11/20/45

[Crossroads]

806 executions sounded a lot first.

This thread also reminded how the Nazi and Soviet regimes treated not just their enemies but their own people.

I recently read about how the both armies ensured the soldiers would battle on. Nazis executed at least 15 - 20 000 soldiers of their own (1), while Soviet human waves required possibly as many as 422 000 (2) of their own soldiers to be punished / shot behind their lines.

These are mind blowing numbers.

Regarding Nazis, 806 death sentences sounds about right, then.

Learned about Japanese sentences reading this. Seems to me a true honest effort was taken to take the war criminals of the Pacific theatre to courts as well.

(1) Anthony Beevor, "Berlin", 2002
(2) Anthony Beevor, "Stalingrad", 2000, although the number includes those who died in punishment battalions.

(Some edits after posting)