White House: Russia is executing soldiers who refuse to follow orders - eviltoast
  • deranger@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I’m not disputing the content of order 227, I’m disputing the historical accuracy of the film. Yes, they did have supply issues, penal battalions, and blocking units in the Soviet army, but not like it was depicted in the film.

    All in all, the most likely way that a soldier or officer would interact with a barrier troop was not through being cut down by a Maxim, but through arrest and drumhead court martial. Especially in the case of the NKVD detachments, they wouldn’t be set up right at the line of battle, but some ways to the rear, where they would apprehend retreaters, run a quick show “trial”, execute a few to make an example, and sentence considerably more to serve time in a penal unit.

    https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3pcjfv/comment/cw54qf3/?context=3