Quote:
Originally Posted by Hagen
I don't believe Stalin did anything to prolong the war, as a matter of fact, didn't he start his drive on Berlin earlier then he wanted to at the request of the western powers? .
|
Are you refering to Jan. '45 at the time of the Battle
of the Bulge?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hagen
The only time I'm aware of that Stalin held back was at Warsaw during the uprising. He let the Germans take care of that potential political problem.
|
Admittedly, this is circumstantial, based on the events
on the Eastern Front. But it seems to me that Stalin
could possibly have ended the war earlier.
This would entail making a full scale thrust on Berlin after
Krusk & continuing to press the offensive on that
front, instead of operations in the Ukraine and Balkans.
This might have been just a scheme in Stalin’s mind
that he never shared with anyone for reasons I outlined
in my first post. Obviously this is something that
can’t be proved, as I said I am just (hopefully not
too wildly) speculating.
(& responding to Jim O – I’m not sure how to quote
from 2 posts … but where you wrote:
A bit off topic I know but it is also true that Soviet had
just completed a major offensive (Operation Bagration)
which basically destroyed Army Group Center, and had
stretched supply lines very far at that time.
Logistically, crossing the Vistula and defeating the Germans in Warsaw
would have been nearly impossible.)
I believe a read a book “Russia at War” that made the claim that the relative inaction on the Central Front was due to logistical difficulties. But at least my impression is that on the S. Front operations were much more continuous
& I would have thought the same logistical problems would have applied there.