Regarding the movie about World War II, whether it was shot by the Soviet Union or Germany, there is a surprisingly consistent detail: As long as the German army catches the Soviet political commissar, without saying anything, immediately shoot on the spot. In fact, this is not only true of movies, but also true on the battlefield. So the question is, what role is Soviet political commissar, and why does the German army hate it so much?
The post of "Political Commissar" was born during the October Revolution and was founded by "Father of the Red Army" Trosky , The purpose is to transform the old army . After the Tsar abdicated, the troops naturally disbanded themselves, and these soldiers later became the main body of the Red Army. But they are all professional soldiers, and they have no loyalty. It is even more difficult to make them fight against the White Army. The political commissar, as a representative of the army's grassroots level, quickly changed this situation through ideological education of the soldiers.
Facts have proved that the establishment of the political commissar system is indeed very effective. The original Tsarist soldiers who were greedy for life and feared death became fearless. The sacrificed Red Army soldier. However, in the early days of World War II, the veto power in the hands of the political commissar became a "stumbling block" that interfered with the command of the chief. For this reason, the Soviet Union once abolished the post of political commissar and replaced it with a "military commissar," subordinate to the head of the army.
After the outbreak of the Soviet-German War, the Soviet army retreated steadily and its morale was sluggish. In order to improve morale, the political commissar system was restored again. Soon, the political commissar became a role that made the Soviet and German troops fearful.
First, for Soviet soldiers, the political commissar is hard-hearted and ruthless . After Stalin issued the famous "Order No. 227," the political commissar became a battlefield supervisor and immediately shot to death all soldiers who disobeyed the order or retreated without permission, and never relented.
Second, for German soldiers, the political commissar is the brave and fearless . Although the political commissar is the "second commander" of the unit, the rank is usually equal to that of the commander. However, they spend most of their time fighting on the front line. In the cruelest battles, the political commissars are often at the forefront, and the death rate is said to be as high as 85%. As long as the political commissar takes the lead, the combat effectiveness can be increased by 30%. If you see the Soviet political commissar on the battlefield, it is better to go around.
The photo below is one of the iconic photos of World War II. The protagonist is Alexei Yelio Menko is the political commissar of the 220th regiment of the 4th Division of the 18th Army of the Soviet Army. On July 12, 1942, the Soviet army fought fiercely with the Germans in a village in Ukraine. He was the first to jump out of the trenches and led his soldiers to launch a counterattack against the Germans. A few minutes later, he died under German artillery fire.
It is precisely because of the political commissar’s great ability to supervise and encourage soldiers , so the Germans hate them. Not only did they demonize them, but also ordered "Political commissar is not a soldier" , who do not enjoy the treatment of prisoners of war. Once captured, they will be shot immediately.
