In 1986 Nikolai Tolstoy published " The Minister and the Massacres " , a history of the repatriations from Austria to Soviet forces of Axis supporting troops , many anti-communist Cossacks ( many of the repatriated troops were killed , and the rest sent to forced labour camps ) . Tolstoy accused former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan of conspiring to go beyond the agreement at the Yalta Conference and send anti-Soviet troops to their deaths . When he read the book , Cowgill was shocked and formed an independent commission of inquiry to determine the truth . Tolstoy at first co-operated with the inquiry , sharing documents and contact details for surviving witnesses . Cowgill 's conclusion , outlined in an initial report in September 1988 and a final report in October 1990 , was that the repatriations were in line with policy , there had been no conspiracy and Macmillan 's role was minimal
Yalta Conference
Yalta Conference
Anthony Cowgill