"During that meeting, King told us, when they were talking about what was going to happen to the Germans after the war, Stalin had said out of a clear sky: "I know 60,000 German officers I am going to shoot!" Thereupon Churchill arose, cigar in hand, and paced back and forth across the room saying such a thing could not be; it was not Christian; we were civilized people; it was against the laws of civilized warfare to shoot 60,000 officers! Back and forth walked Churchill, while Stalin sat at the table, not saying a word. Finally, Churchill returned to his place, and after everything had quieted down, Stalin once more, through his interpreter, said, "I know 60,000 German officers I am going to shoot after the war is over!" Apparently Stalin understood some English, although he would not admit it. Whether he could speak English I did not know, nor was I ever able to find out."
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Anti-imperialistsAtheistsGeneral Secretaries of the Communist Party of the Soviet UnionSoviet premiersPeople from Georgia (country)
Original Language: English
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Sources
Henry H. Arnold, Global Mission (1949), p. 466
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Joseph_Stalin
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Joseph Stalin
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