Russian Tactics During World War II The Russians began the war in a disorganised way as a result of the purges of officers prior to the outbreak. In addition Stalin ignored intelligence concerning the German invasion plans. Thus the issue here is to reflect on just how the Russians managed to become one of the victor nations. Among the factors one would include: the central organisation of resources which gave the nation the ability to resist; the large-scale mobilisation of resources, especially the placing of women in the workforce to release males for army service; the partial reconciliation with the Church; Stalin's rapid use of his …show more content…
Stalin accepted a 'strange' alliance with the West and accepted material aid from its allies, America and Britain. He also demonstrated leadership that that was ruthless and unyielding in order to deliver a victory regardless of the cost. Most importantly the state's policies involved appealing to the people's sense of nationalism and patriotism rather than loyalty to Marxist-Lenninst principles, Modernisation One of the key reasons for the Soviet success was that the military leaders were willing to learn from the Germans particularly in relation to more sophisticated and mechanised equipment and weaponry and the tactics of modern armoured warfare. The Soviet army was modernised and this transformation resulted in better performance in battle with fewer losses - in 1941 six or seven Soviet tanks were lost for every German one; by 1944 the ratio was down to one to one. (Mastering 20th Century Russian History) The military achieved significant success with the introduction of communication systems - radios and radar for the air force, radios in tanks and field telephone systems. This equipment allowed them to plan and execute complex operations and was vital to the success in the encirclement of Stalingrad. Industrialisation To ensure the army's ability to fight the war it was vitally
For many revolutions people may argue different reasons why that particular revolution was caused, but there often one that is the primary cause. The Russian Revolution began February 1917, many people in Russia lost faith in their government, especially since they had not done so well to begin with when they participated in World War I. Which resulted in a lot of expenses. Others may argue that since Tsar was an unproductive leader and because of the decisions he made when he was in power that influenced the Russian Revolution. Although Tsar’s weak leadership may have influenced the Russian Revolution, World War I was the main cause of the Russian Revolution because it destroyed the economy, which led to riots and many people
Russia's overthrows and shortage caused revolutionary upheaval and massive inflation, which led to deprived infrastructure. During World War I, Russian society naturally caused great dissatisfaction among the serfs. As the revolution wore on, numerous reform and Tsar Nicholas II, a ruler, tried to change Russia's social structure and government. Among the masses, there was discontentment with Russia's social system and living conditions. Laborers worked and lived in horrendous conditions, which played a crucial role in aggravating the condition of workers and peasants. As a result, peasants starved and Russia’s armies were overpowered on the battlefield because much of its terrain was occupied by enemies. Hence, Imperial Russia was a
Under a backdrop of systematic fear and terror, the Stalinist juggernaut flourished. Stalin’s purges, otherwise known as the “Great Terror”, grew from his obsession and desire for sole dictatorship, marking a period of extreme persecution and oppression in the Soviet Union during the late 1930s. “The purges did not merely remove potential enemies. They also raised up a new ruling elite which Stalin had reason to think he would find more dependable.” (Historian David Christian, 1994). While Stalin purged virtually all his potential enemies, he not only profited from removing his long-term opponents, but in doing so, also caused fear in future ones. This created a party that had virtually no opposition, a new ruling elite that would be
World War II was full of conflicts between countries all over the world. Although most people only know things about the holocaust or Hitler 's affect on the World War II, there are other important events that have affected many countries. The Battle of Moscow was a major battle between the Soviet Union and Germany. Ironically, the Soviet Union and Germany previously had a secret agreement (the nonaggression pact) not to go to war on each other, but the promises turned to be broken when Germany 's plan to capture Moscow went into action. (German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact, History Site)
Captain Dennis W. Dingle’s dissertation, presented before the faculty of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in 1977, concerns the significance of the Soviet Union’s decisive victory at Stalingrad and its impact on the outcome of the Second World War. While much of this information is irrelevant for the purpose of answering the thesis question I have proposed, it does contain indispensable statistics showcasing the economic and military might of the two most pertinent combatant nations in the Second World War in the timeframe of December of 1941 and July of 1943.
Russian inability to recognize changing tactics and weapons of modern warfare is inexcusable but sadly explainable. Because the Czar tended to centralize power and surround himself with "yes men," he missed the good advice of those in his country who could have helped guide Russia into war. Some of these choices can also be blamed on misconceptions of Russian capabilities, and of its military identity. The military reforms that were not completely halted by inept leaders were otherwise thwarted by the lack of details with which an army mobilizes and fights. Details were not an important aspect for Russian pre-war strategy or estimations.
African-Americans played an important part on both sides of the battle. Petersburg was known for having a high population of freed African-Americans as high the population of Petersburg was black and 35% of that population was free. Slaves and freedmen were very integral to the city of Petersburg and the Confederacy as they worked for many railroad companies. In 1862, they helped construct the ten-mile long defensive line of trenches and batteries around the city of Petersburg. In March 1865, after sustaining heavy white casualties in the Confederate Army, they called upon 40,000 African-Americans to join in the fight. In the Petersburg Daily Express, a notice was given to the African-American population “To the slaves is offered freedom and undisturbed residences at their old
The Sources of Soviet Conduct, a highly influential article written by George Keenan in 1946, states that the US must pursue afirm and consistent opposition to the Soviet Union. In Keenan's argument for this, he explores the two factors of ideology and circumstance which shaped the Soviet Union. This is used in order to explain the behaviour of the Soviet Union. Thus, the most effective method for the US to counteract this behaviour is then explained.
Initially, the general masses that were just days before striking and demonstrating for changes in working conditions now fell to their knees in support of their nation. What they did not know was just how woefully unprepared their country was to take action against the Central Powers. Guns and ammunition were in a vast shortage. In training, one gun was used by three recruits. More ammunition was being fired in a day than could be manufactured in a month. During battles, soldiers relied on using the guns of the killed or wounded. Combined with this lack of preparedness, the promotion system was based off of seniority or family ties, not skill. This led to many incompetent leaders that lacked the skills, training, or intelligence needed to make strategic decisions to ensure Russian victories. While the Russian army was able to secure victories against Austria-Hungary, the campaign against Germany went horribly wrong. The first real defeat was at Tannenberg, where Russian forces lost 300,000 men. Russia’s military force was far behind Germany’s, and when the Austro-Hungarian army was joined by German troops, Russia was effectively nothing more than cannon fodder to divert German forces away from the Western Front. The public support earlier mentioned was now non-existent. Public displays against war were common and usually brought down forcedly by the police. During
The invasion of the Soviet Union can be seen as one of Hitler’s greatest blunders. In 1941 Hitler and Stalin were in a non-aggression pact. Hitler decided to waive that pact and invade the Soviet Union in 1941 with Operation Barbarossa. Hitler’s decision to invade the Soviet Union was a great risk and ultimately led to the 3rd Reich’s downfall. The Soviet Union was a country full of vast resources and a higher population than Germany. There seems to be so many risks involved with attacking the Soviet Union. So why was the Soviet Union attacked by Germany in 1941?
The battle of Stalingrad was fought in Russia, the Germans planned to swoop in and take what they wanted, but Russian leaders were expecting the Germans and they devised a top secret plan to deal with them. Russian leaders used resources to promote patriotism and they prepared
The consequence of World War Two left the United States and Russia as the prevailing military forces on the planet, yet they had altogether different types of government and economy, the previous an industrialist majority rule government, the last a comrade tyranny. The two countries were adversaries who dreaded each other, each ideologically restricted.
The Russian Civil War started November 1917 October 1922 was a multiple party war in the old Russian Empire immediately after the Russian Revolutions of 1917. Many groups competed to determine Russia's political future. The two largest fighting groups were the Red Army , fighting for the Bolshevik form of socialism led by Vladimir Lenin and the loosely allied forces known as the White Army which included diverse interests favoring monarchism, capitalism and alternative forms of socialism, each with democratic and antidemocratic variants. In addition, rival militant socialists and non - ideological Green armies fought against both the Bolsheviks and the Whites. Eight foreign nations intervened against the Red Army, in particular the allied
During World War II, the battle of Stalingrad began in the city of Stalingrad, Russia and was fought between August of 1942 and February of 1943. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-stalingrad It is still considered today to be one of Russia’s greatest battles in which the Russian army defended itself from invasion by the German army. This battle essentially stopped Germany’s determined advance into Russian territory. This marked a huge turning point in the war for the Allies. It was a very important war because it crippled the German offensive as well as destroying much of its army.
He had been, but he was one of many who were greatly angered by the