The Wrath of Kan: A Soviet-Born Anthropologist on Stalin’s Gulag
Uncommon Knowledge
00:00
Why Didn't Stalin Do the Same to the Gulag?
In 1942, one in four prisoners in the Gulag died. 24% of a population of about two million died in one year. Eventually some prisoners were allowed to enlist. There was this phenomenon in the Soviet Army called the penalty battalions. It's a military detachment of former prisoners or people who cannot be fully trusted. You send them to the most dangerous engagements with the enemy. They're sort of like the stormtroopers, except they have their arms are not as good. Nobody cares if they die.
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