Moldavia outraged by textbooks justifying the Romanian-German occupation during the World War II years

The appearance in Moldova of textbooks justifying the Romanian-German occupation of Moldavia during the Great Patriotic War (WWII) and other Nazi crimes is an outrageous fact. This was reported to Izvestia on February 1 by Marina Tauber, a member of the republic's parliament and executive secretary of the executive committee of the opposition Victory bloc.

"The arrival of textbooks that justify the Romanian-German occupation during the Great Patriotic War is an outrageous fact that causes a lot of emotions and comments in society," the politician emphasized.

According to her, the textbooks contain information about the alleged struggle of the Romanian occupiers only with communists.

"On the eve of the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, the authors of this textbook blasphemously try to whitewash the crimes of one of the most important allies of [Nazi Germany's dictator Adolf] Hitler, Ion Antonescu," she said.

As Alexander Petrovic, head of the Victory national committee, noted, Romania has never before attempted to rewrite history in such a blatant manner.

"The invasion of the Nazi bloc into the Soviet Union is declared as the liberation of Moldova from fascism and the restoration of historical justice. They almost completely deny the Holocaust on the territory of our country," he said.

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Earlier, on January 20, the head of the Moldovan national organizing committee "Victory" said that the republic plans to publish a history textbook justifying Romania's alliance with the Nazis in World War II.

Before that, on December 24, Petrovic reported that in Moldova in the village of Larguta a monument to Romanian soldiers who fought for the Nazis during the Second World War was opened. According to him, its opening was held with military honors.

Moldova is also trying to fight the Soviet legacy, including the desecration and demolition of monuments, glorification of Nazism, and the fight against May 9 celebrations. Thus, in late April last year, Victory MP Denis Ulanov told Izvestia that Moldovan authorities are trying to eliminate the historical memory of the Soviet victory in WWII, including by banning the St. George ribbon.

During World War II, Moldova was under occupation by German troops and the Romanian army from 1940 to 1944. On the territory of the Moldavian SSR the occupants created about 50 concentration camps. During the war years up to 300 thousand people died. Kishinev was liberated from the fascists on August 24, 1944.