Red Army Executions During WWII

Red Army Soldiers Executed for Retreat

On June 22, 1941, the German army launched a surprise attack on the Soviet Union, catching the Red Army off guard. General Georgy Zhukov, the Chief of the General Staff, immediately ordered a counterattack, but the situation on the ground was chaotic. By August 1941, the Red Army was in full retreat, and commanders were shooting their own soldiers for abandoning their positions.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that the Red Army was a well-disciplined and cohesive force during World War II, with soldiers fighting bravely against the German army. The standard story goes that the Soviet Union's eventual victory was due to the bravery and sacrifice of its soldiers, who fought to defend their motherland against the Nazi invaders. However, this narrative overlooks the brutal treatment of Red Army soldiers by their own commanders, particularly during the early years of the war.

What History Actually Shows

Historians like Rodric Braithwaite and Catherine Merridale have documented the widespread practice of executing Red Army soldiers for retreating or abandoning their positions. On August 16, 1941, Stalin issued Order 270, which authorized the shooting of commanders and soldiers who retreated without orders. The order specifically stated that soldiers who abandoned their positions would be considered traitors and shot on the spot. According to historian Alexander Werth, by the end of 1941, thousands of Red Army soldiers had been executed for retreating, with many more to follow in the coming years. By 1942, the situation on the Eastern Front had become increasingly dire, with the Red Army struggling to hold back the German advance. On January 5, 1942, General Zhukov launched a counterattack near Moscow, but the operation was poorly planned and executed, resulting in heavy casualties. As the war dragged on, the executions continued, with commanders like General Andrei Vlasov being shot for surrendering to the Germans in July 1942. Historian Antony Beevor notes that the executions were often carried out by the NKVD, the Soviet secret police, who were tasked with maintaining discipline within the Red Army. By the end of the war, the true extent of the executions remained a closely guarded secret, known only to a select few within the Soviet high command.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like Viktor Suvorov and Vladimir Karpov made deliberate decisions to downplay or omit the stories of Red Army soldiers who were shot by their own commanders for retreating, which significantly contributed to the suppression of this history. The Soviet government, under the leadership of Joseph Stalin, actively worked to conceal these events, and their efforts were reinforced by the strict control of media and information. Concrete reasons for this suppression include the need to maintain morale and the fear of revealing the brutal realities of war, which would have undermined the Soviet war effort. Specifically, the Soviet government's control over historical records and archives made it difficult for researchers to access information about these events, thereby limiting the dissemination of this knowledge.

The Ripple Effect

The executions of Red Army soldiers for retreating had a direct impact on the development of the Soviet military's strategy and tactics during World War II. The fear of being shot by their own commanders led to a significant increase in the number of soldiers who fought to the death, rather than retreating, which in turn affected the outcome of battles. For example, the Battle of Stalingrad was heavily influenced by this policy, as Soviet soldiers were more likely to hold their positions, even in the face of overwhelming enemy forces. A specific modern thing that traces directly back to this event is the Soviet-era doctrine of "not one step back," which was later incorporated into Russian military strategy and is still studied by military historians today.

The Line That Says It All

The Soviet government's policy of executing its own soldiers for retreating resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Red Army soldiers during World War II.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to the Soviet Union during World War II.