…and the Struggle for Peace, 1945-1947.
"In many ways "The Soviet Occupation of Germany" is a very interesting study into the Red Army's advance into Nazi Germany in 1945 and the ensuing occupation through 1947. The first section of the book tackles the occupation in terms of crimes while the second focuses on food rationing, politics, and the beginnings of the Cold War tension that regularly utilized Germany and Berlin as a battleground.
This is a slim monograph, numbering some 150 pages of text, and that in and of itself should say something. This is a good introduction which offers a lot of interesting analysis but it is far from a definitive study. What Filip Slaveski does well is showcase the multifaceted nature of the Soviet occupation of Germany. When looking at the Red Army, he discusses the numerous confrontations between occupation troops and SVAG (the organization put in charge of keeping order) that occurred, which at times spilled into the streets with brawls, street fights, and gunfire. Considering that often times army command and SVAG command overlapped (as Zhukov held positions in both organizations, as did Katukov), the limits that each organization had to work with become apparent. Officers usually wanted to protect their men from trouble. When some Red Army were caught, be it in the act of rape, robbery, or murder, officers had to consider how far they could go in terms of punishment. Some continued to protect their men as they feared repercussions from the rest of their troops; not looking after one's men when there's no war could lead to a quick end of your duties and life. The limited amount of men initially assigned to SVAG also meant that most mundane instances of crime were not investigated. And, unfortunately, in some instances SVAG men themselves abused Red Army men and the locals under their jurisdiction.
Although crimes continued to occur in occupied East Germany their number was slowly reduced as waves of demobilized Red Army men left for the Soviet Union and SVAG commanders were able to implement sterner measures to keep remaining troops in barracks and under control while out in the countryside or in cities. Additionally, due to the nature of the war itself, many of the crimes being committed could not be assigned to any one party. Slave laborers from the east, concentration camp victims, deserters, and Polish soldiers (among a slew of others) were also concentrated or stayed within the borders of East Germany (under Soviet occupation) and at times terrorized the locals, seeking revenge on a populace they undoubtedly held guilty for their suffering during the war. There were also reports of Germans dressing up in Red Army uniforms and committing crimes (to what extent this is true or a way for Soviet officials to hide their soldiers' guilt is up for debate)…"
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Amicalement
Armand
goes to sea with the Terrain Mat.
