1941-1945 - Effect of WW2 on Stalin

• Stalin ignored accurate intelligence reports of the impending German invasion.
• Even when reports came in about the massive German advance into the USSR, Stalin did not believe them.

  • In fact, there is a rumour that the person who gave him the news was shot.
• In the first 4 weeks of the war, 319 Red Army units were destroyed.
• Stalin fled Moscow for his dacha and it is rumoured he had a nervous breakdown.
• Members of the Politburo begged Stalin to return as the political system depended entirely on his leadership and just over a week later, Stalin returned to Moscow.
• Stalin only made 9 public speeches during the war but the one he had on 3 July 1941 had an important impact on the Soviet people.

  • "Comrades! Citizens! Brothers and Sisters! Fighters of our Army and Fleet! I address you, my friends".
• The 3 July speech was very different from previous speeches that Stalin had made.

  • He had never called the Soviet people "friends" or "brothers and sisters" before.
  • He emphasised the patriotic duty of everyone to fight off the Germans.
• When the Germans were on the outskirts of Moscow in late 1941, Stalin made another speech with the sound of gunfire in the background which sent a strong symbolic message to the people.
• The government itself had been evacuated from Moscow but Stalin insisted on remaining.
• Having recovered from the initial panic, Stalin established himself as the Supreme Military Commander.
• Stalin's initial strategy was to launch counter-attacks against the Germans rather than organise tactical withdrawals in order to preserve the strength of the Red Army.

  • This was a disastrous decision and by the end of 1941, the Red Army had 6 million men killed or captured.
• Even in spring 1942, Stalin ignored the advice of his generals and insisted on a series of counter attacks which ultimately helped the Germans to advance further into the south of the USSR to the outskirts of Stalingrad.
• Unlike Hitler, Stalin was able to learn from his mistakes and this was crucial.
• From mid 1942 onwards, Stalin began to listen to his generals more
• The most influential generals were Vasilevskiy as Chief of the General Staff and Zhukov as Deputy Supreme Commander.
• Vasilevsky and Zhukov planned the successful counter attack at Stalingrad and were able to convince Stalin of the superiority of their plans for forcing the German army out of the USSR.
• Stalin also recognised the importance of promoting those with ability rather than just choosing the most loyal.