The standards were selected from a pool of about 900 standards and banners shipped to Moscow from Berlin and Dresden.[2] Some of them were collected by SMERSH trophy teams in May 1945 and some were taken from German museums[4] (in 1944 Adolf Hitler ordered all military standards to be moved to museums, possibly to prevent their capture in battle[5]). The LSSAH banner staff was captured in the Battle of Berlin.[6]
After the parade additional colour shots were made showing the flags of various Nazi organisations and other veteran organisations being thrown to the ground. The shots were added to the official video of the parade. The idea to have German standards at the parade and throw them to the ground was suggested by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in May 1945.[4] The show of contempt stemmed from the old custom of "disdain not for the enemy, but for his defied military colours" in the troops of Russian general Alexander Suvorov.[4]
The following list is based on the list of standards approved by Colonel Peredelsky on 21 June 1945. It is divided into battalion, Abteilung,[lower-alpha 1] and regimental standards and flags[7] (although during the war the Soviets captured standards of larger German units, such as the XLVII Panzer Corps[8]). Peredelsky's list includes older Imperial German standards (mostly cavalry) and Nazi police flags. The banner staff of LSSAH was approved separately from the list.[2] Most standards are now housed in the Central Armed Forces Museum of Moscow, while some are kept in museums of other countries.
↑ Abteilung is variously translated as battalion or detachment, although the Wehrmacht distinguished between battalion and Abteilung. Peredelsky's list uses its Soviet equivalent, divizion, but also includes three battalions among them.
↑ Listed twice in Peredelsky's list, under no. 38 and no. 49.
↑ Listed twice in Peredelsky's list, under no. 17 and no. 21.
↑ Listed twice in Peredelsky's list, under no. 20 and no. 25.
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