TGPW - Stalin's initial mistakes Flashcards
Big military mistake: Stalin had purged / was purging the military even during war!!!!
MIC (military-industrial complex) weakened by purges!
35,000 officials purged. 3/5 marshals killed. Tukhachevsky dead. Stifled iniative, lost military expertise, encouraged H’s attack.
By Oct 1941, had purged 300 more commanders!
Stalin’s military naivety:
- Didn’t delegate / listen to advisers.
- Obsession with counteroffensives & ‘no retreating’
- Cavalry
- purge of the army pre-war
Obsessed with counter-offensives - called it the “Great Russian counteroffensive” Stalin overconfident. Unable to believe his own military intelligence, said protect oil fields! Stalin obsessed with Moscow’s defence.
but sometimes needed to strategically withdraw e.g. SIEGE OF LENINGRAD. Led to huge losses in first 6 months - 2.5 million dead / 3.5 million pow
Obsession with no retreat - whole units destroyed. Kharkov, tank plant, Nazis wiped out Soviet troops there - didn’t retreat.
Use of cavalry: 3.5 million horses against German guns
Foreign policy - No allies!! No evacuation / attack or defence plan!!
Stalin had relied too much on the Nazi-Soviet Pact w Hitler (August 23rd 1939). Probably hoping for 5 years - only got 18 months!!
Personality shortcomings: Didn’t take the blame!!!
Paranoia even when negotiating peace
Shot Pavlov & 3 other generals for anti-soviet conspiracy when the initial German success in the first few weeks became evident!!
Nazis incredibly successful in first 6 months - occupy Ukraine / Baltic States / White Russia (modern day Belarus). USSR - enormous losses
Stalin killed 300 of his commanders! Purging his own leadership by Oct 1941! Losing military expertise!
Absent figurehead
Didn’t show up in public for ten days after invasion!! Nation in chaos
Surprise attack !
His Belief in Nazi-Soviet Pact & his disbelief in his own advisers!
Stalin not expecting German attack until GB defeated!!!
Didn’t listen to his intelligence network.
Soviet Spy Viktor Sorge warned of June 22nd Dawn invasion on May 15th! A whole month before invasion! Churchill also warned Stalin on June 11th, but Stalin didn’t listen - paranoid, thought GB trying to instigate war between USSR & Germany - relieve pressure from their own fight - the Blitz. Belief in Nazi-Soviet pact.
THEREFORE STALIN: didn’t defend from the start. Didn’t build up war materials - in June 1941 - still selling weapons to the Nazis that were later used against them!
Barrier countries e.g. Ukraine lost 600,000 troops to Nazis!
