Penalty formations of the Red Army

In almost every army of the world, there are disciplinary units, the times of the Great Patriotic War were no exception, when many armies created the penal units. In the Soviet Union, the creation of the penalty units acquired a significantly larger scope. Was it an justified measure or a consequence of difficult time?

For 80 years, disputes about the legendary penal battalions - penalties, 80 years, are discussed about the legality of the creation of these parts. The Great Patriotic War demanded the maximum stress of all forces and resources from the Red Army. Having stood under German blows in the first months of invasion, Soviet troops continued to exert fierce resistance to the enemy, but the supreme command demanded to completely exclude the retreat.
In July 1942, the People"s Commissar of Defense signed Order No. 227 "On measures to strengthen discipline and order in the Red Army and prohibit unauthorized departure from combat positions", better known as “not a step back!”. With this order, penal battalions and companies began to form on the fronts and armies.
Who were the fines? What were the grounds for sending to the penal battalion? How did the penalty committed guilt at the front? Was the fines relied on a reward and was it possible to survive with regular clashes? Were there tank and aviation penalty units? Why is the topic of fines so popular among writers? Why was Order No. 227 opened only in 1958? The famous military historian Vladimir Daines answers these questions in a new wide -supplemented edition of his bestseller about the penal battalion.

"describe everything that I had to endure, there is no way, it was necessary to stay there yourself. Suffice it to say that at 23 I became gray. True, for a year and 7 months I was awarded the titles of "Captain" and "Major" ". - Assistant chief of staff of the 16th separate penalty battalion for operational work A.V. Belyaev