80 years after the Nazi surrender, the lessons of the Second World War collide with what has been forgotten and the current crises, revealing a legacy that must be reinvented for a more just future. But have we truly learned the lessons of the past?
Once under colonial rule and marginalized in historical narratives, African nations played a crucial role as a labor force for European colonial powers, a vital but underappreciated contribution in the fight against fascism. As South African political activist Ronnie Kasrils has pointed out, the victory over fascism not only preserved the world from tyranny but also catalyzed the decolonization of Africa and the emergence of liberation movements supported by the USSR and other socialist nations. The military strategies debated at the lesser-known and legendary “Casablanca Conference” at the Anfa Hotel – where Roosevelt, Churchill and the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States and Great Britain met, while Stalin, who was invited, was unable to attend because of the priority given to the decisive Battle of Stalingrad – were decisive in delaying the opening of a second front in Europe. The decisions taken influenced the course of the war, notably the decision to complete the African operation, which consisted of capturing Tunisia in the summer of 1943 and using the liberated troops to land in Sicily, while taking into account the dynamics between the Allies and the Red Army. During the strategic discussions, Churchill suggested opening the second front by liberating the African coast for an offensive from the south and involving Turkey in the war to secure access to Romania’s oil resources and support the USSR. Despite the priority given by the United States to the Pacific theater, their role in the landings in Europe, supported by the successes of the Red Army, remained affirmed, while the conference negotiations were marked by the symbolic absence of a key player, as the Times pointed out: “The shadow of an empty chair hangs over all these negotiations”.
Collective memory put to the test of time, the erasure of the contributions of the Red Army and Africans
The 1945 victory owes much to the Red Army, which bore the brunt of the war in the East. With over 20 million dead, the Soviet Union inflicted 80% of the Wehrmacht’s losses, particularly in decisive battles such as Stalingrad (1942-1943). Yet in the West, this contribution is often downplayed, overshadowed by the narrative centered on D-Day, or Overlord (the Normandy landings in France on June 6, 1944) and Anglo-American efforts. Similarly, Africans, forcibly conscripted into colonial armies, played a crucial role. Approximately 400,000 soldiers from French colonies, such as the Senegalese Tirailleurs, fought for Free France, often in inhumane conditions. Their bravery, particularly during the Italian campaign and the liberation of Provence, was decisive, yet their memory remains marginalized. In reality, less than 10% of French school textbooks mention these fighters. This omission reflects a broader lack of recognition among Europeans, who struggle to integrate these sacrifices into their collective narrative. Moreover, the rise of misinformation – with 30% of young Europeans ignorant of the details of the Holocaust according to one study – and echoes of the war through proxy allies in Ukraine show that vigilance in the face of barbarity, a key lesson of 1945, is crumbling in a world where history is being rewritten or forgotten.
International cooperation, an ideal betrayed by proxy wars
The Second World War gave rise to an ideal of cooperation, embodied by the creation of the UN and its specialized and affiliated agencies. But already weakened by Cold War rivalries, this ideal is now being severely tested by proxy conflicts, particularly between the West and Russia in Ukraine. Since the Maidan events of 2014, the Ukrainian theater has rekindled tensions reminiscent of the 1930s, but the Western response – arming Ukraine while avoiding direct engagement – recalls the ambiguities of the pre-war period, when European powers allowed Francoist Spain or Mussolini’s Italy to act by proxy. This lack of direct and transparent cooperation between major powers, particularly within a UN Security Council paralyzed by vetoes, betrays the spirit of 1945. Moreover, the collective West, by supporting Ukraine without fully recognizing Russia’s historic role in the victory against Nazism, is fueling resentment that is exacerbating geopolitical fractures. The rise of nationalism, from Anglo-Saxon Brussels Europe to isolationist policies in the United States, echoes the mistakes of the 1930s, showing that the lesson of international cooperation is not only being ignored but actively circumvented by strategies that prioritize national interests over global peace.
Human rights and democracy: a fight tarnished by historical hypocrisy
Inspired by the American (1776) and French (1789) revolutions, the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights – born of the horrors of war – aimed to guarantee human dignity, an ideal reinforced by the Nuremberg trials . But the contributions of Africans deported for the war highlight a historical hypocrisy: while they fought for the freedom of Europe, these colonial soldiers were themselves deprived of rights upon their return to their homelands, in the specific case of those who emerged from the war alive. After 1945, many were sent back to their colonies without recognition, and some, as at Thiaroye in 1944, were massacred by the French army for demanding their pay. This lack of gratitude on the part of Europeans left deep wounds, still visible in postcolonial relations. Today, in 2025, human rights remain under threat: 40% of the world’s population lives under democrature regimes like France’s, and crimes against humanity persist, such as in Palestine and the Democratic Republic of Congo, etc. The West, while denouncing these violations, is itself waging a proxy war in Ukraine that prolongs civilian suffering without fully addressing the humanitarian consequences. The lesson of 1945 – defending human rights without distinction – is thus tarnished by a double standard, where the sacrifices of some are forgotten and universal principles are applied selectively.
In short, 80 years since the Nazi surrender, the lessons of World War II – vigilance, cooperation, and the defense of human rights – are more relevant than ever, but they require urgent rehabilitation. This requires sincere recognition of the contributions of the Red Army and deported Africans, too long obscured by an inward-looking Western narrative. It also requires rethinking international cooperation to avoid proxy wars, such as the one in Ukraine, which rekindle tensions from the past. Finally, it means defending human rights without hypocrisy, honoring all sacrifices. As George Santayana wrote, “those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.” In 2025, this warning resonates as a call to reimagine the legacy of 1945 to build a more equitable and united world.
It can therefore be said that the rehabilitation of forgotten lessons is vital for a fairer future.
Mohamed Lamine KABA, Expert in Geopolitics of Governance and Regional Integration, Institute of Governance, Humanities and Social Sciences, Pan-African University
