Vlassov's Prague Speech in November 1944

makif130289 · Oct 24, 2014

Here it is :

[video=youtube;xrs71u5j_JA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrs71u5j_JA[/video]

Was he really that blind to set up ROA in November 1944 ? He must be a real fool if he really thought Germany had a slightest chance at that point. Hitler rejected to use him for a long time and he was kind of a prisoner in Germany. If he just waited until the end of the war, he may have a chance to defect to the West.

What are your thoughts about Vlassov's act ? Also, Were Nazis really that good in hiding the inevitable defeat ?

trybald · Oct 24, 2014

What else someone in his position could possibly say? He was in the very midst of German - occupied territory. He was tightly controlled by his supervisors and at any time he could change his occupation from that of an army commander onto that of a concentration camp prisoner.

People back then weren't idiots (well, most of them), but they were often limited in what they could do or say.

makif130289 · Oct 25, 2014

trybald said:
What else someone in his position could possibly say? He was in the very midst of German - occupied territory. He was tightly controlled by his supervisors and at any time he could change his occupation from that of an army commander onto that of a concentration camp prisoner.

People back then weren't idiots (well, most of them), but they were often limited in what they could do or say.

But AFAIK in Vlassov's case, it was Hitler who was needed to be convinced about him. Vlassov was already eager to lead a military force. In November 1944, it would have been much better to be a camp prisoner than to be a German officer. Vlassov was already in some kind of house arrest for years. Furthermore, Vlassov was already seen as a German colloborator by the Soviets. So it is unlikely that Germans would have shot him in the end. I think he could have earnt some sympathy from the Western Allies by not actively participating in the war.

Vlassov fascinates me because he just got on the board while everyone else were trying to flee.

jamhaw · Oct 25, 2014

makif130289 said:
But AFAIK in Vlassov's case, it was Hitler who was needed to be convinced about him. Vlassov was already eager to lead a military force. In November 1944, it would have been much better to be a camp prisoner than to be a German officer. Vlassov was already in some kind of house arrest for years. Furthermore, Vlassov was already seen as a German colloborator by the Soviets. So it is unlikely that Germans would have shot him in the end. I think he could have earnt some sympathy from the Western Allies by not actively participating in the war.

Vlassov fascinates me because he just got on the board while everyone else were trying to flee.

It may have earned him some sympathy from the West but not enough to keep him from the Gulag in the end. He was already too committed. Better to do as much as he can resisting Moscow and hope the tide may turn.

unmerged(2833) · Oct 25, 2014

On a side note, are his quite high skills in HOI accurate? He got skill 3 (decent) and maxskill 9 (the highest).

Amallric · Oct 25, 2014

But AFAIK in Vlassov's case, it was Hitler who was needed to be convinced about him. Vlassov was already eager to lead a military force. In November 1944, it would have been much better to be a camp prisoner than to be a German officer. Vlassov was already in some kind of house arrest for years. Furthermore, Vlassov was already seen as a German colloborator by the Soviets. So it is unlikely that Germans would have shot him in the end. I think he could have earnt some sympathy from the Western Allies by not actively participating in the war.

Vlassov fascinates me because he just got on the board while everyone else were trying to flee.

I'd say he was on the board since much earlier. 1944 is just the establishment of the ROA, but he was actively collaborating before.
Also, Soviets specifically requested that all Soviet citizens surrendering to the Allies are to be given up to the Soviet Union. Some managed to escape this scrutiny but certainly not a high profile collaborator such as Vlassov.

On a side note, are his quite high skills in HOI accurate? He got skill 3 (decent) and maxskill 9 (the highest).

He was seen as one of the best Soviet generals in the battle of Moscow.

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Vlassov's Prague Speech in November 1944

makif130289

Field Marshal

trybald

Soon...

makif130289

Field Marshal

jamhaw

Lt. General

unmerged(2833)

Grandpa Maur

Amallric

Field Marshal