On 26 and 27 January, More4tv broadcast a two-part documentary called “Auschwitz Untold: In colour.”
In at least one respect the word “untold” is a perfect description of the story of the liberation of Auschwitz as far as the role of the Soviet army is concerned. The documentary ended with one reference to the approaching “Russian army” and one film clip showing Soviet soldiers, though not informing viewers who they were but with an (approving) description by an Auschwitz survivor that they were soldiers in a different uniform, and they spoke English.
The rest of the conclusion of this documentary concentrated on the liberation of other camps by the US army, with film clip after film clip and commentary after commentary describing in detail one or other aspect of their role in liberating camps. This was “balanced” by one further reference to Soviet soldiers liberating camps.
And if we had not got it at this point, the end of the documentary then moved entirely to the United States, where some of the participants (Auschwitz survivors) now live.
Even after seventy-five years these documentary-makers, along with politicians and “historians,” display extraordinary levels of meanness and revisionism in pursuance of their unrelenting propaganda war. There is not much we can do about More4, but if we look a little closer to home—and at RTE in particular—there is more than enough to get our teeth into.
Declan McKenna
Co. Dublin
