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Multimedia Presentation on the Eastern Front.

I can bet anything that the only thing you've heard about those purges is that Stalin was a maniac, so he killed most of the officers. Right?
Wrong.
Таким образом в 1937-1938 гг. было арестовано 9506 человек начсостава (из них 1431 восстановлено в 1938-1939 гг.) и уволено по политическим мотивам 18822 (из них 9121 восстановлено в 1938-1939 гг.). Таким образом, итоговое число офицеров, репрессированных в 1937-1938 гг. (без ВВС и флота) составляет 8075 или 1,8 % (от списочного состава комсостава) арестованных (среди которых далеко не все были расстреляны) и 9701 или 2% уволенных из армии.
In 1937-1938 9506 commanding officers were arrested, from which 1431 were freed in 1938-1939. This makes 8075 officers (without the Navy and the Air forces) opressed, or 1,8% of all commanding officers in RKKA (not all were sentenced to death). 9701 or 2% were fired from the Army (but not arrested).
Thing is, do you really think 3,8% of CO that Red army lost in those years had such a huge impact on the beginning of war? I kinda doubt it. I say it's the disorganisation because of the Blitzkrieg, it's because the unexperencied CO and common soldiers (they were facing German veterans, that had 2 years of fighting) and it's outdated tactics.

French leaders didn't purged their officers, but somehow Germans managed to take whole France in a matter of weeks. Also, they were facing English as well - Dunkirk (or whatever it is really called) anyone?
 
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I can bet anything that the only thing you've heard about those purges is that Stalin was a maniac, so he killed most of the officers. Right?
Wrong.

In 1937-1938 9506 commanding officers were arrested, from which 1431 were freed in 1938-1939. This makes 8075 officers (without the Navy and the Air forces) opressed, or 1,8% of all commanding officers in RKKA (not all were sentenced to death). 9701 or 2% were fired from the Army (but not arrested).
Thing is, do you really think 3,8% of CO that Red army lost in those years had such a huge impact on the beginning of war? I kinda doubt it. I say it's the disorganisation because of the Blitzkrieg, it's because the unexperencied CO and common soldiers (they were facing German veterans, that had 2 years of fighting) and it's outdated tactics.

French leaders didn't purged their officers, but somehow Germans managed to take whole France in a matter of weeks. Also, they were facing English as well - Dunkirk (or whatever it is really called) anyone?


Thing is, alot of experienced men where purged, and YES the purges had a great effect on the overall organization of the Red Army :p


My god people where not even allowed to talk their home language sometimes :D
 
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My god people where not even allowed to talk their home language sometimes
Sources please.
And I guess when majority of soldiers is made of Russians or Russian speaking people (Byelorussians, Ukrainians etc), a guy who talks Tadzhik won't do any good?
I know that in IDF soldiers have to talk Idish, in US army I guess they also have to speak English, even if they are Asians, Russians etc..
 
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