Newsgroup: it.politica.internazionale
Titolo: L'Unione Sovietica vista nei documenti segreti della Germania nazista

You know the Propaganda the Nazis told about the Soviet Union?
They say the Soviets lived in pure poverty, that Soviet people were
stupid, uneducated, dirty and unhealthy. Not to forget, that the
Soviets suffered the terror of Stalin's GPU.
This was the official propaganda -- a propaganda which lasts until
today, as you can read in so called "democratic" press.
But is this Nazi-propaganda, which is spread by all sorts of
anticommunists, the truth or just a lie?
Well let's speak the propagandists themselves.
in "Source (Istochnik)" No.3 1995 (The Monthly Review of the Russian
President Archives) a secret Nazi-Document was published, concerning
the impression of the population about Russia.
It was a Russian translation of the original German document from the
Bundesarchiv Koblenz. Reichssicherheitshauptamt. R 52/182. Meldungen
aus dem Reich Nr. 376. 15.4.43. S. 8-17.
This document from 1942 -- one year after the Nazis invaded in Soviet
Union -- deals with the so called "Ostarbeiter" (Eastern Workers).
The Ostarbeiter, were mainly people from Soviet Union (but also from
Poland and other Eastern European countries) who were forced to work
in the 3rd Reich in the factories and farms. It was a form of the
Nazis forced labour, next to those who had to do forced labour in the
concentration camps (KZ).
According to Eva Seeber "Zwangsarbeiter in der faschistischen
Kriegswirtschaft" (forced labour convicts in fascist war industry),
Berlin 1964, page 91 7.6 Million Ostarbeiter, mostly from Soviet
Union, did slave labour in the 3rd Reich. Not those included, who did
this kind of forced labour in the occupied areas.
The Nazi-Newspaper "Essener Nationalzeitung" it is said, that 1944 12
Million men, women and children, mainly from Soviet Union an Poland
had to work in the trust of German Imperialism.
So what does this secret Nazi-document say?
It gives an impression of the first Ostarbeiter from Soviet Union in
1942. Those people were very healthy, even healthier than the common
German worker, that they were very intelligent and were able to solve
any problem. It is also said, that no one of them or their families
and friends suffered the terror of the GPU.
It is also said, that those convicted, where not the best Russians are
getting into Germany, since the Bolsheviks have evacuated the most
qualified workers into the Urals, but even those Russian aren't sub-
par in anything, or almost anything, to a German.
But read yourself. The English translation is online on URL above
Conclusion:
The Nazi-propaganda about Soviet Union were not true. It's the
opposite
And don't forget: it is an impression about Soviet people and Soviet
Union during war time (!), so how it was during peacetime?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkXj1dGdg8M
first published in "Source (Istochnik)" No.3 1995 (The Monthly Review of
the Russian President Archives).
From the analytical report, delivered to the local SS and SD
departments (excepts) THE HEAD OF THE GESTAPO AND SD. IIIrd
Directorate. Berlin. 17 Aug. 1942. SV II, Prinz-Albertstrasse, 8.
Secret! Personal. Report immediately!
II. The impression of the population about Russia. [...]
The first ostarbeiter (eastern workers, the Soviet deportees to
Germany to be used as workforce) echelons already caused wonders among
the Germans because of the good nutritional state (especially of the
civilian workers). Often the following could be heard:
"They don't look as if they're in hunger. On the contrary, they are
looking fat and must've lived pretty good".
The head of one of the state health departments after surveying the
ostarbeiters reported: "I am amazed by the good looks of the eastern
worker women. The biggest wonder were the teeth, since I have not yet
encountered a single case where a Russian woman would have bad teeth.
Unlike us Germans, they must be paying lots of attention to keeping
their teeth in good condition".
[...] Earlier a major part of the German population was thinking that
people in the USSR are marked by illiteracy and low education levels.
The use of ostarbeiters has spawned contradictions, which often
confuse our Germans. For example, from all local reports we receive
the information that illiterate people constitute only a very small
percent. In a letter from a certified engineer, who was administrating
a factory in the Ukraine, for example, it was reported that only 3 of
his 1800 workers were illiterate (Reichenberg). The same conclusions
follow from the other local reports.
"According to the opinion of many Germans, the current Soviet school
education is significantly superior to the Tsarist times"
"The comparison between the mastery of german and russian agriculture
workers often is not in the favour of germans" (Stettin)
"Particulary wondering was the widespread knowledge of German
language, which is studied widely even in village elementary
schools" (Frankfurt-on-Oder)
"A student from Leningrad has studied German and Russian literature,
she can play the piano and knows many languages, including fluent
spoken German" (Breslau)
"I have almost humiliated myself, reported one apprentice, when I gave
the Russian a small arithmetic task. I had to concentrate all my
knowledge not to fall behind his speed..." (Bremen)
"Many think that Bolshevism has led Russians out of narrow-
mindedness" (Berlin)
[...] The destruction of the Russian intelligents and the fooling of
the masses were an important part in explaining Bolshevism. In the
German propaganda the Soviet people were presented as stupid exploited
beings, as "working cattle".
Today the German worker on the basis of the work of the ostarbeiters
and their mastery is daily convinced of the exact opposite. In many
agenture reports we are infromed that the ostarbeiters directed to
military industry have in fact baffled the German workers with their
technical knowledge (Bremen, Reichenberg, Stetting, Frankfurt-o.-O.,
Berlin, Halle, Dortmund, Kiel, Breslau, Beireut)
One of the workers from Beireut said: "Our propaganda always presents
Russians as stupid and dumb. But here I have witnessed the opposite.
During the work Russians always think and never look dumb. I better
have two Russians at work than five Italians"
In many reports it's noted that the worker from former Soviet regions
professes a particulary high level of knowledge in all technical
machinery. The Germans have had much experience, which has proven that
the ostarbeiter, who can use the most primitive tools in work, can
easily remove any type of breakdown in engines, etc. Various examples
of this have been presented in a report from Frankfurt (o.O.): "In one
estate a Soviet POW has easily understood an engine which German
specialists did not know wnat to do with: in a very short time he had
it running and then found out a damage in the transmission of the
tractor which has not even been noticed by the Germans who maintained
the tractor".
In Landsberd-on-Varta german brigadiers have instructed Soviet POWs,
most of whom were village citizens, on the procedure of machine part
unloading. But this instructions were not accepted by the Russians,
and they have not followed it. They have done the unloading a lot
faster and technically practical, and the german workers were amazed
by their mastery.
A director of one flax spinning factory (Glagau) said the following on
ostarbeiters: "The ostarbeiters directed here immediately show
technical knoweldege and require not any longer training than the
germans". Ostarbeiters can "from various rubbish" manufacture spoons,
knives, etc. In one of the matting manufactures we received a report
that machinery which long required a repair was set up running by easy
repairs from ostarbeiters. And it was done so well as if it was a
specialists' repair.
From a large number of students between the ostarbeiters the German
population concludes that the level of education in the USSR is not
low as our propaganda has claimed. German workers who had the chance
to witness the technical mastery of ostarbeiters, most likely think
that not the best of Russians are getting into Germany, since the
Bolsheviks have evacuated the most qualified workers into the Urals,
but even those Russian aren't sub-par in anything, or almost anything,
to a German. In all these facts Germans find the explanation for the
enormous amount of weaponry that we were reported about in the course
of the Eastern campaign. The mere number of good and complex weaponry
means that there are many highly qualified engineers and specialists.
People who worked on the achievements of the USSR in this sphere much
have undeniable technical prowess.
[...] An exceptional part in the propaganda was devoted to the GPU.
Especially good results on the German impression were produced by the
tales about forced labour expulsions in Siberia and shooting
executions.
German enterpreneurs and workers alike were quite baffled when the
German labour front (NSDAP union organization) has repeatedly pointed
out that between the ostarbeiters none are found who had been
repressed in their homeland. What concerns the violent methods of the
GPU, which our propaganda hoped to confirm at large, we have, to
common wonder, found not a single case in the major labour camps,
where the relatives of ostarbeiters were forcibly exiled, arrested or
shot. A part of the population is already expressing skepticism on
this matter and thinks that the situation with repression and terror
in the USSR is not as bad as we have always stated, like that the
actions of the GPU are the main determinant of life in the Soviet
Union, what people earlier thought. [...] Especially concerned the
Germans are about the problem of the Red Army might, which, with
quantity and quality of weapons was a great surprise. Until now the
perseverance in battle was expained by the fear of the gun of the
kommisar and politruk. Sometimes we have explained the disregard for
life as an animal trait, which is common for eastern peoples. But
again and again people suspect that brute violence is not enough to
cause such selfless action in battle.
In various ways people arrive at the conclusion that bolshevism has
led to the creation of a somewhat fanatical faith. In the USSR,
possibly, many people, especially the younger generation, are of the
opinion that Stalin is a great politician. At the very least,
bolshevism, irrelevant how, has made the absolute majority of Russians
uncompromising perseverance. It were our soldiers who have found out
that such organized fervor in resistance have never been encountered
in the first World War. It's possible that the people in the east are
quite different from us in racial-national relation, but behind the
enemy's war power stand the same qualities, such as a certain love for
homeland, a certain courage and battle camaraderie, which the Japanese
also exhibit in uncommon ways, but must be acknowledged.
Because of such observations, which are shown in local reports, the
impression of the USSR and it's people have significanly changed. All
these personal observations, which contradict directly the former
propaganda, create a lot of thoughts. In places where anti-bolshevik
propaganda is using the old and known arguments, it no longer
encounters any interest or faith from the people.
(Bundesarchiv Koblenz. Reichssicherheitshauptamt. R 52/182. Meldungen
aus dem Reich Nr. 376. 15.4.43. S. 8-17.)
http://red-channel.de/nazi_dokument.htm
STRUNK!

grande attualità!