Soviet Flugblatt

The Soviet Government started to produce and disseminate aerial propaganda leaflets for Germans on June 22, 1941, the day the German Wehrmacht invaded Russia.
The “Soviet Central Series” campaign continued to the very last day of World War II, 8 May 1945.
Besides the obvious way of distributing leaflets by air from a plane also artillery was widely used, as was the case many of the following examples.

[3 Leaflet series]

[Propaganda shells]

FRONTnachrichten (Nr.183)

Part of the "Soviet Central Series" in which about 2,000 different leaflets in various languages in mostly 500,000 editions were produced.
The “Army Group” leaflets were printed in editions of a few hundred or thoushand but in 30,000 to 40,000 different types.

fnf

Called "Nachrichten von der front" initially, from 12/1941 it also appeared as "Frontnachrichten".
The quote on the bottom is from Stalin's Order of the day Nr.55 (also mentioned on the back) which marked a turning point in Soviet propaganda.

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[Stalin's surprising Order Nr.55]
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"A world already astonished at the dizzying turns of Stalin’s policies, witnessed a new threatened orientation in Stalin’s order of the day, no. 55, on the occasion of the 24th anniversary of the Red Army.
In it, Stalin seems to have made the discovery that there is a difference between the German people and Hitler.
“It would be ridiculous,” he said, “to identify Hitler's clique with the German people and the German state. The experience of history shows that Hitlers come and go whereas the German people and the German state remain.”
This is in striking contrast to what Stalin and his supporters have been saying in their propaganda in the last few months. Whereas in the beginning of the war between Germany and Russia, the Kremlin leaders, although not issuing a call to internationalism, did make a distinction between the Nazi gang and the German people. Gradually, however, the propaganda of Stalin became more and more indistinguishable from that of his “democratic allies”. Indeed it became even worse, arousing protests from even the liberals and Labourlefts. Stalin’s national chauvinism was epitomised in the symbolic replacement of the words “Workers of the World Unite!” on the heading of the Red Army paper, the Red Star with the words “Death to the German Invaders.” Innumerable examples appeared in the press, such as the one we reproduce, whose authenticity is guaranteed by its appearance in the official Communist Party publication World News and Views.
“How can the German people not be held to pay for these terrible crimes? And if one states: the German people have nothing in common with these murderers, then the question arises, what proof of this can the German people present? After all these are not isolated cases of men ravaging Russia like Huns. Hundreds of thousands are involved.”
Has Stalin dimly remembered the traditions of Lenin by his newly voiced discrimination between the Nazis and the German people? Nothing could be further from the truth. For there is no mention of socialism or internationalism in the whole speech; there is no appeal to the German workers and soldiers to unite to establish a socialist Europe and world. Under these circumstances, the assurances of Stalin that German soldiers who surrender will be spared their lives, do not carry much weight. The British imperialists and the American imperialists have done no more and no less to their adversaries.
What effect can this be expected to have on the Germans, who have been led to believe by Stalin's propaganda that they are fighting for the preservation of Germany against another Versailles? Turns cannot be made overnight and expect to reap response. The mischief rendered by previous propaganda has resulted in a desperate resistance of the German soldiers against the advances of the Red Army – even in the face of complete annihilation."
_{Source:
http://www.marxists.org/archive/grant/1942/03/stalin-new-turn.htm}
English translation of the full speech given by Stalin on 23/02/1942:
Link_{Source:
http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/stalin/works/1942/02/23.htm}

"ALSACIANS! LUXEMBOURGEOIS!" (763)

alv

Used by the Voronesh Front in July 1943 where it was then stationed to halt the enemy's expected "Operation Citadel" near Kursk.
A rare example of Soviet propaganda focusing on a very small group of specific nationalities fighting in the Wehrmacht, also
note the "Tuez les officiers Allemands" on the reverse (an exhortation to murder is rarely seen on leaflets).
_{Source:
http://www.propaganda-leaflets.com}

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[Voronezh Front][Hide]

The Voronezh Front was formed on 07/07/1942 by troops of the Bryansk Front defending the district of Voronezh.
The southern face defence of the Kursk salient by the Voronezh Front was deployed in three main heavily fortified defensive belts, with the third line composed of front reserves.
The start date for the offensive had been moved back repeatedly. For months, the Soviets had been receiving detailed information on the planning of the offensive from the Red Orchestra spy ring, the British Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park (both through official channels and from the Soviet spy John Cairncross), and the Lucy spy ring whose sources allegedly included officers in the German aviation ministry and other parts of the Nazi administration. Moscow was alerted just hours after Hitler's announcement, and the following day on 2 July, Marshal Aleksandr Vasilevsky warned the Front commanders, Vatutin, Rokossovsky and Konev, that the anticipated German offensive would begin no later than 6 July.
The Voronezh Front headquarters had not been able to pinpoint where the Germans would place their offensive weight and this forced them to spread out their defences. Also von Manstein, unlike his northern counterpart, had organized his tanks into densely concentrated spearheads; this proved more successful.Von Manstein's troops (Army Group South) were equipped with more armoured vehicles, infantry and artillery than Model's in the north.
Preliminary fighting started in the southern face of the salient on the evening of 4 July 1943, when the German forces launched a reconnaissance-in-force in preparation for the main assault scheduled for 5 July. The preliminary attacks and troop movements confirmed to the Soviet command that the main offensive was imminent. Having received these reports, at around 22:30 on 4 July Vatutin ordered 600 guns, mortars, and katyushas of the Voronezh Front to bombard the forward German positions, particularly those of the II SS Panzer Corps.
While the German offensive had been stopped in the north by 10 July, in the south the overall situation still hung in the balance, even after 12 July. German forces on the southern wing, exhausted and heavily depleted, had breached the first two defensive belts. They believed that they were about to break through the last belt but at least five more defensive zones awaited them, although they were not as strong as the initial defences; some of them did not have troops deployed. Red Army defenders had been weakened, and major elements of their reserve forces had been committed. Nevertheless, the available uncommitted Red Army reserves were far larger than the few available German reserves. On 16 July, German forces withdrew to their start line.
Severely depleted, the Germans then had to face Operation Polkovodets Rumyantsev, a Soviet offensive to smash the German forces in the Belgorod–Kharkov area which was launched on 3 August.
Suffering heavy casualties between 5 to 23/07/1943 (100932 according to some sources, of which 46500 killed), from 03/08/1943 the Voronezh Front would be part of the Belgorod-Kharkov operation and was later renamed the 1st Ukrainian Front (20/10/1943).
bok

_{Sources:
http://ru.wikipedia.org & http://en.wikipedia.org}

["Stalin speaks to Alsacians in Russia"]

Estonia 1944; "Eine drohende warnung" (110) & "Sondermeldung" (202).

Aimed at the fanatic defenders of the Narva area, many of them regular and foreign Waffen-SS troops.

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[English translation]
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"A threatening WARNING
GERMAN OFFICERS, GERMAN SOLDIERS IN THE NARVA AREA!

On 18-02 the Soviet Burea of information made an announcement of another great victory by the Red Army. The troops of the 1st and 2nd Ukranian Front at the start of februari went on the offense, broke through the strong German defenses and
as result of boldly executed manoeuvres encircled large fascist-German forces north of the line Swenigorodka-Spola in the Korsunj-Schewtschenkowski area.

The German XI. Armee Korps under Generalleutnant STEMMERMANN and the German XLII Armee Korps under General of infantry MATTENKLOT found themselves in a Soviet ring of steel. The 10 German divisions and one brigade together make up some 70-8000 officers and men.
To avoid needless bloodspilling, the Soviet Command on 8 februari offered the officerscorps of the encircled German troops a ultimatum with the offer to give up resistance.

Among the commanders of the encircled German troops many Generals and Officers saw, that the situation of the by Soviets surrounded German troops was hopeless and their fate sealed.They wanted to accept the ultimatum by the Sovietcommand and capitulate.But the command and men of the encircled German troops were "verbornheult"(?) by Hitler who, in an order to the encircled German Divisions of men and officers demanded that they held, whatever the cost, and the Army High Command took measures that would garantee rescue of the encircled German troops.
Such order by Hitler made the Command of encircled German troops decline the Soviet ultimatum.
Thereafter the Soviettroops opened the general attack against the encircled German troops and commenced to disable them quick and determinedly.

AND THE RESULT:
55000 German soldiers and officers of the encircled troops stayed behind dead on the battlefield.
The Soviettroops destroyed or captured: 271 tanks, 471 airplanes, 994 guns of various calibre, 10000 motorvehicles and much others armygoods.

18200 Soldiers and officers surrendered.
Captured German officers of the encircled units said that Hitler, after failure at the request to save his troops, issued another order to them, sacrificing the encircled German soldiers and officers, in order to hold back the Russian divisions even for just a short time.This order by Hitler openly contained the demand, that
the encircled German soldiers were to commit suicide when their situation became hopeless.

German officers, German soldiers in the Narva area!
The destruction of 2 German Army Corps in the south must a threatening warning, since
YOU AWAITS THE SAME FATE.When you dont take care of preserving your life yourself.
55000 fallen, remourselessly sacrificed by Hitler, German soldiers and officers caution you insight and sense.Today Hitler promises you help and relief, tommorow he will demand that you scacrifice yourselves for his imperialistic and predatory interests.

REMEMBER THAT, YOU ARE ALL DEAD, when you dont take care of preserving your life yourself.
In the month of the Sovietoffensive in the north over 7000 German soldiers and officers of armygroup "NORTH" have surrendered to the Red Army.
They have saved their lives and will soon see their homeland again.
You must all act as the interests of the homeland, the intrests of the German people, the interests of relatives are dear to you.

The sovietgovernement garantees all, who surrender voluntarily:
1. Additional medical treatment
2. Housing in healthy camps under especially favourable climatic conditions.
3. Advantage in the choice of labour.
4. Preferential treatment in the processing of mail to relatives in Germany.
5. Faster repatriation to Germany or, on request of the prisoner of war, a different country immediatly after the war ends.

---------------------------------------------------------- <> [] <> ----------------------------------------------------------

This aerial leaflet counts as "passage permit" for the German soldiers and officers that have surrendered to the Red Army.
(Same text in Russian underneath).

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This aerial leaflet contains a translation of an announcement by the Soviet press agency "Novosti" on 18-03-1944.
An "update" on the situation in the south about one month later, this aerial leaflet was also used up north in Narva, Estonia.
Coming from the Soviet press agency i am unsure wether this one would be considered part of the "Soviet Central series".

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"Special announcement"
"Losses suffered by German forces and spoils gained by the 3rd Ukranian Front between 6 and 16/3/1944.
The 3rd Ukranian Front under Gen.Malinowski completly defeated the 6th Armee under Gen.Ob. Hollidt after breaking through the German defenses at the River Ingulets and advancing till the River Jushni Bug. The main defeat came in the period of 13 to 16 march when Generalleutnant Pliev broke into the German hinterland with his Guard troops, causing the German commanders to loose control of the situation and give the order to breakout west in group or alone. In the encirclement that followed, German troops were isolated from each other and destroyed by the Russian divisions and korps with quick and brave actions. This was done with such surprise and determination that the Germans were unable to reassemble their cut off troops into a closed unit.
This gave Soviet troops the ability to destroy the separated troops in the area of Novo Sewastovol, Novo Sergeewka, Chutor Schewtschenko, Beresnegowatoje, Jawkino and Snigirewka.
In these battles, wherein total destruction of the opponent was the goal, were completly beaten and destroyed:
_3. and 97. Jäger Division / 17., 123., 125., 258., 302., 294. and 387. Infantry Division / 9. Panzer Division.
Beaten with almost complete loss of fighting capabilities:
_9., 15., 46., 62., 79, 304., 306. and 335 Infantry Division / 23. and 24. Panzerdivision / 16. Motorized Division.
Suffered heavy losses but maintain some fighting capabilities:
_76., 111., 257. and 370. Infantry Division.
Following units have lost almost all of their equipment and gear:
_45., 51., 53., 115., 127. and 140. Artillerie Regiment / 52., 77., 148., 154., 707., 711., 732., 736. and 737 Artillerie Abteilung.
_209., 232., 236., 238., 243., 277., 278. and 281. SturmGeschutz Abteilung, 560. Schwere SturmGeschütz Abteilung.
25 special units like engineer, -builder, -guard, -security, -police and marchbatallions who were thrown into battle as infantry were also defeated. In this period 13859 German soldiers and officers were captured, 36800 have fallen and lay on our soil.We captured:
_131 tanks, 74 self-propelled guns, 115 armored personel carriers and 605 motorcycles..
_678 cannons, 1646 Machineguns, 453 mortars, 10220 submachineguns and 30750 rifles.
_9100 motorvehicles (most out of order) and 517 tracked tractors.
_1500 vehicles, 2000 horses and a river steamboat.
_44 communication stations and 99 various depots.
_13 railroad transports with ammunition, 27 locomotives and 5 towing vehicles.
_28000 rounds, 2 bombdepots and stacks of ammunition boxes from 1800 wagons.
Destroyed and left behind by the Germans:
_144 tanks, 118 self-propelled guns, _88 armored person carriers and 120 motorcycles.
_540 cannons, 1458 machineguns and 559 mortars.
_6931 motorvehicles and 67 tracked tractors, 5724 vehicles and 2510 horses.
_10 airplanes and 5 assaultboats.
_20 various depots.
In total the German 6th Army lost in weapons, equipment and people: 50659 taken prisoner or killed in action, the wounded evacuated by the Germans excluded, 4510 horses, 1218 cannons, 1012 mortars, 3134 machineguns, 275 tanks, 192 self-propelled guns, 203 armored personel carriers, 16031 motorvehicles and many other warmaterials.
Only by fleeing a few staffs and small remnants of the beaten German units saved themselves.Assisting in leading operations by the 3rd Ukranian front, that resulted in the shattering of the 6th German army, was the deputy of the High Command HQ, Marshall of the Sowjetunion Wasilewski.

[English translation]

[Map]

Nationalkomitee Freies Deutschland "Stellt die kampfhandlungen ein!" (108).

fdf

The most extensive “black” leaflet propaganda campaign in World War II was conducted by Soviet- Russia against the German Wehrmacht. Using the flag of the German Empire “black-white-red” the Soviet Union
founded the “National Committee ‘Free Germany’ “ and used it for propaganda purposes only. The most famous NKFD member was probably Generalfeldmarschall Friedrich Paulus who surrendered at Stalingrad.
Made in March 1943, shortly after the encirclement at Korsun in 02/1944 that was also mentioned in "Ein drohende warnung".
_{Source:
http://www.propaganda-leaflets.com}

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[NKFD][Hide]

The National Komitee Freies Deutschland was founded in Krasnogorsk, near Moscow on 12 July 1943.
Although the NKFD operated in the Soviet Union and consisted partly of communists, it used conservative symbols and ideology. For example, the old flag colors of Imperial Germany (Black - White - Red) as the Imperial colors were expected to be more popular among officers and soldiers of the conservative Heer.
The stated goal of the NKFD organisation was a return to the pre-war borders of 1937, the opening of negotiations for peace, and the deposing and punishment of the Nazi leadership. It also called for the preservation of the power of the Wehrmacht. The NKFD believed that German civilians and soldiers had to place the interests of the German nation above those of their Nazi leaders. As the war progressed and it became increasingly clear that an anti-Nazi putsch would not occur, the NKFD's ideological line became more leftist until it became identical to that of the KPD.
After several failed attempts to recruit officers into the NKFD, it was suggested by Lieutenant-Colonel Brette that a special organization for officers be set up so that they would not have to come in contact with Communists and common soldiers.
Two months after the founding of the NKFD, the "Bund Deutscher Offiziere" was founded; its leader was Gen. von Seydlitz. The main task of the BDO was to deliver propaganda aimed at the German armed forces.A number of officers held as Soviet prisoners of war eventually joined the BDO, the most prominent of them being Field-Marshal Friedrich Paulus,who joined on 08/08/1944, after the assasination attempt on Hitler (20/07/1944). BDO later merged with NKFD. The NKFD and BDO activity focused on propaganda. They had their own newspaper and radio station. They sent leaflets to the German soldiers at the front and the POWs in the Soviet camps.
As an example of such activities Soviet Major Lev Kopelev describes the joint psychological warfare at Grudziądz in March 1945 by Soviet Red Army and members of the NKFD.
General Walther von Seydlitz-Kurzbach offered to raise an anti-Hitler army from the NKFD and BDO members to fight against their own country, but the Soviets did not accept this offer.
Some NKFD members were attached to front line Soviets units to interrogate German POWs and spread propaganda to the Germans units that the Soviets were fighting against. Other NKFD members fought behind the German lines alongside Soviet partisan units. Towards the very end of the war so-called "Seydlitz-Troops" were sent to the German lines in uniform with orders to blend in with the defenders and spread confusion. Some rejoined their former comrades and others followed their orders. Many were caught and executed.
As the Red Army entered Germany, some NKFD members were appointed as officials in the local government of the Soviet occupation zone replacing Nazi officials.
_{Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org}

Soviet aerial leaflets.