Book excerpt: The book shows that the beginnings of the wars in 1939 and 2022—apart from political goals—had an event basis. Hitler liked to perform at the opera and therefore did not allow the destroyed Reichstag to be renovated for many years. Putin, in turn, prepared a victory parade in Kiev and ordered multi-meter banquet tables in Moscow. Hitler received solid military training and was initially very successful. Putin also wanted success, but he is only an officer of the secret political police, does not know the military and suffers defeat after defeat. Both Hitler and Putin used the available media and associated weapons of defamation: to insult and dehumanize the victim, and to accuse the opponent of the crimes they procured. This was intended to stop the West from helping. Hitler succeeded, but Putin did not. History repeated itself, but, as always, inaccurately. The book includes a translation of the full versions of the key propaganda texts that justify both wars. It is intended primarily for professional historians dealing with the beginning of World War II and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.