Order No. 270

Order No. 270, issued on 16 August 1941, by Josef Stalin during the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union, ordered Red Army personnel to "fight to the last", virtually banned them from surrendering, and set out severe penalties for deserters and senior officers regarded as derelicting their duties. Order 270 is widely regarded as the basis of subsequent, often controversial Soviet policies regarding prisoners of war.

Order No. 270

Order No. 270, issued on 16 August 1941, by Josef Stalin during the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union, ordered Red Army personnel to "fight to the last", virtually banned them from surrendering, and set out severe penalties for deserters and senior officers regarded as derelicting their duties. Order 270 is widely regarded as the basis of subsequent, often controversial Soviet policies regarding prisoners of war.