Foreign forced labor in the Soviet Union
Encyclopedia
Foreign forced labor was used by the Soviet Union during and in the aftermath of the World War II
, which continued up to 1950s.
There have been two categories of foreigners amassed for forced labor: prisoners of war and civilian
s. Both of them were handled by GUPVI, a special department of NKVD
, analogous to GULAG
, which was established in September 1939, after the start of the Soviet invasion of Poland
. It was noted that Polish military personnel could not have been formally classified as POW, since there was no war announced by either side, and with some exceptions Polish forces did not resist the Soviet invasion, hence the title of the department.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, which continued up to 1950s.
There have been two categories of foreigners amassed for forced labor: prisoners of war and civilian
Civilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
s. Both of them were handled by GUPVI, a special department of NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
, analogous to GULAG
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
, which was established in September 1939, after the start of the Soviet invasion of Poland
Soviet invasion of Poland (1939)
The 1939 Soviet invasion of Poland was a Soviet military operation that started without a formal declaration of war on 17 September 1939, during the early stages of World War II. Sixteen days after Nazi Germany invaded Poland from the west, the Soviet Union did so from the east...
. It was noted that Polish military personnel could not have been formally classified as POW, since there was no war announced by either side, and with some exceptions Polish forces did not resist the Soviet invasion, hence the title of the department.
See also
- Forced labor of Germans in the Soviet UnionForced labor of Germans in the Soviet UnionForced labor of Germans in the Soviet Union was considered by the Soviet Union to be part of German war reparations for the damage inflicted by Nazi Germany on the Soviet Union during World War II. German civilians in Eastern Europe were deported to the USSR after World War II as forced laborers...
- Forced labor of Hungarians in the Soviet UnionForced labor of Hungarians in the Soviet UnionThe topic of forced labor of Hungarians in the Soviet Union in the aftermath of the World War II was not researched until the fall of Communism and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. While exact numbers are not known, it is estimated that up to 600,000 Hungarians were captured altogether,...
- Japanese prisoners of war in the Soviet UnionJapanese prisoners of war in the Soviet UnionBy the end of :World War II there were from 560,000 to 760,000 Japanese POWs in the Soviet Union and Mongolia interned to work in labor camps. Of them, about 10% died , mostly during the winter of 1945–1946....
- Italian prisoners of war in the Soviet Union
- Forced labor of Germans after World War IIForced labor of Germans after World War IIForced labour of Germans after World War II refers to the Allied use of German civilians and captured soldiers for forced labor in years following World War II ....