By INS Contributors

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: While the end of World War 2 (WW2) has been endlessly discussed in light of the 80th anniversary of the fall of Nazi Germany on May 9, 1945, the global conflict stretched on for several more bloody months in Asia where Fascist Japan fought to the bitter end from the islands of the Pacific to the plains of Manchuria and jungles of Southeast Asia with the war finally ending on Sept. 3, 1945.

Estimates of the death toll in Asia over WW2 range from 20 million to 35 million with a great number of them being Chinese who had resisted Japan's Imperial aggression from 1931 till 1945, with Western sources typically claiming to be responsible for the victory over Japan through its use of atomic weapons against the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

However as historians have had decades to take at the closer look at the events of those dark days, it was in fact the capture of Manchuria by the Red Army that finally broke the will of Japan to fight, with the strategic region hosting vast natural resources and the bulk of Japan's ground forces.

The victory against both Germany and Japan paved the way for a world order that has lasted for decades, with the most significant post-war development being the end of Western colonialism as dozens of nations across Asia and Africa gained independence, freeing them to pursue their own development path.

At an event to commemorate the end of the conflict hosted by the Russian Embassy In Malaysia, academics, experts, diplomatic guests and members of the media were given insights into how the people of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, along with China and others prevailed against the global fascist project at that time and facilitated the creation of a post-war order.

Ambassador Naiyl Latypov who hosted the event said in his remarks that the current generation is obliged to pass on this memory to future generations – not as a formality, but as the basis of historical consciousness and respect for the sacrifice of millions of people.

"The tragedy of the Second World War taught us many lessons. Among the most important ones is that ideologies based on racial superiority, a sense of exceptionalism, and self-belief in impunity must be met with an immediate collective response from civilized nations," he said.

"The Great Victory had an epoch-defining political significance for the subsequent course of world history. It laid the foundations for the global system of international relations, with the United Nations at its core. Powerful impetus was given to the decolonisation process, resulting in the emergence of dozens of newly independent states in Asia, Africa, and Oceania – nowadays marked as the Global South," he said.

Latypov noted that Russia had in March proposed resolution on “The Eightieth anniversary of the end of World War II” which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), with 54 other nations including Malaysia co-sponsoring the document which aims to preserve hard fought historical truths from dishonest revisionism.

"The promotion of this resolution is part of the efforts undertaken by a large group of States to preserve the truth about the outcome of the Second World War. The document recalls that it was its completion that created the conditions for the establishment of the United Nations. It contains a call for all States to unite in the fight against challenges and threats to international peace and security with the central role of the UN," he explained.

"These are not just pages in books – these are the fates of millions of people, our ancestors, who went through hardships, defended freedom and peace. Their exploits are the foundation of our present. Their strength, courage and faith are things that we must respect and cherish," he said.

Several videos and informational briefs were also witnessed by the guests including a brief lecture on the Japanese invasion of Malaya, recounting the brutality inflicted on the people caught up in the fighting.

A highlight of the event was a piano rendition by Nadezhda Tayguildina of the famous musical composition “The two in café” of the Russian composer Mikael Tariverdiev written for the film “Seventeen Moments of Spring”.

The importance of music in maintaining the morale and fighting spirit of people was also highlighted with an explanation on the Seventh Symphony written by the famous composer Dmitry Shostakovich, who began writing the Seventh symphony in September 1941, when the blockade ring closed around Leningrad. 

The premiere of the symphony took place on March 5, 1942 in Kuibyshev. The success was so overwhelming that the very next day a copy of its score was sent to Moscow.

But Shostakovich considered it very important that Symphony should be performed precisely in besieged Leningrad. A huge orchestra was needed to perform it but at that time there were not even 15 alive musicians in a hungry, besieged city. Men who could play were even called from the frontline. Instead of weapons, they had to pick up musical instruments. 

The day of the symphony's first performance in Leningrad was not chosen by a chance. On August 9, 1942, the Nazis intended to capture the city. On this day, all the forces of Leningrad were thrown to suppress the enemy's firing points.

The symphony was heard not only by the residents of the city, but also by the German troops besieging Leningrad, who believed that the city was practically dead. And as the surviving Germans later admitted, it was at that moment that they realized that they could not defeat the Soviet people.