Figure 1.-- Soviet literature plays up the most dramatic exploits of Soviet children in the Resistance. While actual dramatic action by children were probably limited, children did actually play an important role in the Resistance. Children like the boy here could move in the occupied areas with out arousing the suspions of the Germans as an adult would do. I believe that this photograph was taken by Boris Trachman who lived with the partisans. The boy is 11-year old Vanya Shkeley. He was taking hay to the Partisans.

The Soviet effort against the NAZIs was a huge national undertaking. The entire populatin of the country was involved. In a very real sence it was a war of survival, not only for the Soviet state, but for the Soviet people themselves. The NAZIs were intent on a genocide of the Slavic people of unimaginable proportions, although this was not understood by the public when the NAZIS struck. As a result, not only the adult male population was mobilized, but women and children were involved in the struggle to a much larger extent than in the West. There were indeed instance of Soviet children performing heroic acts as part of the Resistance. The literature probably over emphasizes the most dramatic instances of heroism. It is true, however, that children did play an important role in the Resistance. Children were able to move openly without attracting the suspision of the Germans. Thus they were often used to carry messages and perform other acts that would have been very difficult for adults, espcially men. Involving children in military activities might seem wrng, but given that Hitler and his associates were planning a massive genocide, it seems quite understndable. Here we have no real estimate of the number of children involved. By all accounts, however, the number was very substantial. Children like adults also aided the Germans. This varied regionally. It was robably most extensive in the Baltics, but also occuured in the Western Ukraine, especially early in the War when some of the Sviet population saw the Germans as liberators. This was the case in the Ukraine before the Ukranians undersood what the Germans were planning.

Operation Barbarossa (June 1941)

The Soviet Union fter signing the NAZI-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact began World War II as a NAZI ally. The two countie set out to divide Europe between them. Neither Hitler orStalin were undr any illusions about the intentions of the other. Stalin knew that the Pact would enable Hitler to strike west at the Allies (Britain and France) and in the ensuing war bth Germany and the Allies would be weakened, opening up the Soviet conquest of western Europe. Neanwhile Germany acquiesed in the Soviet conquest of Eastern Europe. Hitler wanted a war and was disappointed that Chmberlain did not give him one at Munich. Now was his time. With the Soviet thret neutralized, Hitler was free to strike Poland. He was actuallsurprsed that Britin and France declared war, but he finally had his war. The fall of France suprised Stalin, but it eliminated a threat in the West, freeing Hitler to strike east. and this is what he did (June 1941). He launched the largest invason in hstory -- Operatin Brbarossa. Ths would be the most cataclismic struggle in history. The Sovies call it the Great Patriotic War. World War II would be won or loss on the GratEuropean Steppe in a struggle between the great Toyalitarian regimes of the 20th century.

War of Extermination

The German Army in Belgium executed 6,000 civilians ahd was acquired aeputation for brutality that lasted the entire war. The Whermact and paramilitary formations killed about 100,000 civilians in Poland (1939). Operation Barbarossa was to be something even more terrible. It woukd be unlike any other campaign in modern history. Hitler made it very clear that the campaign in the East would be conducted differently than any other modern campaign--it was to be a war of extermination. Mass executions of Jewish men, women, and children as well as Communists were carried out. Four SS Einsatzgruppen were responsible for most of the killings, together with local collaborators, but the numbers of Jews encountered was so large that regular Wehrmacht units also participate in the killing. It was not just the Jews that were killed, but also Communist Commisars in the army army and Communist officials. Eventually large numbers of Slavs were to be killed to clear land for German colonization. In the end this war of extinction may have doomed Operation Barbarossa because it precluded the effective utilization of anti-Communist Russians and Ukranians to fight the Red Army.

The Occupied East

The NAZI program for Lebensraum in the east was not just to acquire territory. The plans for that territory was monsterous beyond belief. NAZI policies in the East were not carefully planned. This is because Hitler did not create a clear administrative structure. There were competing ministeries and officials as well as the SS involved. These agencies had often different attitudes toward policies in the East. As a result, the barbarities that occurred were no the result of a carefully executed plan. While other agencies were involved, the real power lay with the SS. The plan was to reduce the population of Poles and Russians in these territories through outright murder and forced expulsions. Some would remain to serve as slave laborers. Many would be killed outright. Millions more would be expelled or "evacuated" with the understanding that large numbers would die in the process. The goal was to make the east ethnically German. Here Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler had the responsibility for persuing this effort. He appears to have assigned his deputy Reinhard Heydrich to coordinate this effort and essentially the SS's entire eastern operations.

Children in the Occupied East

The Whermacht during Brbrossa occupied large areas of the western Soviet Union, incluing the Baltics (annexed in 1940), Belorussia (including eastrn Poland, western Russia, and all of the Ukraine. The Red Army offensive before Moscow won some of that territory back, but only asmall fraction. This meant that lrge numbers of Soviet citizens found themselves under NAZI occupation. Many especially Jews were shot by German Eisatzgruppen. But the Balts and Slavs (Poles, Beylorussians, Ukranias and Czechs)were also slated for destruction aspart of Generalplan Ost. The War sowed the implementation of this infamous plan, but it as began and the Hungerplan was one instrument. The Germans were not as brutal in the Baltics, but in the Other ocupied areas of the Sobiet Union, food was only allocated to those serving the Whrmacht in some way. This meant that some food wasavailable to families in which the father worked in some way for the Germans. But children in families not able to find work with the Germans, orphans, and children separate from their parents were in a desperate state. There were no welfare groups opeating to assist them. Actually the Germans under Generalplan Ost and the Hunger Plan wanted them to perish. The narrowed the optios for many non-working childen. Many children sarved. Thre is no real accounting for the number who perished. In the unoccupied ares, there were orphanages to care for these children. No such favilitie operted in the Germa occupied areas of the Sovet Union. Thre were few options available for these childrn. Some may have been taken in by geneous survivors, but this was often not the case, becuse most familiewerehving trouble feeding their own children. Children could try and work, but here the younger children were not suitble wrkers. The other major options were to eithr join the resistnce or to collaborte with the Germans in someway. In both instances ag was a factor. Young childre were of no use to the resistance and Germans and with the resistane actually a hinderence.

Great Patriotic War and Children

The Soviet effort against the NAZIs was a huge national undertaking. The entire populatin of the country was involved. In a very real sence it was a war of survival, not only for the Soviet state, but for the Soviet people themselves. Hitler and the SS were intent on a genocide of the Slavic people on unimaginable proportions, although this was not understood by the public when the NAZIS struck. It is not even well understood today. The murder of the Jews was just the first step. The NAZIs from the moment they entered the Soviet Union made their intentions clear. While the greastest barbarities were directed at the Jews, actins against the Slavic populations were brutal. Even in the Ukraine where considerable anti-Soviet sentiment existed, the NAZIs made little effort to even appear to win over the local population. Itis unclear why the NAZIs were not more restrained. A variety of explanations exist. Racial hatred appears to have overcome calculation. Perhaps theireagerness to exloit the resources and wide spread convviction that the war was won were undoubtably factors. What ever the reason, the NAZIs conducted Barbarossa with a barbarity unknown in warfare since the middle ages. As a result, not only the adult male Soviet population was mobilized, but women and children were involved in the struggle to a much larger extent than in the West. What options did children have against an enemy that was intent on murdering both he and his family?

Child Heros

There were indeed instance of Soviet children performing heroic acts as part of the Resistance. The literature probably over emphasizes the most dramatic instances of heroism. It is true, however, that children did play an important role in the Resistance. Children were able to move openly without attracting the suspision of the Germans. Thus they were often used to carry messages and perform other acts that would have been very difficult for adults, espcially men. Involving children in military activities might seem wrng, but given that Hitler and his associates were planning a massive genocide, it seems quite understndable. Here we have no real estimate of the number of children involved. By all accounts, however, the number was very substantial.

Child Collaborators

Children like adults also aided the Germans. This varied regionally. It was robably most extensive in the Baltics, but also occuured in the Western Ukraine, especially early in the War when some of the Sviet population sw the Germans as libderators. This was the case in the Ukraine before the Ukranians undersood what the Germans were planning. Of course any one associated with the NAZIs is today looked down upon. Given what the Soviets did in the Baltics and Ukraine, however, it is understandable that many might have seen the Germans as liberators. Older Balts and Ukranians remember the more civilized German Army of the World War I era.

Created: 1:28 AM 3/20/2005
Last updated: 6:34 PM 4/22/2015