Assured Victory: How "Stalin the Great" Won the War, but Lost the Peace: How Stalin the Great Won the War, But Lost the Peace

This book documents dictator Joseph Stalin's brilliant tactics as well as missteps in taking preemptive actions that guaranteed ultimate victory over the German invaders. It also covers the policies implemented after the war that made the Soviet Union a menace to world peace and led to collapse of Soviet rule. A detailed reexamination of historical facts indicates that Stalin could deserve to be regarded as a "great leader." Yet Stalin clearly failed as his nation's leader in a post-World War II milieu, where he delivered the Cold War instead of rapid progress and global cooperation. It is the proof of both Stalin's brilliance and blunders that makes him such a fascinating figure in modern history. Today, most of the Russian population acknowledges that Stalin achieved "greatness." The Soviet dictator's honored place in history is largely due to Stalin successfully attending to the Soviet Union's defense needs in the 1930s and 1940s, and leading the USSR to victory in the war on the Eastern Front against Nazi Germany and its allies. This book provides an overdue critical investigation of how the Soviet leader's domestic and foreign policies actually helped produce this victory, and above all, how Stalin's timely support of a wartime alliance with the Western capitalist democracies assured the defeat of the Axis powers in 1945. Cover ......Page 1 Assured Victory ......Page 2 Title ......Page 4 Copyright ......Page 5 Contents ......Page 6 Preface ......Page 10 Note on Transliteration ......Page 16 Introduction ......Page 18 Fallout from the Medvedev Decree ......Page 23 Poll on Stalin’s Greatness ......Page 24 Revising School Textbooks ......Page 25 Historiographers’ View Toward Writing History ......Page 29 PART ONE: Age of Dictators......Page 36 Unique Dictator ......Page 38 Advantages Enjoyed by Stalin ......Page 39 Contrasts with Western Leadership ......Page 41 Stalin Uses Diplomacy as a Weapon ......Page 42 Stalin’s Personal Qualities......Page 44 Dealing with the West and America ......Page 46 A “Master Politician”......Page 48 The Stalin Cult ......Page 52 Machiavellian Methods ......Page 56 Legacy of the Cautious Leader ......Page 58 Consolidating the Home Front ......Page 60 Were the Purges Justified? ......Page 62 The Kirov Case ......Page 63 Mainstream Historiography on the Purges ......Page 65 The Watershed Year ......Page 66 4 The World as Seen from Stalin’s Kremlin......Page 72 Foundation of German-Soviet Relations......Page 73 Red Army-German Military Collaboration......Page 76 Soviet-Fascist Totalitarian Kinship......Page 79 Treacherous Currents of Europe ......Page 83 5 Soviet Two-Track Policy......Page 86 Counterpoint of Early Soviet Diplomacy, 1918–1930s ......Page 87 Peredyshki......Page 90 Fomenting Inter-Imperialist Tensions......Page 91 Diplomacy in Stalin’s Industrialization......Page 92 Stalin’s Emphasis on Defense......Page 95 Trail of Broken “Friendship” Treaties......Page 97 Comintern Factor ......Page 99 United Front (Lenin)/Popular Front (Stalin)......Page 101 Early Roots ......Page 106 The Brest-Litovsk Precedent (1918)......Page 107 Straws in the Wind ......Page 111 The “Communazi” Factor......Page 113 Stalin Navigates European Waters ......Page 116 Far East Dangers ......Page 117 PART TWO: Stalin Prepares for War......Page 120 7 The Myth of Collective Security......Page 122 League Weaknesses ......Page 125 Soviet View toward the League......Page 126 Stalin’s Cautiousness......Page 134 8 America in Stalin’s Future......Page 140 Stalin Watches America’s Slide toward War......Page 141 Stalin’s American Affinities......Page 144 Stalin at the Eighteenth Party Congress ......Page 146 Stalin’s Defensism......Page 147 Stalin on the West’s Plans......Page 148 The Significance of Stalin’s Hints......Page 149 Stalin and the CPUSA......Page 150 American “Colossus”......Page 151 Stalin’s Hoped-for Lend-Lease......Page 154 A “Strange” U.S.-Soviet Alliance......Page 158 Stalin Defends State Interests ......Page 161 Stalin and FDR......Page 166 Spies and Agents of Influence ......Page 167 Stalin Among the Big Three ......Page 169 Controversy over Stalin’s Defense Policies......Page 178 Specifics of Nazi-Soviet Pacts and Protocols......Page 181 Carving Up the World ......Page 184 New Tensions ......Page 186 Gaining Territory by the Pacts ......Page 194 10 Pre-Barbarossa War Plans......Page 196 Stalin’s First Reactions......Page 197 Early German Successes ......Page 198 Stalin’s Behavior on the Dramatic Day......Page 199 Development of Historiography on Stalin’s Reactions......Page 203 New Versions of Stalin’s Behavior on June 22......Page 207 Additional Observations and Issues ......Page 217 PART THREE: The War and Its Aftermath......Page 226 Reassessing Stalin ......Page 228 Stalin Bluffs in the “Great Game”......Page 233 Barbarossa Materializes ......Page 235 Stalin’s Not-so-blind Eye......Page 236 The “Bluff”......Page 237 Stalin’s Costly Errors......Page 240 Soviet Weaknesses ......Page 241 Stalin Approves a Modified Kutuzov Strategy ......Page 243 Did the Bluff Pay Off? ......Page 244 Preventing a Russian “Gleiwitz”......Page 245 How “Unprepared” Was the RKKA?......Page 246 12 Epilogue: Winning the War, Losing the Peace......Page 250 Hints of a Coming Cold War, 1946 ......Page 251 Cold War Chronology ......Page 254 A “New” Stalin?......Page 257 Today’s Russian Historians on the Cold War......Page 258 Assessing Stalin’s Alleged Greatness......Page 260 Appendix I: Stalin, Soviet Premier, Broadcast to the People of the Soviet Union ......Page 264 Appendix II: Stalin’s Biography in Current Russian Military Encyclopedia......Page 270 Appendix III : Stalin’s Speech at the Reception in the Kremlin in Honor of the Commanders of the Red Army......Page 272 Bibliography ......Page 274 Notes ......Page 288 Index ......Page 308 Stalin Correctly Foresaw That The Soviet Union Needed To Be Seen As The 'victim Of Aggression' By German Invaders In Order To Win Valuable Western Aid And Consolidate On East-west War-fighting Alliance. His Insight And Subsequent Maneuvering Led To One Of Stalin's Great Achievements -- Orchestrating The Critical Soviet Victory In The East ... This Book Provides An Overdue Critical Investigation Of How The Soviet Leader's Domestic And Foreign Policies Actually Helped Produce This Victory, And Above All, How Stalin's Timely Support Of A Wartime Alliance With The Western Capitalist Democracies Assured The Defeat Of The Axis Powers In 1945--jacket. Stalin : 20th Century's Second Dictator -- Stalin's Methods And Accomplishments -- The Vozhdʹ Prepares For War -- The World As Seen From Stalin's Kremlin -- Soviet Two-track Policy -- Soviet Pro-german Posture -- The Myth Of Collective Security -- America In Stalin's Future -- Nazi-soviet Pacts And Aftermath -- Pre-barbarossa War Plans -- Stalin Bluffs And Defeats Wehrmacht -- Epilogue : Winning The War, Losing The Peace. Albert L. Weeks. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. This Book Documents Dictator Joseph Stalin's Brilliant Tactics As Well As Missteps In Taking Preemptive Actions That Guaranteed Ultimate Victory Over The German Invaders. It Also Covers The Policies Implemented After The War That Made The Soviet Union A Menace To World Peace And Led To Collapse Of Soviet Rule. • Using New Archive And Other Original Source Material, This Book Documents How Dictator Josef Stalin Adroitly Prepared For Assured Victory In World War Ii • Canvasses Not Only Western Literature On Stalin's Prewar, Wartime, And Postwar Leadership, But Also Examines Current Post-2004 Russian Histories