During the first part of Great Patriotic War, Soviets experienced heavy losses along with mass retreat and desertion. Stalin released order No. 227 to reestablish discipline in Soviet Army. The order itself has a very passionate preamble. "… but further retreat to the east means to sentence to death our people and our Motherland, every bit of our land given to the enemy will enforce him and will weaken our defense, our Motherland.” No commander had the right to retreat without an order. Anyone who did so was subject to a military tribunal of the corresponding seniority level.