- Reaction score
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- Points
- 410
Written by noted German author Jürgen Thorwald at the bequest of the Ghelan organization and the United States Secret Service. The Illusion: Soviet Soldiers in Hitler's Armies. author's rational for the book is straight out of a John Le Clare novel. As with his previous book Flight into Winter the book is a master piece in covering the aspect of General Vaslov and other Soviet turncoats. An academic style read it examines the developmental policy of the Hitler regime in regards to "Ostland" and the war with Russia. Brits, Danes, Dutch, Norwegians were all to be transported to the Baltic regions in a campaign of "Germanization". Interestingly the French were over looked.
An interesting quote in the turn about view of the German high commands view "why should a German soldier die deffending Germany, when a Soviet soldier fulfils this task quite well." Discussed is the reasoning and rational of the Soviet soldier who voluntarily fought for the fascist side. Aside from the certain death in prisoner of war camps, the promise of national liberation played a significant part. Was Hitler willing to concede to the wishes of Melnik and other Ukrainian nationalists ? What drove the defection of a "Hero of the Soviet Union" and defender of Moscow to go over to the enemy along with an estimated one million others ? Was this a spur of the moment decision on the part of General Vaslov or a rational act based on significant thought.
As mentioned in my opening paragraph this book was done at the request of the American government in part to understand the motivation of the million plus Soviet soldiers. Secondly, how it could be applied to the current situation at hand during the cold war. Soviet rational was also examined in that " despite numerous public trials of those who had committed treasonous acts in occupied territory, the Vlasovities were convicted in private". This done to avoid the slightest mention of an "organized anti Stalin movement" described as the most serious threat to Stalin regime since the civil war. Did the Americans miss a major propaganda victory in returning these former Soviet soldiers to the Eastern occupied countries ?
As stated it is an academic style read but worth the effort as it dispels many cold war myths.
An interesting quote in the turn about view of the German high commands view "why should a German soldier die deffending Germany, when a Soviet soldier fulfils this task quite well." Discussed is the reasoning and rational of the Soviet soldier who voluntarily fought for the fascist side. Aside from the certain death in prisoner of war camps, the promise of national liberation played a significant part. Was Hitler willing to concede to the wishes of Melnik and other Ukrainian nationalists ? What drove the defection of a "Hero of the Soviet Union" and defender of Moscow to go over to the enemy along with an estimated one million others ? Was this a spur of the moment decision on the part of General Vaslov or a rational act based on significant thought.
As mentioned in my opening paragraph this book was done at the request of the American government in part to understand the motivation of the million plus Soviet soldiers. Secondly, how it could be applied to the current situation at hand during the cold war. Soviet rational was also examined in that " despite numerous public trials of those who had committed treasonous acts in occupied territory, the Vlasovities were convicted in private". This done to avoid the slightest mention of an "organized anti Stalin movement" described as the most serious threat to Stalin regime since the civil war. Did the Americans miss a major propaganda victory in returning these former Soviet soldiers to the Eastern occupied countries ?
As stated it is an academic style read but worth the effort as it dispels many cold war myths.
