in 1933, in electoral alliance with the National Coalition Party, winning 32 seats, which was less than the 42 seats National Coalition Party won in the previous elections alone. In the 1936 elections Patriotic People's Movement gained its biggest popularity winning 14 seats, so they were in downward curve 1939 (8 seats) before Winter War.

The idea of larger Finland is ages old, from Sweden's era already. The Greater Finland idea was most popular among extreme nationalists after the 1918 Finnish Civil War when Finland became independent they wanted to redefine borders. Between 1918 and 1922 the nationalists participated in armed rebellions and war expeditions in Baltics and Russia. But during the 1930's the idea was fading away.

Finns live(d) in much wider area than Finland: all neighboring countries have Finnish minorities, and all of them tried to erase Finnish culture. Finnic language speakers lived in the North-Western Russia and Fennosscandia before Slavic language started to expand there. Still in 1926 over 38% of Russian Karelian (East Karelia) population spoke Finnish dialects as their mother tongue.

Finns were persecuted in Stalin's era 1930's. Modern estimates commonly are around 20 000 were executed, more died in captivity and hunger, people were moved to harsh conditions in Siberia. According to 1939 census the number of Finns in Soviet Union dropped about 1/3 in the persecutions. Of course Finns were not the only nationality that were persecuted at this era. This was well known in Finland, a horror to everybody, and among nationalists it aroused hate towards Soviet Union and communists.

The map in the this page gives an exaggerated image of Greater Finland idea. Sure, the most extreme would expand the Greater Finland including all the Finnic (which is much more than Finnish) peoples' regions. But, quoting Wikipedia: "THE MOST COMMON concept of Greater Finland saw the country as defined by natural borders encompassing the territories inhabited by Finns and Karelians". So in addition to Finland only East-Karelia which was very much Finnish populated region. See East-Karelia -colour in the Greater Finland map Wikipedia page. Much smaller than Matt's chosen map.

Quoting Wikipedia: "the idea of the so-called three-isthmus border—defined by the White Isthmus, the Olonets Isthmus, and the Karelian Isthmus—is hundreds of years old, dating back to the period when Finland was part of Sweden. There was a disagreement between Sweden and Russia as to where the border between the two countries should be."

Expand full comment

This is excellent information that once again, is tied into the years that either have 19 directly or add up (by the rules of numerology) to 19. This satanic group uses the 19 year solar eclipse cycles as one of the founding pillars of their madness along with name changing (when they are exposed) and blaming other people for what they in fact are doing (communists, always blaming their evil deeds on a communist patsy). This pattern of recognition is very clear to see with the elite cabal behind NATO.

Expand full comment

Not excellent. Propagandist really. With clearly wrong deductions drawn. Hard to believe they are ignorant.

Expand full comment

It seems obvious that the appeasement strategy of Britain with regard to Hitler and the myriad school texts utilizing Chamberlain as an example of ‘weakness’ in leadership are a cover for the complicity of both Britain, Chamberlain and the royal family in supporting the rise of the Nazi party. Why else placate the general British populace about the reinvigoration of militant nationalists in Germany, if not for the express purpose of planning to use them to crush the nascent Soviet republic and the Russian people for the crime of repudiating their dilettante cousins, the Romanovs? Much hand wringing and pearl clutching is made over the ‘cold-blooded’ murder of the Romanov family, yet few if any popular histories and biographies focus on the brutal oppression they applied to the people, which was the cause of their deaths. If their lives were so precious, why didn’t their British cousins save them by granting them asylum in England?

It is widely known that the Germanic royal family were unpopular enough in the UK, after the indiscriminate slaughter of a generation of British and German youth, in service of an intrafamily squabble over control of Europe. Yet, their PR transformation into mere PR puppets and symbols of ‘Britishness’ with no real power is a suspiciously convenient way to stay in power.

The British royal family continues to marry and support defunct aristocrats from European republics. Why? Is it mere convention or do they wait patiently for a return of their extended family to power across Europe, as has already happened in Spain and is in the works for Serbia?

Expand full comment

the Scottish comedian and actor Craig Ferguson, during the 9 years he hosted Late Night on CBS in the USA, always called the Royals "the Germans"...

Expand full comment

I’d say you quite right about a battle within humanity. I’d say an evolutionary one defining about what makes us human .

A Lying, violent , egocentric mind doesn’t help us adapt to our inventive nature.

Expand full comment