But either officers were involved themselves, or the lack of discipline made it too dangerous to restore order over drunken soldiers armed with submachine guns.Ĭalls to avenge the Motherland, violated by the Wehrmacht's invasion, had given the idea that almost any cruelty would be allowed. The commander of one rifle division is said to have "personally shot a lieutenant who was lining up a group of his men before a German woman spreadeagled on the ground". There were also a few arbitrary attempts to exert authority. Marshal Rokossovsky issued order No 006 in an attempt to direct "the feelings of hatred at fighting the enemy on the battlefield." It appears to have had little effect. Numerous examples of gang rape were given - "girls under 18 and old women included". One stated that "many Germans declare that all German women in East Prussia who stayed behind were raped by Red Army soldiers". Beria and Stalin, back in Moscow, knew perfectly well what was going on from a number of detailed reports.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |