Serov.

This is coolbert:

"A short, stocky man with dynamic energy and ice-cold grey-blue eyes"

"I was very surprised to see how Serov kissed his wife and his daughter good-by with genuine affection." - - Oleg Penkovskiy.

In a previous blog entry concerning deportations of the mass variety as was seen during and after World War Two [WW2], I suggest that those commanding the troops carrying out "movements" need to be cold, callous, hard, but not cruel.

I take that back.

It seems that in particular, the Soviets possessed commanders who WERE cold, callous, hard, and cruel, even to the point of being SADISTIC. Persons who not only carried out "movements", but did so with a relish and a panache. Men who enjoyed the task at hand and went about their work with abandon.

We of course are familiar with Adolf Eichmann. German SS officer who was policy maker, director, administrator of Jewish liquidation during WW2. Was NOT, however, a hands on man. Directed from a distance, issued orders to subordinates who carried out the dirty deeds. Eichmann seems to have preferred the role of commander-from-afar. NOT enjoying the sight of blood, rather being revolted by the sight of same.

NOT so with the Soviet General Ivan Serov.

A man who was an "expert" in carrying out mass deportations.

Also a man who was responsible for implementing some heinous atrocities. NOT only was the man in charge, but AN AVID AND ENTHUSIASTIC PARTICIPANT. A HANDS ON MAN!!

This man should be held in the same league as Himmler, Eichmann, etc. But his name to most folks is a "nothing". Does not even register.

If the famous/infamous Japanese Colonel Tsuji exemplifies the behavior of the Japanese in the years prior to, during, and after WW2, Serov is the same for the Soviet Stalinist era. A venal man of the worst possible sort. Possessed only what can be called a depraved and sadistic mentality.

I am not sure if Serov was instrumental in sending the Crimean Tartars on their "merry" way [not so merry way!!]. This is not clear. His methods however, would be a model others would have followed.

Those that have written about him are unanimous in their derisive language and contempt for the man.

Dzhirkvelov:

"General Ivan Serov, notorious for having carried out the deportation of whole peoples (the Ingushi and Chechens and other peoples of the North Caucusus) and other large-scale military operations. He was short in stature and limited in outlook, a cruel man with little education, with little understanding of the finer points of operational and intelligence work"

Suvorov:

"On 12 June 1937 he appeared in the capacity of executioner of Marshal Tukhachveski and other leading figures of the Red Army. Amongst all the protagonists of the terror he distinguished himself as the most fervent exponent of 'scenes on a massive scale'. He took part in the pursuit and liquidation of the inhabitants of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuanian in 1940 and in 1944-47. Data exists as to his personal involvement in the murder of the Polish officers in Katyn. During the war Serov was one of the leaders of Smersh, and in August 1946 he personally took part in the execution of the command of the Russian Liberation Army under Lieut-General Vlasov. Subsequently he betrayed his leaders in Smersh and the NKGB, going over in time to the camp of the victorious groups . . . together with Ambassador Andropov he seized the leaders of the Hungarian revolution by deceit and took part in the torture and execution. . . In 1962 he was dismissed and quietly liquidated. Serov's was the dirtiest career in the history of the GRU. He displayed a high degree of personal sadism."

[I am not sure what is meant by liquidation. Apparently not death as would be the normal definition of the word in the Soviet world. More than likely it meant being "put to pasture".]

Penkovskiy: [this is the famous Colonel Penkovskiy, who spied for western intelligence in the late 1950's and early 1960's. Was on good terms with Serov. Penkovskiy did favors for the General!!]

"When Khrushchev visited England in 1956, he brought Serov with him on the ship, with a large group of Serov's people."

[another blog entry on this later!!]

"Serov is not most brilliant of men. He knows how to interrogate people, imprison them, and shoot them."

"In 1956 Serov visited England to make security arrangement for Khrushchev's visit. The pressed raised such a hue and cry about the 'butcher' that he was not a part of the official party when Khrushchev finally arrived."

[more on this later too!!]

Among the further "exploits" of Serov:

"Serov had liquidated hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian peasants."

"he had supervised the deportation of 1,500,000 Poles and issued the infamous Order No. 001223, which outlined the proper procedures for executions and deportations from the Baltic states."

"NKVD Gen. Ivan Serov was one of the main directors of Stalin's policy in Poland. He was involved in Polish affairs in 1940 in Lvov, where among other acts he prepared the arrest of Col. Leopold Okulicki, who was later sentenced in the trial of the 16-a show trial of the leaders of the Polish anti-communist underground held in Moscow. In 1944 Serov established apparently peaceful cooperation with AK [Polish Home Army] troops in the Vilnius region, which several weeks later resulted in the imprisonment of these same troops. At the end of 1944, Serov operated from an office in Lublin, where a Soviet military court sentenced dozens of AK soldiers to death. Serov also appeared in the Warsaw area around this time, providing his personnel with lists of prisoners in whom he was particularly interested."

"Mass Deportation 14 June 1941

Instructions on how to carry out mass deportations were prepared in the autumn of 1939 for the newly-annexed regions of western Ukraine by the head of the Ukrainian SSR NKVD, General Ivan Serov. They were approved in Moscow and later used in the Baltic States as well. As the USSR Commissar for State Security, Serov signed the orders on 21 January 1941.

"In the night between 13 and 14 June, about 15,500 Latvian residents; among them 2400 children younger than ten; were arrested without a court order to be deported to distant regions in the Soviet Union. Targeted were mainly families who had members in leading positions in state and local governments, economy and culture."

"End September 1939. Thousands of Polish POWs are force marched, under Soviet NKVD cavalry guard, into the Soviet interior.

23 December 1939 At the end of a reception Stalin calls Beria aside. In his laconic style, Stalin passes an order:

'We don't have food to feed the Polish prisoners. Look after it.'

Next day, Beria appoints Kombrig Ivan Serov to supervise the liquidation."

[Read the above link carefully. OH MY GOD!!]

'Lets go." - Serov says.
The captain opens the mouth, like to say something... the NKVD officer's clear blue eyes stop on his. He closes a mouth; reaches for a voice tub and yells to the machine room.

'Full ahead!':

"Serov reflected about the guards left on barges. 'We train them well, orphan boys. Poor bastards.'"

[Serov is reflecting here on the guards left behind on the barges full of Polish prisoners sunk. His OWN MEN!!]

In a nutshell:

* "carried out the deportation of whole peoples"

* executioner of Marshal Tukhachveski and other leading figures of the Red Army"

* "the most fervent exponent of 'scenes on a massive scale'"

* "pursuit and liquidation of the inhabitants of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuanian in 1940 and in 1944-47."

* "Data exists as to his personal involvement in the murder of the Polish officers in Katyn."

* "one of the leaders of Smersh"

* "he personally took part in the execution of the command of the Russian Liberation Army under Lieut-General Vlasov."

* "he betrayed his leaders in Smersh and the NKGB"

* "he seized the leaders of the Hungarian revolution by deceit and took part in the torture and execution."

* "liquidated hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian peasants"

* "executions and deportations from the Baltic states"

* "supervised the deportation of 1,500,000 Poles"

* "one of the main directors of Stalin's policy in Poland"

You could go on and on about Serov.

A piece of work.

Surprisingly, even after being dismissed and liquidated [not killed!!??], Serov probably led a long contented life. Died in 1990??!! NO hiding in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, etc.

Who says there is justice in this world!!?? Hopefully in the next, if there is one, Serov will have a lot to answer for. But NOT HERE in this one!!

coolbert.