‘The jews’ war’: Attitudes of soviet jewish soldiers and officers toward the ussr in 1940-41

Prior to the war, young Jewish soldiers turned out to be largely a loyal group within the Red Army toward the Bolshevik regime. However, akin to the general population, some Jewish soldiers and officers, whether in the ‘core’ Soviet Union or in the new territories, were dissatisfied with or even resentful of the regime. The German attack on the USSR promptly transformed all Jewish soldiers and officers into the staunchest anti-Nazi force and hence, probably one of the most reliable groups in the Red Army.