Difference between revisions of "Operation Keelhaul"
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| − | '''Operation Keelhaul''' was secret military operation that forcibly returned 2 million Russians captured during [[World War II]] back to the communist [[Soviet Union]], where [[Joseph Stalin]] would punish them for being "traitors" to [[communism]]. The operation was kept secret from the [[American]] people for decades. The term "keelhaul" refers the most brutal punishment inflicted on a sailor, whereby a sailor is tortured by tying him in ropes and hauling him under a boat's keel to virtually certain death. | + | '''Operation Keelhaul''' was a secret military operation that forcibly returned 2 million Russians captured during [[World War II]] back to the communist [[Soviet Union]], where [[Joseph Stalin]] would punish them for being "traitors" to [[communism]]. The operation was kept secret from the [[American]] people for decades. The term "keelhaul" refers the most brutal punishment inflicted on a sailor, whereby a sailor is tortured by tying him in ropes and hauling him under a boat's keel to virtually certain death. |
One example of the subterfuge used to return these [[Russians]] was a conference on May 28, 1945, in Lienz, Austria. The [[British]] forces told [[Cossack]] officials to attend this conference, and whose families were not to worry. An English officer calmed their nerves by declaring, "I assure you on my word of honor as a British officer that you are just going to a conference." Then 2,749 Cossacks (including 2,201 officers) were driving into a prison camp to be picked up by [[Soviet]] armed authorities and forcibly returned to the [[Soviet Union]]. | One example of the subterfuge used to return these [[Russians]] was a conference on May 28, 1945, in Lienz, Austria. The [[British]] forces told [[Cossack]] officials to attend this conference, and whose families were not to worry. An English officer calmed their nerves by declaring, "I assure you on my word of honor as a British officer that you are just going to a conference." Then 2,749 Cossacks (including 2,201 officers) were driving into a prison camp to be picked up by [[Soviet]] armed authorities and forcibly returned to the [[Soviet Union]]. | ||
[[category:World War II]] | [[category:World War II]] | ||
Revision as of 23:50, July 22, 2009
Operation Keelhaul was a secret military operation that forcibly returned 2 million Russians captured during World War II back to the communist Soviet Union, where Joseph Stalin would punish them for being "traitors" to communism. The operation was kept secret from the American people for decades. The term "keelhaul" refers the most brutal punishment inflicted on a sailor, whereby a sailor is tortured by tying him in ropes and hauling him under a boat's keel to virtually certain death.
One example of the subterfuge used to return these Russians was a conference on May 28, 1945, in Lienz, Austria. The British forces told Cossack officials to attend this conference, and whose families were not to worry. An English officer calmed their nerves by declaring, "I assure you on my word of honor as a British officer that you are just going to a conference." Then 2,749 Cossacks (including 2,201 officers) were driving into a prison camp to be picked up by Soviet armed authorities and forcibly returned to the Soviet Union.
