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This is Joseph Stalin's son Yakov Dzhugashvili who surrendered to the Germans near Vitebsk in July 16, 1941.
Yakov Iosifovich Dzhugashvili, born 1907, was the eldest of Joseph Stalin's three biological children. His father, then a young revolutionary in his mid-20s, left the child to be raised by his late wife's family. Disregarded by Stalin, Dzhugashvili was a shy, quiet child who appeared unhappy and tried to commit suicide several times as a youth. On his father's insistence – he enrolled in training to be an artillery officer.
Sent to the front, at the Battle of Smolensk, they captured him.
Anyone would have thought that Stalin would do everything possible to get his son back. On the contrary, Despite the Germans offering to trade Yakov for a German field marshal, Stalin refused the option. It’s reported he said that he would not trade the field marshal, as he was higher ranking than Yakov, and also that his son was no different than the “millions of sons” the Germans had captured.
In addition, Stalin did not entirely believe that his son had been captured. In fact, he thought that his son had given himself up.
In order to save himself the embarrassment, the capture story was circulated (though Russian documents found in 2003 seem to confirm the surrender, rather than the capture).
In the center, Stalin's son when he was captured by the Germans
Specifically Yakov did end up in a german concentration camp. The Nazis saw this as a huge marketing opportunity, and spread their propaganda regarding Yakov far and wide.
They dropped leaflets via plane on Soviet soldiers, saying, “Do not shed your blood for Stalin! His own son has surrendered! If Stalin’s son has saved himself then you are not obliged to sacrifice yourself either!”
Different rumors circulated regarding Yakov’s death on Sachsenhausen concentration camp in April 1943, but until recently it’s not been fully confirmed how and when he died.
Some thought that he may have committed suicide by running into an electric fence, or even jumping from a prison window onto an electric fence. Others thought that he may have been murdered. Though, it’s thought that Yakov was shot by a guard for not obeying orders.
Whatever it was, Stalin found out of his son’s death far before modern historians, and it is said that he felt this was at least a slightly honorable death in the light of the situation.
Yakov Iosifovich Dzhugashvili, born 1907, was the eldest of Joseph Stalin's three biological children. His father, then a young revolutionary in his mid-20s, left the child to be raised by his late wife's family. Disregarded by Stalin, Dzhugashvili was a shy, quiet child who appeared unhappy and tried to commit suicide several times as a youth. On his father's insistence – he enrolled in training to be an artillery officer.
Sent to the front, at the Battle of Smolensk, they captured him.
Anyone would have thought that Stalin would do everything possible to get his son back. On the contrary, Despite the Germans offering to trade Yakov for a German field marshal, Stalin refused the option. It’s reported he said that he would not trade the field marshal, as he was higher ranking than Yakov, and also that his son was no different than the “millions of sons” the Germans had captured.
In addition, Stalin did not entirely believe that his son had been captured. In fact, he thought that his son had given himself up.
In order to save himself the embarrassment, the capture story was circulated (though Russian documents found in 2003 seem to confirm the surrender, rather than the capture).
In the center, Stalin's son when he was captured by the Germans
Specifically Yakov did end up in a german concentration camp. The Nazis saw this as a huge marketing opportunity, and spread their propaganda regarding Yakov far and wide.
They dropped leaflets via plane on Soviet soldiers, saying, “Do not shed your blood for Stalin! His own son has surrendered! If Stalin’s son has saved himself then you are not obliged to sacrifice yourself either!”
Different rumors circulated regarding Yakov’s death on Sachsenhausen concentration camp in April 1943, but until recently it’s not been fully confirmed how and when he died.
Some thought that he may have committed suicide by running into an electric fence, or even jumping from a prison window onto an electric fence. Others thought that he may have been murdered. Though, it’s thought that Yakov was shot by a guard for not obeying orders.
Whatever it was, Stalin found out of his son’s death far before modern historians, and it is said that he felt this was at least a slightly honorable death in the light of the situation.
