1. Political officials and leaders are to be liquidated. 2. Insofar as they are captured by the troops, an officer with authority to impose disciplinary punishment decides whether the given individual must be liquidated. For such a decision the fact suffices that he is a political official. 3. Political leaders in the troops (Red Army) are not recognized as prisoners of war and are to be liquidated at the latest in the prisoner-of-war transit camps.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The quote outlines a policy to execute political officials and leaders, especially if captured by troops, treating them as non‑prisoners of war.
- In plain terms
- Political leaders were to be killed, not treated as POWs.
- What can you take from it?
- Recall that the orders treated political figures as targets rather than captives.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What moral frameworks justify such orders?
- How did this affect troop morale?
Another view
It reflects a brutal, unlawful approach that violates international law.
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