Torture and a show

I know I know. My titles are getting increasingly sadistic. I can't promise it won't continue...

Friday

Today, started with a lecture on the Soviet secret police and their torture methods. I know I keep writing the happiest stuff right. 

History lesson coming up, but still super interesting... If your a history buff too. 

Stalin era torture is some of the most graphic and extreme methods of torture perpetuated by a peoples unto another human that most of us have ever been able to gain knowledge of, partially due to the fact this occurred in recent history, and partially because it was so well-documented. The Soviet secret police was not only out for information, but to both physically and mentally break down a population of people. 

Subsequently, the Soviet secret police were distinctive and diverse in their use of torture during their investigations in comparison to past regimes and nations. Contrasting with other investigations undergone throughout history, the Soviet secret police were not only seeking out truth, but forcing someone to admit to crimes they hadn't committed. 

These investigations and torture methods were meant to break a person, completely. With their extreme methods, the Soviet secret police were able to not only break the individual and humiliate them, but were also able to intimidate the entire populace into submission. The fear of these interrogations became so appalling amongst the insurgents that many would even commit suicide ahead of being captured. 

It was known throughout the population that the tortures were exceedingly cruel and slow. To break a person into confessing to a crime the Soviet secret police would not only beat those held prisoner, but subject them to freezing temperatures, starvation, lack of sleep, the risk of disease, lack of sunlight, and multiple devices intended to inflict mass amounts of pain. Throughout these interrogations one was not allowed to pass out as to avoid the pain, in many cases those being tortured were administered shots to keep them alert. The end result was to get each and every one to confess to the crimes that were brought before them and because of the methods used, almost all did confess. Those few who did not confess were more often than not killed or their health was severely affected as to pain them for the rest of their shortened lives. The central theme and intention of these interrogations and mistreatment of the populace was to terrorize and to assert dominance by the invading army.

The most interesting fact about the Soviet police was that they understood all the ethnic cultures they encountered and systematically broke the populace. For instance, in areas of the Ukraine bodies were desecrated after death and put on display in the city center. People were made to pass by it everyday and if you reacted the Soviet's then realized you knew the person and you were taken away as well. Whereas, in Islamic cultures, after tortures men were shot in the back of the head and then dressed in military gear and arms so as not to insight extreme violence from the population. 

The afternoon was filled with the rather long movie The Pianist. While long it is a great movie, very well done, and I recommend it to everyone.  Just be prepared to spend the whole movie depressed. 

It is based off of the book The Pianist, an autobiography. It is the true story of a Jewish man who lived in Warsaw throughout the war. I don't need to tell you what he went through. I have a feeling as we are heavily educated in Holocaust history during the war you have some idea. 

Side-note: If you do decide to read the book I have some great music list ideas I can give you while you read it. My iPod seemed to know what I was reading and provided the perfect background music for the moods of the book.