TGPW - Stalin as an effective military leader!! Flashcards
Learned to delegate (military & economy) / listen to advisers. Became determined!
Also learned to trust army more! Allowed his generals to take on more decisions
Listened to Antonov / Commander Zhukov. Agreed to wait for Nazis at Kursk. Amassed 40% of RA manpower, 75% of tanks, dug 3000 miles of trenches, 400,000 land mines - success. 1 week of fighting. Greatest Tank Battle in history!
June 1944 - Operation Bagration - RA had learned lessons. Amassed forces first then surprised Germans. Successful: after 68 days of fighting, Germans driven out of Eastern Europe !!
RACE TO BERLIN w Nazis. 78,000 casualties. Ruthless. Revenge. Violent Soviet occupation of Berlin.
Removed political commissars from army - soldiers no longer felt as if they were constantly under scrutiny - felt more trust in Stalin
ECONOMIC DELEGATION:
- Economy run by Vosnesenski.
- Stalin didn’t micromanage, like 5yps
- Kagnanovick oversaw 2 aspects of retreat from Nazis: evacuation & scorched earth policy!!
Propaganda:
July 3rd Speech & Rebranding himself for foreign allies!
Stalin raises morale!
Invoked patriotism / nationalism through his language e.g. fighting for ‘the motherland’, called citizens his ‘comrades’.
For western allies, rebranded himself as “Uncle Joe” to seem less threatening. Referred to the US / USSR alliance as “The Grand Alliance!”
Painted victory at the Siege of Leningrad in a positive light - deliberately didn’t release the death toll! Not a real victory!
Able to make tough decisions / harsh orders
Refused to give aid from Red Cross to pow!! Even his own son died when captured!
Order 270 - Aug 1941 - no retreating! Threatened ‘cowardly’ soldiers by threatening their family - motivated them to fight for the nation out of fear.
Order 227 - July 1942 - not a step back!! Used smersh units / blocking brigades to gun down any deserters / cowards
430,000 disgraced soldiers made to walk through mine fields
To ‘encourage’ heros!
Intense rebuilding plan east of Urals!! USSR DISMANTLED 1500 FACTORIES, TRANSPORTED ON TRAINS, THEN REBUILT WEST OF URALS!
Incredible scale - over 1 million railway wagons needed!
Ideological flexibility & pragmatic decisions
(Reintroduced military ranks:
initially Trotsky. Anti-communist. Rewards heroism & bravery)
- Allowed NEP-style private trade.
- Allied with capitalist nations - previously rocky relationship - e.g. Roosevelt only officially acknowledged communism in 1933!!
- Removed political commissars from military ranks - increased soldiers’ morale - felt Stalin ‘trusted’ them more, so trusted him more. Not as severe scrutiny
- Willingness to move capital away from Moscow!
- Reopened churches - recognised people needed a higher purpose to fight!
- Loosened restrictions on becoming a communist member
- Got rid of Comintern International.
‘Brave’ Stalin
Stayed in Moscow in Oct 1941 when other officials were evacuating - Nazis within 10 miles of the city. Even critic of Stalin Volkogonov called this ‘a bold and far sighted move’
Praise for Stalin :(
- Pravda: “The genius organiser of our victories” (1939 - when he’d just lost Kiev!!)
- Times Magazine made him man of the year twice!! 1939 / 1942. Ego massaging.
- reports of troops shouting “for stalin! for the motherland!”
- growing cult of personality, especially after victory at Battle of Stalingrad - Feb 2nd 1943.
Successful military organisation
Stavka established - 23rd June 1941 - day after invasion!
GKO est - 30th June 1941. Efficient, only 5 ppl in GKO
Stavka =
GKO = state defence committee
Quick response!!
BUT does lose patience quickly - gives himself total control on Aug 8th 1941, makes himself Supreme Commander
Foreign policy success
Alliance w Churchill - overlooked his rudeness at conference - e.g. likened the Soviet people to ‘orangutans’.
Got rid of Comintern International - smart move to encourage allies that he was not intent on spreading communism to their countries
Allied with GB / USA - Stalin refers to as “Grand Alliance”.
Accepts £11 billion from USA by 1945! Spam! 15 million pairs of boots! 360000 trucks!
An example of Stalin being prepared to make a tough decision?
“No one condemns a victor” - Stalin’s personal motto
Prepared to sack loyal companions around him e.g. Voroshilov (initially part of GKO!) In charge of defending Leningrad - bad job - surrounded.
Replaced Voroshilov after 3 months with General Zhukov on 8th Sep 1941 - when siege begins!
Carried out his vision no matter the cost!
Stalin experienced
Lived through the civil war
Economic delegation?
- Economy run by Vosnesenski
- Stalin didn’t micromanage, like 5yps
- Kagnanovick oversaw 2 aspects of retreat from Nazis: evacuation & scorched earth policy!!
