British Ministry of Information: Suppress news of Soviet war crimes (And make German ones up)
Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2025 10:29 pm
Here a very telling circular letter by the British Ministry of Information from February 1944 targeted at the BBC and the higher British clergy:
This is just one example to demonstrate the fact that contrary to postwar propaganda (Duh!), Allied propaganda was far more vicious and lied way more than German one. Goebbels was a babe in the woods in comparison. Also, that the Western governments knew of course perfectly well the vileness of their comrades in arms. Later, after eagerly handing over a large part of Europe to Stalin, they would feign shock that this somehow did not result in universal freedom and happiness and take this as a pretext to start the Cold War.
Source: Allied wartime diplomacy; a pattern in Poland, Edward J. Rozak, p.209 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id= ... 21&seq=233Sir,
I am directed by the Ministry to send you the following circular letter:
It is often the duty of the good citizens and of the pious Christians to turn a blind eye on the peculiarities of those associated with us.
But the time comes when such peculiarities, while still denied in public, must be taken into account when action by us is called for.
We know the methods of rule employed by the Bolshevik dictator in Russia itself from, for example, the writing and speeches of the Prime Minister himself during the last twenty years. We know how the Red Army behaved in Poland in 1920 and in Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Galicia, and Bessarabia only recently.
We must, therefore, take into account how the Red Army will certainly behave when it overruns Central Europe. Unless precautions are taken, the obviously inevitable horrors which will result will throw an undue strain on public opinion in this country.
We cannot reform the Bolsheviks but we can do our best to save them - and ourselves - from the consequences of their acts. The disclosures of the past quarter of a century will render mere denials unconvincing. The only alternative to denial is to distract public attention from the whole subject.
Experience has shown that the best distraction is atrocity propaganda directed against the enemy. Unfortunately the public is no longer so susceptible as in the days of the "Corpse Factory," the "Mutilated Belgian Babies," and the "Crucified Canadians."
Your cooperation is therefore earnestly sought to distract public attention from the doings of the Red Army by your wholehearted support of various charges against the Germans and Japanese which have been and will be put into circulation by the Ministry.
Your expression of belief in such may convince others.
I am, Sir, Your obedient servant,
(Sign.) H. HEWET, ASSISTANT SECRETARY
The Ministry can enter into no correspondence of any kind with regard to this communication which should only be disclosed to responsible persons.
This is just one example to demonstrate the fact that contrary to postwar propaganda (Duh!), Allied propaganda was far more vicious and lied way more than German one. Goebbels was a babe in the woods in comparison. Also, that the Western governments knew of course perfectly well the vileness of their comrades in arms. Later, after eagerly handing over a large part of Europe to Stalin, they would feign shock that this somehow did not result in universal freedom and happiness and take this as a pretext to start the Cold War.
