What He Did:

The torture and cruelty of the Soviets began with separating the Polish into two groups. One group would be killed immediately by being shot. During Stalin's rule over 20 million people were sent to gulags or labor camps. Malnutrition and scurvy were both common due to the diets of the people in the labor camps. Nearly half of them died while at these horrendous camps. Many prisoners of war or victims in the labor camps were underfed to the point of starvation. They were also given little clothing even during the winter months so death was likely due to the terrible living conditions. In the prisons the cells were stuffed with about twelve people when it was meant for five. Reports of victims of the heinous crimes told that it was difficult to breathe because of the crowd and because it was either scorching hot or freezing cold. The polish prisoners were forced to march for long distances with possible sudden death if they stepped to the left or right.