sadly the story relic told isn't anywhere near as bad as it really was and still is.
Uff, I really didn't wanna get involved into this, but anyway.
"Although over 21,000 American soldiers were given varying sentences for desertion during World War II, including 49 death sentences, Slovik's was the only death sentence that was actually carried out"
Now if Relic made a game depicting poor US soldiers taken from their bed, put on a boat and shipped to WW2 battlegrounds. Sent to attack well defended German bunkers, and poor soldiers either have a choice
1. to charge MG42 and die, or
2.if they run away (desert) they are hunted down by evil military police carrying hanging rope, and hanging them on the nearest tree, imprisoning them or sending them to prison camps
Couple that with some movies, showing a stories of poor crying man forced on the plane and jumping behind enemy lines with only a gun and some ammo.
And there you go, You desecrate the memories and heroism of thousands upon thousands of brave US soldiers and depict them as cowards who were forced to fight because of evil Poiticians and their military police hanging squads.
Pretty sure half of Americans would be pissed of with that game, and war veterans and politicians outraged. (flying plane into World trade center, just a game? not when it strikes near the heart)
Slovik's death sentence :
His appeal came in January 1945 just as the German counter-offensive, the Battle of the Bulge, was at its peak. Allied forces were near breaking point. It was not, Supreme Allied Commander, General Dwight Eisenhower decided, time to risk seeming to condone desertion.
So after considering that, Stalins order 227 doesn't seem that evil, now does it?
considering that Soviets had their back against the wall, no where more to retreat. and Nazis plan was to: Exterminate majority of Russians and rest use as slave Labour until they die out
US deserters ravaged Paris, raped, killed and stole almost as much as Nazis after Liberation.
But you only see french girls blowing kisses and throwing flowers at them.. Like a big Brothel with 30,000,000 prostitutes (maybe why French didn't like Americans that much after ww2? eh) It doesn't mean that all US soldiers acted that way, criminal at home = criminal let of the leash in wartime
Anyway, I am not defending Stalin or trying to say that horrible things aren't done in war, but Cold War Propaganda has left distorted picture of what really happened and why.
If it wasn't for Cold War, you would have completely different mental image of WW2 Soviet soldier
I hope that sort of gives you idea why Russians are pissed off. (at least thats what I think would piss me off if I was Russian)
P.S. I didn't actually play campaign, just going by what I read.
Personally I think Relic mixed their Cold war sentiment towards Soviets, when they chose those kind of things as natural thing to add to campaign.
Not good choice in my eyes.
Relic Entertainment
cblanco ★ 
보드카 중대 
VonManteuffel 
Heartless Jäger 
Australia
Right now it's not uncommon to see +80% searching games as OH in 2vs2 and up.
