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However, it is crucial to understand the context: the order predominantly targeted officers and political commissars who failed to maintain order, rather than individual soldiers solely for retreat. The directive was designed to enforce discipline at the command level, as discipline was seen as the last line of defense against total collapse.
Misconceptions and Exaggerations in Popular Accounts
Many modern portrayals—like in Enemy at the Gates—suggest that Order No. 227 resulted in mass executions of soldiers for minor infractions, portraying the Soviet military as inhumane and barbaric.
However, historical evidence indicates that: