Editing Great Patriotic War (section)

==== Central Asia and deportations ====
Several small Central Asian nations rose up against the USSR during WWII, committing mass collaboration with Nazi Germany. As punishment, they were deported away from the border in 1943-44. Namely, the Chechen, Ingush, Karachai, Kalmyks, Kabarda-Balkars, and Crimean Tatars.<ref name=":6" />

Why? All of them were Muslims, and probably under the influence of reactionary Muslim mullahs who maintained sharia courts and sought to exploit their Muslim followers. <ref name=":6">Bill Bland, Soviet Resettlements. https://espressostalinist.com/2011/07/20/bill-bland-on-the-enforced-resettlements-in-the-soviet-union/</ref> (Unlike the Orthodox Church, Stalin hadn't reconciled Islam to communism.) These reactionary forces had remained so strong because the development of productive forces was retarded by the mountainous geography of the Caucasus.<ref name=":7">SovinformMedia on X, "The CIA admits Truth about Stalin-era Deportations." https://x.com/SovinformMedia/status/1674605330129641473</ref> Nazi intelligence also gave credit to Britain for supporting reactionary jihadists in Central Asia via Afghanistan.<ref name=":5" />

As a punishment for mass Nazi collaboration, and for border security, most people in these nationalities were deported to Siberia, away from the border, and placed under NKVD surveillance. Some exceptions were given to Red Army heroes.<ref name=":6" /> <ref name=":7" /> The importance of the Caucasus to Soviet security would be vindicated after WWII by the US Pentagon's Operation Pincher, which planned to take the Caucasus via Turkey and Iran.<ref>SovinformMedia on X, Operation Pincher. https://x.com/SovinformMedia/status/1697337937372074436</ref> 

Some more nations also deported for border security because of their foreign ethnic ties. These were not punishments, but preventative security measures. Meskhetian Turks, who were sympathetic to Turkey, were deported in 1947 as the US was making Cold War threats involving Turkey.<ref name=":6" /> All Germans, including the Volga German nation, were deported in 1941 as the war started, not as punishment but to prevent their collaboration.<ref>Grey, Ian (1979). ''Stalin: Man of History''. p. 504.</ref> Koreans were also deported away from the border with Korea in 1937.

The decision to deport in 1943 was initiated by Stalin, but Khrushchev apparently made no protest.<ref name=":6" /> In 1956, Khrushchev blamed Stalin and lied that there were "no military considerations" in the deportations.<ref>Khrushchev, Speech to the 20th Congress of the CPSU. https://www.marxists.org/archive/khrushchev/1956/02/24.htm</ref>