“The joint parade in 1939 in Brest of the Red Army and the Wehrmacht” has long been actively used by many pro-Western media as one of the “proofs” of the identity of the Soviet and Nazi regimes.
The first attempts to debunk this myth were made by historians Oleg Vishlev, Mikhail Meltyukhov, Alexander Dyukov and others.
Offers his version of what happened in 1939 Oleg Timashevich(Belarus), who studied both photographs and film evidence of that time, and cited the words of witnesses to the “parade”
Publishes an exclusive edition of the material.
So, everything point by point. As a result of successful military operations, the Germans managed to occupy Brest by September 14, 1939, and three days later they were already in the Brest Fortress. The occupation of the city was carried out by the 19th Motorized Corps of the Wehrmacht, whose commander was General Heinz Guderian. On September 20, the 29th Tank Brigade of Semyon Krivosheev, located in Pruzhany, received an order from the commander of the 4th Army V.I. Chuikov to occupy the city and fortress. On the same day, reconnaissance of the 29th Tank Brigade met with the German corps and coordination of details regarding the transfer of Brest and the Brest Fortress began.
Negotiations continued the next day, as a number of questions arose: what to do with Polish supplies, how to remove the wounded, etc. Heinz Guderian describes all this in detail in his memoirs, indignant that such a short deadline was set for the delivery of the settlement and fortifications. In addition, the memoirs of both Guderian and Krivosheev also mention negotiations regarding a joint parade. Krivoshein in his memoirs (Krivoshein S.M. “Interstorm” Voronezh: Central Black Earth Book Publishing House, 1964. - P. 250-262. - 15,000 copies) states that Guderian very persistently demanded a parade with the traditional and inherent in each parade with the formation of the armed forces of Germany and the USSR on the square, Krivosheev refused, citing fatigue (his brigade covered 120 km in less than 24 hours, although with their motorization 90 km was permissible), but he had to give in, however, proposing a slightly different option for holding the ceremonial handover cities.
At four o'clock in the afternoon, units of the German corps march through the city and leave it, and Soviet units also enter the city on march, stopping on the streets where the German armed forces are advancing and saluting them. Guderian was satisfied with the proposed option, but demanded Krivoshein's presence on the podium to greet the moving regiments.
At 10 a.m. on September 22, the German flag, which had flown over the fortress for five days, was ceremoniously lowered to the musical accompaniment of an orchestra from Germany, after which all the forces of the 76th Wehrmacht Infantry Regiment left the Brest Fortress.
We have the opportunity to speak about this with complete confidence, since there are a number of surviving signed photographs from the archives of this same infantry regiment No. 76.
The process of transferring the fortress took place with a high level of organization and without any inconsistencies. The photograph shown just above captures one of the many episodes of this event. Opposite the Soviet officer is Lieutenant Colonel Lemmel, who at that time commanded the second battalion of the 76th regiment. The same Hans Georg Lemmel, who on June 10, 1941 will be appointed commander of this regiment, and on July 17 of the same year will be killed in battle, attacking those with whom he is all polite and courteous in the photograph...
The second half of September 22 was also organized and without any problems or delays, the Germans left Brest, leaving the settlement of the Soviet army.
Of course, those who seek to debunk the myth also have flaws. So, for example, Vishlev in his work, pointing out that it was impossible to transfer the entire city without any military ceremonies, is absolutely right, but at the same time he reports not entirely correct information regarding the fact that at the time of the passage of the Soviet troops there were no Germans left in city.
In general, everything is in order.
Just five days later, that is, on September 27, the next issue of the film review “Ton-Woche” showed a film story about the transfer of Brest. It's no secret that the video material was made under the careful supervision of Goebbels' department. There is a possibility that Guderian’s exceptional insistence in negotiating with Krivoshein about the need for a joint parade is explained by the need to create such film material, and not in order to show off in ceremonial military uniform and some kind of love for parades.
Let's look at what the documentary filmmakers from Germany have edited.
It can be seen that German units are moving in front of the podium, and Krivoshein and Guderian are also visible there, greeting the passing units. It is also clear that quite a lot of Soviet soldiers are on the side of the road and Soviet T-26 tanks moving along the street. German trucks and artillery are visible driving past the podium from which Krivoshein and Guderian salute them, but there is not a single frame where there is at least one Soviet tank in the background of the podium with the commanders. This already leads to certain thoughts, but, as they say, it is too early to draw conclusions. So let's move on to looking at a few photographs.
One of them shows a Soviet T-26 tank and a group of German motorcyclists, as well as German trucks standing on the sidewalk.
A Soviet tank moves past the very place where the podium was located in the film, but it is not there yet. If you look carefully, you can see a German flag hanging on the flagpole, which is located directly behind the podium in the video. And another photograph, which was taken on the same day, depicts the process of removing the flag. And precisely the withdrawal, and not the rise, since it could have risen from September 14 to 17, but not later.
At that time, Krivoshein was with his brigade on the march towards Baranovichi and therefore could not have been present at its raising, which gives every reason to claim that the flag was being removed.
In the second photo you can observe the process of removing the German flag, at the moment when the commanders greet the units while standing on the podium.
The newsreel demonstrates that at the moment of the march of military units there is a podium, and the flag is still raised.
That is, the second photo was taken after the event. The first photo, which shows German motorcyclists and a Soviet tank, shows a raised flag and the absence of a podium where commanders will sit during the event.
It turns out that the photograph with the T-26 and motorcyclists was taken before the ceremonial march. Krivoshein writes in his memoirs that the 29th Tank Brigade entered Brest at three o’clock in the afternoon, and the movement of the armed forces started at four o’clock. It is easy to guess that the photo was taken between three and four o'clock in the afternoon.
Somewhere at the same time, the following photograph was taken, where you can already see a whole column of Soviet tanks, while motorcyclists and trucks are in the same places. And again, there is still no platform, and in the place where it will be placed there are some onlookers and, judging by the pose, some other photographers.
Another interesting point is that in both pictures the trucks are standing in close proximity to the flagpole, but in the film there are no trucks.
More precisely, German artillery is visible there, passing by the trucks, which are somewhat removed and are located near the oval path that goes around the area with the flagpole and abuts the roadway of the street. The following photo clearly demonstrates this.
German equipment passes by the podium
If you pay attention to some details, you will see that there are trucks in the film only when German units are passing through. Not a single frame captured Soviet troops moving against the backdrop of trucks standing on the side of the road. It is also curious that the Soviet tank crews, who are supposed to drive past the podium with their commanders, for some reason turn away from them and greet the crowded people who are on the opposite side of the podium.
The very last frame of the newsreel is also of interest (after the demonstration of Guderian’s greeting), since the filming of a moving Soviet tank is carried out from such a point (you can see this place in the first photograph, it is located at the far pillar on the right side, next to the bush), as if he wanted to prevent the stands from getting into the frame as well - the area with the flagpole is located behind him, at a great distance and on the right side. This is surprising, because he would have made a much more impressive shot, since the Soviet tank would have been in front of the podium with the parade commanders. To do this, he needed to move closest to fifty meters, to where photographs with motorcyclists were taken.
Summing up, we can safely say that the film plot from “Wochenschau” about the “joint parade” in Brest should not mislead anyone, since it is obvious that the film series is not unified.
All the footage demonstrating the Soviet armed forces, and presented as if they were filmed directly during the ceremonial march past the podium with Guderian and Krivoshein, apparently, was actually filmed on September 22, but either at a different time of day, or on other streets altogether. Despite the high level of editing, especially considering the time, all of the above cannot serve as evidence of a “joint parade”.
The video from “Wochenschau” was created, it is clear, not for the Soviet people, but to reassure the Germans regarding military operations on two fronts and in order to try to influence the governments of England and France.
It is worth noting that it was clearly no coincidence that German propagandists ended up here, since they would not have been able to create such a strong plot anywhere else.
It is also worth noting that there is a Soviet-German protocol “On the procedure for the withdrawal of German troops and the advance of Soviet troops to the demarcation line in Poland,” which dates back to September 21, 1939. There it is quite clearly stated that the movement of the armed forces must be organized so that a distance of no less than 25 km is maintained between the leading part of the Red Army column and the tail of the German army column. This document also states that USSR troops should begin moving at dawn on September 23, and the Germans should leave the city on September 22.
It turns out that the beginning of the movement of the 29th tank brigade to the city of Brest simultaneously with the beginning of the process of withdrawal of German troops is explained by the fact that the order was not delivered to Krivosheev, or for some reason he did not carry it out.
Also interesting will be the testimony of eyewitnesses of that “joint parade”:
Svetozar Nikolaevich SINKEVICH (b. 1924):
“The first Soviet tanks appeared on Shosseynaya Street. With a feeling of great curiosity and completely stunned, I ran to look. After all, these are ours, Russians! Soldiers wearing strange, pointed helmets sat on small trucks. Pine boards were laid across the truck to serve as seats for the fighters, as the soldiers were then called. Their faces were gray, unshaven, their overcoats and short padded jackets seemed to come from someone else's shoulders, the tops of their boots were made of a material like canvas. I walked up to one of the cars and tried to talk to the soldiers. However, everyone there silently looked away. Finally, one of them, wearing a uniform cap with a star on his sleeve, declared that the party and government, at the request of the local population, had sent the Red Army to free us from the Polish lords and capitalists. I was very surprised by the wretched appearance and strange unsociability of my fellow tribesmen... At that time, another military man called me over and asked if this was the right road to the fortress. There was only one road: another two kilometers ahead, and the column slowly moved on.
Then I witnessed the transfer of Brest by the German military authorities.
At the building of the former voivodeship administration there were rows of German soldiers and a military band. A flag with a swastika fluttered on the flagpole. Not far from the flagpole there were some people in caps, several military men and a crowd of onlookers. After the German anthem was played, the swastika flag was lowered. The combined orchestra played “The Internationale” out of tune, and someone from a group of people I didn’t know began to raise a red flag with a hammer and sickle. After this, the Germans quickly left the city.”
From this evidence it is clear that the witness did not use the word “parade” even once, and it is also precisely stated that after the German anthem the German flag was taken down and, after the Soviet “international”, the Soviet one was raised, after which the German army immediately left the city.
Petr Onufrievich KOZIK (b. 1928):
“On September 22, 1939, my father took me to the square. There was only talk in the city about the approach of the Russians. On the road from Shpitalna (International) towards Union Lubelska (current Lenin Street - approx.), an orchestra of locals turned - judging by the red armbands with a hammer and sickle, members of the KPZB. And along the Jagiellonian (Masherova) a Russian tank column was marching. The tank turrets had a long bracket welded to the sides to support the landing party.
The infantry soldiers are all kind of tired. I remember how they smoked. A fighter will take out a bag of tobacco, make a rolled-up cigarette from a piece of newspaper, strike a spark for a long time with a sharp file on a piece of file, blow the wick, light it... And the German has a cunning cigarette case: he puts in a piece of paper, twists it - and he’s done.
The Wehrmacht column was already at the ready. In front of the voivodeship, the current regional executive committee, there is a small wooden platform (tribune) and a flagpole with the German flag. The Russians turned from Jagiellonian to Union and stopped. A German officer in an overcoat with a red general's lining and a Russian brigade commander shook hands. The units passed, two commanders made speeches. Then they lowered the German flag and raised the Soviet one. The last German column, taking a step, moved towards the Graevsky Bridge, turned left onto Kashtanovaya (Heroes of Defense), towards the fortress, and further beyond the Bug. KPZB members began shouting: “Long live Soviet power!”
In this testimony, the witness also does not use the word “parade,” and it is also clear that Soviet tanks entered the city at a time when the Wehrmacht soldiers were already at the ready. Moreover, neither the first nor the second witness mentions any passage of the Soviet army past the podium with Guderian and Krivoshein.
Another proof that there was no parade is the “Agreement with Soviet officers on the transfer of Brest-Litovsk.” It is not worth dwelling on this document in detail, since it is already very well known. We will focus only on the most important point for us, which we will translate from German.
“14:00 The solemn march of Russian and German troops begins in front of the commanders on both sides with a change of flag at the conclusion. During the changing of the flag, the music of the national anthems is played.”
The translation of the German word Vorbeimarsch is “passing in formation in a solemn march (past smth.); passing in a solemn march.” A regular on-line translator gives “Marching”. The word “parade” in German is different – Truppenparade or simply Parade,” and this word is not in the document. And to “no,” as they say, “there is no judgment.”
One can also cite a whole series of indirect evidence, such as the general condition of the Soviet troops at that time. Krivoshein's tanks entered Brest straight from the march and, naturally, were not ready to participate in the ceremonial passage.
“A joint “parade” in 1939 in Brest of the Red Army and the Wehrmacht” has long been actively used by many pro-Western media as one of the “proofs” of the identity of the Soviet and Nazi regimes.
Brest-Litovsk, 1939
The first attempts to debunk this myth were made by historians Oleg Vishlev, Mikhail Meltyukhov, Alexander Dyukov and others.
Oleg Timashevich (Belarus) offers his version of what happened in 1939, having studied both photographs and film evidence of that time, and citing the words of witnesses to the “parade”
Beinenson.news published exclusive editorial material.
So, everything point by point.
As a result of successful military operations, the Germans managed to occupy Brest by September 14, 1939, and three days later they were already in the Brest Fortress. The occupation of the city was carried out by the 19th Motorized Corps of the Wehrmacht, whose commander was General Heinz Guderian. On September 20, the 29th Tank Brigade of Semyon Krivosheev, located in Pruzhany, received an order from the commander of the 4th Army V.I. Chuikov to occupy the city and fortress. On the same day, reconnaissance of the 29th Tank Brigade met with the German corps and coordination of details regarding the transfer of Brest and the Brest Fortress began.
Negotiations continued the next day, as a number of questions arose: what to do with Polish supplies, how to remove the wounded, etc. Heinz Guderian describes all this in detail in his memoirs, indignant that such a short deadline was set for the delivery of the settlement and fortifications. In addition, the memoirs of both Guderian and Krivosheev also mention negotiations regarding a joint parade.
Krivoshein in his memoirs (Krivoshein S.M. “Interstorm” Voronezh: Central Black Earth Book Publishing House, 1964. - P. 250-262. - 15,000 copies) states that Guderian very persistently demanded a parade with the traditional and inherent in each parade with the formation of the armed forces of Germany and the USSR on the square, Krivosheev refused, citing fatigue (his brigade covered 120 km in less than 24 hours, although with their motorization 90 km was permissible), but he had to give in, however, proposing a slightly different option for holding the ceremonial handover cities.
At four o'clock in the afternoon, units of the German corps march through the city and leave it, and Soviet units also enter the city on march, stopping on the streets where the German armed forces are advancing and saluting them. Guderian was satisfied with the proposed option, but demanded Krivoshein's presence on the podium to greet the moving regiments.
At 10 a.m. on September 22, the German flag, which had flown over the fortress for five days, was ceremoniously lowered to the musical accompaniment of an orchestra from Germany, after which all the forces of the 76th Wehrmacht Infantry Regiment left the Brest Fortress.
We have the opportunity to speak about this with complete confidence, since there are a number of surviving signed photographs from the archives of this same infantry regiment No. 76.
The process of transferring the fortress took place with a high level of organization and without any inconsistencies. The photograph shown just above captures one of the many episodes of this event. Opposite the Soviet officer is Lieutenant Colonel Lemmel, who at that time commanded the second battalion of the 76th regiment. The same Hans Georg Lemmel, who on June 10, 1941 will be appointed commander of this regiment, and on July 17 of the same year will be killed in battle, attacking those with whom he is all polite and courteous in the photograph...
The second half of September 22 was also organized and without any problems or delays, the Germans left Brest, leaving the settlement of the Soviet army.
Of course, those who seek to debunk the myth also have flaws. So, for example, Vishlev in his work, pointing out that it was impossible to transfer the entire city without any military ceremonies, is absolutely right, but at the same time he reports not entirely correct information regarding the fact that at the time of the passage of the Soviet troops there were no Germans left in city.
In general, everything is in order.
Just five days later, that is, on September 27, the next issue of the film review “Ton-Woche” showed a film story about the transfer of Brest. It's no secret that the video material was made under the careful supervision of Goebbels' department. There is a possibility that Guderian’s exceptional insistence in negotiating with Krivoshein about the need for a joint parade is explained by the need to create such film material, and not in order to show off in ceremonial military uniform and some kind of love for parades.
Let's look at what the documentary filmmakers from Germany have edited.
It can be seen that German units are moving in front of the podium, and Krivoshein and Guderian are also visible there, greeting the passing units. It is also clear that quite a lot of Soviet soldiers are on the side of the road and Soviet T-26 tanks moving along the street. German trucks and artillery are visible driving past the podium from which Krivoshein and Guderian salute them, but there is not a single frame where there is at least one Soviet tank in the background of the podium with the commanders. This already leads to certain thoughts, but, as they say, it is too early to draw conclusions. So let's move on to looking at a few photographs.
One of them shows a Soviet T-26 tank and a group of German motorcyclists, as well as German trucks standing on the sidewalk.
Light tank T-26. A separate tank brigade like the 29th had about 250 of these tanks
A Soviet tank moves past the very place where the podium was located in the film, but it is not there yet. If you look carefully, you can see a German flag hanging on the flagpole, which is located directly behind the podium in the video. And another photograph, which was taken on the same day, depicts the process of removing the flag. And precisely the withdrawal, and not the rise, since it could have risen from September 14 to 17, but not later.
Procedure for lowering the German war flag
At that time, Krivoshein was with his brigade on the march towards Baranovichi and therefore could not have been present at its raising, which gives every reason to claim that the flag was being removed.
In the second photo you can observe the process of removing the German flag, at the moment when the commanders greet the units while standing on the podium.
The newsreel demonstrates that at the moment of the march of military units there is a podium, and the flag is still raised.
That is, the second photo was taken after the event. The first photo, which shows German motorcyclists and a Soviet tank, shows a raised flag and the absence of a podium where commanders will sit during the event.
It turns out that the photograph with the T-26 and motorcyclists was taken before the ceremonial march. Krivoshein writes in his memoirs that the 29th Tank Brigade entered Brest at three o’clock in the afternoon, and the movement of the armed forces started at four o’clock. It is easy to guess that the photo was taken between three and four o'clock in the afternoon.
Somewhere at the same time, the following photograph was taken, where you can already see a whole column of Soviet tanks, while motorcyclists and trucks are in the same places. And again, there is still no platform, and in the place where it will be placed there are some onlookers and, judging by the pose, some other photographers.
Another interesting point is that in both pictures the trucks are standing in close proximity to the flagpole, but in the film there are no trucks.
More precisely, German artillery is visible there, passing by the trucks, which are somewhat removed and are located near the oval path that goes around the area with the flagpole and abuts the roadway of the street. The following photo clearly demonstrates this.
German equipment passes by the podium
If you pay attention to some details, you will see that there are trucks in the film only when German units are passing through.
Not a single frame did not capture Soviet troops moving in the background of trucks standing on the side of the road.
It is also curious that the Soviet tank crews, who are supposed to drive past the podium with their commanders, for some reason turn away from them and greet the crowded people who are on the opposite side of the podium.
The very last frame of the newsreel is also of interest (after the demonstration of Guderian’s greeting), since the filming of a moving Soviet tank is carried out from such a point (you can see this place in the first photograph, it is located at the far pillar on the right side, next to the bush), as if he wanted to prevent the stands from getting into the frame as well - the area with the flagpole is located behind him, at a great distance and on the right side.
This is surprising, because he would have made a much more impressive shot, since the Soviet tank would have been in front of the podium with the parade commanders. To do this, he needed to move closest to fifty meters, to where photographs with motorcyclists were taken.
Summing up, we can safely say that the film plot from “Wochenschau” about the “joint parade” in Brest should not mislead anyone, since it is obvious that the film series is not unified.
All the footage demonstrating the Soviet armed forces, and presented as if they were filmed directly during the ceremonial march past the podium with Guderian and Krivoshein, apparently, was actually filmed on September 22, but either at a different time of day, or on other streets altogether. Despite the high level of editing, especially considering the time, all of the above cannot serve as evidence of a “joint parade”.
The video from “Wochenschau” was created, it is clear, not for the Soviet people, but to reassure the Germans regarding military operations on two fronts and in order to try to influence the governments of England and France.
It is worth noting that it was clearly no coincidence that German propagandists ended up here, since they would not have been able to create such a strong plot anywhere else.
It is also worth noting that there is a Soviet-German protocol “On the procedure for the withdrawal of German troops and the advance of Soviet troops to the demarcation line in Poland,” which dates back to September 21, 1939. There it is quite clearly stated that the movement of the armed forces must be organized so that a distance of no less than 25 km is maintained between the leading part of the Red Army column and the tail of the German army column. This document also states that USSR troops should begin moving at dawn on September 23, and the Germans should leave the city on September 22.
It turns out that the beginning of the movement of the 29th tank brigade to the city of Brest simultaneously with the beginning of the process of withdrawal of German troops is explained by the fact that the order was not delivered to Krivosheev, or for some reason he did not carry it out.
Also interesting will be the testimony of eyewitnesses of that “joint parade”:
Svetozar Nikolaevich SINKEVICH (b. 1924):
“The first Soviet tanks appeared on Shosseynaya Street. With a feeling of great curiosity and completely stunned, I ran to look.
After all, these are ours, Russians! Soldiers wearing strange, pointed helmets sat on small trucks. Pine boards were laid across the truck to serve as seats for the fighters, as the soldiers were then called. Their faces were gray, unshaven, their overcoats and short padded jackets seemed to come from someone else's shoulders, the tops of their boots were made of a material like canvas.
I walked up to one of the cars and tried to talk to the soldiers. However, everyone there silently looked away. Finally, one of them, wearing a uniform cap with a star on his sleeve, declared that the party and government, at the request of the local population, had sent the Red Army to free us from the Polish lords and capitalists.
I was very surprised by the wretched appearance and strange unsociability of my fellow tribesmen...At this time, another military man called me over and asked if this was the right road to the fortress. There was only one road: another two kilometers ahead, and the column slowly moved on.
Then I witnessed the transfer of Brest by the German military authorities.
At the building of the former voivodeship administration there were rows of German soldiers and a military band. A flag with a swastika fluttered on the flagpole. Not far from the flagpole there were some people in caps, several military men and a crowd of onlookers.After the German anthem was played, the swastika flag was lowered. The combined orchestra played “The Internationale” out of tune, and someone from a group of people I didn’t know began to raise a red flag with a hammer and sickle.
After this, the Germans quickly left the city.”
From this evidence it is clear that the witness did not use the word “parade” even once, and it is also precisely stated that after the German anthem the German flag was removed and, after the Soviet “international”, the Soviet one was raised, after which the German army immediately left the city.
Petr Onufrievich KOZIK (b. 1928):
“On September 22, 1939, my father took me to the square. There's nothing but talk around the city there was talk of the approach of the Russians. On the road from Shpitalna (International) towards Union Lubelska (current Lenin Street - approx.), an orchestra of locals turned - judging by the red armbands with a hammer and sickle, members of the KPZB. And along the Jagiellonian (Masherova) a Russian tank column was marching. The tank turrets had a long bracket welded to the sides to support the landing party.
The infantry soldiers are all kind of tired. I remember how they smoked. A fighter will take out a bag of tobacco, make a rolled-up cigarette from a piece of newspaper, strike a spark for a long time with a sharp file on a piece of file, blow the wick, light it... And the German has a cunning cigarette case: he puts in a piece of paper, twists it - and he’s done.
The Wehrmacht column was already at the ready.In front of the voivodeship, the current regional executive committee, there is a small wooden platform (tribune) and a flagpole with the German flag.
The Russians turned from Jagiellonian to Union and stopped. A German officer in an overcoat with a red general's lining and a Russian brigade commander shook hands.
The units passed, two commanders made speeches.
Then they lowered the German flag and raised the Soviet one.
The last German column, taking a step, moved towards the Graevsky Bridge, turned left onto Kashtanovaya (Heroes of Defense), towards the fortress, and further beyond the Bug. KPZB members began shouting: “Long live Soviet power!”
In these In the testimony, the witness also does not use the word “parade,” and it is also clear that Soviet tanks entered the city at a time when the Wehrmacht soldiers were already at the ready. Moreover, neither the first nor the second witness mentions any passage of the Soviet army past the podium with Guderian and Krivoshein.
Another proof that there was no parade is the “Agreement with Soviet officers on the transfer of Brest-Litovsk.” It is not worth dwelling on this document in detail, since it is already very well known. We will focus only on the most important point for us, which we will translate from German.
“14:00 The solemn march of Russian and German troops begins in front of the commanders on both sides with a change of flag at the conclusion. During the changing of the flag, the music of the national anthems is played.”
The translation of the German word Vorbeimarsch is “passing in formation in a solemn march (past smth.); passing in a solemn march.” A regular on-line translator gives “Marching”. The word “parade” in German is different – Truppenparade or simply Parade,” and this word is not in the document. And to “no,” as they say, “there is no judgment.”
One can also cite a whole series of indirect evidence, such as the general condition of the Soviet troops at that time. Krivoshein's tanks entered Brest straight from the march and, naturally, were not ready to participate in the ceremonial passage.
One can also cite Polish sources as evidence, which describe the transfer of the city, but not the parade.
However, against the backdrop of all of the above, I think this no longer matters.
A joint parade of the Wehrmacht and the Red Army in Brest (German: Deutsch-sowjetische Siegesparade in Brest-Litowsk) - a solemn march along the central street of the city of units of the XIX motorized corps of the Wehrmacht (corps commander - General of tank forces Heinz Guderian) and the subsequent passage of the 29th separate tank brigade of the Red Army (commander - brigade commander Semyon Krivoshein), which took place on September 22, 1939 during the official procedure for the transfer of the city of Brest and the Brest Fortress to the Soviet side during the invasion of Poland by German and USSR troops. The procedure ended with the ceremonial lowering of the German and raising of the Soviet flags.
The transfer of the city took place in accordance with the Soviet-German protocol on the establishment of a demarcation line on the territory of the former Polish state, signed on September 21, 1939 by representatives of the Soviet and German commands.
The Polish garrison of Lwow abruptly and unexpectedly surrendered to the 1st Mountain Division as it made ready to withdraw from its siege lines on 21 September. The occupation of the city was left to the Russians and the 1st Mountain Division moved westward toward the San with the rest of the XVIII Corps. The XIX Corps turned Brzesc over to the Red Army on 22 September in a formal ceremony in which both German and Russian units were paraded. The corps then began its return to East Prussia.
On September 22, 1939, a joint Soviet-German “parade” took place in the city of Brest. The “parade” was hosted on the German side by General Heinz Guderian and our brigade commander Semyon Moiseevich Krivoshein, here they are standing side by side on the podium, but it all started a month earlier in Moscow, where on August 23, 1939 a non-aggression pact was signed between Germany and the Soviet Union, one of points of the agreement stated: “In the event of a territorial and political reorganization of the regions that are part of the Polish State, the border of the spheres of interests of Germany and the USSR will approximately run along the line of the Narev, Vistula and San rivers.
Polish troops in the region; October 38th
Warsaw 1938, Marshal Rydz-Smigly and Oberst Studnitz during the festive parade on the occasion of the annexation of the Cieszyn region to Poland.
Let's return to our "parade"
Germans waiting for Soviet troops at the entrance to Brest. The inscription on the banner: "Greetings to the deliverers from the master's oppression."
A visit by the German military to the Soviet tank regiment near Brest on September 20, 1939.
On September 21, 1939, the issue of transferring the city was discussed with the German side by representatives of the Krivoshein tank brigade, Captain Gubanov and battalion commissar Panov, who arrived at the headquarters of Guderian’s corps, and an agreement was reached regarding the actions of the next day.
"1. German units leave Brest-Litovsk before 14.00 on September 22. Detailed schedule:
8.00 - arrival of the Soviet battalion with the aim of taking the fortress and real estate of Brest-Litovsk.
10.00 - meeting of the mixed commission: from the Soviet side - captain Gubanov, battalion commissar Panov, from the German side - city commandant Lieutenant Colonel Kholm, translator Lieutenant Colonel Sommer.
14.00 - start of the joint parade of German and Soviet units. During the flag change, orchestras play the anthems of both countries.
2. Wounded German soldiers unable to evacuate remain under the guardianship of the Red Army and upon recovery will be sent to their units...” - etc., 10 points in total.
let's smoke one by one comrade
A soldier of the 689th propaganda company of the Wehrmacht talks with the commanders of the 29th tank brigade of the Red Army near the city of Dobuchin (now Pruzhany, Belarus).
There is a cuff tape on the sleeve - “Propagandakompanie”.
Column of German motorcyclists. Nearby is a Soviet T-26 tank. Brest, September 22, 1939.
The liberation of the fraternal peoples was successful, it is possible to hold a victory parade, this is how Heinz Guderian describes it in his memoirs.
As a herald of the Russian approach, a young Russian officer arrived in an armored car and informed us of the approach of their tank brigade. Then we received news of the demarcation line established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which, passing along the Bug, left the Brest fortress to the Russians;
On the day of the transfer of Brest to the Russians, brigade commander Krivoshey, a tankman who spoke French, arrived in the city; so I was able to easily explain myself to him. All issues remaining unresolved in the regulations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were resolved satisfactorily for both parties directly with the Russians. We were able to take everything except the supplies captured from the Poles, which remained with the Russians, since they could not be evacuated in such a short time. Our stay in Brest ended with a farewell parade and a ceremony with the exchange of flags in the presence of brigade commander Krivoshein.
T-26 tanks from the 29th Tank Brigade of the Red Army enter Brest-Litovsk. On the left is a unit of German motorcyclists and Wehrmacht officers near an Opel Olympia.
friendly handshakes
Documentary evidence
On September 14, the city, and on September 17, the Brest fortress were occupied by the 19th Motorized Corps of the Wehrmacht under the command of General Guderian. On September 20, units of the 29th Tank Brigade of Brigade Commander Krivoshein approached Brest and negotiations began on the transfer of Brest and the Brest Fortress. Negotiations continued the next day, and already at 10 a.m. on September 22, the German military flag, which had flown over the fortress for exactly five days, was lowered to the sounds of a German orchestra, and units of the 76th Wehrmacht Infantry Regiment left the Brest Fortress. On the afternoon of September 22, the Germans left Brest in the same organized manner and without incident, losing the city to Soviet troops.
Guderian really wanted to hold a full-fledged joint parade, but then agreed to the procedure proposed by the commander of the 29th Tank Brigade S.M. Krivoshein: “At 16 o’clock, parts of your corps in a marching column, with standards in front, leave the city, my units, also in a marching column, enter the city, stop on the streets where German regiments pass, and salute the passing units with their banners. Bands perform military marches" 2).
The order for the 20th German division on September 21 says: “1. On the occasion of the taking of Brest-Litovsk by Soviet troops on September 22, 1939, in the afternoon, preliminary between 15.00 and 16.00, a march will take place at the headquarters of the 19th Army Corps in front of the commander of the 19th AK Guderian and the commander of the Soviet troops... German and Soviet troops take part in the march divisions" 3).
As you can see, very streamlined formulations are used. “Marching”, “in a marching column”, etc. Such reservations cannot be accidental; the fact is that for the military of any country, participation in parades, the order of troops, who and how takes part in the parade, and other points of this ritual are strictly prescribed in the Charter. 4) And practically none of the requirements of the Charter are met in this case. Strictly speaking, just from the wording of the orders it becomes clear that what happened cannot be called a parade. At best, a joint procession. But was there such a procession? We will return to this issue when discussing film and photographic materials.
The Bundesarchive contains the document “Vereinbarung mit sowjetischen Offizieren über die Überlassung von Brest-Litowsk” (“Agreement with Soviet officers on the transfer of Brest-Litovsk”) 5).
Explanation of the translation: in square brackets “” the missing parts of the word/phrase are given in the case of abbreviations in German. Comments are placed between slashes “/” 6) .
/Translation of the text of the 1st page of the document/
Copy
Brest-Litovsk, 21.9.1939.
Agreement on the transfer of the city of Brest-Litovk and further advance of Russian troops.
1.) German troops leave Brest-Litovsk on September 22 at 14:00.
In particular:
8:00 Approach of the Russian battalion to take over the fortress and land property of the city of Brest.
10:00 Meeting of the mixed commission consisting of:
from the Russian side: captain Gubanov
com.[issar] bat.[aliona] Panov /Panoff/
from the German side: sub [colonel] Holm / (command [ant of the city]
sub. [Colonel] Sommer / Sommer / (interpreter)
14:00 The solemn march of Russian and German troops begins in front of the commanders on both sides with a change of flag at the conclusion. During the flag change, the music of the national anthems is played.
2.) German wounded who are not transportable are transferred under the supervision of the Russian army and, when transportable, are sent away.
3.) Currently, non-transportable German equipment, weapons and ammunition are temporarily left by German units (Nachkommando) and are transported as soon as delivery is possible.
4.) All supplies remaining after 21.9, 24:00 hours are transferred to Russian troops.
5.) vehicles that become on the escape route due to a breakdown follow repairs to German military units. Retrieval groups must notify the liaison officer at the Russian military headquarters in Brest.
6.) The transfer of all prisoners and trophies is carried out upon presentation of a certificate of receipt.
/mark - copy of the Bundesarchive /
/Translation of the text of the 2nd page of the document/
7.) the collapse of the field telephone network is carried out 24.9 through units (Nachkommando), only during the day.
8.) To resolve all still open issues, the above-mentioned mixed commission remains.
9.) The agreement is valid only for the territory where army units are located in the northeastern direction [direction] to the Bug.
10.) The further offensive of the Russian troops is agreed upon by a mixed commission based on directives from the command on both sides.
signed [written by] Nering /Nehring/ own [written by hand] signed by [written] Gubanov owned by [written by] from the German side, from the Russian side, colonel, service in the General Staff [general staff] captain
Russian commander 1. copy German commander 2. - Captain Guvanov 3. - Commissar [ar] of the Panov battalion 4. - Lieutenant Colonel. Golm 5. - Lieutenant Colonel. Sommer 6. - 20. /inaudible/ 7. - reserve 8. -
For the correctness of the copy: /illegible, handwritten/
Rittmeister
/mark - copy of the Bundesarchive/
Noteworthy is the use of the term “Vorbeimarsch” in the text of the document. "Vorbeimarsch" (ceremonial procession) and "Parade" (parade) are different words and are not synonymous. The ceremonial procession is one of the components of the parade, but it can also be performed without any parade context.
Film and photo materials
On September 27, 1939, the story about the transfer of the city of Brest appeared in the next issue of the film review “Ton-Woche” No. 473. It is from here and from the official German publication of 1939 “The Great German Campaign against Poland” that photographs of this “parade” are used, which are so popular refer.
00:17-00:33 After 18 days of war, the Wehrmacht High Command was able to report: “military operations in Poland are over.” The generals celebrated (with handshakes) especially distinguished soldiers.
00:40-00:47 On the 18th day, German troops met in Brest-Litovsk with Soviet-Russian units moving from the east.
01:05-01:12, (room) Here, after short negotiations, the demarcation line was discussed in detail.
01:18-01:30 After these important negotiations... the commanders and generals of the German and Soviet-Russian troops accepted the march of troops together.
02:32-2:51 A tiny proportion of Polish troops tried to defend themselves, the sunken ships should have prevented access, with the help of (German) artillery and the navy, the resistance was eliminated.
03:32 The Fuhrer unexpectedly arrived to take over the port.
04:15 Upon his arrival in the “Hanseatic” city of Danzig, the people were very happy with the liberators.
As you can see, here we are talking about a march, but not about a parade.
Let's take a closer look at these photos. A number of surprises will immediately await us.
Passage of German troops
On the German side, the passage was carried out by two artillery divisions, a reinforced regiment of the 20th motorized division, and a reconnaissance battalion as the last.
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German troops are passing solemnly, they are aligned with the platform where German and Soviet officers are located, and salute them. |
Noteworthy is the presence of numerous observers of the passage.
As Soviet troops pass, only a few outside observers are captured in the frame. It’s not clear where the crowd watching the German procession went.
It is extremely strange that the newsreels did not include a single frame where Soviet tanks were filmed against the backdrop of the podium with Guderian and Krivoshein. This makes us take a closer look at those shots where Soviet troops appear in the frame at the same time as German ones.
There are such pictures.
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Here is one T-26 tank walking past a column of German motorcyclists. |
But what is this? During the passage of German troops, that is, at the beginning of the parade, there was a small platform at the flagpole on which officers stood. Now he is gone. And these are clearly not events after the “parade”, when the platform could have already been removed.
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After all, the completion of the German march of troops, at 16:45, was the ceremonial lowering of this flag. Then Krivosheev said a few phrases, the orchestra, played by a platoon of traffic controllers trained in playing wind instruments, played the Soviet anthem, and a red flag was raised on the same flagpole. If a flagpole with a German flag appears in the frame with the passage of the T-26, then this is clear evidence that the picture was taken before the “parade” |
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And here is the T-26 column walking along the same square, past the same column of German motorcyclists. And again there are neither officers receiving the parade nor a platform on which they should stand. Please note that the shadows from passing German equipment are cast forward and to the left, from Soviet equipment - forward and to the right. |
Parades in other cities
The opinion is often expressed that in addition to Brest, parades also took place in Bialystok, Grodno, and Lvov. However, after the events near Lvov, when the German and Soviet armies had a series of military clashes, and the German withdrawal from Lvov itself was accompanied by constant artillery exchanges, “After the Lvov incident, Soviet and German units were generally not given the opportunity to get closer to each other at a distance of more than half a day’s march, i.e. 20 km." There could not be a parade in Lviv itself, since “On September 21, 1939, on the day of the surrender of the Polish garrison to the Red Army, there was not a single German unit in the city. They were withdrawn 10 km west of Lvov and were preparing to withdraw to the river line. San."
Voronezh: Central Black Earth Book Publishing House, 1964. - P. 250−262. - 15,000 copies.
The Polish garrison of Lwow abruptly and unexpectedly surrendered to the 1st Mountain Division as it made ready to withdraw from its siege lines on 21 September. The occupation of the city was left to the Russians and the 1st Mountain Division moved westward toward the San with the rest of the XVIII Corps. The XIX Corps turned Brzesc over to the Red Army on 22 September in a formal ceremony in which both German and Russian units were paraded. The corps then began its return to East Prussia.