Shell Shock??

[ANZAC]

Does anybody know what the criteria was for a Russian soldier to be listed with 'Shell Shock' as a wound received?

thanks

Brendan

[UQWozza]

Hi Brendan,

There is good general stuff on shell-shock in Wikipedia

Combat stress reaction - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Everything BUT the Russian view.

Doing a quick search throught the University Library I found this article: "The Collective Mind: Trauma and Shell-shock in Twentieth-century Russia" by Catherine Merridale in the Journal of Contemporary History 35(1), 39–55 (2000). She also wrote a book mentioned elsewhere in the forum "Ivan's War" which is a great read.

Shell-shock (voennaya kontuziya) is described as tremors, mutism, debilitating nightmares and paralysis (seems fairly common to all countries). However, the Russians believed that artillerymen were the most likely to be affected.

It seems that the Russians were initially at the forefront of the treatment of these casualties (starting in the Russo/Japanese War of 1904-1905) but that attitudes had hardened by the GPW and that many sufferers were exiled in Soviet times.


Simon

[ANZAC]

Thanks Simon. I have a few awards where the soldier, under wounds received was listed as having been 'Shell Shocked'. I was wondering what this enatailed under the Soviet structure. I also notice that all were returned to active duty. Also wondering what the cure was.

I also have a couple where the soldier was 'Shell Shocked' at least twice and returned to active duty. I also have queried how such cases were handled under Soviet Rule in time of war. Knowing that most high ranking officers were quite liberal with their mens lives could such a 'wound' be treated as cowardice as was done in WWI by some countries. Having thought on this supposition I also wonder how many were returned to penal battalions or not to their orginal units for not having the required 'National Patriotic Attitude'.

It would be interesting to know especially in light of what everyone now knows to be Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSS) and what that entails.

Brendan

[Commissar]

From what I recall there was some talk of what the Soviet forces did for shell shocked troopers in the Great Patriotic War in the book "Ivan's War" as mentioned before.
Very good, I loved it.

Its hard to say though, like he said, very liberal with lives.