Memory: The True Enemy of War

In these May days, the world celebrates the victory of good over evil. Nazi Germany is defeated. Humanity marks the triumph in the most brutal and bloody war in civilization’s history — a war that claimed over 70 million lives.

We mourn those who fell on battlefields and the tragic fates of concentration camp prisoners. Many publications are dedicated to these events, many personal memories of loved ones lost. Honor and praise to those who remember and honor everyone who gave their lives for peace, so that their descendants would never know war.

Unfortunately, official celebrations and military parades displaying weapons of mass destruction often dilute this memory. They do not promote peace. They release the “evil genie from the bottle,” transforming natural human aggressiveness into aggression.

These days, many debates rage over who interprets the events of those years more correctly. Such disputes are certainly important for establishing truth. But too often the polemics become so sharp and politicized that they do not serve truth — instead, they fuel aggression among opposing sides. Information warfare, the new form of struggle — the Cold War of the 21st century — further fans the flames.

Memory as a Shield Against War

It would seem that historical memory of the atrocities endured by generations over centuries should have built an immunity against war — the instinct of self-preservation should prevail. But that has proved an illusion.

Local wars continue constantly. Often they become triggers for largescale conflicts. With the development of hightech weapons of mass destruction, wars become ever more devastating, and the number of victims rises sharply.

The numbers speak for themselves: over the past fifty centuries, humanity has experienced more than 14,500 major and minor wars. From 1601 to 1913, over 14 million people died in wars. World War II took about 70 million lives. The next world war could become a planetary catastrophe.

Aristotle wrote: “When war is forgotten, a new one begins; memory is the main enemy of war.”

But as events of the early 21st century have shown, not all memory is the same.

Factual Memory vs Emotional Memory

There is the memory of participants and witnesses — which preserves a living emotional experience. And there is memory shaped through films, literature, art, and memorials. Thousands of memorials around the world remind us of the tragedy.

Does that mediated memory carry emotional weight? I do not know if such research has been conducted. Perhaps someone in the comments will enlighten us.

So maybe the main enemy of war is not factual memory or victoryday recollections, but emotional memory?

We try to shield our brains from negative emotions. Perhaps that is a physiological protective function. But this creates a vicious circle: we spare ourselves negative emotions, only to end up with a new war and a hundred times more trauma to our psyche.

What Is Emotional Memory?

Let us turn to psychology.

“Emotional memory is the ability to remember information linked to experienced emotions and feelings. It allows us to store not only facts and events but also the sensations that accompanied them. Thanks to emotional memory, we can recall not only what happened but also how we felt at the time. Emotional memory participates in decisionmaking. The experience of past emotions enables us to interpret present events and make choices. Rich emotional memory gives us an advantage, allowing us to make balanced decisions and learn from the past.” — according to psychological research.

Scientists believe that emotional memory is largely determined by innate brain features — that is, it is inherent to human nature, just like aggressiveness. And it can be cultivated.

Thus, emotional memory is significantly more effective than plain factual memory in preventing wars.

But There Is a Catch

I am not sure that emotional memory arising from direct personal experience is equally effective and longlasting as emotional memory generated indirectly (through art, literature, cinema) in its ability to prevent war.

There are tragically few participants and witnesses of those terrible events left. Therefore, enriching our emotional memory of war through art, literature, and education is the key that can help us avoid new suffering.

However, when forming mediated emotional memory, we must remember the words of Vasily Grossman: “Only the truth, and again the truth of fact, no matter how cruel, can be the cure for oblivion.”

Conclusion

It is the combination of direct and mediated emotional memory — enriched by truth and artistic expression — that can become the guarantee that the horrors of war will not be forgotten and will not be repeated.

Memory of war is not merely a tribute to the fallen; it is a living testimony that must remind us: war is a tragedy. We must not forget the atrocities our ancestors endured, and we must strive to build a society where conflict has no place.

We must not forget that our greatgrandfathers, grandfathers, and fathers sacrificed their own lives, endured brutal trials, so that we would not experience the full horror of war and could live in peace. Our duty to them is to care for the fate of future generations. Each of us, drawing on our own capabilities, experience, and knowledge, must contribute to this noble cause.