Description
Object description
Russian civilian in Germany, 1932-1934, Lithuania, 1934-1940 and Italy, 1940-1941; worked for German News Service in Berlin, Germany, 1941-1942; member of French Resistance in Paris, France, 1943-1944; interpreter during International War Crimes Tribunal at Nüremberg, Germany, 10/1945-10/1946
Content description
REEL 1 Background in France, 1919-1932: family background and circumstances; education; his political views, 1919-1939. Aspects of period as civilian in Germany, 1932-1934: his progressive disillusion with Fascism; initial attractions of National Socialism; observations of Nazi attitude towards Jews, 1932-1934; degree to which there was a Communist threat in Germany in early 1930s. Aspects of period as civilian in Lithuania, 1934-1940: government and politics; social and economic organisation; Lithuanian-Soviet relations.
REEL 2 Continues: family's position in relation to government officials; securing passport enabling him to leave Lithuania; leaving Lithuania to escape Soviet People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (NKVD). Aspects of period as civilian in Italy, 1940-1941: hearing first stories of situation in Poland during transit through Germany to Italy, 2/1940 including Nazi policy of euthanasia; popular reaction to Italy entering war as witnessed in Rome, 6/1940; degree of freedom of speech; popular Italian attitudes towards Great Britain, 1940; degree of popular support for Fascism; reasons for his arrest. Aspects of period as civilian in Berlin, Germany, 1941-1942: restrictions on his movement from Berlin.
REEL 3 Continues: gaining admission to University of Berlin; memories of William Joyce in English Section of German News Service; attitude towards German invasion of Soviet Union, 6/1941; his attitude towards British Government policy during 1940; his mother's reaction to German invasion of Soviet Union, 6/1941. Recollections of period as member of French Resistance in Paris, France, 1943-1944: obtaining fictitious status as factory worker; problems obtaining papers and entry into France; corrections to previous elements of interview.
REEL 4 Continues: arranging to be thrown out of German News Service; moral question of shooting of hostages by Germans; securing new post with German radio station in Paris, 1942; enrolling as political economy student, 1/1943; making contact with French Resistance; securing false papers and his status as 'enemy alien' in the former Vichy France; German requirement for people from former Baltic States to register, summer 1943; securing false papers to avoid registration.
REEL 5 Continues: assuming new identity, 1943-1944; his plan to undermine loyalty of Eastern Europeans serving in German armed forces; reasons for opposition of resistance to his plan; different reactions of Russian émigrés to German occupation of Soviet Union; biographical background of General Andrey Vlasov commander of renegade Russian Liberation Army; attending lecture by General Andrey Vlasov's chief of staff General Maksim Malshev in Paris, 1943; White Russian involvement in black market; his activities prior to D-Day.
REEL 6 Continues: narrow escape in missing his rendezvous in Paris on D-Day, 6/6/1944; difficult French Forces of the Interior (FFI)-Francs-Tireurs et Partisans (FTP) relations within French Resistance; Francs-Tireurs et Partisans (FTP) misuse of weapons for own purposes; Russian émigré officer's rescue of collaborator from Rennes Prison; attempt of Francs-Tireurs et Partisans (FTP) to obtain French Forces of the Interior (FFI) weapons; assignment given to him to locate German Army positions in Paris suburbs, 8/1944; fighting during liberation of Paris, 8/1944; massacre of Germans by Moroccan troops, 8/1944; revolt of French Police in Paris, 8/1944.
REEL 7 Continues: erection of barricades in Paris, 8/1944; knocking out of German armoured car, 8/1944; German/French vehicle warfare in France, 8/1944; continuation of everyday life during uprising in Paris, 8/1944; circulation of news in Paris, 8/1944; role of 16e Arrondissement in uprising, 8/1944; his apprehension by resistance and court martial in 16e Arrondissement; his rescue from execution; conduct of Germans during occupation.
REEL 8 Continues: first manifestations of resistance in France after 1940; causes of deteriorating relations of German occupation authorities with French population; handing over of prisoners to Gestapo by Abwehr as policy; fate of Jewish civilians during occupation. Recollections of period as interpreter during International War Crimes Tribunal, Germany, 10/1945-10/1946: his recruitment by Americans as interpreter, 10/1945; chance encounter with former female mail censor; Soviet responsibility for 'crimes against humanity'; his relations with Soviet Colonel Leo Smirnov for whom he interpreted; effect of atrocity film on defendants; evidence pointing to Soviet responsibility for Katyn Massacre in Soviet Union, 4/1940-5/1940.
REEL 9 Continues: Soviet challenge to Germans giving evidence on Katyn Massacre; responsibility of Robert Jackson for legal foundation of trials; qualities of different judges and prosecutors; visitors to the trials; interpreter team; intensity of work; social life; scavenging of German civilians for left over food; accommodation and transportation; observing non-fraternisation order; gradual reappearance of civilisation; friendship with English officer acting as interpreter.
REEL 10 Continues: leave in Paris, France; arrival of offer of United Nations interpretership; defendants who elicited sympathy; memories of Erich Raeder, Hans Frank, Albert Speer, Hermann Göering, Rudolf Hess, Wilhelm Keitel, Alfred Jodl and others; discussion of legality/otherwise of trials; memories of Joachim von Ribbentrop, Arthur Seyss-Inquart and Alfred Rosenberg; appearance of Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus before testifying on Operation Barbarossa; examination of Schutzstaffel (SS) generals.
REEL 11 Continues: question of culpability of German anti-partisan police units; evidence on medical experiments on concentration camp inmates; attitude to working at trials.