Troll – I believe there is evidence that Stalin purged his officer corps based on intelligence that they were plotting against him. And that intelligence came from the Germans! It was Hitler's first step in his attempt to conquer Russia.

Banjer – you need to remember that WWII was the first war which depended on propaganda. Those hatreds were not created but they were fed by a political machine that was gearing the country up for the fight. As a result you had all the stories of atrocities fed to the public the rev up their anger and hatred. These hatreds have held on for a long time but will hopefully abate over time.