It's pretty obvious that the soldier gets sent to a prison at the end due to Stalin's paranoia. The soldier said it was a lucky break, which the interrogators possibly interpreted (or simply chose to twist it) as a confession that he enjoyed his time with the Germans, and he is therefore a traitor. Read up on Soviet Russia. Whether you choose to look at it this way or not is your choice, but it's obvious that this was Al Stewart's meaning.
Not one of you dimwits have this right. The song synopsises a Russian soldier's experience in WW2. ALL of WW2. It starts with the early days of the German Blitzkreig of 1941, describing the swift advance of German troops into Western Russia, and the waiting tactic adopted by the ill-prepared Soviet troops.
The lyric continues through the battles of Stalingrad and the failure of the Nazis to take Moscow, resulting in the retreat and pursuit of the German forces, culminating with the German collapse and the capture of Berlin in 1945.
At some point in the narrators' service, he was captured, but...
Not one of you dimwits have this right. The song synopsises a Russian soldier's experience in WW2. ALL of WW2. It starts with the early days of the German Blitzkreig of 1941, describing the swift advance of German troops into Western Russia, and the waiting tactic adopted by the ill-prepared Soviet troops.
The lyric continues through the battles of Stalingrad and the failure of the Nazis to take Moscow, resulting in the retreat and pursuit of the German forces, culminating with the German collapse and the capture of Berlin in 1945.
At some point in the narrators' service, he was captured, but had 'a lucky break' and was able to escape after being held for a day. He innocently reveals this on a homebound train, only to be overheard by NKVD operatives. He is singled out as one of thousands of Russian soldiers to be sent to Siberian Gulag work camps. This practice was Stalin's way of dealing with the huge number of returning servicemen. To allow them to return to civilian life would have placed too large a burden on the Soviet economy.
Now, go read a book.
Actually theoriginalmodelguy, the NKVD took the soldier because of Order No. 270. Soviet soldiers were required to fight to the death rather than surrender, and those that did choose to surrender over fight to the death were killed or taken away and their families could also suffer the same fate.
Actually theoriginalmodelguy, the NKVD took the soldier because of Order No. 270. Soviet soldiers were required to fight to the death rather than surrender, and those that did choose to surrender over fight to the death were killed or taken away and their families could also suffer the same fate.
I suggest you take your own advice and read a book.
I suggest you take your own advice and read a book.
It's pretty obvious that the soldier gets sent to a prison at the end due to Stalin's paranoia. The soldier said it was a lucky break, which the interrogators possibly interpreted (or simply chose to twist it) as a confession that he enjoyed his time with the Germans, and he is therefore a traitor. Read up on Soviet Russia. Whether you choose to look at it this way or not is your choice, but it's obvious that this was Al Stewart's meaning.
Not one of you dimwits have this right. The song synopsises a Russian soldier's experience in WW2. ALL of WW2. It starts with the early days of the German Blitzkreig of 1941, describing the swift advance of German troops into Western Russia, and the waiting tactic adopted by the ill-prepared Soviet troops. The lyric continues through the battles of Stalingrad and the failure of the Nazis to take Moscow, resulting in the retreat and pursuit of the German forces, culminating with the German collapse and the capture of Berlin in 1945. At some point in the narrators' service, he was captured, but...
Not one of you dimwits have this right. The song synopsises a Russian soldier's experience in WW2. ALL of WW2. It starts with the early days of the German Blitzkreig of 1941, describing the swift advance of German troops into Western Russia, and the waiting tactic adopted by the ill-prepared Soviet troops. The lyric continues through the battles of Stalingrad and the failure of the Nazis to take Moscow, resulting in the retreat and pursuit of the German forces, culminating with the German collapse and the capture of Berlin in 1945. At some point in the narrators' service, he was captured, but had 'a lucky break' and was able to escape after being held for a day. He innocently reveals this on a homebound train, only to be overheard by NKVD operatives. He is singled out as one of thousands of Russian soldiers to be sent to Siberian Gulag work camps. This practice was Stalin's way of dealing with the huge number of returning servicemen. To allow them to return to civilian life would have placed too large a burden on the Soviet economy. Now, go read a book.
Actually theoriginalmodelguy, the NKVD took the soldier because of Order No. 270. Soviet soldiers were required to fight to the death rather than surrender, and those that did choose to surrender over fight to the death were killed or taken away and their families could also suffer the same fate.
Actually theoriginalmodelguy, the NKVD took the soldier because of Order No. 270. Soviet soldiers were required to fight to the death rather than surrender, and those that did choose to surrender over fight to the death were killed or taken away and their families could also suffer the same fate.
I suggest you take your own advice and read a book.
I suggest you take your own advice and read a book.
Any soldier that spent five years in the Soviet army would know better than to admit he was ever taken prisoner. Deny, deny, deny!
Any soldier that spent five years in the Soviet army would know better than to admit he was ever taken prisoner. Deny, deny, deny!