The Parade of the Vanquished (Russian: Парад побеждëнных, romanized: Parad pobezhdyonnykh), also known as The Defeat Parade (Russian: Парад поражения, romanized: Parad porazheniya), was a march of German prisoners of war on 17 July 1944 in Moscow. The parade was a result of the ongoing Operation Bagration on the Eastern Front, during World War II. Large numbers of German troops were held captive by the Soviets, and the operation was considered a turning point in the war and represented the largest losses of German troops. Approximately 57,000 captured troops were chosen, organized and paraded in Moscow. These men were among the most healthy to make the march as close to half of the total losses for Germany during the operation came from 160,000 troops dying on the march to Soviet prison camps. The parade was used by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin to demonstrate the success of the operation.
References
- Egorov, Boris (17 July 2019). "How German soldiers marched through Moscow during WWII". Russia Beyond. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
- "THE 'DEFEAT PARADE' OF GERMAN POWS IN MOSCOW". The International Affairs. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
- Norman Davies, "Europe at War", Swedish ISBN 978-91-37-13109-2, chapter 1, p.40 in the Swedish translation (table of killed soldiers in the largest battles and campaigns)
- Lawrence, W.H. (18 July 1944). "57,000 Nazis Parade in Moscow As Prisoners From White Russia". New York Times. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
- "Parade of German prisoners of war in the streets of Moscow, 1944". Rare Historical Photos. 22 November 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
- Kamenir, Victor. "Soviet Operation Bagration Destroyed German Army Group Center". Warfare History Network. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
External links
- Archive footage (1944) from British Pathé (Record No:1123.2) at YouTube