Vlasov Case: History of a Betrayal

Volume 1: 1942-1945

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• Publisher: ibidem
• Year: 2020
• eBook ISBN: 9783838274393
• Edition: 0

A famous Soviet general who fought in the Battle of Moscow (1941/1942) and the siege of Leningrad (1941-1944), Andrey Vlasov (1901-1946) was captured by Nazi troops and then defected to the Third Reich. Supported by Nazi propaganda, he created a "e;Russian Liberation Committee"e; that later became the "e;Russian Liberation Army"e; (RLA). The RLA was a body of several hundred officers and several thousand troops who had defected from the USSR and served Nazi purposes on Soviet territory. Vlasov was arrested by Soviet troops in Czechoslovakia while trying to escape to the Western Front and was subsequently tried for treason and executed by Soviet authorities. In 2015, the Russian State Archive of Social and Political History (RGASPI) released three volumes of archives documenting the infamous "e;Vlasov Case, "e; the main instance of Soviet collaborationism with Nazi Germany. With this volume, which draws on the archives of Russia, Belarus, Germany, and the US, the English-speaking audience can now access the most important documents on this topic for the first time. The documents tell the story of Vlasov's betrayal, from the moment he became a prisoner, to his service under the Nazis, and up through the trial in Moscow in 1946. Volume 1 is comprised of archival documents on Vlasov's activities from 1942 to 1945. Volume 2 explores the Soviet investigations of Vlasov during the 1945-1946 trial.

Table of contents

• Table of Contents
• Preface
• Introduction
• List of Abbreviations
• List of Photos
• Part I. The Nazi Project “Aktion Wlassow” 1942
• N°1. Special report from the headquarters of A. Hitler on the elimination of the Volkhov Pocket
• N°2. Possible dispatch of Sonderführer Poelchau to the Command Center of the 18th Army on the Capture of Lieutenant General A. A. Vlasov
• N°3. Minutes of the interrogation of Commander of the Second Shock Army Lieutenant General A. A. Vlasov in the Headquarters of the 18th Army.
• N°4. Situation Report No. 16 of the Leningrad Partisan Movement Headquarters on the Exfiltration of Major General A. V. Afanasiev and information that General A. A. Vlasov and Chief of Staff of the Second Shock Army P. S. Vinogradov are alive.
• N°5. Directive of General Headquarters of the High Command No. 170518 to K. A. Meretskov, the commander of troops on the Volkhov Front, on retrieving the Commander, Chief of Staff, and communications officer of the 2nd Shock Army from behind the front lines.
• N°6. Briefings report of the head of the Leningrad Partisan Movement Headquarters M. N. Nikitin on activities to organize the search for and evacuation from behind enemy lines of the command staff of the Second Shock Army of the Volkhov Front.
• N°7. Report of Major General A. V. Afanasiev to the Military Council of the Volkhov Front concerning the condition of the Second Shock Army and the fate of A. A. Vlasov after the army was surrounded.
• N°8. Address of the former commander of the Second Shock Army Lieutenant General A. A. Vlasov and former commander of the 41st Rifle Division Colonel V. I. Boyarsky to the Supreme High Command of the German army on the organization of a center for the formation of a Russian army to fight against the Stalinist regime.
• N°9. Memorandum report from member of the Military Council of the 32nd Army G. N. Zhilenkov and V. I. Boyarsky to the German command, with instruction on the need to organize a Committee for the Liberation of the Homeland and Russian Liberation Army for the fight against the Soviet regime.
• N°10. Proposal [by Minister of the Occupied Eastern Territories A. Rosenberg] to form a Russian National Committee under the control of the German government, prepare a declaration in the name of this committee, and form military units comprised of defectors.
• N°11. Address of the Russian Committee, with a call to join the fight against Bolshevism on the side of Nazi Germany.
• 1943
• N°13. Proposals of unidentified staff member of the Ministry of Occupied Eastern Territories concerning the temporary organizational structure of the Russian National Committee.
• N°14. Letter from the Chief of Staff of the Belorussian Partisan Movement P. Z. Kalinin to J. V. Stalin on the visit of A. A. Vlasov to the units of the RNA in Borisov.
• N°15. Special report of the Chief of Staff of the Kalinin Partisan Movement S. S. Bel’chenko to the head of the Bureau for Agitation and Propaganda of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of the Bolsheviks G. F. Aleksandrov about the makeup and activities of the Russian National Committee, the holding of a joint conference of the Russian Committee and representatives of the German government, and the decision about the Russian Liberation Army.
• N°16. Report of the Eastern propaganda division from Einsatzstab Reichsleiter A. Rosenberg on the visit of A. A. Vlasov to the town of Mogilev and his speech before the public on 13 March, 1943.
• N°17. Dispatch of the command staff of army group “North” to the Main Command and General Headquarters of the HCW [Oberkommando des Heeres] on the visit of A. A. Vlasov to Pskov from 29 April to 1 May, 1943.
• N°18. Brief dispatch from an unidentified person about the trip of Lieutenant General A. A. Vlasov to Pskov, Strugi, and Luga from 30 April, to 3 May, 1943.
• N°19. Message from the Chief Staff of the Leningrad Partisan Movement M. N. Nikitin to the Central Headquarters of the Partisan Movement on efforts to scout and capture A. A. Vlasov.  
• N°20. Excerpt from the interrogation transcript of A. E. Ulyanov on the courses for RLA propagandists in Dabendorf.
• N°21. Memorandum of A. Rosenberg to A. Hitler on the RLA and national formations of the Eastern peoples.
• N°22. Plan for the formation and training of a guard strike brigade of the RLA, which will insert terrorists in Moscow and other cities of the USSR to carry out terrorist acts against the leaders of the party and the government.
• N°23. Dispatch of Colonel Pol’sky of the Central Headquarters of the Partisan Movement on the arrival in the Bryansk forests from Orel of three divisions of the RLA numbering up to 40,000 people and the implementation of an offensive operation by them against the partisans.
• N°24. Introductory note to the report of the General Headquarters “The Course and Status of Military Propaganda from the fall of 1942” (“Vlasov project”) by the representative of the Reich Ministry for Foreign Affairs under the OKH von Etzdorf to the Ambassador for Special Missions von Rintelen.
• N°25. Summary statement of the telephone conversation on the Vlasov movement between Ambassador Hewel and Ambassador von Rintelen for the Reich Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• N°26. Special dispatch No. 001102 of the head of the Political Administration of the Leningrad Front K. Kulik to the Headquarters of the Political Administration of the Red Army on the necessity of organizing counter-propaganda against the propaganda “Project Vlasov.”
• N°27. Dispatch of the head of special unit of the Central Headquarters of the Partisan Movement in Minsk S. I. Kazantsev to P. K. Ponomarenko (Director of the Headquarters of the Partisan Movement) on the measures being taken to organize intelligence work and implant partisans in military formations.
• N°28. Assignment from the Western Headquarters of the Partisan Movement to the intelligence group “Avrov” to determine the location and secure the capture of A. A. Vlasov.
• N°29. Report of Field Marshal General V. Keitel, the head of the General Headquarters of the High Command of the Wehrmacht, on the further formation of RLA units and use of A. A. Vlasov only for propaganda purposes.
• N°30. Leaflet of the Chief Political Administration of the Red Army “Who Vlasov Is.”
• N°31. Memorandum from the head of the Western Headquarters of the Partisan Movement S. Popov and the Chief of Staff of the Headquarters for Intelligence of the Western Partisan Movement F. Krylov to the Department Chief of Intelligence for the Central Headquarters of the Partisan Movement Kuteinikov “On the work to eradicate anti-Soviet formations created by the Fascist German invaders.”
• N°32. Report from Representative of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs under the German High Command H. von Etsdorf on the conversation of V. Keitel with A. Rosenberg regarding the prohibition of A. A. Vlasov’s presence in the occupied territories and allowing him any independent activity.
• N°33. Cipher message from Starosta No. 1240 to the Central Headquarters of the Partisan Movement on the recruitment of Vlasov follower “Dedushka.”
• N°34. Memorandum of the People’s Commissariat for State Security (NKGB) of the USSR No. 1767/M to the State Defense Committee of the USSR with the proposal to liquidate A. A. Vlasov.
• N°35. From the dispatch of P. Z. Kalinin to P. K. Ponomarenko on the creation, structure, and activity of the Military Alliance of Russian Nationalists, the Russian SS National regiment and the RLA, and work toward the dissolution of the RLA formation under the command of Rodionov-Gil’.
• N°36. Report from P. K. Ponomarenko to members of the State Defense Committee on the crossing of RLA soldiers to the side of the partisans and sending untrustworthy RLA soldiers to camps.
• N°37. Cipher message No. 3649 from the head of the Intelligence Department of the Central Headquarters of the Partisan Movement S. I. Kazantsev to the Central Headquarters of the Partisan Movement on the return of agent “Dedushka” to Minsk and the results of agent recruitment among RLA officers.
• N°38. Message from S. I. Kazantsev to P. K. Ponomarenko on sending RLA units to the Western Front.
• N°39. Cipher message No. 3772 to the Central Headquarters of the Partisan Movement on the recruitment of active RLA participants by agent “Dedushka” and of preparations to liquidate A. A. Vlasov.
• N°40. From the report of Special Group Commander for the Central Headquarters of the Partisan Movement Major Kazantsev to P. K. Ponomarenko on the activities of the special group of the CHPM in searching for and attempting to liquidate A. A. Vlasov.  
• 1944
• N°42. Attachment to the report of an unidentified individual addressed to the High Command of Infantry Forces on the propagandist-volunteers from among Soviet POWs.
• N°43. Excerpt from the transcript of the interrogation of V. F. Sorokin on his service in the RLA and training in the German intelligence school.
• N°44. Excerpt from the battle report of the Russian volunteer battalion on the actions of the battalion against Allied Forces in Normandy.
• N°45. Memorandum from SA Haupsturmführer S. Fröhlich to the German High Command on the mood of General Vlasov.
• N°46. Letter from representative of the Reich Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the Supreme High Command of Army Forces von Etzdorf to the Legation Counselor [Legationsrat] (with the right to report) von Schmieden on the actions of the Eastern battalions on the Western Front.
• N°47. Dispatch of the Head of the Political Administration of the 1st Belorussian Front S. T. Galadzhev to the head of the Main Political Administration of the Red Army A. S. Scherbakov on former Red Army service members ending up in enemy camps.
• N°48. From the journal entry of Reich Minister for Propaganda P. J. Goebbels on the German command’s decision to create the National Committee “Free Russia.”
• N°49. From the journal entry of P. J. Goebbels on the tasks before the newly created National Committee “Free Russia.”
• N°50. From the daily meeting schedule of Reichsführer SS H. Himmler.
• N°51. Letter of General A. A. von Lampe to the head of the Southeast Division of the Unification of Russian Military Alliances Colonel S. D. Gegelashvili on his participation in the meeting with General A. A. Vlasov and criticism of the preparation of the manifesto.
• N°52. Report of Hauptsturmführer SS to the division of the Security Services III B 2 Gestapo Weimar on the opinion of the Eastern workers regarding the “Vlasov Project” and the possibility of joining the RLA.
• N°53. Telegram from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany J. von Ribbentrop to envoy F. von Leitner on the possibility of using General A. A. Vlasov and the creation under his leadership of a liberation committee.
• N°54. Memorandum of the Inspector of Foreign Personnel of the Air Force “East” regarding the planned formation of air forces of the RLA.
• N°55. Report on the meeting in the Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda of Germany on the question of the preparation of a meeting in Prague in connection with the creation of the Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia.
• N°56. Minutes of Lt. Colonel Baryshev on the inaugural session of the Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia.
• N°57. Speech of A. A. Vlasov at the formal session on the creation of the Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia.
• N°58. Manifesto of the Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia.
• N°59. Note from an unidentified individual on the planned activities for recruiting POWs for work in camps in Norway.
• N°60. Letter from the representatives of various national committees and groups to A. Rosenberg on their disapproval of the creation of a representative system for a number of peoples of Russia in the Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia.
• N°61. Excerpt from the report of the leader of operational group X, Obersturmbannführer SS J. Witiska, to the head of the Reich Main Security Office, Gruppenführer SS G. Müller, on the Ukrainians’ negative reception of the idea of fighting together under the leadership of A. A. Vlasov.
• N°62. Report of Untersturmführer SS from Meiningen to Department III B 2 Gestapo Weimar on the low numbers wanting to join A. A. Vlasov’s army.
• N°63. Letter from Obersturmbannführer Dr. Arlt to the Eastern Division Military Department D of the Reich Main Security Office on the organization of a selection of POWs for the first division of the RLA.
• N°64. Letter from General A. A. von Lampe to Colonel S. D. Gegelashvili on the talks with General Trukhin, the order and course of the reception of the statements of Russian émigrés in the RLA, and the need for General A. A. Vlasov to make a public call for émigrés to join the ranks of the RLA.
• N°65. Letter from Lt. Gen. E. I. Balabin to Colonel V. N. Dronov on the disassociation of the head of the Main Administration of Cossack Forces General P. N. Krasnov from General A. A. Vlasov due to a lack of trust in him, on the negative reaction of P. N. Krasnov to the idea of the creation of a Main Administration of Cossack Forces under CLPR, and on the creation under CLPR of a department of Cossack forces headed by General F. F. Abramov.
• N°66. List of members of the headquarters of propagandists of CLPR and individuals from the German government leading various directions of activity of the headquarters.
• January-May 1945
• N°68. Briefing of Rottke, Desk Officer of Referat Ekhardt from the Reich Ministry of Culture, on meeting with Tannenberg, the adviser of the Reich Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the methods of financing CLPR.
• N°69. Telegram from Reichsführer SS H. Himmler to A. A. Vlasov on the appointment of Vlasov to the High Command of the 600th and 700th Russian Divisions.
• N°70. Telegram of communications officer Gruppenführer Fegelein to H. Himmler on the refusal of soldiers from RLA units to fight against their countrymen.
• N°71. Order of the SS Main Administration to the Chief of Staff of the RLA F. I. Trukhin on the selection of 100 persons from RLA units for a special anti-tank team.
• N°72. Report of Oberführer of the SS Main Administration E. Krüger on Reichsmarschall H. Göring’s conversation with A. A. Vlasov on 2 February 1945.
• N°73. Letter from H. Himmler to A. A. Vlasov on the awarding of the Iron Cross to individual officers in Vlasov’s guard detail. 9 February, 1945.
• N°74. Telegram of General of Volunteer Formation E. Köstring regarding the transfer of the 600th (Russian) Infantry Division to the command of Vlasov.
• N°75. Report from an unidentified individual on the welcome speech of E. Köstring upon the transfer of the Russian 600th and 650th Infantry Divisions of the RLA at the Military Training Square in Münsingen.
• N°76. From the daily meeting schedule of Reichsführer SS H. Himmler.
• N°77. Dispatch of Lance Corporal Hennecke on the actions of the headquarters guard of A. A. Vlasov under the command of Colonel Sakharov against the advancing units of the Russian Army in the area of the Oder River.
• N°78. Telegram from the Naval Command on sending volunteers from Norway to the RLA.
• N°79. Copy of excerpt from the transcript of the interrogation of V. M. Morozov on the actions of A. A. Vlasov’s “battle groups.”
• N°80. Report of an unidentified individual from the region of Heidenheim (Württemberg) on the conduct of RLA units deployed to the Heidenheim region.
• N°81. Instruction of the German High Command on the text of the oath for the service members of the armed forces of CLPR.
• N°82. Order of A. A. Vlasov to S. K. Bunyachenko, commander of the 1st (600th) Russian Division, on the organization of the march and statement of gratitude to the entire personnel of the division.
• N°83. Letter from Deputy Director of the CLPR Security Division M. A. Kalugin to A. A. Vlasov’s adjutant, Iu. L. Khmyrov, on the airlifting of sabotage agents to the territory of the Red Army.
• N°84. Letter to the Head of the Main Headquarters of the Central Army Group of Germany S. K. Bunyachenko on the 600th division’s rejection of the route and non-compliance with orders from the German command.
• N°85. Letter from Colonel of the American Army Chess H. Reed to Major General V. I. Mal’tsev on the American forces’ agreement to hand the RLA forces over to them.
• N°86. Academic program for the preparation of agents for sabotage and terrorist activity on the territory of the USSR, created on the orders of F. I. Trukhin.
• N°87. Letter from the Commander in Erzgebirge to S. K. Bunyachenko on conducting talks with the command of the armed forces of CLPR on the need for the 1st Division of the RLA to carry out the orders of the German command.
• N°88. Mandate issued by F. I. Trukhin to Major General V. G. Assberg, Colonel V. V. Pozdnyakov, and a number of members of CLPR on conducting negotiations with the Anglo-American command.
• N°89. Dispatch from Major General M. M. Shapovalov to F. I. Trukhin in the name of A. A. Vlasov, with a message on the conditions for talks with the command of the Anglo-American forces.
• N°90. Conditions for the transfer of units of CLPR to the status of POWs of the 3rd American Army, set by commander of the 11th Tank Division of the USA Major General Deger.
• N°91. Appeal from S. K. Bunyachenko to the commandant of Prague with the suggestion to cease hostilities and go home.
• N°92. Letter from the Military Commandant of the city of Prague, Lieutenant General Müller-Gebhardt, to Colonel of the Armed Forces of CLPR I. K. Sakharov on the readiness of the German armed forces in Prague to continue the fight against the Red Army.
• N°93. Order from A. A. Vlasov to immediately transfer all RLA soldiers to the side of the Red Army.
• N°94. Dispatch from the commander of the 25th Tank Corps, Guard Major General of Tank Forces Fomin, and the Tank Corps’ Chief of Staff Zubkov on the capture of A. A. Vlasov in the Brezhi area.