Comments by "Kameraden" (@Alte.Kameraden) on "1944 POW Photo of My Grandpa Sergei #ww2" video.

  1. TIKhistory has a great 3 part series on Operation Keel Haul (No space) for some reason if I combine both words comment gets removed, which lets you know it's still a touchy subject for the US and UK governments. But basically it's about "Forced Repatriation." USSR wanted all Soviet citizens returned, even though Stalin called anyone who surrendered a traitor. He goes over some of the 'logical' reasonings why Stalin wanted Soviet POWs back and sadly it had a lot to do with politics. Stalin was very likely terrified that just having Soviet citizens and soldiers refusing to return to the USSR would be a huge PR scandal for the USSR over the coming decades. So Stalin actually used allied POWs as bargaining chips to twist the arms of the UK/US governments to return such persons. Interestingly the UK/US did refuse some groups like those from the Baltic states who refused to return home, despite Stalin wanted them to be returned as well.
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