Linguistic support of Soviet military operations during the Great Patriotic War

Abstract

The article examines the role of military translators in providing linguistic support for combat operations of the Soviet Army during the Great Patriotic War. The author emphasizes that the specifics of military affairs have left their mark on all forms of military communication: from written orders and reports to oral negotiations. Special attention is paid to the fact that effective linguistic support required translators not only to have an impeccable command of foreign languages, but also deep specialized knowledge. Their professional competence included understanding the tactics and strategy of both the Soviet troops and the German Wehrmacht, the organization of various branches of the armed forces, the principles of combat training, the legal and economic aspects of the functioning of military units, as well as the technical characteristics of the weapons used. The urgent need for qualified personnel during the war led to the creation of an accelerated system for training military translators in specialized universities in the country. These specialists performed a wide range of tasks: from working with captured documents and interrogating prisoners of war to radio interception and operational transfer, which directly affected the success of combat operations. The author concludes that linguistic support was an essential element of military planning and management, and military translators acted not just as language intermediaries, but as highly qualified specialists whose contribution to the overall victory cannot be overestimated. Their work required a unique combination of linguistic skills, military knowledge, and the ability to operate quickly in combat conditions