Lionel Duroy: “I have been working on our ability to embody absolute evil for thirty years”. Inspired by the writings of a German general, the novelist asks burning questions about the conduct of war and the duty of obedience.
General Paulus commanded the Stalingrad offensive from the summer of 1942 until his surrender in January 1943 and capture by the Russians. The Winter of Men combines the story of Nazi criminals with that of Serbian officers wanted for war crimes. In Have We Become Criminals, I look at the fate of General PaulUS to try to get closer to what is playing out in the minds of Russian officers today.