Original article (in Croatian) was published on 18/8/2025; Author: Anja Vladisavljević
Great Tartary never existed, and Nazi Germany certainly wasn’t trying to save it during World War II.
A pseudo-historical myth about a fictional empire called “Great Tartary” is once again circulating across social media. In the latest iteration of this conspiracy theory, some claim that both World Wars were deliberately orchestrated to wipe out this “ancient culture,” and that Nazi Germany tried to preserve its legacy.
“Both world wars were meant to destroy our ancient culture (Great Tartary)‼️ Germany and its allies tried to save it❗️ No need to dig any deeper into the reasons❗️”
– from a Facebook post dated August 2, 2025 (archived here)
The post includes an image of a street scene filled with richly decorated buildings featuring domes, turrets, and baroque ornamentation.
What is the Tartaria Myth?
Narratives about Great Tartary often rely on images of domed and towered buildings, presenting them not as architectural features, but as supposed evidence of lost Tartarian technology – like “antennas” for free energy.
Historically, Tartary was a broad geographic term referring to parts of Central and Northern Asia, stretching from the Caspian Sea and the Urals to the Pacific Ocean. But among conspiracy theorists, “Tartaria” is imagined as a forgotten super-civilization – allegedly the “largest empire in the world” – which was entirely erased from human memory and historical records.
Needless to say, there is no credible scientific or historical evidence that such a civilization ever existed.
According to History Defined, the roots of the Tartaria conspiracy lie in Russian pseudoscience – particularly in the work of Anatoly Fomenko, a mathematician who authored the pseudo-historical “New Chronology”, a complete revision of world history. His fringe theories led some to believe that Russia was once Tartary, and that the West has conspired to cover up its true origins.
However, the Russian Geographical Society has since debunked these claims, labeling them extremist fantasy and outright conspiracy.
As Faktograf previously reported, the Tartaria myth has evolved into an “architectural” theory – one that hinges on visual differences in historic buildings. As Bloomberg has noted, it has gained traction among QAnon supporters, who form part of the far-right conspiracy ecosystem in the U.S.
Promoters of the Tartaria theory often cite old buildings with domes and towers as examples of “forgotten technology.” In reality, these are just examples of architectural styles such as neoclassical, baroque, Byzantine, or Victorian – not hidden energy devices.
Why Were the World Wars Fought?
These narratives are frequently used by alternative-history communities online to suggest the existence of a “hidden truth” and undermine trust in well-established, evidence-based historiography.
The First (1914 – 1918) and Second World Wars (1939 – 1945) were large-scale global conflicts driven by political, military, and economic rivalries. They engulfed entire societies and consumed all available resources, resulting in immense human and material losses. Both wars were defining events of the 20th century.
World War I was fought between the Allied Powers (including the UK, France, and Russia) and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, and their allies). The conflict stemmed from imperial rivalries and colonial ambitions: Germany sought dominance and colonies; Austria-Hungary aimed to assert its influence in Central Europe and the Balkans; the UK and France wanted to preserve their empires and contain Germany; Russia pursued influence in the Balkans and access to warm-water ports.
World War II was fought between the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, Japan, and their allies such as Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Finland, Serbia, and the NDH) and the Allied Powers (including the USSR, USA, UK, France, Canada, Australia, Latin American countries, and others).
The main cause of WWII was dissatisfaction with the international order established after World War I – especially in Germany, which had lost its colonies and was burdened with massive reparations. Contrary to the claims in conspiracy circles, Nazi Germany was not trying to “save” any ancient civilization; it pursued aggressive expansionism and committed widespread atrocities, including genocide.
In conclusion, the First and the Second World Wars were triggered by complex political, military, and economic tensions in Europe. There is no historical basis for the claim that these wars were fought to destroy a mythical empire like “Great Tartary”– because such an empire never existed in the first place.
