The price of victory. Officers of the Vlasov army

Very contradictory. Over time, historians cannot agree on when the army itself began to form, who the Vlasovites were and what role they played during the war. In addition to the fact that the very formation of soldiers is considered, on the one hand, patriotic, and on the other, treacherous, there is also no exact data on exactly when Vlasov and his soldiers entered the battle. But first things first.

Who is he?

Vlasov Andrey Andreevich was a famous political and military figure. He started on the side of the USSR. Participated in the battle for Moscow. But in 1942 he was captured by the Germans. Without hesitation, Vlasov decided to go over to Hitler’s side and began to collaborate against the USSR.

Vlasov remains a controversial figure to this day. Until now, historians are divided into two camps: some are trying to justify the actions of the military leader, others are trying to condemn. Vlasov's supporters shout furiously about his patriotism. Those who joined the ROA were and remain true patriots of their country, but not of their government.

The opponents long ago decided for themselves who the Vlasovites were. They are confident that since their boss and they themselves joined the Nazis, they were, are and will remain traitors and collaborators. Moreover, patriotism, according to opponents, is just a cover. In fact, the Vlasovites went over to Hitler’s side only in the name of saving their lives. Moreover, they did not become respected people there. The Nazis used them for propaganda purposes.

Formation

It was Andrei Andreevich Vlasov who first spoke about the formation of the ROA. In 1942, he and Baersky created the “Smolensk Declaration,” which was a kind of “helping hand” for the German command. The document discussed a proposal to found an army that would fight against communism on Russian territory. The Third Reich acted wisely. The Germans decided to report this document to the media in order to create resonance and a wave of discussion.

Of course, such a step was aimed primarily at propaganda. Nevertheless, the soldiers who were part of the German army began to call themselves ROA military men. In fact, this was permissible; theoretically, the army existed only on paper.

Not Vlasovites

Despite the fact that already in 1943, volunteers began to form into the Russian Liberation Army, it was still too early to talk about who the Vlasovites were. The German command fed Vlasov “breakfasts”, and in the meantime gathered everyone who wanted to join the ROA.

At the time of 1941, the project included more than 200 thousand volunteers, but then Hitler did not yet know about such an amount of help. Over time, the famous “Havi” (Hilfswillige - “those willing to help”) began to appear. At first the Germans called them “our Ivans.” These people worked as security guards, cooks, grooms, drivers, loaders, etc.

If in 1942 there were just over 200 thousand Hawis, by the end of the year there were almost a million “traitors” and prisoners. Over time, Russian soldiers fought in the elite divisions of the SS troops.

RONA (RNNA)

In parallel with the Khawi, another so-called army is being formed - the Russian People's Liberation Army (RONA). At that time, one could hear about Vlasov thanks to the battle for Moscow. Despite the fact that RONA consisted of only 500 soldiers, it served as a defensive force for the city. It ceased to exist after the death of its founder Ivan Voskoboynikov.

At the same time, the Russian National People's Army (RNPA) was created in Belarus. She was an exact copy of RON. Its founder was Gil-Rodionov. The detachment served until 1943, and after Gil-Rodionov returned to Soviet power, the Germans disbanded the RNNA.

In addition to these “Nevlasovites,” there were also legions that were famous among the Germans and were held in high esteem. And also the Cossacks who fought to form their own state. The Nazis sympathized with them even more and considered them not Slavs, but Goths.

Origin

Now directly about who the Vlasovites were during the war. As we already remember, Vlasov was captured and from there began active cooperation with the Third Reich. He proposed creating an army so that Russia would become independent. Naturally, this did not suit the Germans. Therefore, they did not allow Vlasov to fully implement his projects.

But the Nazis decided to play on the name of the military leader. They called on the Red Army soldiers to betray the USSR and enroll in the ROA, which they did not plan to create. All this was done on behalf of Vlasov. Since 1943, the Nazis began to allow ROA soldiers to express themselves more.

Perhaps this is how the Vlasov flag appeared. The Germans allowed the Russians to use sleeve stripes. They looked like Although many soldiers tried to use the white-blue-red banner, the Germans did not allow it. The remaining volunteers, of other nationalities, often wore patches in the form of national flags.

When the soldiers began wearing patches with the St. Andrew’s flag and the inscription ROA, Vlasov was still far from command. Therefore, this period can hardly be called “Vlasov”.

Phenomenon

In 1944, when the Third Reich began to realize that a lightning war was not working out, and their affairs at the front were completely deplorable, it was decided to return to Vlasov. In 1944, Reichsführer SS Himmler discussed with the Soviet military leader the issue of forming an army. Then everyone already understood who the Vlasovites were.

Despite the fact that Himmler promised to form ten Russian divisions, the Reichsführer later changed his mind and agreed to only three.

Organization

The Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia was formed only in 1944 in Prague. It was then that the practical organization of the ROA began. The army had its own command and all types of troops. Vlasov was both the chairman of the Committee and the commander-in-chief of which, in turn, both on paper and in practice, were an independent Russian national army.

The ROA had allied relations with the Germans. Although the Third Reich was involved in financing. The money the Germans issued was credit and had to be repaid as soon as possible.

Vlasov's thoughts

Vlasov set himself a different task. He hoped that his organization would become as strong as possible. He foresaw the defeat of the Nazis and understood that after this he would have to represent the “third side” in the conflict between the West and the USSR. The Vlasovites had to implement their political plans with the support of Britain and the United States. Only at the beginning of 1945 was the ROA officially presented as the armed forces of an allied power. Within a month, the fighters were able to receive their own sleeve insignia, and an ROA cockade on their hat.

Baptism of fire

Even then they began to understand who the Vlasovites were. During the war they had to work a little. In general, the army took part in only two battles. Moreover, the first took place against Soviet troops, and the second against the Third Reich.

On February 9, the ROA entered combat positions for the first time. The actions took place in the Oder region. The ROA performed well, and the German command highly appreciated its actions. She was able to occupy Neuleveen, the southern part of Karlsbize and Kerstenbruch. On March 20, the ROA was supposed to seize and equip a bridgehead, and also be responsible for the passage of ships along the Oder. The army's actions were more or less successful.

Already at the end of March 1945, the ROA decided to get together and unite with the Cossack Cavalry Corps. This was done in order to show the whole world their power and potential. Then the West was quite cautious about the Vlasovites. They didn't particularly like their methods and goals.

The ROA also had escape routes. The command hoped to reunite with the Yugoslav troops or break into the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. When the leadership realized the inevitable defeat of the Germans, it was decided to go west on their own to surrender to the Allies there. It later became known that Himmler wrote about the physical elimination of the Committee's leadership. This was precisely what became the first reason for the escape of the ROA from under the wing of the Third Reich.

The last event that remains in history was the Prague Uprising. Units of the ROA reached Prague and rebelled against Germany along with the partisans. Thus, they managed to liberate the capital before the arrival of the Red Army.

Education

Throughout history, there was only one school that trained soldiers in the ROA - Dabendorf. Over the entire period, 5 thousand people were released - that's 12 issues. The lectures were based on harsh criticism of the existing system in the USSR. The main emphasis was precisely the ideological component. It was necessary to re-educate captured soldiers and raise staunch opponents of Stalin.

This is where real Vlasovites graduated. The photo of the school's badge proves that it was an organization with clear goals and ideas. The school did not last long. At the end of February she had to be evacuated to Gischübel. Already in April it ceased to exist.

Controversy

The main dispute remains what the Vlasov flag was. Many people to this day argue that it is the current state flag of Russia that is the banner of “traitors” and followers of Vlasov. In fact, this is how it is. Some believed that the Vlasov banner was with the St. Andrew’s Cross, some individual collaborators used the modern tricolor of the Russian Federation. The latter fact was confirmed even by video and photography.

Questions also began about other attributes. It turns out that the awards of the Vlasovites in one way or another relate to the currently famous dispute about the St. George’s Ribbon. And here it is worth explaining. The fact is that the Vlasov ribbon, in principle, did not exist at all.

Nowadays it is St. George's ribbon are considered to be among the vanquished in the Great Patriotic War. It was used in awards for members of the Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia and the ROA. And initially it was attached to the Order of St. George back in imperial Russia.

In the Soviet award system there was a guards ribbon. It was a special sign of distinction. It was used to design the Order of Glory and the medal “For Victory over Germany.”

Little is known about the early period of the life of the future general. Andrey Vlasov was born in a Nizhny Novgorod village in 1901. His father, according to some sources, was a non-commissioned officer in long-term service. According to others, he was an ordinary peasant. There were 13 children in the family, Andrei was the youngest of them. Nevertheless, with the help of his older brothers, he managed to study at the Nizhny Novgorod Seminary. Then Vlasov studied at a local university to become an agronomist, but completed only one course. The Civil War flared up, and his education was interrupted by mobilization into the Red Army. This is how his army career began.

In the Red Army, which lacked literate and educated people, Vlasov quickly worked his way up to company commander, and then was transferred to staff work. He headed the regimental headquarters, then headed the regimental school. He joined the party relatively late, only in 1930.

Vlasov was in good standing and was considered a competent commander. It is no coincidence that he was sent to China in the late 30s as part of a group of military advisers to Chiang Kai-shek. Moreover, for several months, Vlasov was considered the main military adviser to the Chinese leader. At the end of 1939, he was recalled to the USSR and appointed commander of the 99th division.

There Vlasov again established himself with the best side. In just a few months, he managed to restore such order that, based on the results of the exercises, it was recognized as the best in the Kiev Military District and was especially noted by the highest authorities.

Vlasov also did not go unnoticed and was promoted to commander of the mechanized corps, and also received the Order of Lenin. The corps was stationed in the Lvov area and was one of the first Soviet units, entered into fighting with the Germans.

He proved himself well in the first battles, and within a month Vlasov was promoted again. He was urgently transferred to Kyiv to command the 37th Army. It was formed from the remnants of units retreating from the west of the Ukrainian SSR, and the main task was to prevent the Germans from occupying Kyiv.

The defense of Kyiv ended in disaster. There were several armies in the cauldron. However, Vlasov managed to prove himself here too; units of the 37th Army were able to break through the encirclement and reach the Soviet troops.

The general is recalled to Moscow, where he is entrusted with command of the 20th Army in the most important direction of the German attack - Moscow. Vlasov did not disappoint again; during the German offensive, the army managed to stop Hoepner’s 4th Panzer Group at Krasnaya Polyana. And then go on the offensive, liberate Volokolamsk and go to Gzhatsk.

Lieutenant General Vlasov became a celebrity. His portrait, along with several other military leaders, was published on the front pages of major Soviet newspapers as the most distinguished in the defense of Moscow.

Doomed to Captivity

However, this popularity also had a downside. Vlasov began to be perceived as a lifesaver, which ultimately led to an inglorious end. In the spring of 1942, the 2nd Shock Army penetrated into German defense, occupying the Lyuban ledge. It was planned to be used as a springboard for a further attack on Leningrad. However, the Germans took advantage of favorable conditions and closed the encirclement in the Myasny Bor area. Supplying the army became impossible. Headquarters ordered the army to retreat. In the Myasny Bor area, they managed to briefly break through a corridor through which several units emerged, but then the Germans closed it again.

Vlasov at that time served as deputy commander of the Volkhov Front of Meretskov and was part of military commission was sent to the army location to assess the situation on the spot. The situation in the army was very difficult, there was no food, no ammunition, and there was no way to organize its supply. In addition, the army suffered very heavy losses in the battles. In fact, the 2nd strike was doomed.

By this time, the commander of the army, Klykov, had become seriously ill, and he had to be evacuated to the rear by plane. The question arose about a new commander. Vlasov proposed to Meretskov the candidacy of Vinogradov as chief of staff of the army. He himself did not want to take responsibility for the dying army. However, Meretskov appointed him. In this case, his track record played against Vlasov. He already had successful experience in breaking through encirclement, and also proved himself well near Moscow. If anyone could save a dying army, it would only be a person with such experience.

However, the miracle did not happen. Until the end of June, with the support of the 59th Army, desperate attempts were made to break out of the encirclement. On June 22, they managed to break through a 400-meter corridor for several hours, along which some of the wounded were carried out, but the Germans soon closed it.

On June 24, a last, desperate attempt to break through was made. The situation was very difficult, the army had been starving for a long time, the soldiers ate all their horses and their own belts and still died from exhaustion, there were no more artillery shells left, there was almost no equipment. The Germans, in turn, conducted hurricane shelling. After a failed breakout attempt, Vlasov gave the order to escape as best he could. Break up into small groups of 3-5 people and try to sneak out of the encirclement.

What happened to Vlasov in the following weeks has not yet been established and is unlikely to ever become known. Most likely, he was trying to get to the reserve command post, where food was stored. Along the way, he visited villages, introducing himself as a village teacher and asking for food. On July 11, in the village of Tuchovezhi, he entered a house, which turned out to be the house of the village headman, who immediately handed over the uninvited guests to the Germans. Having set the table for them in the bathhouse, he locked them and informed the Germans about this. Soon their patrol detained the general. Some sources contain claims that Vlasov deliberately intended to surrender to the Germans, but this is somewhat doubtful. To do this, there was no need to wander through the forests for two and a half weeks, hiding from patrols.

In captivity

Vlasov was interrogated several times, but rather for show. Because it was obvious that for a long time a general who has been surrounded is unlikely to be well versed in the current situation. Vlasov was sent to a special officer prisoner of war camp in Vinnitsa, which was subordinate to the OKH, the supreme command of the Wehrmacht ground forces.

It is no secret that there were tensions between the generals and the party, which later resulted in a military conspiracy against Hitler. Moreover, in the occupied territories, everyone played their own game. The Nazis did not have any unified policy in this direction; Rosenberg pulled in one direction, the military command in another, the SS in a third. Everyone was in conflict with each other, and everyone was for himself.

Vlasov was far from the first general to be captured, and at first no one was interested. With the exception of a few OKH generals who, on their own initiative, decided to sound out Soviet generals for future potential cooperation. Vlasov was studied by Shtrik-Shtrikfeld, a former Russian officer from the Baltic Germans, who settled in Latvia after the revolution and served as a translator in the army. Based on the results of conversations with him, Vlasov agreed that communism must be fought, and the main evil is Stalin. Shtrikfeld suggested that he put the memorandum on paper to submit to his superiors.

Vlasov wrote a note about the need to create a Russian army that would fight communist forces on the side of the Germans. However, the OKH reacted to the general’s memorandum with absolutely no enthusiasm. They knew all the scenarios very well and understood that it would be simply impossible to achieve the creation of such an army, primarily for ideological reasons. Moreover, in mid-1942, an early victory still seemed a reality to the Germans.

It’s unlikely that anyone can say what exactly prompted Vlasov to go over to the side of the Germans. Difficult conditions of captivity? But Vlasov was in a special camp with special conditions; there was a normal attitude towards high-ranking officers there. Cowardice? But Vlasov, according to the testimony of those who knew him before the war, was not a coward. Ideological reasons? Vlasov himself claimed that it was they who prompted him to side with the Germans. But before being captured, there was not a hint that Vlasov was dissatisfied with anything. He was a member of the party, did not come under repression, was in good standing and generally did not have any visible problems in the service line and nothing hinted at his dissatisfaction. Ambition? Perhaps they were the reason for Vlasov’s decision.

In mid-1942, the Germans' chances of victory looked quite real. Vlasov could have mistakenly taken soundings from individual representatives of the Wehrmacht for signals coming from the very top. That his candidacy may be considered as a representative of some future non-Soviet Russia or what will remain of it. That's why I decided to take the initiative.

"Smolensk Appeal"

The idea of ​​creating an army seemed crazy, but Vlasov made it clear that he agreed to cooperate, and in September 1942 he was transferred to Berlin to the Wehrmacht propaganda department. The task of the department's employees, recruited from prisoners of war, was to analyze Soviet newspapers for valuable information.

Meanwhile, the situation on the fronts was changing. The Germans were thoroughly bogged down in Stalingrad, and after a while the OKH remembered Vlasov and decided to use him more effectively. The captured general was assigned a purely propaganda role (about the same role that the captured Paulus later played on the Soviet side).

It was decided to create a semi-virtual Russian Committee headed by Vlasov, which would publish appeals calling for an end to resistance, to go over to the side of the Germans, etc. Leaflets with his appeals were planned to be scattered over Soviet positions. On December 27, 1942, the “Smolensk Appeal” was published, in which Vlasov called for people to come over to his side in order to build new Russia. It even contained some political points such as the abolition of collective farms. The German leadership approved the appeal, but viewed it as a purely propaganda action. They wrote about him in the newspapers, and leaflets were also printed in Russian to be dropped on Soviet territories.

The party leadership was completely indifferent to Vlasov. Hitler and Himmler had nothing to do with the captured general; they were not interested in him. Vlasov’s main lobbyists were the military, who may have seen Vlasov as a potential leader of the future puppet government, if there was such a thing. On the initiative of Field Marshals von Kluge and von Küchler, Vlasov made several trips to Army Group North and Center in the winter and spring of 1943. He not only met with prominent German military leaders, but also spoke to local residents in the occupied territories and gave several interviews to collaborationist newspapers.

However, the party did not like the fact that the military was playing their game and trying to enter their territory. The Russian Committee was dissolved, Vlasov was temporarily banned from speaking publicly, and the military was reprimanded. The Nazi Party had no desire to turn Vlasov into anything more than a propaganda phantom.

Meanwhile, Vlasov’s activities became known in the USSR. Stalin was so indignant that he personally edited the newspaper article “Who is Vlasov?” This article reported that Vlasov was an active Trotskyist who planned to sell Siberia to the Japanese, but was exposed in time. Unfortunately, the party took pity on Vlasov and forgave him, allowing him to lead the army. But as it turned out, even in the first days of the war, he was recruited by the Germans, and then returned to Moscow, showed himself well for some time in order to avoid suspicion, and then deliberately led the army into encirclement and finally defected to the Germans.

Vlasov found himself in a difficult situation. In Moscow they had already learned about his activities, but in Germany he found himself in limbo. The party leadership, including Hitler, did not want to hear about the creation of a separate army, which the military sought. When Field Marshal Keitel tried to probe the waters, Hitler made it clear that he would not allow it to go beyond ordinary propaganda actions.

For the next year and a half, Vlasov became a party animal. Patrons organized meetings for him with prominent figures who looked at the “Russian question” not as radically as the leaders. In the hope that, having secured their support, it would be possible to influence Hitler and Himmler at least indirectly, Vlasov was even arranged to marry the widow of an SS man.

But all that his patrons managed to achieve was the creation of a “school of propagandists” in Dabendorf. The party did not give permission for more.

Russian Liberation Army

For a year and a half, Vlasov made acquaintances in various fields. As the situation at the fronts became worse for the Germans, the SS began to take a closer look at Vlasov. The Wehrmacht's position weakened, and after the military conspiracy in July 1944, it finally weakened. But Vlasov managed to find new patrons in the person of the SS.

The Germans were already drowning and were ready to grasp at any straw. Himmler, who had previously not wanted to hear about any Russian armies, summoned Vlasov. Their meeting took place in September 1944. Vlasov assured the SS leader that he had great authority among Soviet generals and that a better figure for the cause could not be found. Vlasov left Himmler with permission to create the Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia - a kind of semi-virtual government in exile.

In November 1944, the first meeting of the KONR was held, at which the Manifesto was announced liberation movement- political program of the organization. In the same month, the formation of the ROA began - the Russian Liberation Army, which previously existed only in the form of a propaganda phantom.

A total of three divisions were formed. One of them had no weapons at all, the other did not have heavy weapons, having only small arms. And only the 1st ROA division, numbering about 20 thousand people, was combat-ready and fully equipped.

Formally, the ROA was not part of the Wehrmacht, but was considered an allied army. Funding came from the German treasury in the form of loans that would be repaid sometime in the future.

Contrary to popular beliefs, the ROA did not operate in the occupied territories at all, since by the time of its creation Soviet army was already at the German borders. This was probably the result of a common mistake: in the USSR, everyone who served the Germans began to be called Vlasovites, from drivers and cooks from among the “Hiwis” right down to village police officers who had nothing to do with the ROA.

However, at the beginning and middle of the war, the Germans created small detachments (usually the size of a company/battalion and very rarely a regiment), the so-called. eastern battalions/companies, which were often involved in anti-partisan operations. A significant part of their personnel was later transferred to the ROA. For example, the former Soviet commissar Zhilenkov, before coming to Vlasov, held a prominent position in the RNNA - the Russian National People's Army, numbering several thousand people. Which just acted against the partisans in the occupied territories.

For some time, the RNNA was commanded by the former Soviet colonel Boyarsky, who later also became a person close to Vlasov. Most often, eastern battalions and companies were part of German divisions, under which they were created and controlled by German officers. The personnel of these units sometimes wore cockades and stripes later used by the ROA, which creates additional confusion. However, these units, which appeared even when Vlasov was a Soviet general, were subordinate to the Germans and Vlasov had no influence on them.

The ROA was recruited from members of the eastern battalions previously created by the Germans and individual disbanded units of the RNNA and RONA type. Soviet prisoners of war recruited in the camps were a minority. There were also very few White emigrants; relations with them did not work out due to the fact that they considered the Vlasovites “the same Bolsheviks, only against collective farms.” Thus, we can summarize this confusing issue. ROA did not act on the occupied Soviet territories, but part of the personnel of this army had previously served in the German eastern battalions in Soviet territories.

The combat path of the newly formed army turned out to be very short. During the five months of its existence, ROA units took part in battles with Soviet troops only twice. Moreover, in the first case, this participation was extremely limited. In February 1945, three platoons of volunteers from the Dabendorf school took part in the battle on the side of the Germans with the 230th division of the Red Army.

And in early April, the 1st ROA Division fought alongside the Germans in the Fürstenberg area. After this, all ROA units were withdrawn to the rear. Even in the face of the inevitable end, the Nazi leadership did not have much confidence in the newly-made allies.

By and large, the ROA remained a propaganda force and not a real fighting force. One combat-ready division, which took part in hostilities only once, could hardly have had any influence on the course of the war other than propaganda.

Arrest and execution

Vlasov hoped to reach the location of the Americans, since he was expecting a new world war between the USSR and the USA. But he never managed to reach them. On May 12, 1945, he was arrested by a Soviet patrol following a tip. However, the Americans would still have extradited him to the USSR. Firstly, he was a symbolic and familiar figure. Secondly, the ROA was not a significant force militarily, so even as a potential ally the Americans would new war would not be considered. Thirdly, an agreement on the extradition of Soviet citizens was reached at a conference of allies; only a few managed to avoid this extradition.

Vlasov and all his associates from among Soviet citizens were taken to Moscow. Initially, it was planned to hold an open trial, but Abakumov, who oversaw it, was afraid that the leak of the defendants’ views would cause some undesirable consequences in society, and proposed to sort it out quietly. In the end, it was decided to hold a closed trial without any publications in the press. The final decision was made by the Politburo. Instead of an open trial of the traitors, on August 2, 1946, a meager note was given in Soviet newspapers that the day before, by a verdict of a Soviet court, Vlasov and his closest associates had been found guilty of high treason and executed.

According to some, during the Great Patriotic War, a million Soviet citizens went to fight under the tricolor flag. Sometimes they even talk about two million Russians who fought against the Bolshevik regime, but here they probably also count 700 thousand emigrants. These figures are cited for a reason - they serve as an argument for the assertion that the Great Patriotic War is the essence of the Second Civil War of the Russian people against the hated Stalin. What can I say?

If it really happened that a million Russians stood under the tricolor banner and fought tooth and nail against the Red Army for a free Russia, shoulder to shoulder with their German allies, then we would have no choice but to admit that yes, The Great Patriotic War truly became the Second Civil War for the Russian people. But was it so?

To figure out whether this is true or not, you need to answer several questions: how many of them were there, who were they, how did they get into the service, how and with whom did they fight, and what motivated them?

Cooperation between Soviet citizens and the occupiers took place in different forms, both in terms of the degree of voluntariness and the degree of involvement in the armed struggle - from the Baltic SS volunteers who fought fiercely near Narva, to the “Ostarbeiters” forcibly driven to Germany. I believe that even the most stubborn anti-Stalinists will not be able to enroll the latter in the ranks of fighters against the Bolshevik regime without crooking their souls. Typically, these ranks include those who received rations from the German military or police department, or held in their hands what they received from the hands of the Germans or pro-German local government.

That is, the maximum number of potential fighters against the Bolsheviks includes:
foreign military units of the Wehrmacht and SS;
eastern security battalions;
Wehrmacht construction units;
Wehrmacht support personnel, they are also “our Ivans” or Hiwi (Hilfswilliger: “voluntary helpers”);
auxiliary police units (“noise” - Schutzmannshaften);
border guard;
“air defense assistants” mobilized to Germany through youth organizations;

HOW MANY ARE THERE?

We will probably never know the exact numbers, since no one really counted them, but some estimates are available to us. A lower estimate can be obtained from the archives of the former NKVD - until March 1946, 283,000 “Vlasovites” and other collaborators in uniform were transferred to the authorities. The upper estimate can probably be taken from Drobyazko’s works, which serve as the main source of figures for proponents of the “Second Civil” version. According to his calculations (the method of which, unfortunately, he does not disclose), the following passed through the Wehrmacht, SS and various pro-German paramilitary and police forces during the war years:
250,000 Ukrainians
70,000 Belarusians
70,000 Cossacks
150,000 Latvians
90,000 Estonians
50,000 Lithuanians
70,000 Central Asians
12,000 Volga Tatars
10,000 Crimean Tatars
7,000 Kalmyks
40,000 Azerbaijanis
25,000 Georgians
20,000 Armenians
30,000 North Caucasian peoples

Because total number All former Soviet citizens who wore German and pro-German uniforms are estimated at 1.2 million, which leaves about 310,000 Russians (excluding Cossacks). There are, of course, other calculations that give a smaller total number, but let’s not waste time on trifles, let’s take Drobyazko’s estimate from above as the basis for further reasoning.

WHO WERE THEY?

Hiwi and construction battalion soldiers can hardly be considered fighters civil war. Of course, their work freed up German soldiers for the front, but this also applies to the “ostarbeiters” to the same extent. Sometimes hiwi received weapons and fought alongside the Germans, but such cases in the unit's combat logs are described more as a curiosity than as a mass phenomenon. It is interesting to count how many there were who actually held weapons in their hands.

The number of hiwi at the end of the war Drobiazko gives about 675,000, if we add construction units and take into account the loss during the war, then I think we will not be much mistaken in assuming that this category covers about 700-750,000 people out of a total of 1.2 million. This is consistent with with the share of non-combatants among the Caucasian peoples, in the calculation presented by the headquarters of the eastern troops at the end of the war. According to him, of the total number of 102,000 Caucasians who passed through the Wehrmacht and SS, 55,000 served in the legions, Luftwaffe and SS and 47,000 in hiwi and construction units. It should be taken into account that the share of Caucasians enrolled in combat units was higher than the share of Slavs.

So, out of 1.2 million who wore a German uniform, only 450-500 thousand did so while holding weapons. Let's now try to calculate the layout of the actual combat units of the eastern peoples.

75 Asian battalions (Caucasians, Turks and Tatars) were formed (80,000 people). Taking into account 10 Crimean police battalions (8,700), Kalmyks and special units, there are approximately 110,000 “combat” Asians out of a total of 215,000. This completely hits the Caucasians separately with the layout.

The Baltic states endowed the Germans with 93 police battalions (later partly consolidated into regiments), with a total number of 33,000 people. In addition, 12 border regiments (30,000) were formed, partly staffed by police battalions, followed by three SS divisions (15, 19 and 20) and two volunteer regiments, through which perhaps 70,000 men passed. Police and border regiments and battalions were partly recruited to form them. Taking into account the absorption of some units by others, in total about 100,000 Balts passed through the combat units.

In Belarus, 20 police battalions (5,000) were formed, of which 9 were considered Ukrainian. After the introduction of mobilization in March 1944, police battalions became part of the army of the Belarusian Central Rada. In total, the Belarusian Regional Defense (BKA) had 34 battalions, 20,000 people. Having retreated in 1944 along with by German troops, these battalions were consolidated into the Siegling SS Brigade. Then, on the basis of the brigade, with the addition of Ukrainian “policemen”, the remnants of the Kaminsky brigade and even the Cossacks, the 30th SS Division was deployed, which was later used to staff the 1st Vlasov Division.

Galicia was once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and was seen as potentially German territory. It was separated from Ukraine, included in the Reich, as part of the General Government of Warsaw, and put in line for Germanization. On the territory of Galicia, 10 police battalions (5,000) were formed, and subsequently a recruitment of volunteers for the SS troops was announced. It is believed that 70,000 volunteers showed up at the recruiting sites, but so many were not needed. As a result, one SS division (14th) and five police regiments were formed. Police regiments were disbanded as needed and sent to replenish the division. Galicia's total contribution to the victory over Stalinism can be estimated at 30,000 people.

In the rest of Ukraine, 53 police battalions (25,000) were formed. It is known that a small part of them became part of the 30th SS Division, the fate of the rest is unknown to me. After the formation in March 1945 of the Ukrainian analogue of KONR - the Ukrainian National Committee - the Galician 14th SS Division was renamed the 1st Ukrainian and the formation of the 2nd began. It was formed from volunteers of Ukrainian nationality recruited from various auxiliary formations; about 2,000 people were recruited.

About 90 security “ostbattalions” were formed from Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians, through which approximately 80,000 people passed, including the “Russian National People’s Army”, which was reformed into five security battalions. Among other Russian military formations, one can recall the 3,000-strong 1st Russian National SS Brigade of Gil (Rodionov), which went over to the side of the partisans, the approximately 6,000-strong “Russian National Army” of Smyslovsky and the army of Kaminsky (“Russian Liberation People's Army"), which arose as the so-called self-defense forces. Lokot Republic. Maximum estimates of the number of people who passed through Kaminsky’s army reach 20,000. After 1943, Kaminsky's troops retreated along with the German army and in 1944 an attempt was made to reorganize them into the 29th SS Division. For a number of reasons, the reformation was canceled, and the personnel were transferred to complete the 30th SS Division. At the beginning of 1945, the armed forces of the Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia (the Vlasov army) were created. The first army division is formed from the "ostbattalions" and the remnants of the 30th SS division. The second division is formed from “ost battalions”, and partly from volunteer prisoners of war. The number of Vlasovites before the end of the war is estimated at 40,000 people, of which about 30,000 were former SS men and former battalions. In total, about 120,000 Russians fought in the Wehrmacht and SS with weapons in their hands at different times.

The Cossacks, according to Drobyazko’s calculations, fielded 70,000 people, let’s accept this figure.

HOW DID THEY GET INTO SERVICE?

Initially, the eastern units were staffed with volunteers from among prisoners of war and the local population. Since the summer of 1942, the principle of recruitment of the local population has changed from voluntary to voluntary-forced - an alternative to voluntary joining the police is forced deportation to Germany, as an “Ostarbeiter”. By the fall of 1942, undisguised coercion began. Drobyazko, in his dissertation, talks about raids on men in the Shepetivka area: those caught were offered a choice between joining the police or being sent to a camp. Since 1943, mandatory military service in various “self-defense” units of the Reichskommissariat “Ostland”. In the Baltic states, SS units and border guards were recruited through mobilization since 1943.

HOW AND WHO DID THEY FIGHT?

Initially, the Slavic eastern units were created for security service. In this capacity, they were supposed to replace the Wehrmacht security battalions, which were sucked out of the rear zone like a vacuum cleaner by the needs of the front. At first, soldiers of the eastern battalions guarded warehouses and railways, but as the situation became more complicated, they began to be involved in anti-partisan operations. The involvement of the eastern battalions in the fight against the partisans contributed to their disintegration. If in 1942 the number of “ost-battalion members” who went over to the partisan side was relatively small (although this year the Germans were forced to disband the RNNA due to massive defections), then in 1943 14 thousand fled to the partisans (and this is very, very quite a lot, with the average number of eastern units in 1943 being about 65,000 people). The Germans did not have any strength to observe the further decomposition of the eastern battalions, and in October 1943 the remaining eastern units were sent to France and Denmark (disarming 5-6 thousand volunteers as unreliable). There they were included as 3 or 4 battalions in the regiments of the German divisions.

Slavic eastern battalions, with rare exceptions, were not used in battles on the eastern front. In contrast, a significant number of Asian Ostbattalions were involved in the first line of advancing German troops during the Battle of the Caucasus. The results of the battles were contradictory - some performed well, others, on the contrary, turned out to be infected with deserter sentiments and produced a large percentage of defectors. By the beginning of 1944, most of the Asian battalions also found themselves on the Western Wall. Those who remained in the East were brought together into the Eastern Turkic and Caucasian SS formations and were involved in the suppression of the Warsaw and Slovak uprisings.

In total, by the time of the Allied invasion, 72 Slavic, Asian and Cossack battalions with a total number of about 70 thousand people had been assembled in France, Belgium and the Netherlands. In general, the remaining battalions performed poorly in battles with the allies (with some exceptions). Out of almost 8.5 thousand. irrecoverable losses, 8 thousand were missing, that is, most of them were deserters and defectors. After this, the remaining battalions were disarmed and involved in fortification work on the Siegfried Line. Subsequently, they were used to form units of the Vlasov army.

In 1943, Cossack units were also withdrawn from the east. The most combat-ready formation of the Germans Cossack troops- von Panwitz’s 1st Cossack Division, formed in the summer of 1943, went to Yugoslavia to deal with Tito’s partisans. There they gradually gathered all the Cossacks, expanding the division into a corps. The division took part in battles on Eastern Front in 1945, fighting mainly against the Bulgarians.

The Baltic states contributed the largest number of troops to the front - in addition to three SS divisions, separate police regiments and battalions took part in the battles. The 20th Estonian SS Division was defeated near Narva, but was subsequently restored and managed to take part in the last battles of the war. The Latvian 15th and 19th SS divisions came under attack from the Red Army in the summer of 1944 and could not withstand the attack. Large levels of desertion and loss of combat capability are reported. As a result, the 15th Division, having transferred its most reliable composition to the 19th, was withdrawn to the rear for use in the construction of fortifications. The second time it was used in battle was in January 1945, in East Prussia, after which it was again withdrawn to the rear. She managed to surrender to the Americans. The 19th remained in Courland until the end of the war.

Belarusian policemen and those freshly mobilized into the BKA in 1944 were collected in the 30th SS Division. After its formation, the division was transferred to France in September 1944, where it took part in battles with the Allies. Suffered heavy losses mainly from desertion. Belarusians ran over to the allies in droves and continued the war in Polish units. In December, the division was disbanded, and the remaining personnel were transferred to staff the 1st Vlasov Division.

The Galician 14th SS Division, barely sniffing gunpowder, was surrounded near Brody and almost completely destroyed. Although she was quickly restored, she no longer took part in battles at the front. One of her regiments was involved in suppressing the Slovak uprising, after which she went to Yugoslavia to fight Tito’s partisans. Since Yugoslavia is not far from Austria, the division managed to surrender to the British.

The KONR armed forces were formed in early 1945. Although the 1st Vlasov division was staffed almost entirely by punitive veterans, many of whom had already been to the front, Vlasov brainwashed Hitler by demanding more time for preparation. In the end, the division still managed to move to the Oder Front, where it took part in one attack against Soviet troops on April 13. The very next day, the division commander, Major General Bunyachenko, ignoring the protests of his German immediate superior, withdrew the division from the front and went to join the rest of Vlasov’s army in the Czech Republic. The Vlasov army carried out the second battle against its ally, attacking German troops in Prague on May 5.

WHAT MOVED THEM?

The driving motives were completely different.

Firstly, among the eastern troops one can distinguish national separatists who fought for the creation of their own national state or at least a privileged province of the Reich. This includes the Baltic states, Asian legionnaires and Galicians. The creation of units of this kind has a long tradition - remember, for example, the Czechoslovak Corps or the Polish Legion in the First World War. These would fight against the central government, no matter who sat in Moscow - the tsar, the secretary general or the popularly elected president.

Secondly, there were ideological and stubborn opponents of the regime. This may include the Cossacks (although their motives were partly national-separatist), part of the personnel of the eastern battalions, and a significant part of the officer corps of the KONR troops.

Thirdly, we can name opportunists who bet on the winner, those who joined the Reich during the victories of the Wehrmacht, but fled to the partisans after the defeat at Kursk and continued to run away at the first opportunity. These probably made up a significant part of the eastern battalions and local police. There were some from that side of the front, as can be seen from the change in the number of defectors to the Germans in 1942-44:
1942 79,769
1943 26,108
1944 9,207

Fourthly, these were people who hoped to break out of the camp and, at a convenient opportunity, go to their own. It’s hard to say how many of these there were, but sometimes there were enough for a whole battalion.

AND WHAT DOES IT END UP?

But the picture that emerges is completely different from those painted by ardent anti-communists. Instead of one (or even two) million Russians united under the tricolor flag in the fight against the hateful Stalinist regime, there is a very motley (and clearly not reaching a million) company of Balts, Asians, Galicians and Slavs, each fighting for their own. And mainly not with the Stalinist regime, but with the partisans (and not only Russians, but also Yugoslav, Slovak, French, Polish), Western allies, and even with the Germans in general. Doesn't sound much like a civil war, does it? Well, perhaps we can use these words to describe the struggle between partisans and policemen, but the policemen fought not under a tricolor flag, but with a swastika on their sleeves.

For the sake of fairness, it should be noted that until the end of 1944, until the formation of the KONR and its armed forces, the Germans did not provide the opportunity for Russian anti-communists to fight for the national idea, for a Russia without communists. It can be assumed that if they had allowed this earlier, “under the tricolor flag” they would have united more people, especially since there were still plenty of opponents of the Bolsheviks in the country. But this is “would” and besides, my grandmother said it in two. But in reality, no “millions under the tricolor flag” were observed.

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The history of the creation, existence and destruction of the so-called Russian Liberation Army under the command of General Vlasov is one of the darkest and most mysterious pages of the Great Patriotic War.

First of all, the figure of its leader is surprising. Nominee N.S. Khrushchev and one of I.V.’s favorites. Stalin, Lieutenant General of the Red Army, Andrei Vlasov was captured on the Volkhov Front in 1942.

Coming out of encirclement with his only companion, the cook Voronova, he was handed over to the Germans in the village of Tukhovezhi by the local headman for a reward: a cow and ten packs of shag.

Almost immediately after being imprisoned in a camp for senior military personnel near Vinnitsa, Vlasov began to cooperate with the Germans.

Soviet historians interpreted Vlasov’s decision as personal cowardice. However, Vlasov’s mechanized corps proved itself very well in the battles near Lvov.

The 37th Army under his leadership during the defense of Kyiv too. By the time of his capture, Vlasov had the reputation of one of the main saviors of Moscow. He did not show personal cowardice in battles.

Later a version appeared that he was afraid of punishment from Stalin. However, leaving the Kyiv Cauldron, according to the testimony of Khrushchev, who was the first to meet him, he was in civilian clothes and leading a goat on a rope. No punishment followed; moreover, his career continued.

The latter version is supported, for example, by Vlasov’s close acquaintance with those repressed in 1937-38. military. For example, he replaced Blucher as an adviser under Chiang Kai-shek.

In addition, his immediate superior before his capture was Meretskov, a future marshal who was arrested at the beginning of the war in the case of “heroes,” confessed, and was released “based on instructions from policymakers for special reasons.”

And yet, at the same time as Vlasov, regimental commissar Kernes, who had gone over to the German side, was kept in the Vinnitsa camp.

The commissioner came to the Germans with a message about the presence of a deeply secret group in the USSR. Which includes the army, the NKVD, Soviet and party bodies, and takes an anti-Stalinist position.

A high-ranking official of the German Foreign Ministry, Gustav Hilder, came to meet with both. There is no documentary evidence for the last two versions.

But let’s return directly to the ROA, or, as they are more often called “Vlasovites”. We should start with the fact that the prototype and the first separate “Russian” unit on the side of the Germans was created in 1941-1942. Bronislaw Kaminsky Russian Liberation People's Army - RONA. Kaminsky, born in 1903 to a German mother and a Pole father, was an engineer before the war and served a sentence in the Gulag under Article 58.

Note that during the formation of RONA, Vlasov himself was still fighting in the ranks of the Red Army. By mid-1943, Kaminsky had 10,000 soldiers, 24 T-34 tanks and 36 captured guns under his command.

In July 1944, his troops showed particular cruelty in suppressing Warsaw Uprising. On August 19 of the same year, Kaminsky and his entire headquarters were shot by the Germans without trial or investigation.

Approximately simultaneously with RONA, the Gil-Rodionov Squad was created in Belarus. Lieutenant Colonel of the Red Army V.V. Gil, speaking under the pseudonym Rodionov, in the service of the Germans created the Fighting Union of Russian Nationalists and showed considerable cruelty towards the Belarusian partisans and local residents.

However, in 1943, he went over with most of the BSRN to the side of the red partisans, received the rank of colonel and the Order of the Red Star. Killed in 1944.

In 1941, the Russian National People's Army, also known as the Boyarsky Brigade, was created near Smolensk. Vladimir Gelyarovich Boersky (real name) was born in 1901 in Berdichevsky district, it is believed that in a Polish family. In 1943, the brigade was disbanded by the Germans.

From the beginning of 1941, the formation of detachments of people calling themselves Cossacks was actively underway. Quite a lot of different units were created from them. Finally, in 1943, the 1st Cossack division was created under the leadership of a German colonel von Pannwitz.

She was sent to Yugoslavia to fight the partisans. In Yugoslavia, the division worked closely with the Russian Security Corps, created from white emigrants and their children. It should be noted that in the Russian Empire, Kalmyks, in particular, belonged to the Cossack class, and abroad all emigrants from the Empire were considered Russian.

Also in the first half of the war, formations subordinate to the Germans from representatives of national minorities were actively formed.

Vlasov’s idea of ​​​​forming the ROA as the future army of Russia liberated from Stalin, to put it mildly, did not cause much enthusiasm among Hitler. The leader of the Reich did not at all need an independent Russia, especially one with its own army.

In 1942-1944. The ROA did not exist as a real military formation, but was used for propaganda purposes and to recruit collaborators.

Those, in turn, were used in separate battalions mainly to perform security functions and fight partisans.

Only at the end of 1944, when the Nazi command simply had nothing to plug the cracks in the defense, was the green light given to the formation of the ROA. The first division was formed only on November 23, 1944, five months before the end of the war.

For its formation, the remnants of units disbanded by the Germans and battle-worn in battles that fought on the side of the Germans were used. And also Soviet prisoners of war. Few people here looked at nationality anymore.

The deputy chief of staff, Boersky, as we have already said, was a Pole, the head of the combat training department, General Asberg, was an Armenian. Captain Shtrik-Shtrikfeld provided great assistance in the formation. As well as figures of the white movement, such as Kromiadi, Shokoli, Meyer, Skorzhinsky and others. In the current circumstances, most likely, no one checked the rank and file for nationality.

By the end of the war, the ROA formally numbered from 120 to 130 thousand people. All units were scattered over gigantic distances and did not constitute a single military force.

Before the end of the war, the ROA managed to take part in hostilities three times. On February 9, 1945, in the battles on the Oder, three Vlasov battalions under the leadership of Colonel Sakharov achieved some success in their direction.

But these successes were short-lived. On April 13, 1945, the 1st Division of the ROA took part in battles with the 33rd Army of the Red Army without much success.

But in the battles of May 5-8 for Prague, under the leadership of her commander Bunyachenko, she showed herself very well. The Nazis were driven out of the city and were no longer able to return to it.

At the end of the war, most of the Vlasovites were handed over to the Soviet authorities. The leaders were hanged in 1946. Camps and settlements awaited the rest.

In 1949, of the 112,882 special Vlasov settlers, Russians made up less than half: - 54,256 people.

Among the rest: Ukrainians - 20,899, Belarusians - 5,432, Georgians - 3,705, Armenians - 3,678, Uzbeks - 3,457, Azerbaijanis - 2,932, Kazakhs - 2,903, Germans - 2,836, Tatars - 2,470, Chuvash - 807, Kabardians - 640, Moldavians - 637, Mordovians - 635, Ossetians - 595, Tajiks - 545, Kyrgyz -466, Bashkirs - 449, Turkmen - 389, Poles - 381, Kalmyks -335, Adyghe - 201, Circassians - 192, Lezgins - 177, Jews - 171, Karaites - 170, Udmurts - 157, Latvians - 150, Maris - 137, Karakalpaks - 123, Avars - 109, Kumyks - 103, Greeks - 102, Bulgarians -99, Estonians - 87, Romanians - 62, Nogais - 59, Abkhazians - 58, Komi - 49, Dargins - 48, Finns - 46, Lithuanians - 41 and others - 2095 people.

Alexey Nos.

Thanks to my colleague a011kirs for the link to .

However, there was antagonism between former Soviet prisoners and white emigrants, and the latter were gradually ousted from the leadership of the ROA. Most of them served in other Russian volunteer formations not associated with the ROA (only a few days before the end of the war, formally attached to the ROA) - the Russian Corps, the brigade of General A.V. Turkul in Austria, the 1st Russian National Army, the regiment " Varyag" by Colonel M. A. Semenov, separate regiment Colonel Krzhizhanovsky, as well as in Cossack formations (15th Cossack Cavalry Corps and Cossack Stan).

On January 28, 1945, the ROA received the status of the armed forces of an allied power, maintaining neutrality towards the United States and Great Britain. On May 12, 1945, an order was signed to dissolve the ROA.

After the victory of the USSR and the occupation of Germany, most of the members of the ROA were transferred to the Soviet authorities. Some of the “Vlasovites” managed to escape and took refuge in Western countries and avoid punishment.

Compound:

At the end of April 1945, A. A. Vlasov had under his command armed forces in the following composition:
1st Division of Major General S.K. Bunyachenko (22,000 people)
2nd Division of Major General G. A. Zverev (13,000 people)
3rd Division of Major General M. M. Shapovalov (unarmed, there was only a headquarters and 10,000 volunteers)
the reserve brigade of Lieutenant Colonel (later Colonel) S. T. Koida (7000 people) is the only commander of a large formation not extradited by the US occupation authorities to the Soviet side.
Air Force General V.I. Maltsev (5000 people)
VET division
officer school of General M. A. Meandrov.
auxiliary parts,
Russian Corps of Major General B. A. Shteifon (4500 people). General Steifon died suddenly on April 30th. The corps that surrendered to Soviet troops was led by Colonel Rogozhkin.
Cossack Camp of Major General T. I. Domanov (8000 people)
group of Major General A.V. Turkul (5200 people)
15th Cossack Cavalry Corps under Lieutenant General H. von Pannwitz (more than 40,000 people)
Cossack reserve regiment of General A. G. Shkuro (more than 10,000 people)
and several small formations of less than 1000 people;
security and punitive legions, battalions, companies; Russian Liberation Army of Vlasov; Russian security corps of Shteifon; 15th Cossack Corps von Pannwitz; separate military formations, not included in the ROA; “volunteer helpers” - “hivi”.

In total, these formations numbered 124 thousand people. These parts were scattered at a considerable distance from each other.

I, a faithful son of my Motherland, voluntarily joining the ranks of the Russian Liberation Army, solemnly swear: to fight honestly against the Bolsheviks, for the good of my Motherland. In this struggle against the common enemy, on the side of the German army and its allies, I swear to be faithful and unquestioningly obey the Leader and Commander-in-Chief of all liberation armies, Adolf Hitler. I am ready, in fulfillment of this oath, not to spare myself and my life.

I, as a faithful son of my Motherland, voluntarily joining the ranks of the fighters of the Armed Forces of the peoples of Russia, in the face of my compatriots, I swear an oath - for the good of my people, under the main command of General Vlasov, to fight against Bolshevism to the last drop of blood. This struggle is being waged by all freedom-loving peoples in alliance with Germany under the main command of Adolf Hitler. I vow to be faithful to this union. In fulfillment of this oath, I am ready to give my life.



Symbols and insignia:

The flag with the St. Andrew's Cross, as well as the Russian tricolor, was used as the flag of the ROA. The use of the Russian tricolor, in particular, is documented in footage of the 1st Guards Brigade ROA in Pskov on June 22, 1943, on photo chronicles of the Vlasov formation in Munsingen, as well as other documents.

Completely new uniforms and insignia of the ROA could be seen in 43-44 on soldiers of the eastern battalions stationed in France. The uniform itself was made of grayish-blue material (stocks of captured French army cloth) and in cut was a compilation of a Russian tunic and a German uniform.

The shoulder straps of soldiers, non-commissioned officers and officers were of the Russian type tsarist army and were sewn from dark green material with red trim. Officers had one or two narrow red stripes along their shoulder straps. General's shoulder straps were also of the royal type, but the same green shoulder straps with red edging were more common, and the general's "zig-zag" was depicted with a red stripe. The placement of insignia among non-commissioned officers roughly corresponded to the tsarist army. For officers and generals, the number and placement of stars (German model) corresponded to the German principle:

In the figure from left to right: 1 - soldier, 2 - corporal, 3 - non-commissioned officer, 4 - sergeant major, 5 - second lieutenant (lieutenant), 6 - lieutenant (senior lieutenant), 7 - captain, 8 - major, 9 - lieutenant colonel , 10 - colonel, 11 - major general, 12 - lieutenant general, 13 - general. The last highest rank in the ROA, Petlitsy, also included three types - soldier. and non-commissioned officer, officer, general. The officer's and general's buttonholes were edged with silver and gold flagella, respectively. However, there was a buttonhole that could be worn by both soldiers and officers. This buttonhole had a red border. A gray German button was placed at the top of the buttonhole, and a 9mm ran along the buttonhole. aluminum galloon.

"Russia is ours. Russia's past is ours. Russia's future is also ours" (gen. A. A. Vlasov)

Printing organs: newspapers ROA fighter"(1944), weekly" Volunteer" (1943-44), " Front leaflet for volunteers "(1944), " Volunteer Messenger "(1944), " Alarm"(1943), " Volunteer Page "(1944), " Warrior's Voice"(1944), " Zarya" (1943-44), " Work », « Arable land", weekly " Is it true" (1941-43), " With hostility». For the Red Army: « Stalin's warrior », « Brave Warrior », « Red Army », « Front-line soldier», « Soviet warrior ».

General Vlasov wrote: "Recognizing the independence of each people, National Socialism provides all the peoples of Europe with the opportunity to build their own lives in their own way. For this, each people needs living space. Hitler considers its possession the fundamental right of every people. Therefore, the occupation of Russian territory by German troops is not aimed at destruction Russians, but on the contrary - victory over Stalin will return to the Russians their Fatherland within the family of New Europe."

On September 16, 1944, at the headquarters of the Reichsführer SS in East Prussia, a meeting between Vlasov and Himmler took place, during which the latter stated: “Mr. General, I spoke with the Fuhrer, from now on you can consider yourself the commander-in-chief of the army with the rank of colonel general.” A few days later, the reorganization of the headquarters began. Before that, to the headquarters, except for Vlasov and V.F. Malyshkin included: commandant of headquarters Colonel E.V. Kravchenko (since 09.1944, Colonel K.G. Kromiadi), head of the personal office, Major M.A. Kalugin-Tenzorov, Vlasov’s adjutant Captain R. Antonov, supply manager Lieutenant V. Melnikov, liaison officer S.B. Frelnkh and 6 soldiers.

On November 14, 1944, the founding congress of the Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia (KONR) took place in Prague, and A. Vlasov was elected chairman. In his opening remarks Vlasov said: “Today we can assure the Fuhrer and the entire German people that in their difficult struggle against the worst enemy of all peoples - Bolshevism, the peoples of Russia are their faithful allies and will never lay down their arms, but will go shoulder to shoulder with them until complete victory. ". At the congress, the creation of the Armed Forces of the KONR (AF KONR) was announced, led by Vlasov.

After the congress, the security company of Major Begletsov and the management company of Major Shishkevich were transferred from Dabendorf to Dahlem. Major Khitrov was appointed commandant of headquarters instead of Kromiadi. Kromiadi was transferred to the post of head of Vlasov's Personal Office, his predecessor, Lieutenant Colonel Kalugin, to the post of head of the Security Department.

On January 18, 1945, Vlasov, Aschenbrener, Kroeger met with the Secretary of State of the German Foreign Ministry, Baron Stengracht. An agreement was signed on the subsidization of KONR and its aircraft by the German government. At the end of January 1945, when Vlasov visited German Foreign Minister von Ribbentorp, he informed Vlasov that cash loans were being provided for KONR. Andreev testified about this at the trial: “I, as the chief of the main financial management KONR was in charge of all the financial resources of the Committee. I received all financial resources from the German State Bank from the current account of the Ministry of the Interior. I received all amounts of money from the bank by checks issued by representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Sievers and Ryuppei, who controlled the financial activities of KONR. From such checks I received about 2 million marks.”

On January 28, 1945, Hitler appointed Vlasov Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces. The ROA began to be treated as the Armed Forces of an allied power, temporarily subordinated operationally to the Wehrmacht.

"Telegram from the Reichsführer SS to General Vlasov. Compiled on the instructions of Obergruppenführer Berger. From the day this order was signed, the Fuhrer appointed you as the supreme commander of the 600th and 650th Russian divisions. At the same time, you will be entrusted with the supreme command of all new emerging and regrouping Russian formations. Yours." "The disciplinary right of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief will be recognized and at the same time the right of promotion to officer ranks up to lieutenant colonel. Promotion to colonel and general takes place in agreement with the head of the SS Main Directorate in accordance with the provisions existing for the Great German Empire. G. Himmler."

On February 10, 1945, Inspector General of Volunteer Formations E. Kestring informed Vlasov that in view of the completion of the creation of the 1st Division and the progress made in the formation of the 2nd, he could officially take command of both formations.

The oath-taking parade took place on February 16 in Müsingen. Kestring, Aschenbrenner, commander of the 5th military regiment were present at the parade. in Stuttgart Fayel, head of the testing site in Müsingen, General. Wenniger. The parade began with Vlasov walking around the troops. Bunyachenko raised his hand in an Aryan salute and reported. Having completed his tour, Vlasov ascended to the podium and said the following: “During the years of joint struggle, the friendship of the Russian and German peoples was born. Both sides made mistakes, but tried to correct them - and this speaks of a commonality of interests. The main thing in the work of both sides is mutual trust trust. I thank the Russian and German officers who participated in the creation of this union. I am convinced that we will soon return to our homeland with those soldiers and officers whom I see here. Long live the friendship of the Russian and German peoples! Long live the soldiers and officers of the Russian army! Then the parade of the 1st Division began. There were three infantry regiments with rifles at the ready, an artillery regiment, an anti-tank fighter division, sapper and signal battalions. The procession was closed by a column of tanks and self-propelled guns. On the same day, the Russian Corps announced its entry into the ROA.

Text of the oath of the ROA/AF KONR: “As a faithful son of my Motherland, I voluntarily join the ranks of the troops of the Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia. In the presence of my fellow countrymen, I solemnly swear to fight honestly to the last drop of blood under the command of General Vlasov for the good of my people against Bolshevism. This struggle is being waged by all freedom-loving peoples under the supreme command of Adolf Hitler. I vow that I will remain faithful to this union."

On February 20, 1945, the deputy representative of the International Red Cross in Germany was given a KONR memorandum on protecting the interests of prisoners of war from the ROA if they surrendered to representatives of the Western powers. When coming into contact with the International Red Cross, Vlasov counted on the help of the organization’s secretary, Baron Pilar von Pilah, a Russian officer.

By the end of March 1945, the total strength of the KONR Armed Forces was about 50,000 people.

On March 24, 1945, at the All-Cossack Congress in Virovitica (Croatia), a decision was made to unite the Cossack troops with the KONR Armed Forces. Vlasov was also joined by the brigade of Major General A.V. Turkul, who began the formation of regiments in Lienz, Ljubljana and Villach.

Major General Smyslovsky, who headed the 1st Russian National Army, refused to cooperate with Vlasov. Negotiations with General Shandruk on the inclusion of the SS division "Galicia" in the KONR Armed Forces remained without result. The German command did not subordinate the 9th infantry brigade to Vlasov. Major General von Henning, in Denmark. Later, one of the regiments of the brigade became part of the 1st division. (714th), stationed since February on the Oder Front under the command (from the beginning of March) of Colonel Igor Konst. Sakharov (participant in the Spanish Civil War, head of the Spanish branch of the Russian Fascist Party).

To test the combat capability of the KONR Armed Forces, on the orders of Himmler, an assault group (505 people) was formed by Colonel I.K. Sakharov. Armed with SG-43 rifles, MP-40 submachine guns and Faustpatrons, the group was brought into battle on February 9 in the area between Wriezen and Gustebise in the Küstrin region with the goal of dislodging Soviet troops from the bridgehead on the western bank of the Oder. The detachment as part of the Döberitz division took part in the battles against the 230th Division. Commander of the 9th Army, Gen. Busse ordered the commander of the 101st Corps, General. Berlin and the division commander, Colonel Hünber, “receive the Russians in a friendly manner” and “behave very smartly with them politically.” The detachment was entrusted with the task of liberating a number of settlements in the sector of the 230th SD of the Red Army and persuade its soldiers to cease resistance and surrender. During the night attack and 12-hour battle, the Vlasovites, dressed in Red Army uniforms, managed to capture several strong points and capture 3 officers and 6 soldiers. In the following days, Sakharov’s detachment undertook two reconnaissance in force in the region of the city of Schwedt and participated in repelling a tank attack, destroying 12 tanks. On the actions of the Russians, the commander of the 9th Army, Infantry General Busse, reported to the main command of the German ground forces (OKH) that the Russian allies distinguished themselves by the skillful actions of their officers and the bravery of their soldiers. Goebbels wrote in his diary: “... during Sakharov’s operation in the Küstrin area, General Vlasov’s troops fought magnificently... Vlasov himself believes that although the Soviets have enough tanks and weapons, they nevertheless faced almost insurmountable difficulties supplies from the rear. They have a lot of tanks concentrated on the Oder, but they don’t have enough gasoline..." Gene. Berlin personally awarded the soldiers and officers the Iron Crosses (Sakharov was awarded the Iron Cross 1st class), Vlasov received personal congratulations from Himmler on this occasion. After this, Himmler told Hitler that he would like to have more Russian troops under his command.

On March 26, at the last meeting of the KONR, it was decided to gradually pull all formations into the Austrian Alps for surrender to the Anglo-Americans.

On April 13, the Swiss Ambassador in Berlin, Zehnder, said that the arrival of the Vlasovites on Swiss territory was undesirable, because this may harm the interests of the country. The Swiss government also refused to Vlasov personally.

In April, Vlasov sent Captain Shtrik-Shtrikfeld and General Malyshkin with the task of establishing contact with the allies.

On April 10, the Southern group of the ROA performed in the Budweis-Linz region. The 1st Division moved here from the Oder Front. At the beginning of May she was near Prague, where by this time a rebellion had broken out. Chehir radioed asking for help.

On May 11, Vlasov surrendered to the Americans and was in the Shlisselburg fortress as a prisoner of war. At 14:00 on May 12, under the protection of an American convoy, he was sent to higher American headquarters, ostensibly for negotiations. The column of vehicles was stopped by Soviet officers. At gunpoint, they demanded that Vlasov and Bunyachenko, who was with him, move into their cars. American officers and soldiers did not interfere. German historians believe that the Deputy Chief of Staff of the 12th Corps of the American Army, Colonel P. Martin, played an important role in this.

ROA officers were shot without trial, and everyone else was sent to concentration camps in locked freight cars. Those who were not sentenced to death and camp terms, by decree of the State Defense Committee of August 18, 1945, received an extrajudicial 6 years of special settlement.

In addition to Vlasov, Malyshkin, Zhilenkov, Trukhin, Zakutny, Blagoveshchensky, Meandorov, Maltsev, Bunyachenko, Zverev, Korbukov and Shatov appeared at the closed trial. The court sentenced them to death by hanging. The sentence was carried out on August 1, 1946.

1. Commander-in-Chief: Lieutenant General Andrei A. Vlasov, former commander of the 2nd Shock Army of the Red Army. Iron Cross (02/09/1945).

2. NS and Deputy Commander-in-Chief: Major General F.I. Trukhin (08.1946, hanged), former deputy of the NS Northwestern Front Red Army

3. Deputy NS: Colonel (since 09/24/1944 Major General) V.I. Boyarsky

4. officer under the Commander-in-Chief for special assignments: Nikolai Aleksan. Troitsky (b. 1903), graduated from the Simbirsk Polytechnic Institute in 1924, then from the Moscow Architectural Institute. He worked in the People's Commissariat for Education, scientific secretary of the Moscow Architectural Society, and deputy scientific secretary of the USSR Academy of Architecture. Arrested in 1937, he was under investigation for 18 months at Lubyanka. In 1941 he was captured and until 1943 he was in a concentration camp. Co-author of the Prague Manifesto KONR. After the war, one of the leaders and organizers of the SBONR. In 1950-55. Director of the Munich Institute for the Study of History and Culture of the USSR. Author of the book "Concentration Camps of the USSR" (Munich, 1955) and a series of short stories.

5. adjutant of the Headquarters leadership group: second lieutenant A.I. Romashin, Romashkin.

6. Commandant of Staff: Colonel E.V. Kravchenko

7. officer for special assignments: senior lieutenant M.V. Tomashevsky. Graduated from the Law Faculty of Kharkov University.

8. Liaison Officer: Nikol. Vladim. Vashchenko (1916 - after 1973), pilot, was shot down and captured in 1941. He graduated from propagandist courses in Luckenwald and Dabendorf.
Head of the Office: Lieutenant S.A. Sheiko
translator: second lieutenant A.A. Kubekov.
Head of the general unit: Lieutenant Prokopenko
head of food supply: captain V. Cheremisinov.

Operations department:

1. Chief, Deputy NS: Colonel Andrey Geor. Aldan (Neryanin) (1904 - 1957, Washington), son of a worker. In the Red Army since 1919. Graduated from infantry courses and Military Academy them. M.V. Frunze (1934, with honors). In 1932 he was expelled from the CPSU(b) for his left-Trotskyist deviation, then reinstated. Head of the Operations Department of the Ural Military District (1941), was captured near Vyazma in November 1941, being the head of the operations department of the 20th Army headquarters. In 1942-44. member of the Anti-Comintern. Responsible for the organizational activities of the ROA headquarters. Chairman of the Union of Warriors of the Liberation Movement (USA). Member of the Central Bureau of the SBONR.

2. Deputy: Lieutenant Colonels Korovin

3. Head of subdepartment: V.F. Ril.

4. Head of subdepartment: V.E. Mikhelson.

Intelligence Department:

Initially, the military and civilian intelligence services were under the jurisdiction of the KONR security department, Lieutenant Colonel N.V. Tensorova. His deputies were Major M.A. Kalugin and b. head of the special department of the headquarters of the North Caucasus military district Major A.F. Chikalov. On 02.1945, military intelligence separated from civilian intelligence. Under the supervision of Major General Trukhin, a separate intelligence service of the ROA began to be created, and an intelligence department was formed at the Headquarters. On February 22, the department was divided into several groups:
intelligence: chief lieutenant N.F. Lapin (senior assistant to the head of the 2nd department), later Lieutenant B. Gai;

counterintelligence.

enemy intelligence group: second lieutenant A.F. Vronsky (assistant to the head of the 1st department).

According to the order of Major General Trukhin dated 8.03. In 1945, the l/s department consisted of 21 officers, in addition to the chief. Later, the department included captain V. Denisov and other officers.

1. Chief: Major I.V. Grachev

2. head of counterintelligence: Major Chikalov, supervised the operational intelligence of the ROA, since 1945 he organized the training of military intelligence personnel and terrorist actions in the USSR.

Counterintelligence Department:

Chief Major Krainev

Investigation Department:

Chief: Major Galanin

Secret correspondence department:

Chief: Captain P. Bakshansky

Human Resources Department:

Chief: Captain Zverev

Communications department:

Head of the Office, Senior Lieutenant V.D. Korbukov.

VOSO Department:

Chief: Major G.M. Kremensky.

Topographic department:

Chief: Lieutenant Colonel G. Vasiliev. Senior lieutenant of the Red Army.

Encryption department:

1st Chief: Major A. Polyakov
2. Deputy: Lieutenant Colonel I.P. Pavlov. Senior lieutenant of the Red Army.

Formations department:

1st Chief: Colonel I. D. Denisov
2nd Deputy: Major M.B. Nikiforov
3. group leader of the formations department: captain G.A. Fedoseev
4. group leader of the formations department: captain V.F. Demidov
5. group leader of the formations department: captain S.T. Kozlov
6. Head of the formation department group: Major G.G. Sviridenko.

Combat training department:

1. Chief: Major General Asberg (Artsezov, Asbjargas) (b. Baku), Armenian. Graduated military school in Astrakhan, commander of a tank unit. Colonel of the Red Army. He emerged from encirclement near Taganrog, was convicted by a military tribunal and sentenced to death in 1942, which was replaced by a penal battalion. In the first battle he went over to the Germans.

2. Deputy: Colonel A.N. Tavantsev.

Head of the 1st subsection (training): Colonel F.E. Black

3. Head of the 2nd subsection (military schools): Colonel A.A. Denisenko.

4. Head of the 3rd subsection (charter): Lieutenant Colonel A.G. Moskvichev.

Command department:

Consisted of 5 groups.

1. Chief: Colonel (02.1945) Vladimir Vas. Poznyakov (05/17/1902, St. Petersburg - 12/21/1973, Syracuse, USA). In the Red Army since 1919. In 1920 he graduated from the Kaluga command courses. From 09.20 instructor of newspaper business on the Southwestern Front. In 1921-26. student of the Higher Military Chemical School. Since 01.26, head of the chemical service of the 32nd Saratov Infantry Division. In 1928-31. teacher at the Saratov School of Reserve Commanders. In 1931-32 teacher at the Saratov Armored School. In 1932-36. head of the chemical service of the Ulyanovsk armored school. Captain (1936). Major (1937). In 1937-39 arrested and tortured. In 1939-41. teacher of chemistry at the Poltava Automotive Technical School. Since 03.41, head of the chemical service of the 67th IC. Lieutenant Colonel (05/29/1941). 10.1941 captured near Vyazma. In 1942, he was the head of the camp police near Bobruisk, then at the propaganda courses in Wulheide. 04.1943 at the Dabendorf school of propagandists, commander of the 2nd cadet company. From 07.43 he was the head of the preparatory courses for propagandists in Luckenwalde. In the summer of 1944, he was the head of a group of ROA propagandists in the Baltic states. Since 11.1944, head of the command department of the ROA headquarters. On October 9, 1945, he was sentenced to death in absentia. Since the early 50s. taught at military schools of the US Army, worked for the CIA. Since the beginning of the 60s. taught at the military aviation school in Syracuse. Author of the books: “The Birth of the ROA” (Syracuse, 1972) and “A.A. Vlasov" (Syracuse, 1973).

2. Deputy: Major V.I. Strelnikov.

3. Head of the 1st subsection (General Staff officers): Captain Ya. A. Kalinin.

4. Head of the 2nd subsection (infantry): Major A.P. Demsky.

5. Head of the 3rd subsection (cavalry): senior lieutenant N.V. Vashchenko.

6. Head of the 4th subsection (artillery): Lieutenant Colonel M.I. Pankevich.

7. Head of the 5th subsection (tank and engineering troops): Captain A. G. Kornilov.

8. Head of the 6th subdepartment (administrative, economic and military sanitary services): Major V.I. Panayot.

Russian Liberation Army - ROA. Part 1.