Two-thirds of Russians believe that the Red army could defeat Nazi Germany without the help of allies. These people increasingly appreciate how Joseph Stalin ruled the country during the war years, despite the huge losses suffered by the army under his command.
This survey conducted by the authoritative Moscow-based Levada Center, and with new force a debate raged about the fact that President Putin is using the memory of the victory in world war II for their own political purposes.
Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, and it marked the beginning, as the Russians say, the great Patriotic war. Stalin ignored warnings of the impending invasion, and Russia suffered heavy and humiliating loss, has not yet turned the tide in their favor in Stalingrad.
Answering the question of why the losses the Soviets had more than the Germans, 36% of respondents explained that a “surprise attack” and 24 percent “military-technical superiority of Germany.”
In General, military and civilian losses of the Soviet Union during the war amounted to 27 million people. It is much more German losses were between five and six million. Only 12% of explained this difference by the fact that Stalin did not pay attention to the human sacrifices. In 1997, before Putin came to power, was conducted a similar poll and it showed that 34% of respondents blame for this disproportionate loss of Stalin.
British historian sir Anthony Beevor (Antony Beevor) told The Times that in his opinion responsibility for the rehabilitation of Stalin in the war period bears the Kremlin’s propaganda. Putin this month said the excessive demonization of the dictator has become a tool for attacks and humiliation of post-Soviet Russia.
According to sir Anthony, allegations that the Soviet Union could not win without allies is “absolutely not true”. He noted that the aerial bombing of the allies in Germany, American aid to the Soviet Union and the supply of equipment from the United States played a crucial role in achieving victory.
However, sir Max Hastings (Max Hastings), who wrote several books about the Second world war, said that the huge losses of the Soviet Union due to the fact that “between 1941 and 1944, the Western allies rather cynically left the Russians to fight the Germans one on one.”
According to him, the Soviet Union “probably could win the war alone, because the war economy of Germany was much weaker than it seemed at the time”. However, Hastings said: “they Have this would take much more time and losses in this case would be even more horrendous”.
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Reader comments
Alan Thorpe
I just read a book by max Hastings, where he cites these arguments. I think he has valid arguments.
Ihatearmchairexperts
Where is the surprise? Russians do not know his real story, including the fact that Stalin and Hitler for some time were allies.
Btthomas
They say so, right? Britain and the USA saved their Asses deliveries across the North sea during the Second world war, bringing them everything from tanks and guns to ammunition to support them in the war with the Germans. Without it they could lose. They must be mindful of friendly countries and support them at the critical moment, when it was a question of defeat or victory.
