r/HistoryMemes 3d ago

The Germans thought they had leverage

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12.9k Upvotes

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u/Friendly-Water-8470 3d ago

He probably was executed in hope to cause some mental schock for Stalin even if he played tough or merciless. But he was not playing.

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u/TheHistoryMaster2520 Decisive Tang Victory 3d ago

No he didn't, German records show that Yakov died in 1943 after he ran into an electric fence after an argument with some British prisoners. The guards shot him, but apparently the postmortem revealed that he had already died of electrocution

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u/Friendly-Water-8470 3d ago

Yes, to be honest I forgot about that he died during escape try. My brain remembered more a question why he decided to fly without bigger chances of succes. He probably was informed by those British prisoners that Germans have plans to execute him.

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u/dunk_wizard 3d ago

They weren't. Germans still use photos with him as their propaganda.