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Similarly, claims of extrajudicial killings or summary executions are often sensationalized. Many records show that the Soviet military sought to balance discipline with pragmatic concerns, and discipline was maintained through legal and military procedures rather than indiscriminate shootings.
Conclusion
Order No. 227 was a response to the desperate situation faced by the Soviet Union in 1942, aimed at preventing chaos and collapse on the battlefield. While it employed strict measures—including blockading detachments and severe punishments—its purpose was rooted in the urgency of the war effort, not in wholesale brutality.