2025-03-07, Historical parallels on trump's call for emergency ukraine elections

The Trump administration has called for emergency elections in Ukraine, after a series of events distancing themselves from the nation currently partially occupied by Russia. The move has many historical parallels - to keep it simple and non-speculative, let's look at the parallels within a government who this administration has explicitly credited as an inspiration: the Third Reich.

Parallels

Austria (1938ce): the forced election that never happened - Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg planned a referendum on independence. - Adolf Hitler forced him to cancel it under military threats.

Trump allies push for elections in Ukraine while supporting Russian aggression, similar to how Hitler demanded political changes while preparing to invade. - Austria was annexed before the people could vote, and Germany held a rigged plebiscite after occupation.

The Sudetenland Crisis (1938) - Germany supported ethnic German Nazis in the Sudetenland, encouraging them to demand autonomy. - Trump’s team suggests Ukraine needs elections while occupied territories remain under Russian control, echoing Germany’s manipulation of border politics. - The Munich Agreement forced Czechoslovakia to cede the Sudetenland, undermining its sovereignty without an immediate war.

Slovak Independence (1939ce) - After annexing the Sudetenland, Germany pressured Slovakia (then part of Czechoslovakia) into declaring independence. - A forced "election" was held under Nazi influence, creating a puppet state rather than true sovereignty. - Trump’s push for elections in Ukraine, while Russian-occupied areas remain under Kremlin control, mirrors how Germany used manipulated votes to justify breaking apart nations.

Vichy France (1940ce) - After France fell in WWII, the Nazis backed a collaborationist government in Vichy, presenting it as legitimate. - Russia has staged fake elections in occupied Ukraine, and Trump’s push for "emergency elections" could be a way to install a Kremlin-friendly leader. - Vichy France lost credibility and became a Nazi puppet.

Strategy

"Democratic processes" were used to justify authoritarian control.

Nazis (and now Russia, with potential Trump backing) used elections to: - Destabilize governments under siege. - Create legitimacy for foreign influence. - Pressure leaders into resignation or concessions.

This is a modern adaptation of an old playbook: first, withholding support, then demanding fradulent elections, and finally using the resulting chaos to justify further aggression.