At the end of the SecondWorld War, a secret Moscow agreement that was confirmed at the 1945 Yaltaconference ordered the forcible repatriation of millions of Soviet citizensthat had fallen into German hands, including prisoners of war, refugees andforced laborers. For many, theorder was a death sentence, as citizens returned to find themselves executed orplaced back in forced-labor camps. Tolstoy condemns the complicity of theBritish, who "ardently followed" the repatriation orders.