Рассказ о Второй мировой войне как фактор европейской (дез)интеграции
The Story of World War II as a Factor for the European (Dis)Integration

Summary/Abstract: The research attempts to trace the process of building a consensus on the issue of formulating a unified view on European political history. The main focus is on two main trends in this process, both of which relate to the evaluation of World War II and its results. The first trend, around which Western Europeans unite, introduces the idea about Europeans’ shared responsibility for the past in the name of the present and the future. The central symbol of this strategy is the Holocaust, which is presented as a genocide, unique in its scope and nature. The second trend is supported by Eastern Europeans, who since 1989 have been making efforts not only to reject the Soviet account of the events of WWII, but also to improve their views about its results on the West. These views boil down to the fact that they are double victims: firstly, of the Third Reich and secondly, of the Stalinist Soviet Union. Ultimately, that means equating the crimes of Nazism and Bolshevism, which in turn leads to a denial of the Holocaust’s uniqueness – a thesis that faces strong opposition in certain circles. Consequently, all this has led to a delay in the process of constructing a unified view on modern European history.

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