"...WW2 marked for them the beginning of when they became a version of Hitler..."
True, except that they were even worse than Hitler.
Tyrants are the same no matter what name you give them.
So true, and we have an article where Russia is having trouble saying Stalin was like Hitler posted here in FR.
I know it is painful for them to acknowledge their past as the bad guys, but when everyone else knows, what's the supposed big secret they think they are going to hide?