In the liberation of Prague from the Germans 75 years ago in addition to the forces of the Soviet red army, and was attended by members of the so-called Russian liberation army (ROA), is known as Vlasov. We are talking about people who in the years of the greatest war fought against their countrymen under the command of a Soviet General and a German collaborator Andrei Andreyevich Vlasov. In those days of may 1945 in the Czech capital by coincidence they were on the winning side. On this the men went voluntarily out of Patriotic motives, contrary to the orders of their former commander. But it was a wasted step…
The history of the Vlasov army, which the military tried to spring clear your reputation and who equally despised as their Soviet compatriots and Czechs, whom they freed from the Nazis, was removed from the archives to substantiate the idea that Prague, where they died, must remember their sacrifice. And the memory of it the city could perpetuate.
It seems, more than ever before the celebration of Victory Day in world war II did not provoke so many conflicting interpretations of the events 75 years ago. Most countries that were under Nazi occupation and, after several years of fighting, was liberated by the Red army suddenly began to discover the “historical evidence” that Soviet troops played in those events, almost accidental role, far from the struggle against Nazism.
In this concept fits and the fate of General Vlasov (1901 — 1946), one of the most valuable of Stalin’s generals and member of the battle for Moscow 1941. A year after the liberation of the Soviet capital, while Luban offensive operations on the Volkhov front units, which he commanded, was encircled German 2nd shock army, and Vlasov himself was captured. In exchange for his freedom he agreed to cooperate with the leadership of the Third Reich and took command of the Russian liberation army, formed from captured Soviet soldiers and opponents of the Stalinist regime. Vlasov and again no luck. He fell into the hands of the Soviet forces in 1945 and after the war was accused of a coup attempt. He was deprived of all military and civil ranks and spoke to death by hanging.
Those who during the Second world war was forced against his will, but side by side with the true traitors to fight against their native country, were almost in all countries. In the Soviet Union of those who, regardless of the circumstances, went to serve the enemy, as a rule, expect the death penalty. On the other hand, the conditions in the German pow camps were terrible. Especially for Soviet prisoners of war. Go to the POA for them was nothing more than a chance for survival. And want to go this route was much.
Recently in Prague dismantled the monument to Ivan Stepanovich Konev, Soviet Marshal, whose units liberated Prague from the Germans, as a few days ago gave “Radio Free Europe”. That in itself is bad. Even worse is that the mayor of the Czech capital insists on the need to honor the memory of members of the POA under the command of General, which has left thousands of his followers with the mark of the traitor.
The tragedy of the Vlasov that they did not accept neither the Czechs nor the allies. Those who managed to reach the Soviet-American demarcation line, the Americans were simply disarmed and gave the pursuers. The General Vlasov was captured when he went to the American jeep. No matter how you wear Vlasov turbulent winds of war, their actions, even during the liberation of Prague, it is impossible to subsume under the “struggle against Nazism”. They just made another vain attempt to survive. To reach the West was only a few thousand of them.
