"David Looser" wrote in
message
"Arny Krueger" wrote in message
...


We're not all that responsible for the massive losses
that Stalin inflicted on the Russian people. Of course
when you have to field two independent armies, one to
shoot the deserters from the other (main) one, you are
going to have some serious losses. :-(

Care to offer evidence to support that claim?

http://www.2worldwar2.com/russia.htm

In June 1941, behind the Soviet armies on the border, in addition to the
military police units that were supposed to block deserters there were also
three full mobile armies of the NKVD, the Russian secret police, and of
Communist party officials. Their role was to take full political control of
the occupied countries and eliminate all resistance. Blocking deserters is
useful for defense too, but such an enormous political-police force is
useful only for a planned war of occupation.