During the time of Stalin in the USSR, there was a mysterious and powerful army that was not only the guardian of the internal security of the country, but also the sword of Stalin's iron-fisted rule. This unit is the Internal Guard of the NKVD, which many have likened to the Ming Dynasty's Jinyi Guard, and they are tasked with fighting counter-revolutionaries, espionage, and other crimes considered political.
During the Great Purge of the 1930s, this force carried out a large number of Stalin's political purges, arresting, interrogating, and even executing thousands of "political prisoners" and "counter-revolutionaries." Their blue hats became a symbol of fear in the hearts of the Soviet people, and legend has it that the appearance of a single blue military cap on the streets was enough to plunge the inhabitants of an entire neighborhood into a deep panic.
1.The formation and responsibilities of the internal security forces.
In Soviet times, the Internal Guard Forces (NKVD) played an extremely special and controversial role. As a direct force of the NKVD of the Soviet Union, this unit was entrusted with the important task of maintaining internal security, combating counter-revolutionary activities, espionage, and other crimes considered political. During Stalin's reign, the duties of the internal guard were particularly important, as they played the role of executors in the so-called "political purges", arresting, interrogating, and even executing individuals suspected of being "enemies of the state."
Members of the Interior Guard are popularly known as "blue hats", a designation derived from their distinctive ** emblem - light blue military caps with black or dark red walls. This hat became not only a symbol of their status, but also a source of fear in the hearts of the Soviet people. Despite the fact that their uniforms and rank markings were roughly the same as those of ordinary Soviet troops, this distinctive military cap was enough to make them stand out from the crowd and become a presence to be reckoned with.
The tasks of the Internal Guard are much more than regular military training and equipment, and they also need to receive special political education and espionage training. This gave the Internal Guard Forces a dual character in the security apparatus of the USSR: both an armed force and a political force. They were responsible for monitoring, interrogating, and suppressing individuals and groups deemed to threaten the stability of the Soviet regime, including political dissidents, former White Army members, suspected spies, and other "class enemies."
The rigor and secrecy of the Internal Guard forces in carrying out their tasks made it a sharp sword for the Soviet regime. They often carry out raids at night, knocking on the doors of "enemies of the state" without warning and taking them away from their homes, often after which they disappear, leaving family members with endless speculation and fear about the whereabouts of their loved ones. This practice caused deep unease and fear in Soviet society, and people trembled at the appearance of the "blue hats", because it almost always meant ominous news.
2.The Blue Hat in the "Great Purge".
In the 1930s, the Soviet Union experienced one of the darkest and bloodiest periods in its history – the Great Purge, a massive political campaign launched by the supreme leader of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin. In this campaign, the Soviet Internal Guard Forces (NKVD) played an extremely critical and active role. They were given broad powers to carry out Stalin's purges, including arresting, interrogating, and executing those deemed "political prisoners" and "counter-revolutionaries." Members of the Internal Guard, especially those who wore the iconic light blue military caps, became a symbol of fear in the hearts of the Soviet people.
The Interior Guard forces operated in a wide range of areas, not just in Moscow, the political center of the Soviet Union, but in every corner of the Soviet Union, from remote villages to bustling cities. Their tasks included searching for and arresting those who were considered enemies of the Stalinist regime, whether real or based on suspicion and misunderstanding. They include a wide range of people, from high-ranking political leaders to ordinary citizens, from well-known military commanders to the elite of the cultural and scientific community. Many times, the reasons for being arrested are very weak, even on the basis of anonymous whistleblowing letters.
In the prison and interrogation room of the NKVD, the ** was confronted with brutal interrogation methods. In order to force the interrogated to "confess" to the so-called counter-revolutionary activities, the NKVD used a variety of methods, including physical torture and mental oppression. The brutality of these tactics is outrageous, and the interrogated often sign their own "confessions" in unbearable pain.
As the Great Purge was underway, the position of the internal guard units of the NKVD under the Stalinist regime became increasingly important. They were not only the executors of political **, but also became a pillar of Stalin's maintenance of his rule. In the process, a tight hierarchy and discipline system has also been formed within the NKVD to ensure the loyalty and efficiency of its members.
However, the atrocities of the internal security forces were not without fear and revulsion among the public. Legends about the evil deeds of the nkvd are widely spread among the people, and their blue hats have become demons in people's hearts. The tragedy of the university professor who committed suicide due to a misunderstanding is just one of many tragic stories. This event had a profound impact on Soviet society, reflecting the extreme fear of the NKVD among the general population.
3.Blue hats and green hats on the battlefield.
In the midst of World War II, the role of the Soviet Internal Guard (NKVD) was not limited to domestic supervision and purge, but also appeared on the front lines of the battlefield. During this period, and particularly from 1942 to early 1943, the Internal Guard forces underwent a major transformation, expanding their role from focusing on internal security and political cleansing to being directly involved in countering Nazi German aggression. This shift is not only a strategic need, but also a test of the force's capabilities.
Before being sent to the front, the Internal Guard was primarily responsible for maintaining security and order in the country, including combating counter-revolutionary, espionage, and other political crimes. Their role in the country cannot be overlooked, especially during Stalin's "Great Purge", when the internal guard forces carried out a large number of political cleansing tasks, arresting, interrogating and even executing a large number of "political prisoners" and "counter-revolutionaries". But as the war broke out and progressed, their duties expanded, including being sent to the front lines to participate in combat.
From 1942 to early 1943, the Soviet top brass decided to reorganize part of the internal guard units in accordance with the regular army in order to strengthen the Soviet army's strength in the fight against Nazi Germany's aggression. Behind this decision was the high level of loyalty and firm will to fight shown by the internal guard forces in the execution of their tasks. Although these units faced huge losses due to their lack of actual combat experience in the early days of being sent to the front, their performance gradually won the approval of the front-line commanders.
4.The attitude of the Germans towards the interior guard.
The reorganized NKVD units were sent to a number of key areas of the Soviet-German battlefield and participated in a number of important combat operations. The members of these units are considered to be more combat-minded than the average unit, thanks in large part to their special training and mission background. However, due to the lack of front-line combat experience, these units suffered significant losses in the initial battles. Faced with the brutal realities of the battlefield, the soldiers of the NKVD unit quickly adapted, showed formidable courage and tenacity, and gradually established an unshakable position in the Soviet army.
In this war, the German ** team generally had a harsh attitude towards the prisoners of the Soviet troops, however, the Germans behaved especially cruelly towards the prisoners of the NKVD internal guard units. NKVD, the full name of the NKVD of the USSR, members of its troops dressed in green or blue **, hence the name "green hat" and "blue hat" troops.
The German team was well aware that these NKVD units not only had a strong will to fight, but were also the core force of Soviet counterintelligence activities. Therefore, once members of the NKVD units fell into the hands of the Germans, they were often not considered prisoners of war, but were dragged directly to be shot. This extreme hostility and cruelty revealed the deep fear of the German army for the NKVD forces, as well as their recognition of their strength.
The NKVD units played a key role in Soviet counterintelligence, and their members were rigorously selected and trained, with a high degree of loyalty and excellent combat capabilities. During the war, they were not only responsible for defending the rear of the USSR, but also took an active part in infiltration and sabotage operations in enemy-occupied territories. Therefore, for the German ** team, the defeat of the NKVD troops is of great significance.
In addition to the regular combat units in the Soviet army, there was also a special branch of the army - the sanitary troops. Their duty is to treat the wounded on the battlefield and ensure the safety of soldiers. These health soldiers wore ** with green collar badges, which were supposed to be a symbol of their honor, but they also caused unexpected disasters.
Due to the similarity of the green collar badge to the border guards, they were easily misidentified by the Germans on the battlefield. The Germans were extremely hostile to the border guards and the interior guards, so this misunderstanding led to the tragic fate of many innocent health soldiers. They either died in the process of treating the wounded, or were brutally tortured and executed after being captured by the Germans.
These health soldiers are supposed to be angels who save lives and help the wounded, and their presence brings hope to the soldiers in the war. However, simply because of their physical resemblance, they were forced to endure the cruelty of war. This tragic event profoundly reflects the ruthlessness of war and the serious consequences of misunderstanding the markings of the battlefield.
In this war, the plight of the health soldiers became a microcosm of the brutality of war. Although they were not directly involved in the battle, they suffered no less than the front-line fighters. Their tragedies not only reveal the cruelty of war, but also remind us to be wary of the miscalculations and tragedies brought about by war.
Huang Qiudi. On the Revolutionary Measures of the Early Soviet Power in the Soviet (Russian) Far East [J].Russian Academic Journal, 2015, 5(2): 84-92