"Arny Krueger" wrote in message
...
"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.

So how does "Their role was to take full political control of the occupied
countries and eliminate all resistance" equate to "to shoot the deserters
from the other (main) one"?

David.