{"id":226,"date":"2022-10-04T21:47:31","date_gmt":"2022-10-04T19:47:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fakenews.pl\/en\/?p=226"},"modified":"2023-06-20T16:46:16","modified_gmt":"2023-06-20T14:46:16","slug":"there-is-no-evidence-that-white-crosses-on-ukrainian-military-vehicles-are-associated-with-nazi-symbolism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fakenews.pl\/en\/politics\/there-is-no-evidence-that-white-crosses-on-ukrainian-military-vehicles-are-associated-with-nazi-symbolism\/","title":{"rendered":"White crosses on Ukrainian military vehicles and Nazi symbolism"},"content":{"rendered":"

According to information circulating on social media, the white crosses painted on Ukrainian military vehicles are a reference to the Nazi tank markings during World War II. The narrative is intended to arouse resentment towards the Ukrainian army and is in line with the propaganda promoted by the Kremlin for years that Kyiv is ruled by the Nazis. However, there is no evidence for such claims, and the analysis indicates that the markings may have a deeper, historical meaning. However, as Ukrainians themselves admitted, there were in fact sporadic cases of using the so-called Balkenkreuz. This is also confirmed by photos and recordings from the battlefield. Let\u2019s take a look at the difference between the two crosses.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\t\n\t\tKorekta 06.06.2023:\n\t<\/strong>\n\t The article is divided into two parts, concerning two different theses. In the first part, our assessment remains unchanged: there is no evidence that the white crosses on Ukrainian military vehicles have anything to do with Nazi symbolism. The second part focuses on the use of the so-called Balkenkreuz, a cross used by the Wehrmacht. Ukrainians themselves have admitted that there were cases of painting this marking on military vehicles. This is also confirmed by photos and recordings from Ukraine. However, the vast majority of them surfaced after the original publication of this article. This is why we supplement this text with additional explanations.
\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
\n\t
Claim:<\/div>\n\t
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\n\t\t\tWhite crosses on Ukrainian military vehicles are a reference to Nazi markings used on German equipment during World War II\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t
\n\t\t
Our rating:<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\"Lack\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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Lack of evidence<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\tMore about our rating system: <\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n

The narrative about Nazi inspirations in the marking of vehicles was promoted particularly eagerly by accounts known for spreading pro-Russian propaganda. One of the examples is the\u00a0<\/span>Olej w G\u0142owie<\/span><\/a>\u00a0account on Telegram. Similar content can also be found on Twitter both in\u00a0<\/span>Polish<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and in <\/span>English<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Chay<\/a>
Source: twitter.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Symbolism of the isosceles cross in Ukraine<\/b><\/h2>\n

The key part of the above issue is that white isosceles cross is an important symbol for Ukrainians. This is where the answer to the mystery of why the headquarters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine decided to use this symbol may be hidden. There is no evidence that Ukrainian white crosses are derived from the Wehrmacht markings.<\/span><\/p>\n

Logistics and pragmatism<\/b><\/h3>\n

At the very beginning, it is worth noting that even if there is a deeper meaning behind this symbol, this shape was most probably chosen over some other ones due to logistics reasons. The isosceles cross is a very simple shape to paint and does not require much effort. White paint is generally available and therefore large quantities can be easily and quickly arranged. This sign also enables instant and easy identification of vehicles, which is crucial during offensive actions and beyond. It is also sufficiently different from Russian markings (\u201cV\u201d, \u201cZ\u201d, \u201cO\u201d), which means it would be difficult to confuse them. During the war, pragmatism is extremely important, so this may be the main reason for choosing this mark by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.<\/span><\/p>\n

Historical Meaning<\/b><\/h3>\n

The isosceles cross is an important part of the symbolism of the Ukrainian state, and it dates back to Cossack times.<\/b>\u00a0It was part of the coat of arms of<\/span> the founder<\/span><\/a> of the first Cossack Sich, Dmytro Vyshnevetsky, also known as Baida. It was located on the\u00a0<\/span>flag of the Zaporozhian Sich<\/span><\/a>\u00a0in the form of a white isosceles cross, the arms of which widen at the ends.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Flag<\/a>
Flag of the Zaporozhian Sich. Source: Commons.wikimedia.org<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A very similar cross can also be seen on the\u00a0<\/span>Cossack flag<\/span><\/a>\u00a0from the mid-seventeenth century. It was captured by hetman Janusz Radziwi\u0142\u0142 in 1651.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\u00a0Cossack<\/a>
Cossack flag – XVII century. Source: Arm\u00e9museum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The isosceles cross was also a part of the decoration received by soldiers of the Ukrainian People’s Republic for their participation in the <\/span>First\u00a0Winter Campaign<\/span><\/a>\u00a0at the turn of 1919 and 1920. It took place under the command of Mykhailo Omelianovych-Pavlenko, and its purpose was to move behind the Red Army lines to start guerrilla operations there. The troops were successful, and the whole operation is an important event in Ukraine’s history.\u00a0<\/span>Here<\/span> <\/a>you can see what the mentioned decoration looks like.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cossack cross in the emblems of Ukrainian institutions<\/b><\/h3>\n

The isosceles cross is also widely used in the symbols of various institutions on the territory of Ukraine. The Cossack cross (isosceles with expanding arms at the ends) is used, among others, in the coat of arms of <\/span>the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>the Armed Forces<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>the Infantry<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>the Navy<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>the Air Forces<\/span><\/a>. Therefore, it clearly has strong connections with military symbolism. Thence, it should come as no surprise that its simplified version is placed on vehicles belonging to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wehrmacht vehicle designations<\/b><\/h2>\n

It should be noted here that the narrative about white crosses spread on Telegram does not refer exactly to the cross presented by the Russian embassy (<\/span>Balkenkreuz<\/span><\/i>). For this reason, we will discuss when German troops used specific designations, as well as the historical context of the photos from World War II.<\/span><\/p>\n

White crosses<\/b><\/h3>\n

As explained earlier, it is doubtful that Ukrainian troops used the white cross in reference to the markings on German tanks. Most probably, the connection is unintentional. What is more, the Wehrmacht used this sign for a very short time, and this fact is not widely known, unlike the\u00a0<\/span>Balkenkreuz<\/span><\/i>,\u00a0which is unequivocally associated with the Wehrmacht<\/span>.<\/span><\/i> There are numerous indications that the white cross was used because of historical connotations that go much deeper than World War II, which we discuss below. <\/span>Claims about the alleged Nazi roots of the symbol coincide with the propaganda narratives created by the Kremlin.<\/b><\/p>\n

In the\u00a0<\/span>post<\/span><\/a>\u00a0on Telegram, shared by the\u00a0<\/span>Olej w G\u0142owie<\/span><\/i> profile, we can see a photo of a German tank with troops taking cover behind it. According to the author of the post, the photo comes from the Great Patriotic War.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"White<\/a>
Source: telegram.org<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, this is not true. The photograph\u00a0<\/span>was taken<\/span><\/a>\u00a0during the fights in Warsaw in September 1939. It features Wehrmacht soldiers using the Panzerkampfwagen II tank as cover.\u00a0Plain white crosses were painted on German vehicles only during the execution of the\u00a0<\/span>Fall Weiss<\/span><\/i>\u00a0plan (Eng. Case White), i.e. the invasion of Poland by the Third Reich. Below we also present another\u00a0<\/span>example<\/span><\/a>\u00a0of its use in September 1939. In the later stages of the war, German infantry began to use the\u00a0<\/span>Balkenkreuz<\/span><\/i> instead of the single-coloured white cross. This can be seen in the second <\/span>photograph<\/span><\/a> below, which dates back to the invasion of France in May 1940 (the <\/span>Fall Gelb<\/span><\/i> plan, i.e. Case Yellow).<\/span><\/p>\n

\"German<\/a>
German armored troops on the Brda River, early September 1939. Source: Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-1976-071-36\/CC-BY-SA 3.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Panzer<\/a>
Panzer II (Balkenkreuz visible) and Panzer I in May 1940 during the invasion of France. Source: Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-382-0248-33A \/ B\u00f6cker \/ CC-BY-SA 3.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Great Patriotic War<\/b><\/h3>\n

The term Great Patriotic War, which is used to spread the discussed narratives,\u00a0<\/span>refers to<\/span><\/a>\u00a0the war between the Third Reich and the USSR (from June 1941 through May 1945). It is used primarily by Russian historiography and has a strong propaganda dimension. This would indicate that the content spread is linked to Kremlin propaganda.<\/span><\/p>\n

The term Great Patriotic War was coined by Soviet propaganda on the basis of the term\u00a0<\/span>used<\/span><\/a>\u00a0in reference to Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812 (Patriotic War). This was thoroughly explained by dr hab. Grzegorz Berendt, associate professor at the University of Gda\u0144sk and the Head of the Museum of the Second World War in Gda\u0144sk, in his\u00a0<\/span>interview<\/span><\/a>\u00a0for Wprost magazine:<\/span><\/p>\n

“Outside of Russia, it is widely accepted in historiography that the Second World War began in September 1939, with the German attack on Poland. This date is not convenient in the Russian historical narrative, because on September 17 the Soviets joined the invasion of Poland. Thus, the aggression of the Third Reich against the Soviet Union, initiated on June 22, 1941, was used instead. The term Great Patriotic War was coined by Soviet propaganda in an attempt to unite this oppressed nation \u2013 or more precisely, this multinational society \u2013 under one banner, i.e. the “homeland” slogan. With the love of the homeland they wanted to cover the memory of the crimes committed by the Bolsheviks on their compatriots from the Autumn of 1917 until the Summer of 1941, and at the same time to ease national tensions.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n\t
Claim:<\/div>\n\t
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\n\t\t\tBalkenkreuz was spotted on some Ukrainian military vehicles. This designation was used by the Wehrmacht during World War II.<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t
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Our rating:<\/div>\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\"Mostly\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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Mostly true<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\tMore about our rating system: <\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n

The Russian Embassy and Balkenkreuz<\/b><\/h2>\n

The entire narrative about the Wehrmacht crosses was generated by the Russian embassy in the United Kingdom. It posted a <\/span>tweet<\/span><\/a> with a photo from World War II. Most likely, it comes from Operation Barbarossa, i.e. the Third Reich’s invasion of the USSR. It shows the Panzerkampfwagen III tank with the crew sitting on it. In the tweet, it was juxtaposed with a photograph of a Ukrainian tank. In fact, the marking on it resembles that on the German vehicle.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"White<\/a>
Source: twitter.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This cross appeared in <\/span>several<\/span><\/a> different versions, and it was modelled on the <\/span>Luftwaffe emblems<\/span><\/a>. Its most famous form is a black isosceles cross with a white outline, not overlapping at its ends. It was this version of the marking, and not the plain white one, that was used during Operation Barbarossa (invasion of the USSR) and in the later stages of the war. An example can be seen in the <\/span>photo<\/span><\/a> below.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"German<\/a>
German armored units in Latvia during Operation Barbarossa, July 1941. Source: Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-009-0882-04 \/ Schr\u00f6ter \/ CC-BY-SA 3.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, looking at the cross on the Ukrainian tank, it is worth paying attention to the surface it is located on. It is not painted on uniform material, but on bricks of a <\/span>reactive armour<\/span><\/a>. There are clear gaps between them, which makes it impossible to paint a uniform marking. On other surfaces, the cross is plain white, without any ornaments.\u00a0<\/span>Seeing the <\/b>Balkenkreuz<\/i><\/b> on the vehicles of the Ukrainian armed forces requires a lot of ill will and can be seen as an attempt to discredit the troops of our eastern neighbour.<\/b>\u00a0The following <\/span>photo<\/span><\/a> perfectly shows how the surface impacts the appearance of the cross.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ukrainian<\/a>
Ukrainian tank column during the Kharkiv offensive, September 2022. Source: Mil.gov.ua<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cases of using Balkenkreuz by Ukrainians<\/b><\/h2>\n

Unfortunately, in several other cases, the fact of observing Balkenkreuz cannot be blamed solely on bad will or misinterpretation of the photographs. While the tweet published by the Russian embassy is an evident manipulation, in other cases it is difficult to find another explanation. At least a dozen photographs and videos of Ukrainian military vehicles with Wehrmacht crosses painted on them have been circulating on social media.<\/span><\/p>\n

Selected examples can be found below:<\/span><\/p>\n