Order No. 227

Content of the order.

Order No. 227 (Russian: Приказ № 227) was an order issued on July 28, 1942 by Joseph Stalin, People's Commissar of Defense at the time, during the Second World War. One of its statements, "Not a step back!", soon became the USSR's main slogan as Stalin requested. The order established a new strategy at the front; for soldiers to hold positions at all cost until reinforcements arrived.

This, in addition to future adaptations and continuous Soviet innovation to the battle's reality, led to the USSR's defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945.

Context

The order was issued as a result of the Nazi offensive on the USSR, who had to sign the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (Soviet-German Non-Aggression Pact) earlier due to Western states' refusal in allying with the USSR earlier against Nazi Germany and trying themselves to make 'peace' with the latter.

See also

• Battle of Stalingrad