 WarChildUSMC 
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Joined: Dec 2009  VA, USA
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Posted: 7/13/2012 4:04:19 PM
THE IMAGE ABOVE IS A PAID ADVERTISEMENT I'm looking into getting one of these two books. The Chief Culprit suggests that Germany invaded the USSR because the USSR was preparing to attack Germany, and take over all of Europe. I believe it was written by a soviet who defected to UK, but I'm not completely sure. The book, stumbling colossus on the other hand, refutes The Chief Culprit and tell the conventional story of how the USSR was in disarray. Both seem to have good fed back but that the same time, both books have reviews that say they are false and suggest the other one as the true history. They say the chief culprit doesn't have all the facts, and some say stumbling colossus is very bias against the Germans, understandable seeing as it was written by the Russians. In short, I don't want to waste money and time reading a book that is false, so I was hoping someone here has |
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kill_machine85
Veni,Vidi,Vici
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Joined: Oct 2007 WI, USA
Posts: 101 Feedback: 100% (2) Link To This Post |
Posted: 7/14/2012 1:11:08 PM
Well the reason one could be false is because simply put no one can really know if the USSR was going to invade Europe because they didnt get the chance. I have heard and read on the issue that Hitler invaded Russia days before Russia was going to invade Europe. After reading up on i dont think it was likely Russia was going to do anything along those lines for a goof many years. and most of it i believe is to simply try and provide a reasoning to help justify Germany being not so evil. Lets be honest Stalin was in the middle ofwhat his 3rd 5 year plan or something like that. Russia was crap and their army was in complete shambles. I dont believe he had plans of invasion for a while for another reason also, simply look at his break down after learning of Barbarossa, thats reason enough for his to have reason to invade Europe and yet he has a breakdown, definitely not a man who was looking to make a move and soon.
Put simply i dont think you can read one of those books without reading the other than you could actually put the two together and meet them in the middle and decide for yourself which parts you think are more accurate and what not. Good luck either way you decide to go with the subject. |
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Posted: 7/14/2012 2:26:08 PM
[Last Edit: 7/14/2012 2:26:49 PM by WarChildUSMC]
Some books claim he was planing on waiting for Germany to wear its self out in a war with the west like in ww1, and then come in and take Europe, but after Germany quickly defeated France decided against it. I guess your right, its hard to say what could have happened.
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Posted: 7/16/2012 3:53:19 PM
the job of the historian is to read both and make an educted conclusion.
With that said if an invasion was planned it was not dated until after 44 Stalins favotite game was making 2 year, 4 year, 6 yer,or 10 year plans most were geared agricultural or industrial output they was just not enough focus on military hardware before 1940 to let me believe n invasion was planned |
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stevem1a
American
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Joined: Apr 2003 CA, USA
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Posted: 7/17/2012 1:02:03 AM
While many Soviet records have been released to historians, many others have not and perhaps never will be.
I have no doubt that USSR had a plan to invade and conqueror Germany in 1941. After all, that is the function of a General Staff, to plan for future contingencies. How realistic that plan was, and whether or not Stalin would have activated it, remain unknown as of now. The Soviets, and now the Russians, have claimed they were the victims of Hitler. To publicly release a plan that showed they were planning to attack Germany in 1941 would cause a wholesale revision of many historical works that depend on that story of victimization. It is probably not in the best interests of the current Russian government to release such documents. Good luck ever reading such a plan. |
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Posted: 7/17/2012 10:55:25 AM
[Last Edit: 7/17/2012 11:04:32 AM by dkstg44]
Originally Posted By WarChildUSMC:
First, I put this in books, but its been weeks without a reply so I'll try here seeing as it is about history after all. I'm looking into getting one of these two books. The Chief Culprit suggests that Germany invaded the USSR because the USSR was preparing to attack Germany, and take over all of Europe. I believe it was written by a soviet who defected to UK, but I'm not completely sure. The book, stumbling colossus on the other hand, refutes The Chief Culprit and tell the conventional story of how the USSR was in disarray. Both seem to have good fed back but that the same time, both books have reviews that say they are false and suggest the other one as the true history. They say the chief culprit doesn't have all the facts, and some say stumbling colossus is very bias against the Germans, understandable seeing as it was written by the Russians. In short, I don't want to waste money and time reading a book that is false, so I was hoping someone here has The author Colonel David M Glantz is a former US Army intelligence specialist. I have only read Glantz's book. It is well worth reading. |
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Posted: 7/17/2012 3:19:02 PM
thank you, sorry for my error, I'll have to look into it
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Dave_Markowitz
A little short for a Storm Trooper
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Joined: Jul 2004 PA, USA
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Posted: 7/28/2012 8:59:33 AM
FWIW, I do not think that the Soviets had any serious plans for invading Western Europe in 1940 - 41. They were too busy licking their wounds from the beatdown they'd received at the hands of the Finns in the Winter War. What should have been a walkover was a complete disaster for the Soviets. They needed to regroup and rebuild.
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RonnieJamesDioFan
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Joined: Aug 2011 WV, USA
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Posted: 8/11/2012 5:42:51 PM
Not to mention that Stalin had gutted the officer corps just a few years before. Kind of hard to go on the offensive when everyone who knew how to lead the army was either in a gulag or dead.
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