Andrey Vlasov
Russian Liberation Army leader
Died when: 44 years 322 days (538 months)Star Sign: Virgo
Andrey Andreyevich Vlasov (Russian: ????é? ????é???? ??á???, September 14 [O.S. September 1] 1901 – August 1, 1946) was a Soviet Red Army general and Nazi collaborator. During World War II, he fought in the Battle of Moscow and later was captured attempting to lift the siege of Leningrad.
After being captured, he defected to Nazi Germany and headed the Russian Liberation Army (Russkaya osvoboditel'naya armiya, ROA). Initially this army only existed on paper and was used by Germans to goad the Red Army troops to surrender; only in 1944 did Heinrich Himmler, knowing that Germany was running out of manpower, arrange Vlasov to form a real Russian pro-Nazi army.
At the war's end, Vlasov changed sides again and ordered the ROA to aid the Prague uprising against the Germans.
He and the ROA then tried to escape to the Western Front, but were captured by Soviet forces. Vlasov was tortured, tried for treason and hanged.