▁was ▁halt ed . ▁The ▁Church ▁was ▁now ▁permitted ▁to ▁operate ▁with ▁a ▁fair ▁degree ▁of ▁freedom , ▁so ▁long ▁as ▁it ▁did ▁not ▁get ▁involved ▁in ▁politics . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁a ▁new ▁Soviet ▁national ▁anth em ▁was ▁written , ▁replacing ▁the ▁Intern ationale , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁used ▁as ▁the ▁national ▁anth em ▁since ▁ 1 9 1 8 . ▁These ▁changes ▁were ▁made ▁because ▁it ▁was ▁thought ▁that ▁the ▁people ▁would ▁respond ▁better ▁to ▁a ▁fight ▁for ▁their ▁country ▁than ▁for ▁a ▁political ▁ide ology . ▁ ▁The ▁S ovi ets ▁bore ▁the ▁br unt ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁because ▁the ▁West ▁did ▁not ▁open ▁up ▁a ▁second ▁ground ▁front ▁in ▁Europe ▁until ▁the ▁invasion ▁of ▁Italy ▁and ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Norm andy . ▁Appro xim ately ▁ 2 6 . 6 ▁million ▁S ovi ets , ▁among ▁them ▁ 1 8 ▁million ▁civ ili ans , ▁were ▁killed ▁in ▁the ▁war . ▁C iv ili ans ▁were ▁rounded ▁up ▁and ▁burn ed ▁or ▁shot ▁in ▁many ▁cities ▁conquer ed ▁by ▁the ▁Naz is . ▁The ▁retre ating ▁Soviet ▁army ▁was ▁ordered ▁to ▁purs ue ▁a ▁' sc orch ed ▁earth ' ▁policy ▁where by ▁retre ating ▁Soviet ▁troops ▁were ▁ordered ▁to ▁destroy ▁civil ian ▁infrastr ucture ▁and ▁food ▁supplies ▁so ▁that ▁the ▁Naz i ▁German ▁troops ▁could ▁not ▁use ▁them . ▁ ▁St alin ' s ▁original ▁declaration ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁that ▁there ▁were ▁ 7 ▁million ▁war ▁dead ▁was ▁re