Eighty Years Since the Victory Over Fascism, WFTU on Victory Day 2025

On May 9, 1945, with the final defeat of Nazi Germany and the collapse of the fascist axis, the peoples of the world achieved a historic victory. The red flag bearing the hammer and sickle had already been raised over the Reichstag in Berlin, symbolizing the triumph of the anti-fascist resistance.

The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) salutes and honors the 80th anniversary of this historic victory. We pay deep tribute to the millions of victims of Nazi and fascist atrocities, and especially to the countless anti-fascist fighters who gave their lives on the battlefields, in the resistance movements, in the partisan struggles, and in the concentration camps. Their sacrifice made possible the victory over barbarism.

This victory, with the Soviet Union and the Red Army playing a leading role, gave rise to a new hope: a world free of war, racial discrimination, colonialism, exploitation, and injustice. It changed the global balance in favor of workers and the oppressed, inspired national liberation struggles, and started the collapse of colonial empires.

The foundation of the WFTU in 1945 was itself born out of the great anti-fascist victory. It was created to unite the trade union movement in the struggle for peace and freedom.

Today, 80 years later, we witness again the rise of fascism and the far-right, with the support of the capital and its representatives, with imperialist wars and interventions continuing to bring suffering to the peoples. From the ongoing genocide in Palestine to the imperialist aggression elsewhere, to the growing refugee crises and rising militarism promoted by the USA, NATO, and the EU, the dangers facing peace and humanity are grave.

At the same time, these forces are intensifying efforts to falsify and erase history. They attempt to eliminate the decisive role played by the Soviet Union, the working class, and the anti-fascist movements in the defeat of Nazism. They even rebrand May 9 as “Europe Day” to rewrite the meaning of this date and strip it of its revolutionary legacy.

The international class-oriented trade union movement does not and will not forget. Our duty is to preserve historical truth, to educate the new generations of trade unionists, and to strengthen the anti-fascist, anti-imperialist struggle of the working class worldwide.

We reaffirm our commitment to the defense of world peace, to the rights and dignity of the peoples, as the only lasting path to a world without fascism, wars, and exploitation.

Long live the victory of May 9, 1945!
Long live the anti-fascist struggle!