Quote Originally Posted by Brenus View Post
“Do you think this is a justifiable? If it was right to transport them to prison camps just in case they revolted against the Soviets, does that not also justify German pre-emptive action against possible "enemies" (viz the Reichenau Order)?”
Justifiable? Yes. For good reasons: No. But would Stalin have done it without Hitler war of aggression?
Deportation is not mass killing. Ethnic cleansing is not genocide.
The nowadays Croatian Serbs expelled by Gal Gotovina and Tudjman are better off in Voivodina than their ancestors in Glina or the one sent to Jasenovac.

The difference between the Allies and the Nazi is the Allies REACTED and didn’t INITIATED. Yes, some of them were too happy to take the opportunity to deal with political internal situation.
I think of Tito, using Serbs against Croats, sending the Serbian from the Bourgeoisie) Youth against very well trained SS and the remaining Ustasa and Cetniks, and by the way mixing-up the two like they were similar…
Deportation approaches mass killing when a third of those deported die, don't you think? Besides, seeing the other numerous ethnic groups that Stalin had deported, I'm sure he would have done it sooner or later. It was not a necessary move, seeing as the Volga Germans had been hitherto loyal Soviet citizens and probably felt little sympathy for their ethnic cousins seeing as they had been seperated by thousands of miles, but merely opportunism.
As to the Soviets not initiating it, I am of the opinion that both sides knew that the non-aggression pact couldn't last for very long and that war was inevitable and that the only reason why Russia didn't invade first was because Stalin was a megalomaniacal nutter too busy killing his own officers.