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Question about Operation Barbarossa (lemmygrad.ml)

submitted 3 months ago by pyromaiden@lemmygrad.ml to c/history@lemmygrad.ml

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I remember reading somewhere (Wikipedia, maybe?) that the Soviets became aware of the invasion plans before it happened by a German communist in the Wehrmacht who defected and told them about Germany's impending invasion. The article claimed the authorities disbelieved him, assumed he was a spy, and quietly executed him.

All of which sounds like something an anticommunist would make up to smear the USSR and so I'm hesitant to believe it.

Another claim I've heard was that when the invasion began Stalin didn't believe the officials telling him the Nazis were invading and thought it was a hoax and that they were conspiring against him, even threatening them. I don't remember where I heard this one but I believe it was coming from a liberal I was arguing with.

This also sounds too much like bullshit to be believable, so I'm here looking to fact check this stuff. Is there any truth to this stuff or is it just more anti-Soviet nonsense invented to make them look bad?

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[–] redchert@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

True, but with the Rot Front’s dissolution in 1929 when Liskow would have been 19, and little follow-up activity from Liskow, judging his political affiliations is difficult at best.

According to the soviets (Story of German soldier Alfred Liskoff // "Pionerskaya Pravda") he was though.

I didn’t know that about Sorge though! That’s cool!

Yeah pretty cool to think that communist (in actual name) fought on the union's side.