> Zero doesn't sound like a reasonable expectation. No it does. German documents clearly say "if they try to flee the city - shoot them". Hitler had specific p

> Zero doesn't sound like a reasonable expectation. No it does. German documents clearly say "if they try to flee the city - shoot them". Hitler had specific plans to destroy it completely after the war. > but not everyone was killed. Out of 27 million deaths only 8 millions were combatants. Do the math on civilians. > is whether a timely evacuation of Leningrad Leningrad is a major industrial and cultural center, second city in the USSR, its loss would've dealt a colossal moral blow to the Soviet people. It also tied a lot of Nazi forces, that could've been used elsewhere (i.e. Stalingrad battle). > Stalin intentionally left much of the civilian population in the siege. No he didn't. Siege started in September, only 3 months after Nazis attacked. It is not possible to evacuate 3+ million city in such a short time. 659,000 were evacuated before the siege began, and 30,000 after. Many people didn't want to leave their homes. > is used for silencing honest, civilized discussion about WW2 history. No it is not.