Posted on 08/23/2005 1:48:53 PM PDT by jb6
It seems that most Russians are not ready to discard the myth that Joseph Stalin "won the war" over Nazi Germany. According to 58% of respondents, Stalin made a major contribution to the Soviet Union's victory. This opinion was mostly shared by people over 55 (68%), village dwellers (65%), and almost unanimously by KPRF followers (85%), while the opposite opinion is expressed by only 18% of respondents. Residents of big cities and people with a higher education were more likely to disparage Stalin's role than others.
Many people (40%) estimate Stalin’s activity in World War II positively, while 31% think it was positive and negative in equal degree, and only 11% estimate it as absolutely negative. KPRF followers (64%), people over 55 (50%), and respondents with an unfinished secondary education (46%) were more likely to estimate Stalin’s activity during the war as absolutely positively, while complicated estimations were mostly given by people who trust President Putin and respondents with comparatively large incomes (37% each). Absolutely negative evaluations were mostly expressed by respondents with a higher education (18%).
Respondents were asked open-ended questions about Stalin’s achievements and failures during World War II. 59% agreed to answer the question about his achievements. Respondents were most likely to consider Stalin to be a talented organizer, and note his ability to establish order and discipline under conditions of war ("total discipline", "order in the country", "he was high-handed with the country") - 20%. Stalin’s personal qualities were mentioned as well: heartless, purposeful, strong-willed and responsible ("justified cruelty"; "his strong nature"; "cruelty – because there was no choice") - 12%. Five percent of respondents are convinced that Stalin developed the strategy of military operations, issued orders, and organized the work of the home front. Many people say it would have been impossible to beat Nazi Germany without Stalin ("our victory would have been impossible without him"; "if there had been no Stalin, Germany would have won") - 8%.
Another groups of answers include the characteristics of the Soviet people – their unity, steadfastness and patriotism (12%). Stalin here is described as a leader who managed to mobilize these qualities ("he inspired people for victory") or as a symbol of unity ("solders began an attack by shouting his name, he was the symbol"). Three percent of respondents think talented military leaders and ordinary Russians played the main role in defeating the Nazis, not Stalin.
53% of respondents talked about Stalin's negative influence during the war. They were most likely to speak about mass repression and arrests, and genocide against their own citizens ("terror against our own people"; "concentration camps"; "he ordered the killing of those who were not guilty"; "genocide against our own people") - 24%. Some respondents (11%) spoke about his cruelty and despotism ("heartless"; "Stalin didn’t care about the people"; "a persecution mania"). 20% of respondents blame Stalin for incompetence and irresponsibility, mistakes in strategy and criminal actions before and during the war ("killing of our military elite"; "he caused the collapse of our army shortly before the war"; "he was incompetent in military matters"; "he didn’t sign the Geneva Convention"; "everything that related to prisoners").
The Public Opinion Foundation. Russia-wide poll of urban and rural population conducted in 100 residencies in 44 regions, territories, and republics, in all economic and geographical areas of Russia. Interviews are conducted at the homes of interviewees. Household interviews with a sample size of 1500 respondents. The margin of error does not exceed 3.6%. April 23, 2005.
I'm no fan this truly evil SOB. Stalin was actually FOR Hitler before he was AGAINST him.
But it is foolish to discount the massive effort that Russia put up against the Nazis (once they were no longer allies).
Luckily for the Russians, they had winter on their side.
KPRF? Is that a Pacifica, NPR, or Air American radio station?
The Stalin-Hitler Pact was the only treaty in 70+ years that the Soviet Union didn't break, and that's only because Hitler beat them to it.
The Russkies fought bravely, but Stalin did as little as possible and got the biggest rewards becauyse FDR and the Commies who surrounded him kissed "Uncle Joe"'s posterior.
It wasn't Stalin that won the war; it was th e combined effort of the Allies. The ordinary Russians did much more to win that war than Stalin did.
BTW, has anyone ever noticed the resemblance between Stalin and Saddam?
There's no question that Russia was the primary battlefield on which Nazi Germany was destroyed.
The question, though, is whether the Soviets would have done better and suffered less massive death and destruction if they had had different leadership other than Stalin. That is unknown and unknowable. Had Stalin not killed the military elite, would Russia's military have functioned better? America's most impressive generals were not in command at the outset of the war.
It is difficult to say.
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
I think there are two considerations that undermine Stalin as a war leader. First, the Hitler-Stalin pact that encouraged Hitler to start the war. Second, the Kommisars and the purges, which suggest that Stalin was more concerned to exterminate his domestic enemies than to fight Hitler.
No question that the Russian people fought bravely against Hitler, but I don't know how much credit Stalin deserves for it.
What most Russians don't admit, either, is that they might not have held out if not for US lendlease providing food and weapons at a crucial time.
"Luckily for the Russians, they had winter on their side."
As they do every year.
Luckily for the Russians, the German planners were fools and invaded Russia unprepared for winter.
America and the Soviet Union had close to the same amount of people in them. But the amount of Soviet dead is many times that of American dead.Obviously somebody had it wrong. Stalin could have kept the Germans from Soviet borders but he was bending over backwards to appease Hilter while he was purging his army of its talent! If he had not invaded Finland and revealed to Hilter what a mess he'd made of things by his tremendous losses to Finland Hilter would have left him alone.
According to Google, KPRF is a Russian political party that considers itself the heir of the Communist Party.
No surprise they love Stalin.
I believe that is intentional.
"There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Saddam studied Stalin. Stalin is his hero. Stalin came from a humble background. Stalin was brought up by his mother. Stalin used thugs. Stalin used the security service. Stalin hated his army. And so does Saddam Hussein. Saddam Hussein models himself after Stalin more than any other man in history.
He has a full library of books about Stalin. He reads about him, and when he was a young man -- even before he attained any measure of power -- he used to wander around the offices of the Ba'ath Party telling people "Wait until I take over this country. I will make a Stalinist state out of it yet." People used to laugh him off. They shouldn't have. It was a very serious proposition indeed."
Well, does the Left know this? It might throw their Global Warming debate into the dumpster.
I understand that Saddam greatly admired Stalin. And although Stalin certainly killed millions more of his own people than Saddam did, I'll wager that Stalin didn't kill his first man at the age of 10 like Saddam did.
IIRC, the German high command had planned a spring campaign but Hitler ordered them to wait until summer.
And Hitler second guessing his generals.
Saddam is a great admirer of Stalin and soncsiders him to be a role model.
Prior to Hitler's arrival on the German political scene, the Soviets allowed the Wehrmacht to train German pilots & tankers on Russian soil. The Treaty of Versailles outlawed a German Air Force and prohibited the German Army from possessing certain classes of weaponry. Hitler ended the arrangement because he no longer needed it after he abbrogated the Treaty of Versailles.
I wonder how similar German & Russian tactics might have been if Stalin hadn't purged the Soviet General Staff prior to the outbreak of WW2.
There is a noticeable physical resemblance, too.
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