Talk:SMERSH

POV

they would be arrested, and tortured by Smersh, forced to sign fake confessions, put on a show trial, and either sent to the camps or shot. Smersh would also often be sent out to find and kill defectors, double agents, etc.

sounds POV. please justify, i am currently removing the lines --Nuttysocrates 07:21, 30 September 2005 (UTC) NuttySocrates

SMERSH agents infiltrated German-held territories, blowing up German rest facilities and assassinating commanders, knowing that the civilian population would suffer German reprisals. The civilian population would then become motivated to support and joined partisan groups, often run by SMERSH.

Are there any evidence of this statement? It sounds very stupid - if population after SMERSH diversion 'suffers German reprisals' (which effectively meant mass executions or sending for forced labour to Germany) how could they join partisan groups after that? Please indicate credible sources showing that SMERSH clandestine operations in fact were meant to ignite German reprisals.

scientology connection

It looks like L_Ron_Hubbard may have issued a memo ordering his Sea_org "to invade the territory of Smersh".

http://www.clambake.org/archive/so/19690326-in.gif

http://clambake.org/archive/so/index.html

Does this warrant a mention?

I believe that there should be a "Popular Culture" section in the article which covers L. Ron Hubbard's insane lunacy in regards SMERSH. There are very few people who actually know of Hubbard's beliefs in that respect which is something of a shame because it is one of the more amusing, classic ways in which a real entity can morph in to fantasy entertainment and then in to conspiracy culture.

Hubbard's April 3rd, 1969 lunatic screed as he was being investigated for espionage and financial crimes in Briton included 'The US health societies, groups, foundations and agencies are all members of SMERSH which is an English takeover of the work of Clifford Beers to bring protection to mental patients. In 1948 a group in England calling itself the "World Federation of Mental Health" incorporated in Delaware, USA and began the Fascist psychiatric trend behind the face of "humane mental health".'

That is classic morphizing of real to entertainment to conspiracy and I think it should be covered in a new segment on the Wiki entry under Popular Culture. Damotclese (talk) 18:02, 6 April 2012 (UTC)

I'll add that Ian Fleming died in 1964 and his novels were published from 1953 to 1966. Along came Hubbard who obviously read some of the novels and immediately labeled himself an expert in spies and espionage (as he always labeled himself an expert in everything else he ever read about) and he seized upon SMERSH as the powerful force that was working to stop him from committing domestic terrorism, treason, and financial crimes in Europe. Damotclese (talk) 18:07, 6 April 2012 (UTC)

RRRecords

SMERSH were also a fairly influential experimental band in the mid to late 80s. I would think that it deserves at least a mention. What say you fine folks? ;-)

That should also be added to a "Popular Culture" section. I suppose if nobody else creates one, I will. Damotclese (talk) 18:08, 6 April 2012 (UTC)

ascii art

lovely ascii art. this certainly is the encyclopedia built by slashdot. thank god none of you write real encyclopedias. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.137.223.153 (talk) 02:27, 17 December 2006 (UTC).

Armtog or Amtorg

The section "Activity overseas" mentions the commercial front organization "Armtorg". I am pretty sure that this is a mistake and that "Amtorg" is meant, and am changing it accordingly. Hi There 17:55, 16 July 2007 (UTC)

Louis Adamic

In the History section, the death of Louis Adamic is ascribed to the GRU but the WP Louis Adamic article claims his death as a suicide. This will need to be corrected or sourced, and if corrected, the entire structure of the paragraph needs to be reworked. Hi There 17:55, 16 July 2007 (UTC) $Insertformulahere$

Badly needs overhaul

Lots of bold and unsupported claims with distinctly non-neutral favour.

Right. The article is completely unsourced.Biophys 03:02, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Yeah, I really doubt if the SMERSH "captured thousands of Allied soldiers" and forced them to disappear. Seems like propaganda to me, but then again, I am not too familiar with the SMERSH. I suppose that a few Allied soldiers may have been captured, but thousands? Doubtful. - XX55XX 02:04, 8 October 2007 (UTC)

Author's Note

In From Russia With Love, Ian Fleming said in an author's note that SMERSH still existed in 1956 and employed about 40,000 agents. Was he mistaken? Emperor001 13:21, 10 November 2007 (UTC)

He also said General Grubozaboyschikov was real and this entry says he wasn't.--Jack Upland (talk) 10:19, 9 July 2010 (UTC)

Timeline? (Katyn discrepancy)

Among the several puzzling (ludicrous?) statements included in this topic, there is a glaring contraddiction in the timeline. At first it's claimed that this alleged Smersh have been formed in 1943, and then it's indicated as responsable of the Katyn Massacre (1940!!!). An awfully bad topic, faulty in both form and substance. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.220.148.63 (talk) 08:26, 13 December 2007 (UTC)

I noticed that too. I have changed the heading of this section to make it less cryptic. Man with two legs (talk) 12:24, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Parrish suggests that SMERSH could have been formed in late '42 or even earlier, but the date of 'official' creation was April 14th, '43 Borohachi (talk) 23:57, 30 March 2009 (UTC)

Phonetics

The name is phonetically similar to the Russian words "смерч" (smerch) for tornado and "смерть" (smert) for death.

So what?--Jack Upland (talk) 05:04, 9 July 2010 (UTC)

Organisation Chart

"Radio games"???--Jack Upland (talk) 00:48, 9 October 2010 (UTC)

Thanks, Vasiliyfinn!

Since you don't yet have a User talk page, I have to thank you here for the yeoman work you did to pull the history section of this article into intelligible shape. Молодец! Languagehat (talk) 20:41, 17 May 2011 (UTC)