Hero of The Soviet Union and more.(January 1941)

ZHUKOV

Chief of the General Staff

January 1941, Moscow

It is my great honor and duty to be awarded another promotion under Commander Stalin. Commander Stalin has just appointed me Chief of the General Staff. After being Commander of the Kiev Special Military District, I have realized that there is a more urgent need to prepare the Red Army in the event of an invasion. Strategy is key. Studying the geographic and strategic loopholes is of utmost importance, if we are to survive an attack on Mother Russia. Britain and the Nazis have fought a long hard battle. As much as we hope for them to wear each other out, we can never know what the Western Powers are up to. Our trust in the Nazis cannot be idealistic as well. We have to prepare for possible war by enhancing our war making capabilities, refining our strategic deployment of troops, and mobilizing our industries for war production. It is my honorable duty to defend what Commander Stalin has entrusted me with.

ZHUKOV

Chief of the General Staff

Strategic Plans (December 1940)

General Friedrich Paulus

December 1940

Earlier in September, I was appointed Oberquartiermeister to draw up substantive plans for Barbarossa. After reading Marcks’ plan, it seemed that the plan is insufficient. More forces must be made available and the size of the reserves must be reduced. The available forces will be divided into three groups, North, Centre and South, and each to be conducted separately in the first stage of the invasion.

We will eliminate all Russian forces in western Russia with bold thrusts by columns of Penzer divisions, deep into Russian territories. Our main objective will be to cordon off Asiatic Russia along the general line Volga – Archangel, preventing the Red Army’s withdrawal and disabling the Russian air arm.

The first report has already been submitted to Halder and the accompanying maps completed. With the war games, we came to realize that the separate advancement of the three army groups would lead to gaps between them in Lake Ilmen-Veleiki-Luki and Gomel. However, keeping in mind of the priority of capturing Moscow, Army Group Centre should be kept at maximum strength. Army Group North and South will have to clear these gaps with their own forces.

Nonetheless, I believe that the superiority of our forces will be able to clear even the hardest obstacle. We must keep in mind that the Red Army is inferior in terms of armour, artillery, aircrafts and combat capabilities.

The primary assessment is that the decisive operation will be Moscow, upon which the success of Don Basin and Leningrad depends. But now we have a major problem on our hands. It is surprising that even before the war games and operational studies were complete that the draft was taken to the Fuhrer. Earlier this month, the Fuhrer expressed disapproval of Moscow being the primary objective. He assessed that Leningrad would be more important for it is the cradle of Bolshevism.

Changes must be made to incorporate Leningrad into the Deployment Directives

Heil Hitler!

Friedrich Paulus

Operation Barbarossa? (November 1940)

General Heinz Guderian
November 1940

For the past few months, the tension between us and Russia had increased due to a number of incidents. Molotov the Soviet Foreign Commissar was invited to Berlin to resolve these issues.

“Shortly after Molotov’s visit, my new Chief of Staff, Lieutenant-colonel Freiherr von Liebenstein, and my first general staff officer, Major Bayerlein, were summoned to a conference by the Chief of the Army General Staff; there they heard for the first time about the proposed campaign against Soviet Russia, Operation Barbaross.”

UNBELIEVABLE! Didn’t Hitler criticize the leaders of German policy of 1914 for their failure to avoid a war on two fronts? Has he now decided to open this second-front war against the Russian? With the war with England still ongoing, invading Russia will without a doubt, leave us committed to a two-front war.

From my two officers, I understand that studies have been made and it is calculated that Russia would fall in the span of eight to ten weeks. The preliminary plan was an offensive force of three army groups with diverging objectives. From my professional point of view, there is no clear single operational objective and it did not look at all promising. Furthermore, the operation does not seem important compared to the task we face in the west and will in no way improve our situation. If we are to commit to Russia, our position will certainly become increasingly difficult.

It is clear that our preparations for this massive campaign is inadequate, but it seems that the victory in Poland and France have befuddled the minds of our supreme commanders. It appears that the OKW and OKH are convinced with unshakable optimism about Operation Barbarossa.

Heinz Guderian

Peace Between Soviets and Nazis? (August 1939)

ZHUKOV

Commander

First Soviet Mongolian Army Group

August  31 1939, Manchuko

We’ve just defeated Japan by encircling their 6^th Army. Using elaborate deceptive measures, we managed to wipe the Japanese out with our artillery and air attacks. Our feud with Japan has now ceased for the time being and as Commander Stalin had apparently signed a non-aggression pact with Hitler and Ribbentrop on the 23^rd of August, we have become de-facto allies with Japan and the Italy in the Axis Power Alliance. The success in Manchukuo has given me great satisfaction, I’ve managed to prove myself and gotten rid of the slanderous accusations that followed me to Japan. Being awarded the military title of ‘Hero of the Soviet Union’ proves my evident innocence. Without the success of Japan, I would have fell under the purges of Commander Stalin. Being posted to Khalkin-Gol was a blessing.

Germany seems to be dominating every aspect of European politics. According to the maps, our eastern front is safe, for now. Onto other threats, the only other major one belongs with the Western Powers. We needed an ally to galvanize and substantiate ourselves against the threat of capitalism. At least we have one threat less. We can focus on the hidden initiatives of the Western Powers. Our Eastern Front is secure for now. We need to prolong the peace between Germany and the Soviet Union. Assisting the Germans can only strengthen our position against the West, and would deflect any attention towards us. In terms of tactical geography now, we are safe and secure even if another world war breaks out again. We’re on a tactical winning streak. Hopefully it will stay that way.

ZHUKOV

Commander

First Soviet Mongolian Army Group

Peace and Advantage Secured (August 1939)

STALIN

August 20, 1939 Moscow

Hitler thinks he has tricked me into signing the non-aggression pact. I believed I have tricked him instead. I already know war with Germany is inevitable. All I need is time. So as long as Hitler gets his hands full in a long protracted war with the Allies, the Red Army will be ready. I read Mein Kampf, this pact isn’t friendly, only strategic. We can delay a war with the Nazis and use the time for rearmament. Hitler’s obsession with Lebensraum in the east clearly marks the Soviet Union as a target. It is inevitable. We are secure, depending on the war now between Germany and the Allies.

STALIN

Peace and Advantage Secured (August 1939)

STALIN

August 19, 1939 Moscow

Hitler and Ribbentrop had just proposed a non-aggression pact to the Soviet Union. The conditions are favorable definitely to the Soviet Union. With the impending German threat quelled by this pact for a year and a half, it gives me the time to regroup with my generals Zhukov and Molotov, to repulse fascist Germany should they decide to attack the Soviet Union after. The treaty doesn’t infringe our territorial integrity, sovereignty and honor of the Soviet Union. A peace treaty with Britain and France will only mean further danger for the USSR in the future, even though it means war would be avoided. The appeasement policy by Chamberlain speaks volumes of the allied fear of Hitler. My goal is that Germany carry out the war as long as possible so that England and France grow weary and become exhausted to such a degree that they are no longer in a position to put down a Sovietized Germany in the case of a Germany defeat. All in all, the main goal remains, the communist network has to expand.

I have chosen to accept this pact and Molotov will be signing the pact with Ribbentrop. It can only be good for the Soviet Union, despite Hitler and Ribbentrop being infamously known as cannibals. this initiative by them shows that they may be serious about peace between Nazi Germany and the USSR.

STALIN