WATCH YOUR STEP

July 28, 1942

Moscow

Comrade Stalin, always looking to liven up the war effort, Issued a new order today, one with a catchy name: “Not a Step Backward!”

Millions of Russian infantrymen have a newfound enthusiasm for the war.

Morale, which has been flagging a bit lately, is expected to rise, after the next battle, among the survivors.

Reactions from the rank-and-file were glowing, according to the secret police standing behind them.

The soldiery is already putting the order into practice. Even in camp, no one is stepping backward, although everyone is looking over his shoulder.

But seriously…

June 24, 2024

Josef Stalin personified ruthlessness. In his determination to win WWII, he used all the tools at his disposal, one of which was sheer numbers of soldiers. Uninhibited by considerations of morality or concern for the individual, Stalin was willing to sacrifice his men to the German guns. Casualty numbers didn’t matter; the objective was to wear down the enemy, at any cost.

On July 28, 1941, Stalin signed Order No. 227, “Not a Step Backward!,” which stated that any retreat without direct sanction from the Kremlin would be treated as treason and punishable by death.

During the Battle of Stalingrad, 13,500 Russian soldiers- almost an entire division- were shot by the NKVD (the secret Soviet military police) for cowardice, even though men were sent into battle without rifles, being told to pick up those dropped by the men killed in front of them.

Source

Leadership in War, Andrew Roberts