this post was submitted on 30 Aug 2024
74 points (98.7% liked)
history
22990 readers
103 users here now
Welcome to c/history! History is written by the posters.
c/history is a comm for discussion about history so feel free to talk and post about articles, books, videos, events or historical figures you find interesting
Please read the Hexbear Code of Conduct and remember...we're all comrades here.
Do not post reactionary or imperialist takes (criticism is fine, but don't pull nonsense from whatever chud author is out there).
When sharing historical facts, remember to provide credible souces or citations.
Historical Disinformation will be removed
founded 4 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Here's a reply I had to someone a while ago about a similar issue. I was focusing on the negative side of things.
'Lots of Jews were sent to Siberia during the war in order to shield them from the German advance that would've executed them on the spot. It is true that in 1940 there was a mass deportation of Polish and Jewish people to Siberia. In Siberia, conditions were definitely harsh but they were harsh for everyone, and were the way they were out of necessity for the war on the doorstep. Many who lived through the Siberian camps note that they were allowed to observe the Sabbath, that they were fed within the means of what was available, and that they received adequate medical care.
As for a move from Auschwitz to a Siberian work camp - that is certainly unfortunate but a very fringe occurrence. In accounts that this is reported to have happened, it has been on account of misunderstandings of Nazi collaboration - some Jews survived by performing acts of service and skill to their Nazi masters - a moral choice I cannot judge, that was in some cases misconstrued by soviet commanders as criminal.'
Kapos were instrumental to the operation of concentration camps. They were often informers and enforcers for the guards. Many of them were beaten to death by their fellow inmates when the nazis evacuated during the advancement of Allied forces. That was if they made it to the end of the war. Kapos were regularly murdered in their sleep or shanked by other inmates if the kapo was seen as an asshole.
This wasn't the case with all kapos, as a lot were involved in resistance efforts. Some would even take jobs for the SS doing whatever so they could get extra rations, which they smuggled back to their barracks at great risk to themselves (IIRC Elie Wiesel had this kind of kapo and its partly the reason he survived).
Anywho, my point is it's not surprising soviets liberating the camps acted the way they did towards kapos because a lot of them had been collaborators. If there was no one alive to vouch for them, it makes sense the soviets would imprison them. They probably thought what they were doing was humane.