What nationality is more traitors of the Second World War. By what signs were traitors and policemen identified in the USSR after the war

Thousands of war criminals, collaborators who collaborated with the Germans during the war, after it ended, could not escape punishment. The Soviet special services did everything possible so that none of them escaped the deserved punishment ...

A very humane court

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During the war

"Travnikovtsy"

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Tonka machine gunner

Antonina Makarova

The most famous general of the collaborators. Perhaps the most titled in the Soviet style: Andrei Andreevich earned all-Union respect in the Great Patriotic War even before lifelong disgrace - in December 1941, Izvestia published a lengthy essay on the role of commanders who played a significant role in the defense of Moscow, where there was a picture of Vlasov; Zhukov himself highly appreciated the significance of the participation of the lieutenant general in this campaign. He betrayed, unable to cope with the "proposed circumstances", guilty of which, in fact, he was not. Commanding the 2nd shock army in 1942, Vlasov tried for a long time, but unsuccessfully, to withdraw his unit from the encirclement. He was captured, being sold by the headman of the village, where he tried to hide, cheaply - for a cow, 10 packs of makhorka and 2 bottles of vodka. “Not even a year has passed,” as the captive Vlasov sold his homeland even cheaper. The high-ranking Soviet commander inevitably had to pay for his loyalty by action. Despite the fact that Vlasov, immediately after the capture, declared his readiness to assist the German troops in every possible way, the Germans decided for a long time where and in what capacity to determine him. Vlasov is considered the head of the Russian Liberation Army (ROA). This association of Russian prisoners of war created by the Nazis did not ultimately have a significant impact on the outcome of the war. The traitor general was caught by ours in 1945, when Vlasov wanted to surrender to the Americans. He later confessed "to cowardice", repented, realized. In the 46th, Vlasov was hanged in the courtyard of the Moscow Butyrka, like many other high-ranking collaborators.

Shkuro: a surname that determines fate

In exile, the ataman met with the legendary Vertinsky, and complained that he had lost - he probably felt a quick death - even before he bet on Nazism along with Krasnov. The Germans made this emigrant, popular in the White movement, an SS Gruppenführer, trying to unite under him the Russian Cossacks who found themselves outside the USSR. But nothing good came of it. At the end of the war, Shkuro was handed over to the Soviet Union, he ended his life in a noose - in 1947, the ataman was hanged in Moscow.

Krasnov: not nice, brothers

Cossack chieftain Pyotr Krasnov, after the Nazi attack on the USSR, also immediately announced his active desire to assist the Nazis. Since 1943, Krasnov has been in charge of the Main Directorate of the Cossack Troops of the Imperial Ministry of the Eastern Occupied Territories of Germany - he is in charge, in fact, of the same amorphous structure as that of Shkuro. The role of Krasnov in the Second World War and the end of his life path are similar to the fate of Shkuro - after extradition by the British, he was hanged in the courtyard of the Butyrka prison.

Kaminsky: fascist self-manager

Bronislav Vladislavovich Kaminsky is known for the leadership of the so-called Lokot Republic in the village of the same name in the Oryol region. He formed from among the local population an SS RONA division that plundered villages in the occupied territory and fought with partisans. Himmler personally awarded Kaminsky the Iron Cross. Participant in the suppression of the Warsaw Uprising. As a result, he was shot by his own people - according to the official version, for showing excessive zeal in looting.

Tonka the machine gunner

A nurse who managed to get out of the Vyazemsky cauldron in 1941. Once captured, Antonina Makarova ended up in the aforementioned Lokot Republic. She combined cohabitation with the policemen with mass executions from a machine gun of residents found to have links with partisans. According to the most rough estimates, over one and a half thousand people were killed in this way. After the war, she hid, changed her surname, but in 1976 she was identified by surviving witnesses of the executions. Sentenced to death and destroyed in 1979.

Boris Holmston-Smyslovsky: "multi-level" traitor

One of the few known active Nazi aides who died a natural death. White émigré, career soldier. He entered the service in the Wehrmacht even before the start of World War II, the last rank was Major General. He took part in the formation of Russian volunteer units of the Wehrmacht. At the end of the war, he fled with the remnants of his army to Liechtenstein, and this state of the USSR did not extradite him. After World War II, he collaborated with the intelligence agencies of Germany and the United States.

Executioner of Khatyn

Grigory Vasyura was a teacher before the war. He graduated from the military school of communications. At the very beginning of the Great Patriotic War he was taken prisoner. Agreed to cooperate with the Germans. He served in the SS punitive battalion in Belarus, while showing bestial cruelty. Among other villages, he and his subordinates destroyed the infamous Khatyn - all its inhabitants were herded into a barn and burned alive. Vasyura shot those who ran out of the machine gun. After the war, he spent a short time in the camp. He got a good job in civilian life, in 1984 Vasyura even managed to get the title of “Veteran of Labor”. Greed ruined him - the insolent punisher wanted to receive the Order of the Great Patriotic War. In this regard, they began to find out his biography, and everything was revealed. In 1986, Vasyura was shot by a tribunal.

Source Balalaika24.ru.

In history, it is often not the names of heroes that remain, but the names of traitors and defectors. These people cause great harm to one side, and benefit to the other. But still, they are despised by both. Naturally, one cannot do without confusing cases when a person's guilt is difficult to prove. However, history has preserved some of the most obvious and classic cases that are not in doubt. We will tell below about the most famous traitors in history.

Judas Iscariot. The name of this man has been a symbol of betrayal for about two thousand years. It does not play a role and nationalities of people. Everyone knows the biblical story when Judas Iscariot betrayed his teacher Christ for thirty pieces of silver, dooming him to torment. But then 1 slave cost twice as much! The kiss of Judas has become a classic image of duplicity, meanness and betrayal. This man was one of the twelve apostles who were present with Jesus at his last supper. There were thirteen people, and after that this number was considered unlucky. There was even a phobia, fear of this number. The story says that Judas was born on April 1, also on a rather unusual day. But the history of the traitor is rather obscure and full of pitfalls. The fact is that Judas was the custodian of the fund of the community of Jesus and his disciples. There was much more money than 30 pieces of silver. Thus, in need of money, Judas could simply steal it without committing a betrayal of his teacher. Not so long ago, the world learned about the existence of the "Gospel of Judas", where Iscariot is depicted as the only and faithful disciple of Christ. And the betrayal was committed precisely on the orders of Jesus, and Judas took responsibility for his action. According to legend, Iscariot committed suicide immediately after his act. The image of this traitor is repeatedly described in books, films, legends. Different versions of his betrayal and motivation are considered. Today, the name of this person is given to those who are suspected of treason. For example, Lenin called Trotsky Judas back in 1911. The same found in Iscariot his "plus" - the fight against Christianity. Trotsky even wanted to erect monuments to Judas in several cities of the country.

Mark Junius Brutus. Everyone knows the legendary phrase of Julius Caesar: "And you, Brutus?". This traitor is not as widely known as Judas, but is also legendary. Moreover, he committed his betrayal 77 years before the history of Iscariot. These two traitors are related by the fact that they both committed suicide. Mark Brutus was the best friend of Julius Caesar, according to some data it could even be his illegitimate son. However, it was he who led the conspiracy against the popular politician, taking a direct part in his murder. But Caesar showered his favorite with honors and titles, endowing him with power. But the entourage of Brutus forced him to participate in a conspiracy against the dictator. Mark was among several conspiring senators who pierced Caesar with swords. Seeing Brutus in their ranks, he bitterly exclaimed his famous phrase, which became his last. Wishing happiness for the people and power, Brutus made a mistake in his plans - Rome did not support him. After a series of civil wars and defeats, Mark realized that he was left without everything - without family, power, friend. The betrayal and murder took place in 44 BC, and after only two years Brutus threw himself on his sword.

Wang Jingwei. This traitor is not so well known in our country, but he has a bad reputation in China. It is often not clear how ordinary and normal people suddenly become traitors. Wang Jingwei was born in 1883, when he was 21, he entered a Japanese university. There he met Sun Yat Sen, a famous revolutionary from China. He influenced the young man so much that he became a real revolutionary fanatic. Together with Sen, Jingwei became a regular participant in anti-government revolutionary uprisings. Not surprisingly, he soon ended up in prison. Wang served several years there, releasing us in 1911. All this time, Sen kept in touch with him, morally supporting and patronizing. As a result of the revolutionary struggle, Sen and his associates won and came to power in 1920. But in 1925, Sun Yat died, and it was Jingwei who replaced him as leader of China. But soon the Japanese invaded the country. It was here that Jingway committed the real betrayal. In fact, he did not fight for the independence of China, giving it to the invaders. National interests were trampled in favor of the Japanese. As a result, when the crisis broke out in China, and the country most of all needed an experienced manager, Jingwei simply left it. Wang clearly joined the conquerors. However, he did not have time to feel the bitterness of defeat, since he died before the fall of Japan. But the name of Wang Jingwei got into all Chinese textbooks as a synonym for betrayal of his country.

Hetman Mazepa. This man in modern Russian history is considered the most important traitor, even the church anathematized him. But in recent Ukrainian history, the hetman, on the contrary, acts as a national hero. So what was his betrayal, or was it still a feat? Hetman of the Zaporozhye Host for a long time acted as one of the most faithful allies of Peter I, helping him in the Azov campaigns. However, everything changed when the Swedish king Charles XII came out against the Russian Tsar. He, wanting to find an ally, promised Mazepa Ukrainian independence in case of victory in the Northern War. The hetman could not resist such a tasty piece of the pie. In 1708, he went over to the side of the Swedes, but just a year later their combined army was defeated near Poltava. For his betrayal (Mazepa swore allegiance to Peter), the Russian Empire deprived him of all awards and titles and subjected him to civil execution. Mazepa fled to Bender, which then belonged to the Ottoman Empire, and soon died there in 1709. According to legend, his death was terrible - he was eaten by lice.

Aldrich Ames. This high-ranking CIA officer had a brilliant career. Everyone predicted him a long and successful job, and then a well-paid pension. But his life turned upside down, thanks to love. Ames married a Russian beauty, it turned out that she was a KGB agent. The woman immediately began to demand from her husband to provide her with a beautiful life in order to fully comply with the American dream. Although the officers in the CIA make good money, this is not enough for the constantly required new decorations and cars. As a result, the unfortunate Ames began to drink too much. Under the influence of alcohol, he had no choice but to start selling secrets from his work. They quickly showed up a buyer - the USSR. As a result, during his betrayal, Ames gave the enemy of his country information about all the secret agents working in the Soviet Union. The USSR also learned about a hundred covert military operations conducted by the Americans. For this, the officer received about 4.6 million US dollars. However, all the secret someday becomes clear. Ames was exposed and sentenced to life in prison. The special services experienced a real shock and scandal, the traitor became their biggest failure in their entire existence. The CIA has long moved away from the harm that one single person did to it. But he just needed funds for an insatiable wife. That one, by the way, when everything turned out, was simply deported to South America.

Vidkun Quisling. The family of this man was one of the most ancient in Norway, his father served as a Lutheran priest. Vidkun himself studied very well and chose a military career. Having risen to the rank of major, Quisling was able to enter the government of his country, holding the post of Minister of Defense there from 1931 to 1933. In 1933, Vidkun founded his own political party "National Accord", where he received a membership card for the first number. He began to call himself Föhrer, which was very reminiscent of the Fuhrer. In 1936, the party collected quite a lot of votes in the elections, becoming very influential in the country. When the Nazis came to Norway in 1940, Quisling suggested that the locals submit to them and not resist. Although the politician himself was from an ancient respected family, he was immediately dubbed a traitor in the country. The Norwegians themselves began to wage a fierce struggle against the invaders. Then Quisling came up with a plan in response to the removal of Jews from Norway, sending them directly to the deadly Auschwitz. However, history has rewarded the politician who betrayed his people as he deserved. On May 9, 1945, Quisling was arrested. While in prison, he still managed to declare that he was a martyr and sought to create a great country. But justice decided otherwise, and on October 24, 1945, Quisling was shot for high treason.

Prince Andrei Mikhailovich Kurbsky. This boyar was one of the most faithful associates of Ivan the Terrible. It was Kurbsky who commanded the Russian army in the Livonian War. But with the beginning of the oprichnina of the eccentric tsar, many hitherto loyal boyars fell under disgrace. Among them was Kurbsky. Fearing for his fate, he abandoned his family and in 1563 defected to the service of the Polish king Sigismund. And already in September of the following year, he marched with the conquerors against Moscow. Kurbsky knew perfectly well how the Russian defense and army were organized. Thanks to the traitor, the Poles were able to win many important battles. They set up ambushes, drove people into captivity, bypassing the outposts. Kurbsky began to be considered the first Russian dissident. The Poles consider the boyar a great man, but in Russia he is a traitor. However, we should not talk about betraying the country, but about personally betraying Tsar Ivan the Terrible.

Pavlik Morozov. This boy had a heroic image for a long time in Soviet history and culture. At the same time, he passed under the first number, among children-heroes. Pavlik Morozov even got into the book of honor of the All-Union Pioneer Organization. But this story is not entirely unambiguous. The boy's father, Trofim, was a partisan and fought on the side of the Bolsheviks. However, after returning from the war, the serviceman abandoned his family with four small children and began to live with another woman. Trofim was elected chairman of the village council, while he led a stormy everyday life - he drank and rowdy. It is quite possible that in the history of heroism and betrayal there are more domestic than political reasons. According to legend, Trofim's wife accused him of hiding bread, however, they say that the abandoned and humiliated woman demanded to stop issuing fictitious certificates to fellow villagers. During the investigation, 13-year-old Pavel simply confirmed everything that his mother had said. As a result, the unbelted Trofim ended up in prison, and in retaliation, the young pioneer was killed in 1932 by his drunken uncle and godfather. But Soviet propaganda created a colorful propaganda story out of everyday drama. Yes, and somehow the hero who betrayed his father did not inspire.

Heinrich Lushkov. In 1937, the NKVD was fierce, including in the Far East. It was Genrikh Lyushkov who headed this punitive body at that time. However, a year later, a purge began already in the "organs" themselves, many executioners themselves ended up in the place of their victims. Lyushkov was suddenly summoned to Moscow, allegedly to be appointed head of all the camps in the country. But Heinrich suspected that Stalin wanted to remove him. Frightened by reprisals, Lyushkov fled to Japan. In an interview with the local newspaper Yomiuri, the former executioner said that he really recognizes himself as a traitor. But only in relation to Stalin. But Lyushkov's subsequent behavior suggests just the opposite. The general told the Japanese about the entire structure of the NKVD and the residents of the USSR, about exactly where the Soviet troops were located, where and how defensive structures and fortresses were being built. Lyushkov gave the enemies military radio codes, actively urging the Japanese to oppose the USSR. Arrested on the territory of Japan, Soviet intelligence officers, the traitor tortured himself, resorting to cruel atrocities. The pinnacle of Lyushkov's activity was his development of a plan to assassinate Stalin. The general personally took up the implementation of his project. Today, historians believe that this was the only serious attempt to eliminate the Soviet leader. However, she was not successful. After the defeat of Japan in 1945, Lyushkov was killed by the Japanese themselves, who did not want their secrets to fall into the hands of the USSR.

Andrey Vlasov. This Soviet lieutenant general was known as the most important Soviet traitor during the Great Patriotic War. Back in the winter of 41-42, Vlasov commanded the 20th Army, making a significant contribution to the defeat of the Nazis near Moscow. Among the people, it was this general who was called the main savior of the capital. In the summer of 1942, Vlasov took over as deputy commander of the Volkhov Front. However, soon his troops were captured, and the general himself was captured by the Germans. Vlasov was sent to the Vinnitsa military camp for captured senior military officials. There, the general agreed to serve the Nazis and headed the "Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia" created by them. On the basis of KONR, even an entire "Russian Liberation Army" (ROA) was created. It included captured Soviet soldiers. The general showed cowardice, according to rumors, since then he began to drink a lot. On May 12, Vlasov was captured by Soviet troops in an attempt to escape. His trial was closed, as he could inspire people dissatisfied with the authorities with his own words. In August 1946, General Vlasov was stripped of his titles and awards, his property was confiscated, and he himself was hanged. At the trial, the accused admitted that he pleaded guilty, as he was cowardly in captivity. Already in our time, an attempt was made to justify Vlasov. But only a small part of the charges were dropped from him, the main ones remained in force.

Friedrich Paulus. There was a traitor on the part of the Nazis in that war. In the winter of 1943, the 6th German Army under the command of Field Marshal Paulus capitulated near Stalingrad. His subsequent history can be considered a mirror in relation to Vlasov. The captivity of the German officer was quite comfortable, because he joined the anti-fascist national committee "Free Germany". He ate meat, drank beer, received food and parcels. Paulus signed the appeal "To the prisoners of war of German soldiers and officers and to the entire German people." There, the field marshal announced that he was calling on all of Germany to eliminate Adolf Hitler. He believes that the country should have a new state leadership. It must stop the war and ensure the restoration of friendship with the current adversaries for the people. Paulus even made a revealing speech at the Nuremberg trials, which surprised his former associates a lot. In 1953, the Soviet authorities, grateful for their cooperation, released the traitor, especially since he was beginning to fall into depression. Paulus went to live in the GDR, where he died in 1957. Not all Germans accepted with understanding the act of the field marshal, even his son did not accept his father's choice, eventually shooting himself due to mental anguish.

Viktor Suvorov. This defector also made a name for himself as a writer. Once intelligence officer Vladimir Rezun was a GRU resident in Geneva. But in 1978 he fled to England, where he began to write very scandalous books. In them, the officer, who took the pseudonym Suvorov, quite convincingly argued that it was the USSR that was preparing to strike at Germany in the summer of 1941. The Germans simply preempted their enemy by a few weeks by delivering a preemptive strike. Rezun himself says that he was forced to cooperate with British intelligence. They allegedly wanted to make him last for the failure in the work of the Geneva department. Suvorov himself claims that in his homeland he was sentenced to death in absentia for his treason. However, the Russian side prefers not to comment on this fact. The former scout lives in Bristol and continues to write books on historical topics. Each of them causes a storm of discussion and personal condemnation of Suvorov.

Viktor Belenko. Few lieutenants manage to go down in history. But this military pilot was able to do it. True, at the cost of his betrayal. We can say that he acted as a kind of bad boy who just wants to steal something and sell it to his enemies at a higher price. On September 6, 1976, Belenko flew a top-secret MiG-25 interceptor. Suddenly, the senior lieutenant abruptly changed course and landed in Japan. There, the aircraft was dismantled in detail and subjected to a thorough study. Naturally, not without American specialists. The plane was, after careful study, returned to the USSR. And for his feat "for the glory of democracy" Belenko himself received political asylum in the United States. However, there is another version, according to which the traitor was not such. He just had to land in Japan. Eyewitnesses say that the lieutenant shot into the air with a pistol, not letting anyone near the car and demanding to cover it. However, the conducted investigation took into account both the behavior of the pilot in everyday life and the manner of his flight. The conclusion was unequivocal - landing on the territory of an enemy state was deliberate. Belenko himself turned out to be crazy about life in America, even canned cat food seemed to him tastier than those that were sold in his homeland. From official statements it is difficult to assess the consequences of that escape, the moral and political damage can be ignored, but the material damage was estimated at 2 billion rubles. Indeed, in the USSR it was necessary to hastily change the entire equipment of the "friend or foe" recognition system.

Otto Kuusinen. And again, a situation where a traitor for some is a hero for others. Otto was born in 1881 and in 1904 joined the Finnish Social Democratic Party. Soon and leading it. When it became clear that the communists in the new independent Finland did not shine, Kuusinen fled to the USSR. There he worked for a long time in the Comintern. When the USSR attacked Finland in 1939, it was Kuusinen who became the head of the puppet new government of the country. Only now his power extended to the few lands occupied by Soviet troops. It soon became clear that it would not be possible to capture all of Finland and the need for the Kuusinen regime was no longer needed. In the future, he continued to hold prominent government posts in the USSR, having died in 1964. His ashes are buried near the Kremlin wall.

Kim Philby. This scout lived a long and eventful life. He was born in 1912 in India, in the family of a British official. In 1929, Kim entered Cambridge, where he joined a socialist society. In 1934, Philby was recruited by Soviet intelligence, which, given his views, was not difficult to implement. In 1940, Kim joined the British secret service SIS, soon becoming the head of one of its departments. In the 50s, it was Philby who coordinated the actions of England and the United States in the fight against the communists. Naturally, the USSR received all the information about the work of its agent. Since 1956, Philby has been serving in MI6, until in 1963 he was illegally transferred to the USSR. Here, the traitor intelligence officer lived for the next 25 years on a personal pension, sometimes giving advice.

The Great Patriotic War became one of the most difficult trials that befell the inhabitants of our country, a powerful wall that stood in the way of the enemy. True, among the population of the USSR there were many traitors who decided to go over to the side of the Nazis. After the end of the war, most of these people tried to get lost among the millions of Soviet citizens. To identify them on certain grounds, numerous special events were carried out by SMERSH and the NKVD.

Many-faced betrayal

During the war years, traitors who went over to the side of the enemy, as a rule, were divided into three groups. Some fought on the side of the Germans, the second worked as policemen in the occupied territories, and the third served the Germans in everyday life. After the end of hostilities, the fate of each of these groups of people developed differently. Depending on this, the Soviet state security agencies made attempts to identify former traitors, who were identified according to several principles. Former Soviet citizens who fought on the side of the Germans in parts of the Wehrmacht formed the backbone of numerous forest gangs after the war. Special military operations were carried out to detect and destroy them. Nevertheless, since these persons did not hide their service with the Germans, it was not difficult to identify them. The situation was similar with those who provided the Nazis with a comfortable life in the occupied territories. Many of these people left with the Germans. Those who remained were well known by the neighbors. As a rule, such accomplices of the Nazis received various terms by going to the camps. The most difficult thing was the case with the policemen and former punishers. Most of them remained on Soviet territory, trying to get lost in a country of many millions. Since they could not live in their native places, such people moved to other regions of the country, usually posing as partisans. There are cases when former policemen, having changed their masks, became highly respected by people and even leaders of veteran organizations. To detect them, SMERSH and the NKVD carried out complex filtration measures to identify traitors among people who presented themselves as partisans or who had left the encirclement.

Work to identify traitors

It is noteworthy that the secret services of the USSR began looking for accomplices to the Nazis during the war, immediately after the end of the battle near Moscow. As soon as this or that territory was liberated from the Germans, NKVD investigators immediately arrived in its settlements, organizing a thorough check of all citizens who survived the occupation. A large number of witnesses were interviewed to determine the exact circle of people who worked for the Germans. In this work, captured German archives with detailed lists of traitors were of great help. It is noteworthy that the last trials of German accomplices in the occupied territories date back to 1987. As an example of how difficult it was for the competent authorities to identify traitors, one can cite the story of the famous Tonka the machine gunner. During the war, Antonina Makarova voluntarily went to the front. But soon she was surrounded, and then captured. To save her life, the unprincipled woman immediately agreed to cooperate with the Nazis. She was instructed to exponentially shoot partisans from a machine gun, whom the Nazis caught in large numbers in the Bryansk forests. For each execution, Makarova received a salary equal to 30 German marks. Before the Nazis left, Tonka the machine-gunner was transferred to a concentration camp with false documents. When the prisoners were released, the woman introduced herself as a nurse and got a job in a hospital. Soon Antonina Makarova married veteran Viktor Ginzburg and moved to live in Belarus. Only after thirty years, which the woman worked quietly at a weaving factory, the KGB officers came on her trail and arrested her. Found it can be said by accident. In Bryansk, a passer-by identified a certain Nikolai Ivanin, the head of the local prison, on the street. He then told about how Antonina shot Soviet partisans with a machine gun during the war years. The most incredible thing is that at the trial the woman did not repent of her activities during the war at all, saying that for her it was an ordinary job, like any other. In 1978, the court sentenced Tonka the machine-gunner, who was 59 years old, to be shot.

On the same topic:

How Travnikovites and other traitors were caught in the USSR after the war How traitors who fought for Hitler were caught after the war What former policemen did in the USSR after the war

Today I would like to talk about "Soviet collaborationism" during the Second World War (mostly about the Stalingrad region). Previously, this problem was simply hushed up, and if General A.A. was mentioned somewhere. Vlasov, the "Russian Liberation Army" or the Cossacks in the ranks of the Wehrmacht, they were called exclusively traitors.

The facts of cooperation between Soviet citizens and the occupiers, under the influence of the political situation, were generalized selectively by domestic historians and publicists for a long time, the scale and significance of collaborationism were underestimated. This was due to the fact that the emerging socio-political phenomenon contradicted the conclusion about the indestructible unity of Soviet society.

In the Soviet period, the phenomenon of collaborationism was obscured, and the reasons for its occurrence were distorted. Only in the post-Soviet period, the collaborationism of Soviet citizens became the object of serious attention of scientists not only abroad, but also in Russia. Scientists are exploring not only the manifestations, but also the causes of this dangerous phenomenon. Yu.A. Afanasiev concluded that "The collaborationism of Soviet citizens was not so much a product of sympathy for fascist ideology and Nazi Germany, but rather those socio-political and national conditions in the USSR that were created by the Stalinist regime", this was precisely the "specificity of the origins of collaborationism in the Soviet Union, in contrast to its emergence in other countries."

The conclusion of most scholarly historians is that Stalinism gave rise to collaborationism. In the pre-war period, certain socio-economic and political conditions developed in the South of Russia, which became a breeding ground for the emergence of collaborationism in this region and the emergence of collaborators. The famous historian M.I. Semiryaga gave the following definition of collaborationism: "Collaborationism is a kind of fascism and the practice of cooperation between national traitors and the Nazi occupation authorities to the detriment of their people and homeland". At the same time, he singled out four main types of collaborationism: domestic, administrative, economic and military-political. He unambiguously qualifies the latter type as betrayal and treason.

During the years of the Great Patriotic War, according to various estimates of researchers, from 800 thousand to 1.5 million Soviet citizens took the form of collaborationism - cooperation with the Nazis, the Cossacks made up a significant part of them - 94.5 thousand. According to the results of the 1939 census, 2,288,129 people lived in the Stalingrad region, of which 892,643 people (39%) were urban residents, and 1,395,488 people (60.9%) lived in rural areas. During the census, the Cossacks were taken into account as Russians. Thus, the data on the number of Russians in the "Cossack" areas were actually data on the number of the Don Cossacks. If 86% of Russians lived in rural areas, then the share of Cossacks averaged over 93%, approximately 975,000 people.
So, from July 11 to 12, 1942, German troops entered the Stalingrad region. Since July 17, heavy fighting has unfolded on the distant approaches to Stalingrad, west of the village of Nizhne-Chirskaya. By August 12, 1942, Tormosinovsky, Chernyshkovsky, Kaganovichsky, Serafimovsky, Nizhne-Chirsky, Kotelnikovsky districts of the region were completely occupied, partially Sirotinsky, Kalachevsky, Verkhne-Kurmoyarsky and Voroshilovsky, on August 16 the Kletsky district was completely occupied. 256,148 people lived in these areas. (mainly Cossacks) or 18.4% of the rural population of the region.
The leadership of the Reich was not interested in creating a national Russian state, it refused to use Russian emigrants, their descendants and the Orthodox Church “in the new construction” on political terms, but at the same time it was interested in supporting reliable groups of the civilian population who were friendly towards the Germans and ready to serve them. They could get support from those dissatisfied with the Soviet regime, former White Guards, dispossessed kulaks, victims of repression and decossackization.
The environment hostile to Soviet power met the Nazi troops as dear and long-awaited guests. Already in the first days of the occupation, the number of German supporters began to grow, since the German-Romanian troops advancing through the territory of the region included a significant number of former Red Army soldiers, including natives of the Stalingrad region, who worked as translators, wagon train drivers and drivers.

The occupiers specifically identified and attracted to cooperation the Cossacks offended by the Soviet authorities during the years of collectivization. The anti-Soviet Cossacks, having waited for the arrival of the Germans, willingly offered their services themselves. Citizens persecuted under Soviet rule enjoyed privileges. It should be noted, however, that in many cases young men and young men of military age, loyal to the Soviet regime, also went to serve the occupiers; this was the only alternative for them to avoid being sent to a prisoner of war camp or to work in Germany.
At the same time, measures were taken to ideologically justify the use of the Cossacks as a military force as an ally of the Germans. Energetic work unfolded under the auspices "Von Continental Forschung Institute". This state institution, engaged in the study of the history of the peoples of Europe, now received the task of developing a special racial theory about the ancient origin of the Cossacks as descendants of the Ostrogoths. The task set a priori, therefore, anti-scientific and falsification, false from the very beginning, was to substantiate the fact that after the Ostrogoths the Black Sea region in the II-IV centuries. AD it was not the Slavs who owned, but the Cossacks, whose roots, therefore, go back to the peoples "retaining strong blood ties with their Germanic ancestral homeland." This meant that the Cossacks belong to the Aryan race and their essence rises above all the peoples surrounding them and have every right, like the fascist Germans, to rule over them. Is it any wonder that nationalists KNOD (Cossack National Liberation Movement) ardently and immediately, without any hesitation, picked up this chauvinistic idea and turned into its zealous propagandists.

The first among them was the Don politician P. Kharlamov. The Cossack press trumpeted: "The proud people living in the Great Cossackia should take their rightful place in the New Europe." "Cossackia -" the crossroads of the history of peoples ", - proclaimed A.K. Lenivov, a prominent ideologist of the Cossack independentists, - will belong not to Moscow, but to the Cossack people» . In the Cossack regions themselves, things were happening that the Soviet press could no longer adequately cover on their pages. M.A. Sholokhov, correspondent of the newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda, in the summer of 1942 he was given the task of writing an article about the situation on the Don. But he didn't submit it by the deadline. At the request of the editors, the writer “said that he could not write the article “Don is raging” now, since what is happening now on the Don does not encourage work on such an article” .
What did not allow Sholokhov then to write about what was happening on the Don? The task of Bolshevik propaganda then consisted in showing the monolithic unity of the Soviet people, which had taken shape under the banner of Lenin-Stalin. And in the villages and farms, groups of a certain part of the Cossacks met the German troops with bread and salt, showered them with flowers. In September 1942, the colonel of the German cavalry Helmut von Pannwitz, who spoke Russian and was familiar with the Cossack mentality, was given the task of starting the accelerated formation of the 1st Cossack Cavalry Division in the Don and the North Caucasus.
An important role in shaping the German policy towards the Cossacks was played by the contacts of influential German circles with representatives of the Cossack emigration. The most active part in playing the “Cossack card” in the Rostov and Stalingrad regions was taken by the former ataman of the Great Don Army living in Germany P.N. Krasnov.

Petr Krasnov

As already noted, the German leadership saw its potential ally in the Cossacks, therefore, in the Cossack regions of the Stalingrad region, from the very first days of the occupation, a policy of “flirting” with the Cossack population was pursued. After the entry of the Nazi troops into the farm or village of the Cossacks, a meeting was held, where one of the German officers delivered a welcoming speech. As a rule, he congratulated those present on getting rid of the "Bolshevik yoke", assured the Cossacks that the Germans treated them with respect, urged them to actively cooperate with the Wehrmacht and the occupation authorities.
In general, in the Stalingrad region, the occupation policy towards the Cossacks was inconsistent and contradictory. Unlike the Rostov region, here, for example, the centralized Cossack self-government was not revived.
The German command and the occupation administration sought to win over not only the Cossacks who had previously fought as part of the White Army or repressed by the Soviet authorities, but also the broader masses of the Cossacks, especially the youth. Their policy was primarily aimed at separating the Cossacks from the Russians. At every opportunity, the Germans emphasized the superiority of the Cossacks over the Russians. Where possible, the invaders tried not to offend the Cossacks.
The German command expected to use the Cossacks as an armed force in the fight against the Red Army and partisans. Initially, by order of the Chief Quartermaster of the German General Staff of the Ground Forces F. Paulus dated January 9, 1942, the task was set to create Cossack units to protect the German rear, which should also partly compensate for the losses of Wehrmacht personnel in 1941. On April 15, Hitler personally allowed the use of Cossack units not only in the fight against partisans, but also in combat operations at the front. In August 1942, in accordance with the "Regulations on local auxiliary formations in the East", representatives of the Turkic peoples and the Cossacks were singled out in a separate category "equal allies fighting shoulder to shoulder with German soldiers against Bolshevism as part of special units". In November 1942, shortly before the start of the Soviet counter-offensive near Stalingrad, the German command gave an additional sanction for the formation of Cossack regiments in the Don, Kuban and Terek regions.
In the Stalingrad region, where the partisan movement was extremely weak, and the situation at the front was unfavorable, the newly formed Cossack units were most likely to be used not to protect the German rear, but to participate in hostilities against the Red Army.

White emigrant officers who returned to their homeland as military personnel of the German troops took an active part in the formation of the Cossack detachments. Before the war, 672 Cossacks, a native of the Stalingrad region, lived abroad, including 16 generals, 45 colonels, 138 officers below the rank of colonel, 30 members of the Don military circle and ordinary Cossacks - 443 people. Part of the white émigré Cossacks and their sons arrived on the territory of the Stalingrad region as servicemen of the Nazi troops. All of them were promised to be demobilized after the complete liberation of the areas of residence of the Cossacks. After arriving in the territory of the region, the emigrants dispersed to the districts and campaigned in the villages and farms. The occupation administration laid the main burden of recruiting work on the elders and policemen. Most often, it was they who, with the help of threats, forced the youth to enroll in the Cossack detachments.
In the occupied "Cossack" areas, there were 690 settlements - from the smallest (10 or more inhabitants) to the largest (with up to 10 thousand inhabitants). In each "elected" headman, the number of police officers in the settlements ranged from 2 to 7 people, i.e. averaged 5 people. With this in mind, it can be assumed that in the occupied "Cossack" areas 690 people worked as elders and 3,450 police officers, a total of approximately 4,140 people, about 2.8% of the total population remaining in the occupation. Meanwhile, there were more accomplices of the Germans from among the local residents, since they worked in various military and civilian structures of the occupation regime (command's office, Gestapo, rural communities, enterprises, catering, etc.).

The occupying authorities sought to neutralize the influence on the population of authoritative persons from among the party-Soviet activists who were unable to evacuate for a number of reasons. Their accomplices from among the local population helped the invaders to identify them. Part of the Soviet asset, fearing reprisals, was recruited by the invaders. Most of the Communists and Komsomol members were registered because of the fear that they would be betrayed. Most handed over their party and Komsomol documents to the Gestapo, many agreed to be recruited as secret agents. There are many examples of this: out of 33 Komsomol members of the Tormosino farm, 27 people agreed to be Gestapo agents, more than 100 Komsomol women married Germans and left for Germany, yesterday’s Komsomol members for gifts (sweets, chocolates, coffee, sugar) gave the Gestapo their comrades. They just wanted to survive.
An important component of the German occupation policy was fascist propaganda, designed to neutralize anti-German sentiments and attract the remaining population to cooperation. In the eyes of the population, a clear demonstration of the weakness of the Red Army was its rapid retreat to Stalingrad, abandoned equipment, weapons, thousands of dead bodies. A constant reminder of the weakness of the Soviet government and its army were also 47 Soviet prisoners of war camps scattered throughout the occupied territory. The number of prisoners was significant. Only in the big bend of the Don, west of the kalach, 57 thousand soldiers of the Red Army were captured.
The results of mobilization in the Kotelnikovsky district turned out to be very modest: only 50 volunteers were sent to the front, 19 people - to study at the gendarmerie school in the village of Orlovskaya, Rostov Region, 50 people joined the Cossack detachments. The same pattern was observed in other areas.

An attempt to enlist the Cossacks in military service turned out to be ineffective for a number of reasons. Firstly, because of the negative attitude towards the German occupation policy; secondly, thanks to the powerful offensive of the Soviet troops; thirdly, the atrocities of the invaders.
Thus, in contrast to the Rostov region, the inhabitants of the Stalingrad region in their overwhelming mass did not become servants of the Nazis. The facts convincingly prove that the myths about the unity of the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War and about the massive complicity of the inhabitants of the region with the occupation authorities do not correspond to reality. In the Stalingrad region, the invaders were unconditionally supported mainly by former White Guards, officials, merchants, Cossack chieftains, kulaks, persons subjected to political repressions and their relatives. It was this category of persons that became the main pillar of German power.