we opened up our penitentiaries and stuck everybody into the army
This bit seems to argue against the veracity of the quote. Literally millions were stuck in the infamous prison camps at the time, and they were not let out - only the previously out-of-favor officers like Rokossovsky were.
One of my ancestors was an imprisoned soldier when the war broke out (long story, he was innocent); he was put in a penal battalion, but never saw combat, despite volunteering for it. I think there were more than enough volunteers - many stories you read from the time are of kids who lied about their age so they'd be allowed to join, i.e., the subsequently famous writer Astaf'yev.
Enlisting criminals wasn't necessary nor considered desirable because they'd be less trustworthy - but someone trying to smear the image of the army would add that detail in.
This bit seems to argue against the veracity of the quote. Literally millions were stuck in the infamous prison camps at the time, and they were not let out - only the previously out-of-favor officers like Rokossovsky were.
One of my ancestors was an imprisoned soldier when the war broke out (long story, he was innocent); he was put in a penal battalion, but never saw combat, despite volunteering for it. I think there were more than enough volunteers - many stories you read from the time are of kids who lied about their age so they'd be allowed to join, i.e., the subsequently famous writer Astaf'yev.
Enlisting criminals wasn't necessary nor considered desirable because they'd be less trustworthy - but someone trying to smear the image of the army would add that detail in.