Description
No war weariness from combat in your territory.
Historical Context
Although the term “Motherland” has been adopted by a number of groups to refer to their homeland, it is most closely associated with Soviet Russia and especially the defense of Russia against the Nazi German invasion during World War II. During the course of that struggle, Russia lost some 26.6 million people, 16 million of them civilians – roughly 13.7% of its 1940 population. The spirit of defiance and extreme sacrifice by the common people against foreign invasion is credited with the victory. These days, in Russia 23 February has been set aside as “Defense of the Motherland Day.”