Surprising Guests in a Russian Parade: American Troops

[poiuytrewq0987]

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/05/07/world/07redsquare_CA1_337-span/07redsquare_CA1-articleLarge.jpg

MOSCOW — There is a lot about Red Square these days that would make Khrushchev squirm. Three-hundred-dollar Italian negligees pool in the windows of the State Department Store, that showcase of proletarian output; a 20-foot Mercedes-Benz symbol glints on the skyline across the Moscow River.

But it is still worth considering how the irascible Soviet premier would react if he were treated — as all of Russia (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/russiaandtheformersovietunion/index.html?inline=nyt-geo) will be on Sunday — to the sight of American infantrymen marching through the gate toward Moscow’s great fortress, the Kremlin. He might do something with his footwear; the question is what.

Never before in history have active-duty American troops been invited to march in the Victory Day parade, according to the United States military. The occasion is the 65th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, a date that carries an almost sacred meaning in Russia. Russian leaders have taken pains to explain that the Americans — along with contingents from Britain, France and Poland — were invited as representatives of the “anti-Hitler (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/h/adolf_hitler/index.html?inline=nyt-per) coalition.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/07/world/europe/07redsquare.html?hp&ex=&ei=&partner=

[Cato]

Americans link up with Soviets on the Elbe:

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1945/apr45/f25apr45.htm

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1945/apr45/1945apr/1945apr25.jpg

Photo caption:

"American and Soviet troops shake hands on a Bailey Bridge over the Elbe River."

Staged? Probably, but who cares.

[poiuytrewq0987]

How come the USA don't hold official military parades to the scale Russia does? :coffee:

[Cato]

How come the USA don't hold official military parades to the scale Russia does? :coffee:

It might make people nervous- corrupt people in seats of political power who might fear a military coup? :confused:

[Cato]

I might be wrong, but I think that the largest ever military parade for the U.S. was at the end of World War 2. Grand military spectacles ala Roman triumphs have never really been a part of American culture. Oh, we like out formations and monuments, but huge parading armies, not really.

[SwordoftheVistula]

How come the USA don't hold official military parades to the scale Russia does? :coffee:

Probably a combination of not being a very militaristic country combined with being a decentralized one. There's local processions sometimes when a particular unit returns from overseas, also most towns have a Veteran's Day parade, but there's never been any need or desire to show off national military strength by using massive parades.

[Guapo]

How come the USA don't hold official military parades to the scale Russia does? :coffee:

Too many unpatriotic anti-war/military hippies would protest probably.

[Psychonaut]

Too many unpatriotic anti-war/military hippies would protest probably.

Those of us in the military probably would too. :cool:

Parades are fucking gay. They eat up way more training, work and off time than is acceptable for something adds nothing to our respective missions.

[poiuytrewq0987]

Those of us in the military probably would too. :cool:

Parades are fucking gay. They eat up way more training, work and off time than is acceptable for something adds nothing to our respective missions.

As I understand grand military parades tend to make people more patriotic.

[Psychonaut]

As I understand grand military parades tend to make people more patriotic.

Based on what? Have there been studies? :D

[The Ripper]

Those of us in the military probably would too. :cool:

Parades are fucking gay. They eat up way more training, work and off time than is acceptable for something adds nothing to our respective missions.

Whatever eats up other American military activity should be seen as a good thing. At least parades are fairly harmless.

[poiuytrewq0987]

Anti-Hitlerist Coalition Makes Moscow Parade Reunion 65 Years Later

http://novinite.com/media/images/2010-05/photo_verybig_116003.jpg

Representatives of the Anti-Hitlerist Coalition took part in a spectacular military parade in Russian capital Moscow on the occasion of 65 years since the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

For the first time, foreign troops marched on the Red Square in Russia’s annual parade dedicated to the victory in the Second World War, dubbed the Great Patriotic War.

The foreign participants in the parade included troops from the US, the UK, France, and Poland, four NATO member states; there were a total of 13 foreign nations but most of them were former Soviet states.

The parade itself was the most large-scale display of Russian military equipment since Soviet times including latest missile complexes Topol-M, tanks T-90, and over 120 military aircraft.

Some 10 000 soldiers marched in downtown Moscow in the parade, which started with the famous Russian song “Sacred War” but ended with the “The Ode of Joy”, the EU anthem in order to highlight the connection between Victory Day and the Day of Europe, which is also celebrated on May 9.

http://novinite.com/view_news.php?id=116003

[poiuytrewq0987]

Merkel attended the Victory Day parade. Should the Germans feel insulted by Merkel attending the event that celebrates the defeat of Germany?

http://www.novinite.com/media/inpictures/201005/photo_verybig_3509.jpg

[Piparskeggr]

Firstly, I applaud the Russian parade as a comradely gesture.

As both a veteran and citizen, I am very uncomfortable with the idea of large standing armies.

I do like parades, as a viewer. Never been keen on "standing parade" myself, save as a lad and youth when I participated in the Memorial and Veterans' Days commemorations...

Big military parades are usually "one off" events here.

Civilian parades, with military participation, are much more common.

I think it comes from our firm ideal that the military is under civilian control, not a social entity in and of itself.

As a normal man, I do find something quite heart-stirring in a well-done military display, either of current vintage or historical re-enactment...

[RoyBatty]

The best parade troops I can think of off hand are the North Koreans. Their synchronisation is uncanny.

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[The Lawspeaker]

I would be in favour of establishing a tradition of an annual Großer Zapfenstreich here in the Netherlands though (because I am in favour of a citizen army under citizen control). I really like that German tradition a lot because it implies that the Bundeswehr is an army under parliamentary control.

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And that could be combined with a national service and "swearing the oath of allegiance" (not to the monarchy but to the People and the Constitution) in public (on the town square) for every conscript.

[julie]

How come the USA don't hold official military parades to the scale Russia does? :coffee:

Because we have Obama(the joke) for President:D

[The Lawspeaker]

Because we have Obama(the joke) for President:D
But why should a society that has a "democratic background" need military parades on such a scale ? After all the army is not there to intimidate foreigners as well as the general public (that's why parades are being held in countries like Russia, China and North Korea !) but an institution or instrument under citizen control (at least in theory- it should be in reality too).