Soviet Informant Numbers, 1942-1951

The line graph above displays information on the change in the number of informants for the OBKhSS, which operated under the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD). The informants working for the OBKhSS included citizens from a wide range of professions, tasked with identifying crimes against the state, primarily referring to theft of socialist property. The graph indicates that the OBKhSS’s informant numbers fell to around 42,000 in early 1942. The low number of informants was caused by the outbreak of war, resulting in the drafting, death, and evacuation of many informants. After the diminishment of the informant network, the OBKhSS focused heavily on rebuilding. In 1945, the recruitment effort for informants sharply increased, prompted by the rise in post-war theft. The influx of returning soldiers created a job shortage, prompting many to turn to theft. Given that the informants helped identify theft, the extreme increase in theft made it necessary for more informants to monitor civilian behavior. The graph shows another increase in recruitment efforts after the 1946-1947 famine, which led to widespread theft and disorder within the Soviet Union. The line graph above shows that the informant network continued to rise after 1942. It is particularly noteworthy that growth persisted despite the OBKhSS and MVD conducting audits for informants. Audits regularly purged informants deemed untrustworthy, ineffective, or deceased. The fact that overall numbers continued to grow in the informant network, despite regular audits, suggests that the OBKhSS was recruiting enough to offset removals.

Data and Information Source: