Stalin's Preparation for War by 1941
To what extent was Stalin Prepared for War by 1941?
In 1941, The Nazi Government of Germany put ‘Operation Barbarossa’ into practise. An invasion of Russia’s land for the purpose of Lebensraum. Stalin quickly set into action and a war began on the Eastern front. Some Historians debate on whether Stalin was ready for war by 1941, or not.
It could be argued that Stalin was ready for war by 1941, due to the size of the army. By 1941, there were 5 million red army soldiers enlisted. Coupled with 230 tanks and 700 aircraft being built every month. The Soviet army could be seen as a formidable force. This meant Conscription didn’t have to be brought in, and with the large population, more troops could be brought in if numbers ever dropped.
On the other hand, Stalin’s military hand was not strong enough. While the army was impressive, it’s leadership was not so much. During the purges, 35,000 officers were killed for being disloyal, and were replaced by younger, less experienced men. Many officers weren’t in their role for a year before war broke out. This meant strategies were uninspiring and ineffective, something which may not have happened if the officers were not killed.
Industry was also a problem of the Communists during the start of the patriotic war. But there were some positive aspects. The 5 year plans, succeeded in their goal. Before, Russia was an agrarian, semi capitalist society. By 1941, it was an urbanised, highly industrialised power. Raw industry output had increased 200% for example. In this sense, Russia had an economy which was very well established to deal with war. Women were starting to work, and new opportunities for jobs and education were available.
The problem was, that quality was often sacrificed for quantity. This was done to reach Gosplan targets, and if these targets were not met, then there would be severe consequences. While industry was booming, the output was not up to good standards. Opportunities for education were there, but were
In 1941, The Nazi Government of Germany put ‘Operation Barbarossa’ into practise. An invasion of Russia’s land for the purpose of Lebensraum. Stalin quickly set into action and a war began on the Eastern front. Some Historians debate on whether Stalin was ready for war by 1941, or not.
It could be argued that Stalin was ready for war by 1941, due to the size of the army. By 1941, there were 5 million red army soldiers enlisted. Coupled with 230 tanks and 700 aircraft being built every month. The Soviet army could be seen as a formidable force. This meant Conscription didn’t have to be brought in, and with the large population, more troops could be brought in if numbers ever dropped.
On the other hand, Stalin’s military hand was not strong enough. While the army was impressive, it’s leadership was not so much. During the purges, 35,000 officers were killed for being disloyal, and were replaced by younger, less experienced men. Many officers weren’t in their role for a year before war broke out. This meant strategies were uninspiring and ineffective, something which may not have happened if the officers were not killed.
Industry was also a problem of the Communists during the start of the patriotic war. But there were some positive aspects. The 5 year plans, succeeded in their goal. Before, Russia was an agrarian, semi capitalist society. By 1941, it was an urbanised, highly industrialised power. Raw industry output had increased 200% for example. In this sense, Russia had an economy which was very well established to deal with war. Women were starting to work, and new opportunities for jobs and education were available.
The problem was, that quality was often sacrificed for quantity. This was done to reach Gosplan targets, and if these targets were not met, then there would be severe consequences. While industry was booming, the output was not up to good standards. Opportunities for education were there, but were