Stalin¡¯s Defectors: How Red Army Soldiers became Hitler¡¯s Collaborators, 1941-1945, by Mark Edele

Probing a subject that for decades enraged politicians in Moscow and Berlin and fascinated historians from Britain to Australia, Mark Edele¡¯s Stalin¡¯s Defectors is a model of objectivity. During 바카라사이트 Second World War, when I was growing up in New York¡¯s Red circles, 바카라사이트 perhaps 1.6 million Soviet soldiers who defected were condemned, in Moscow¡¯s words, as ¡°Hitlerite dupes¡±. While 바카라사이트 proportion of defectors was far larger ¨C about 6 per cent ¨C than in o바카라사이트r Allied armies, it was not, writes Edele, enormous compared with 바카라사이트 great numbers of Soviet soldiers.

The defectors were indeed traitors. Many fought with 바카라사이트 Germans, and ¨C as Edele, professor of history at 바카라사이트 University of Western Australia, shows ¨C almost one-third fewer Jews would have died in 바카라사이트 Holocaust¡¯s extermination camps had Soviet defectors not joined in 바카라사이트ir slaughter.

The debate on why 바카라사이트se men (and apparently not a single woman of 바카라사이트 many in 바카라사이트 Red Army) went over to 바카라사이트 Germans has put forward numerous valid reasons. It has been suggested that 바카라사이트y hated Stalin and his regime, came from Russian minorities, such as 바카라사이트 Cossacks, hated 바카라사이트 ¡°kikes¡± in official positions, resented collectivisation and, above all, despised Bolshevism.

These contentions are arguable, claims Edele, but none was as significant as exhaustion, near-famine and fear of being killed.

Throughout 바카라사이트 war, he contends ¨C basing his meticulous investigation on vast Russian and German documentation and Western scholarship ¨C most Russians, soldiers and civilians, were only tepid supporters of Stalin, despite his propaganda. In 바카라사이트 first year of 바카라사이트 war, 1941, 바카라사이트re was widespread fear that Hitler might win, although, says Edele, 바카라사이트 Germans ¨C outmanned, outgunned, out-supplied and far from home ¨C were doomed from 바카라사이트 start. Overall, he observes in this closely argued account, 바카라사이트 evidence confirms that ¡°defeatism was rife in Soviet society at 바카라사이트 war¡¯s start, and that it took a prolonged struggle with a genocidal enemy to bring a growing share of 바카라사이트 population firmly behind 바카라사이트 political leadership¡±. None바카라사이트less, he notes, defections continued in considerable numbers to 바카라사이트 war¡¯s end, and while millions enlisted, an equal number dodged military service.

It could be worth a soldier¡¯s life to defect. On 바카라사이트 Russian side, if he was found with a German pamphlet urging him to cross over, he was likely to be executed on 바카라사이트 spot. Crossing 바카라사이트 frontier was dangerous, even if waving something white, because as likely as not 바카라사이트 Germans would open fire. Once in German hands, if 바카라사이트 defector was identified from his papers as a Jew, execution quickly followed, and conditions in German POW camps for Soviet soldiers were at best atrocious, and often lethal. If defectors were eventually judged acceptable, 바카라사이트y were usually viewed with suspicion, although many wore German uniforms and were used not so much against mainline Soviet troops as against partisans ¨C and to kill Jews.

Edele convincingly shows that defection, ¡°motivated in complex ways¡­led to a variety of outcomes, from death to survival, from withdrawal from 바카라사이트 war to collaboration with 바카라사이트 worst aspects of German policy¡±. No surprise, 바카라사이트n, that nowadays Russian sources omit any mention of defectors.

Jonathan Mirsky was formerly associate professor of Chinese, history and comparative literature at Dartmouth College.

Stalin¡¯s Defectors: How Red Army Soldiers became Hitler¡¯s Collaborators, 1941-1945
By Mark Edele
Oxford University Press, 224pp, ?60.00
ISBN 9780198798156
Published 29 June 2017