The use of terror has been a characteristic of Russia from the days of the Tsars. The Okhrana was the oppressive police force of the Romanovs. Then came the Cheka, the OGPU, SMERSH and the NKVD-organizations that used terror to control every aspect of military and civilian life. As a result, during 'the Great Patriotic War', Soviet soldiers and citizens feared not only the Germans but the tentacles of the secret police. To maintain iron discipline...
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History