The legacy of dead dictators from vanquished totalitarian regimes should no longer be ambivalent. Only Germany’s lunatic fringe dares to commemorate Hitler. Not even the pathetic remnant of the Khmer Rouge celebrates Pol Pot’s memory. Yet, as Russia approaches the 60th anniversary of its victory over Nazi Germany, marking Stalin’s role in that victory is proving to be damnably awkward.
The legacy of dead dictators from vanquished totalitarian regimes should no longer be ambivalent. Only Germany’s lunatic fringe dares to commemorate Hitler. Not even the pathetic remnant of the Khmer Rouge celebrates Pol Pot’s memory. Yet, as Russia approaches the 60th anniversary of its victory over Nazi Germany, marking Stalin’s role in that victory is proving to be damnably awkward.