All this was more than enough: robbery and rape impede "the struggle for influence among the population.

When 8 May 1945 the Wehrmacht leadership capitulated, the Soviet headquarters, located in Berlin-Karlshorst, "Eastern Mark" was a military camp won a victory of the allied troops - on Austrian soil placed 700,000 soldiers. 400,000 Red Army in its occupation zone were the largest contingent. Family members of officers, secret service, translators, and "experts" were part of the occupation apparatus. Soon, he was faced with enormous challenges. Military leadership is urgently demanded to "resist the temptations of life" and to behave "properly." Chief of the Central Group of Forces Marshal Ivan Konev in September 1945 issued an order to maintain discipline, "Ban looting" and the illegal confiscation of Austrian property. In addition, it provides criminal penalties for black market operations, as well as a ban on visits to national holidays, nightlife, cafes, and - especially for junior officers and the rank and file - snack bars where alcohol is sold.

All this was more than enough: robbery and rape impede "the struggle for influence among the population." Not only the prestige of the Red Army, but the prestige of the Soviet Union was at stake. Political activities, internal control, and the punishment of "morally corrupt" soldiers were correct "image of Russian." Exerted great influence cases of desertion and associated crimes. It is no accident "espionage, disclosure of secret military or government information to the enemy, escape or intending to stay abroad" fall under the definition of "treason." Military court in Baden - near Vienna - muttering deserters to death. As in the rest of the "unfortunate event" called to account relevant chiefs who were accused of "lack of political and ideological education."

After the occupation of Moscow has created an intelligence network not only in the area but also throughout Austria. Border troops of the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs, and, accordingly, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (NKVD / MVD) is not only responsible for the conduct of "purges" in the occupied zone, but also monitors its own military. During major operations carried out arrests of "hostile elements" among the population and the Red Army. Commanders were obliged to pass counterintelligence organization "Smersh" (Death to Spies) found "criminal elements." In the period from 1950 until the death of Stalin in 1953, more than a thousand of "spies" from Austria were in Moscow Butyrka prison, where they were shot and their bodies burned. Red Army in Austria are most concerned about the issue of "drunkenness." In internal reports of increasingly reported "a growing number of crimes committed in a state of intoxication," and leadership had to admit: "The basis of almost all crime is drinking and contact with local women - with all the consequences." By "girlfriend Russian soldiers» (Russenliebchen) in Austria were treated with contempt, and the military leadership saw them dangerous tool in the hands of the western secret services, and so some of them were accused of spying and executed in Moscow. In addition, marriage with foreign women was forbidden.

Number of sexual contacts was significant, which led to about 20 000 "Russian children» (Russenkinder) - most often it is the result of rape. Shteltsl Barbara Marx (Barbara Stelzl-Marx) comes from the fact that perhaps 270,000 women were raped by Red Army soldiers: 240 000 - in Vienna and Lower Austria, 20 000 - in Burgenland, 10 000 - in Styria.
To what extent unceremoniously time to spend requisition and captured trophies demonstrate reports of the secret services: the confiscation of hundreds of companies and dismantling of industrial plants have been sent to Moscow 31 000 cars. These reports suggest that the "liberators from the Nazi yoke" did not stop even in the property of the "liberated" the local Communists. Ms. Shteltsl Marx on the basis of documents and other materials from the Soviet archives, as well as stories of veterans still alive is a detailed picture of the Soviet occupation of Austria. The author focuses on the Russian-Soviet culture, memories, presents photos of soldiers, which was captured alien to their lives, professional documentaries, as well as reports of soldiers newspaper acceptable to draw a picture of the occupation of Moscow. She comes to the conclusion that the representation of the Austrian Red summa summarum was positive, and it was under the influence of "associative chain: win - Spring Youth - Vienna Woods - music, first of all - waltz king Johann Strauss."

Discovered occupiers living conditions dramatically different from those with which they were familiar in the Soviet Union. Therefore, they are often the victims of a kind of culture shock. Can be considered typical of what happened to the young officer Michael Zhiltsova. He told his colleagues that in Austria "in every house has electricity, and villages in his country, probably never will be electrified." In the cities, he said, are "chandeliers, luxury homes, clothes, and my family members are starving, and they have nothing to wear." This kind of "praise the capitalist order" could not go unpunished. 27-year-old lieutenant was stripped of his rank, hounded out of the army and expelled from the Communist Party. A lot of winners was seen as a defeat (and sometimes personal) the differences between the living standards at home and abroad, they found.
Original publication: Russenkinder und Walzerkönig
Posted on: 28/08/2012 17:22