Blocking Units in the Red Army

After the German offensive toward Stalingrad began in 1942, Joseph Stalin issued Order No. 227 (the “Not a Step Back!” order), institutionalizing the blocking units that already existed in some divisions. This article examines the units and their place among the Red Army’s other draconian policies. Historians interpret Order No. 227 as exceptionally harsh, yet the policies stemming from it were exceptional primarily in their methodical application rather than in their essence. A logical outcome of “the end justifies the means” Stalinist philosophy, blocking units made the army steadier and contributed to its victory. This was the only fact that mattered to the Soviet leaders, and they ignored the moral issues raised by the existence of the units.