Article

2014-11-06 Europe

Putin says there was nothing wrong with Soviet Union's pact with Nazi Germany

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Posted by Elmerert Hupens2660 2014-11-06 11:41|| || Front Page|| [11131 views ] Top

#1 OK, not wrong. How about stupid?

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2014-11-06 13:09|| 2014-11-06 13:09|| Front Page Top

#2 I'm sure the Poles, Latvians, Lithuanians, and Estonians have other views on that.

Posted by Procopius2k 2014-11-06 13:14|| 2014-11-06 13:14|| Front Page Top

#3 He's correct. It was a master stroke for Stalin and Molotov. It gained precious land (they used that later to absorb the German punch). It ensured, they thought, that the Germans would be tied down fighting the West. And it fit with Stalin's belief that the West was corrupt, venal and would exhaust itself in such a fight so that the Bolsheviks then could take over in a walk.

Stalin's only mistake? He trusted Hitler...

Posted by Steve White 2014-11-06 14:28|| 2014-11-06 14:28|| Front Page Top

#4 Until there was.

Posted by Glomomp Snomosh5344 2014-11-06 14:58|| 2014-11-06 14:58|| Front Page Top

#5 According to some sources, SW, Stalin was planning to back-stab Hitler. Only the later was faster on the draw.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2014-11-06 14:59|| 2014-11-06 14:59|| Front Page Top

#6 The main thing wrong with the pact was its provision that Germany and the USSR together attack Poland, actions which brought on the Second World War.

Posted by djk 2014-11-06 16:11|| 2014-11-06 16:11|| Front Page Top

#7 I'd suggest that Suvorov was wrong: Stalin was completely surprised by Barbarossa, and in fact delayed the initial Soviet response several critical days because of his shock.

Posted by Steve White 2014-11-06 16:13|| 2014-11-06 16:13|| Front Page Top

#8 I'd suggest that Suvorov was wrong: Stalin was completely surprised by Barbarossa,

The first is not implied by the second.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2014-11-06 16:17|| 2014-11-06 16:17|| Front Page Top

#9 There was a gem of duplicity and subterfuge. Cross and double-cross. The world suffered.

Posted by JohnQC 2014-11-06 16:35|| 2014-11-06 16:35|| Front Page Top

#10 At the start of Barbarossa, the Red Army had five million men under arms staged on the western frontiers, the largest standing army on the planet. Read John Ericksen's take on the matter. Stalin knew, because all the signs were there, but he wanted to ensure that while he rebuilt his army, he would not be charged with provoking any attack. So he deliberately ordered his generals not to take common sens e precautions until it was just too late to do anything about it.

About eastern Poland: The German Army sliced through that area and encircled Minsk in five days. The only thing the additional territory did was to provide good roads for the invader in the early going.

At the time since much of their own advocates for mobile warfare were murdered, it would take nearly 18 months before Soviet generals could mount a similar operation, and then with massive losses, i.e. Stalingrad.

Recall Putin's view of Soviet history is filtered through the way the security services saw things, then the NKVD, later the KGB, and now the FSB. I would bet that Russian commanders see things differently than Putin.

Just my two kopeks...

Posted by badanov 2014-11-06 16:42|| http://www.chriscovert.net 2014-11-06 16:42|| Front Page Top

#11 Treachery is a lot like panicing.
You don't want to be the last one to do it.
If you're gonna, go early.

Posted by ed in texas 2014-11-06 19:06|| 2014-11-06 19:06|| Front Page Top

#12 Putin, Obama's Brother by Another Mama. He has crossed into Obama Land - 'Acts Like There's No Other World Out There' - No counter weight to anything he says or does - Nuts to you, Humna (<- Russian Word for SH*T)

Posted by Sleang Cravique4093 2014-11-06 19:46|| 2014-11-06 19:46|| Front Page Top

#13 And yet he calls the Ukranians Nazis.

Posted by newc 2014-11-06 21:29|| 2014-11-06 21:29|| Front Page Top

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