Russian Bolshevik soldier whose courage was admired by the President of America
Russian Bolshevik soldier whose courage was admired by the President of America

Video: Russian Bolshevik soldier whose courage was admired by the President of America

Video: Russian Bolshevik soldier whose courage was admired by the President of America
Video: Iraqi soldier give his last well to his mom and brother before he dies - YouTube 2024, March
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Few are able to face their death
Few are able to face their death

In 1917, national movements intensified in all corners of the collapsed Russian Empire. The peoples of the Baltic countries, which were helped by the imperial Germany, also tried to gain independence. In 1918, clashes with the Bolsheviks took place in Latvia, during which the Germans showed themselves not as "good" soldiers, but rather as bloodthirsty barbarians. But the president of America learned about the courage of a simple Russian Bolshevik soldier.

Latvian riflemen defend Riga in November 1919
Latvian riflemen defend Riga in November 1919

In the years 1917-1920, a new republic emerged in the Baltic States - Latvia. The struggle for power continued for several years, and military success alternately smiled at the Latvian patriots, then at the Bolsheviks.

Red Army soldiers on the march, 1920
Red Army soldiers on the march, 1920

In May 1919, 18 Red Army soldiers were captured in the Jelgava region (30-40 kilometers from Riga). In violation of the rules and laws of wartime, they were shot by German soldiers who were in the Latvian service. By that time, Germany was defeated in the First World War, but its soldiers continued to fight in various conflicts.

Bolshevik soldier, 1919
Bolshevik soldier, 1919

On May 26, the Red Army men were taken to execution. They were laid on the ground, and one of the Germans gathered his shoes. The cameraman captured one of the soldiers rising off the ground and laughing. This mustachioed man with a good-natured face in the face of death seems to be making fun of the enemies around him.

The moment before the shot, 1919
The moment before the shot, 1919

Then the Red Army men are called in three, they stand in front of the graves and each receive a bullet in the chest. The mustachioed soldier was also killed. Until the last second, he laughed at the Germans.

The execution was attended by American officers, who filmed the entire process on a movie camera. The tape was shown at the Paris Peace Conference and made a great impression on many politicians, including US President Woodrow Wilson. The cruelty of the Germans and the courage of the Russian soldier amazed everyone.

Only 20 years will pass, and real "death factories" will appear in Germany. That was the name of the concentration camps acquaintance with which it is better to limit the pictures of their prisoners.

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