It is well known that Soviet citizens were often victims to incredibly harsh punishments for mediocre crimes: examples of trial worthy crimes are here and here. But on March 27, 1953 De-Stalinization reached the prisoners that had been locked into the camps (Freeze, 2009, p. 410). Those who were released were […]
Category: Comrade’s Corner
Persecution in Russia
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Jewish persecution is most typically associated with the Holocaust, but Soviets were brutally victimized as well. The Nazi party wished to push eastward in order to fulfill their dream of Lebensraum, or living space, and forced millions into labor and POW camps in the process. “German treatment of Soviet POWs differed dramatically from German policy … Continue reading Persecution in Russia
Stalin’s Best Generals
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The purges of the Red Army’s officer corps in the late 1930’s were both a major reason for the USSR’s dismal performance against the Nazi invasion and a major reason for their ultimate success. At the outbreak of war in 1941, the Red Army leadership was mostly comprised of old Russian Civil War heroes unprepared … Continue reading “Stalin’s Best Generals”
Soldier Are Not Equal
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World War II saw a lot of atrocities. The Nazis in particular seemed to favor ill treatment of any person, citizen or soldier, that did not fit in their narrow view of the true and proper race. Although Jews are
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
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Russian family life has had a turbulent past with differing levels of control by the government and this was no different during wartime. Traditional gender roles were challenged by wartime needs, passion was at an all time high because of the unknown nature of a war, and the aftermath left many children born out of… Continue reading Hit Me With Your Best Shot →
One Step Ahead
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Soviet war time brought a unique artistic freedom to the Soviet film and cinema industry. During the war there were over 100 Soviet films produced and half of them had a plot surrounded around the war. The most interesting thing was how many films told the stories of the partisans. The role of women and […]
Not One Step Backwards!
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Soviet victory in the epic Battle of Stalingrad was in part due to Joseph Stalin’s notorious Order No. 227, known as “Not One Step Backwards!” Officers who permitted their men to retreat without explicit orders were to be arrested and “treated as traitors,” while rank-and-file “panickers and cowards” were to be shot on the spot … More Not One Step Backwards!
The Allies can Tank the Battle of Kursk for Turning the Tide of the War
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In his essay Battle of Kursk, James von Geldern states that this engagement “involved the largest tank battle of the Second World War,” and “was fought on the steppe of Kursk oblast between July 5 and August 23, 1943.” Furthermore, from taking a class on World War Two last Autumn, I know that this was and … Continue reading The Allies can Tank the Battle of Kursk for Turning the Tide of the War
Nazis or Soviets: the Katyn Forest Massacre
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Picture of the mass grave with the bodies that were recovered lined up. Source: Krasil’Nikov, Iu.: Katyn. 1999. The Katyn Forest Massacre was announced to the public via German radio in April of 1943. I discovered this piece of history … Continue reading →
Rosie the {Russian} Riveter
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One group that is often overlooked during wartime is women. Traditional values in Soviet culture told women to stay at home to tend to the children, cook dinner, clean up, and take care of other household issues. However, during the 1940s while men were away at war, women played a very different role in Soviet […]
