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Joined 5 months ago
Cake day: June 14th, 2024
  • totallynotaspy@fedia.iotoWorld News@lemmy.world•An Allegedly Corrupt Russian Commander Sent His Best Drone Operator To Die As An Infantryman
    221·
    2 months ago

    I boosted because for the most part I agree, however the 40k style commissar executions by the Soviets was wildly overblown by Hollywood and the joys of the First Cold War (imo, it either never ended or began anew in the past 20 years).

    I dug around to find some relevant info:

    These barrier troops operated by apprehending retreating troops and sending them back to the frontline. When this was not possible, retreating troops were detained to await trial. Although they had orders which allowed them to shoot deserters and “cowards” on the spot, and while this most certainly did happen, it was not the norm. Of those detained and found guilty (around 900,000), roughly 422,000 were sent to penal battalions where they would continue the fight against the Germans by performing the most dangerous jobs. This number accounted for around 1.5% of those who would serve in the Red Army during World War II. Another 436,000 were imprisoned

    An example of these ratios can be found in an internal list from the NKVD regarding the Battle of Stalingrad from 1 August 1942 to 15 October 1942. According to the list, 15,649 soldiers were picked up by barrier troops. Of these, 244 were imprisoned, 278 were shot, 218 were sent to penal units, and 14,833 soldiers were returned to their units.

    So these blocking units were technically being operated by NVKD orders and officers, and according to their data, the vast majority of retreating/deserting troops were sent back alive (to die on the front line). Also for context for any readers unaware, the NKVD was the predecessor to the KGB, much like how the US had their OSS more or less turn into the CIA.

    Couple quick sources since I’m too lazy to dig through my Russian history textbooks: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2022/11/05/the-soviet-army-once-shot-its-own-troops-for-retreating–the-russian-army-could-do-the-same/ https://www.thecollector.com/soviets-in-world-war-ii-myths-and-misconceptions/

  • totallynotaspy@fedia.iotoWorld News@lemmy.world•Thousands of Iran-backed fighters offer to join Hezbollah in its fight against Israel
    232·
    5 months ago

    WW3? I highly doubt it. More just a continuation of the proxy wars from the Cold War.

    But yes I agree the continued support is idiotic to say the least. BUT it’s not just Biden, the felonious cheetoh said he’d support Israel too. The only criticism I can find from him is that Israel shouldn’t be broadcasting all these images of war because its “Bad PR”:

    “I don’t know why they released wartime shots like that. I guess it makes them look tough. But to me, it doesn’t make them look tough,” Trump continued. “They’re losing the PR war. They’re losing it big. But they’ve got to finish what they started, and they’ve got to finish it fast, and we have to get on with life.” https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/04/trump-israel-gaza-war-00150577

    Its a lose/lose scenario with Israel imo; Bibi is literally Hitler 2.0, and honestly the only way to deal with fascist, nazi fucks like him and Putin is to put a bullet in their head, or be prepared to watch the human toll to be paid by their neighbors and citizens.