Sometimes I wonder what inspires people to set up new blogs. Take Executed Today, for example, a brilliantly executed (sorry - couldn’t resist) blog about historical executions.
But, sometimes I think it’s just best to accept that what seems like the craziest idea at the time is actually just the most inspired idea, as Executed Today is an excellent blog that does exactly what it says on the tin.
As you’d guess, a fair few people have been executed in Russia / the Soviet Union over time - sometimes fairly, more often not - and there are two Russia-related entries on Executed Today this week alone.
On 5 November 1925, Sidney Reilley, thought by many to have been the inspiration for James Bond, was shot in a forest outside Moscow, accused of attempting to overthrow the Soviet government.
Reilly was lured back to the USSR in 1925 by the Soviet counterintelligence project Operation Trust. Intending to meet anti-Bolshevik agitators, he was instead arrested at the border and tortured at the infamous Lubyanka Prison, where he kept notes on cigarette papers about enemy interrogation techniques for the eventuality of an escape or release that never came.
And, 63 years ago, on the anniversary of the October Revolution, two of Stalin’s greatest spies were hanged in Japan - Richard Sorge and Hotsumi Ozaki:
The two, along with several other Japanese and foreign collaborators, produced a steady diet of top-shelf intelligence, including the (ignored) forecast of Operation Barbarossa. But the ring’s most important coup — arguably a decisive one in the history of the war as a whole — was to inform Moscow in September 1941 that Japan did not intend to attack the Russian Far East. Relieved of the nightmare prospect of a two-front war, Stalin transfered desperately needed Siberian divisions to help throw back the German advance on Moscow.
Executed Today is a fascinating blog - a historical trove, rather than a gory thrill seekers paradise - and is sure to become the authority blog in the executions niche…
- What next?
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{ 4 comments }
Jason 11.08.07 at 12:32 pm
Wow … thanks so much.
I don’t know if I can speak to the inspiration. I’ve had it knocking around, in some form, really since before there were blogs. Just a bit mad, probably. The best part of it so far are the other amazing writers I’m finding in the process. Siberian Light is just excellent … welcome to my feed reader.
And yes, you can be pretty sure Russia has a few more appearances on the way.
Michael Averko 11.09.07 at 7:56 am
“Relieved of the nightmare prospect of a two-front war, Stalin transferred desperately needed Siberian divisions to help throw back the German advance on Moscow.”
****
Around the time of the Soviet-Finnish War in 1939, there was a Soviet-Japanese War, which resulted in Japan getting a shellacking. The efficient Red Army performance against Japan was probably due to its far-eastern flank having been spared the brunt of Stalin’s purging of military officers. Note that the Red Army’s performance against Finland didn’t go as well. Legendary Red Army General Georgi Zhukov was stationed in the far-east. I understand that the Red Army’s far-eastern flank was generally better trained than its western colleagues. By the time 1941 came along, it was clear that the Japanese were concerned with other campaigns away from the USSR. Stalin felt secure enough to move his far-eastern forces west.
Aleks 11.09.07 at 12:45 pm
Zhukov spanked the Japanese at the battle of Халкин-Гол in 1938 and was a major factor, if not the most important factor in deciding whether Japanese would strike south towards the West’s colonies or west into Russia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Khalkhin_Gol
Zhukov later put the lessons learned in mass mobile mechanized warfare to good use against the Nazis…
Aleks 11.09.07 at 5:09 pm
1939 even…
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