History 29/01/20 the Main differences of the NKVD from the German SS
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in Russia, a significant part of the population was openly negative attitude to the Soviet power structures. Including one of the first places occupied by the NKVD. Sometimes it sounds comparing troops of the Soviet NKVD and German SS troops. This comparison is based not only on historical knowledge but on emotions and political views.
put politics Aside, we can safely say that between the SS and the NKVD more differences than similarities.
the Difference between the NKVD and the SS as a whole
the main difference is that the people’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs (NKVD) was the structure of the state, and has combined the two functions which traditionally in our country was the responsibility of two different agencies: the names were different, let’s say from the Ministry of public security and the Ministry of internal Affairs.
Suddenly the German organization (the SS) was a purely party structure and to direct the state authorities had no relationship. Another thing is that SS had infiltrated many parts of the state apparatus of the Third Reich, primarily associated with safety.
In this regard, even in the Germany of that period couldn’t understand where the SS, and where other structures. This has some similarities with the Soviet Union, which also sometimes confuse counterintelligence SMERSH and the NKVD.
At the same time and in the SS, and the NKVD existed as a separate “wing” of the Waffen-SS and NKVD troops.
which meant the Waffen-SS
the Waffen-SS (Waffen-SS) was originally created as the security agencies of the Nazi party, but after the outbreak of the Second World war, they were intended for action at the front, as elite units. Elite they began at once, in the fighting against Poland and France, the German command considered the SS as an auxiliary and used for secondary purposes.
But at the beginning of the war with the Soviet Union of the SS division began striking power of land forces, and remained so until the end of the war. They were stronger on the composition, better staffed, was the first to obtain the latest weapons. Only in the beginning of the war the Waffen-SS was supplied as a residual, so they had plenty of captured weapons and equipment. That, however, wasn’t always bad, in some cases, foreign weapons, sometimes better than the German.
the Situation changed at the end of the war, when the Waffen-SS had increased substantially in size that the expected impact on their quality. And secondly, the SS were instructed to form units and formations of the aliens, the fighting capacity of which was much lower and SS, and army units.
All the units of the Waffen SS can be divided into three parts, according to their national composition. First with the Germans, and they were all elite. Second, staffed by volunteers from racially-loved people. Those attributed to representatives of the Scandinavian countries, Dutch, Belgians, Swiss. Interestingly, racial loved ones the Nazis believed the don and Kuban Cossacks, which were attributed to individual people, the descendants of the Aryans. But didn’t the Baltic peoples: Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians. These compounds are mainly also was an elite. And finally, thirdly, it was the representatives of all other peoples that the Nazis equals not considered, but to fight for Germany made. Their combat effectiveness could be different from the low, to almost zero.
which meant the troops of the NKVD
If we ignore the ideological component, the NKVD troops can be considered the heirs of the Frontier, Internal and Convoy guards of the Russian Empire. Similar structures existed in all countries, although it was organized differently. Structures for the protection of the borders had in any country, as well as the structures involved in the protection of prisoners. Troops to maintain order existed in many countries, and Russia, with its history, in whichif the uprising Bolotnikov, Razin, Pugachev, could not have power structures for actions inside the country.
Troops of the NKVD consisted of the following main parts: the border troops, the convoy troops for the protection of important state facilities and train facilities, operational troops. As for features, edge, escort and security forces, they are clear from the title. The operational forces were intended to maintain order within the country. In 1941 began deploying more than a dozen new divisions (including tank) operational troops. Their task was to guard the rear of the army. After the beginning of the great Patriotic war, most of then generated compounds were transferred to the army, fought in the red army and have nothing in common with the NKVD had not.
However, this does not mean that the operational troops of the NKVD began to expand.
troops of the NKVD was assigned the rear guard of the army, which massively formed new units. During the war it was formed 53 divisions and 22 brigades.
More on the NKVD was charged with reconnaissance and subversive activities (that involved the red army, too), which included the creation and coordination of guerrilla groups, preparation of reconnaissance and sabotage groups. NKVD troops laid the foundations for warfare: they had been instructed to radio reconnaissance, suppression of enemy radio equipment, jamming.
what is the main difference between the Waffen SS and NKVD
the Waffen-SS was created and used as a fighting formation, and most of the Second World war, they were elite.
the Guard concentration camps were handled by a special structure of the SS “Totenkopf” (SS-totenkopfverbä nde), to the Waffen-SS is not applied. Few people know that an organization such as the Gestapo, the SS is also not treated.
the Punitive function and the fight against the guerrillas in the tasks Waffen SS were not included, although examples of such use was. For in the rear was used only a few foreign SS division, for example, Galicia and RON (staffed by Ukrainians and Russians, respectively), simply because their fighting capacity was very low and at the front it was nothing to do.
the Troops of the NKVD for action at the front was not intended, area of responsibility was the rear, as the middle and deep. Keep fighting them no one taught me proper weapons and equipment was not. During the war there were many examples when part of the NKVD engaged in battle, but it was a necessary measure when to break the German army was in our rear. When in the history of any division of the NKVD indicates the part in the hostilities, it implies the protection of the rear. That too — it’s important and necessary. Real cases, when the division of the NKVD waged a prolonged fighting at the front, as the 1st infantry division of the NKVD for the Leningrad front more and not remember.
Cyril Shishkin
Source:
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