Eight Hundred and Eighty-Eight Strategic Choices

"Comrade Zhukov! Before making such a decision, I need you to really understand what you are doing and what you are saying." Stalin stared at his trusted subordinate and said in an unhurried tone. When he spoke, the characteristic beard above his mouth trembled and looked very dignified.

Zhukov swallowed a mouthful of saliva, looked into Stalin's eyes, and finally explained bravely: "Comrade Stalin, I was personally approved by you to send me to the Far East to perform crimes and meritorious deeds. I am here today because of your selfless help." .So I put forward this plan after considering the issue completely from your point of view.”

He wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, and then said to Stalin in a trembling voice: "Mobilizing the main force of 25 divisions to go south, this plan is our only chance to fight back now. If this plan can no longer stop the German army offense, then I think you really have to think about the worst possible outcome."

"Worst outcome?" Stalin seemed to be asking himself and Zhukov, but he didn't wait for Zhukov to give the answer, because with Zhukov's courage, he didn't dare to say those things in front of Stalin. Terrible results to come.

The worst result is losing the war. This result is unacceptable to the Soviet Union, but the most deadly thing is that this result is even more unacceptable to Stalin personally.

If the Soviet Union accepts the defeat, it will have to recognize the legitimacy of the German occupied area, and even the entire Soviet Union will lose its original adherence to the capitalist family—the whole country will be plunged into turmoil and become one poor and backward areas.

Of course, Stalin's personal fate may be even more tragic. As far as the entire nation is concerned, he may be the first leader to lose territory and surrender to a foreign country. leader.

What's more frightening is that those political enemies who were exiled to Siberia by him will liquidate him, and with the support of Germany, a powerful opponent, they will liquidate him Stalin. His end will definitely be extremely miserable. When he loses his power, he will even lose his life.

"I will not give up the power in my hand, Comrade Zhukov." Stalin looked at his subordinates, his mood was complicated, because he was once the most powerful person in this country, but now, he must shoulder the whole country, come Face more powerful invaders.

"Because of that, I will be framed by those traitors and shameless villains. My life cannot be judged by these people, do you understand? My most loyal Comrade Zhukov." After some final consideration, Stalin finally He opened his mouth and said to Zhukov: "Do you understand?"

Of course Zhukov understood that ever since he got the news that Marshal Voroshilov, who had been kind to him, was killed in the Crimean Peninsula, he knew that Comrade Stalin, the great Soviet leader in front of him, would not tolerate any form of betrayed.

What he wants is absolute control and absolute power, which cannot be questioned by anyone.

"The great leader, Comrade Stalin. I understand what you mean, and I support your ideas." Zhukov immediately expressed his attitude: "My loyalty to you has never wavered in the slightest. The current situation is very difficult for us. Unfavorable, but I firmly believe that under your leadership, we will eventually achieve a decisive victory."

After he expressed his sincerity, he began to talk about the operational command he wanted to fight for: "Our armored forces must gather and go south. While the oil reserves in our hands are still sufficient, we will fight a preemptive strike and consume Stalingrad. The main force of the German army nearby. Only in this way can we survive!"

Zhukov already had a lot of detailed information in his hands. He was sure that the Army Group A under Marshal Rundstedt of Germany and the Army Group F under General Kluger on the opposite side did not have much fuel in their hands. These pieces of information have been repeatedly confirmed through many channels, and Zhukov believes that this is not groundless.

Then he boldly came up with a solution, which he thought was very feasible. That is, under this situation, to actively gather troops, first concentrate superior forces in the southern region, and fight a strategic decisive battle-no matter what the result is, it is the best countermeasure that the Soviet army can choose now.

The Soviet Union's current countermeasures are nothing more than a procrastination tactic, hoping that the war will be delayed until its own supplementary troops are in place before conducting a strategic decisive battle. But this dragging tactic was seen through by the German army, so the German army used the strategy of a quick decisive battle in Stalingrad.

This has created a terrible fact: once the German army completes its strategic deployment, even if the Soviet army finally forms a military superiority, it will not be able to take the lead in future wars-the Baku oil field has been lost, even if tens of millions What about a tank?

Moreover, the feedback from Stalingrad proved a terrible fact that the urban street fighting that the German army has been avoiding is actually not the weakness of the German army. At least in the process of fighting for consumption, the German army has maintained its own advantage. This caused the Soviet army to suffer greater losses than imagined in actual combat.

Once the Soviet army loses too much in the following defensive operations, it is really unknown what role the supplementary soldiers they are waiting for can play. Rather than sitting still and waiting to die, it is better to come up with a better way now to deal with a series of changes on the front line.

Therefore, Zhukov drew up a bold defense plan: he decided to hand over the defensive front to a mixed corps composed of recruits and infantry, and hold down the two German armies a and f in the hands of Rundstedt and Kluge. Then the main armored force quickly moved south, forming an absolute advantage in strength over the German army in the southern region.

Then, from the flanks, the Group G and Army N of the German army were severely damaged, and this offensive plan was completed, Stalingrad was kept, and the Group M Army of the German army going south felt the pressure and gave up the strategic plan to attack the Baku oil field.

Concentrate more than 80% of the Soviet tanks on the southern line, launch an assault on the German army with a dense combat group, gritted their teeth against the losses, and gnawed down the main force of the German army on the southern line, so as to defeat the German army's seizure of the Baku oil field in the southern theater attempt. Zhukov believes that only in this way can the Soviet Union continue to survive and maintain the current situation.

Since the purpose of waiting for replenishment of troops is to gain superiority in strength, wouldn't it be easier and faster to actively mobilize troops to form a larger superior force in a local area? This is Zhukov's idea: to concentrate superior forces and start the counterattack in the south in advance.

"Without Moscow, everything about me will be shaken by those who oppose me. If I am lost, you will be killed too. Because in the eyes of those people, you are already my loyal subordinate." Stalin stared at Zhukov didn't seem to have heard his analysis of the battle situation. He just stated in a slightly woody tone: "You can't leave me, otherwise it's a dead word. You really think it's fun to lose Moscow." thing?"

This is certainly not fun, especially for Stalin personally. The basis of his rule is in Moscow, and his personal prestige also depends on the control of important cities such as Moscow. Now if these cities lose any one of them, it will be an unprecedented blow to his personal prestige.

Those who oppose him will use this to make a big fuss. The external enemy is not terrible. What is terrible is that the Soviet Union will have a crack inside. This is what Stalin fears the most. This is what he insisted that the Soviet army must defend Moscow Leninger There is also a reason for Stalingrad.

"Comrade Stalin, if you lose Moscow, you will only lose part of your prestige. As long as the army is still there, as long as we can continue to fight for the motherland, then everything can be restored." Zhukov did not know where the courage came from, staring at Stalin said: "But once we lose oil, we will lose everything. At that time, let alone a few cities, what we will eventually lose is the entire Soviet Union!"

Of course, Stalin knew that the current situation was a dilemma. He also regretted in private that he was so overjoyed that he could not withstand the temptation of his subordinates, and pushed Khrushchev and Voroshilov to the front line, which led to the defeat of Poland. matter. In private, he also felt that it was very irrational for him to force Zhukov to launch a counterattack against the German army in winter. But as a leader, he would not admit these things, no matter who he was facing, he would not easily lower his high head.

He once asked himself why the head of state of Germany intervened in military affairs, and every time he got unexpected results; and he, the great leader of the Soviet Union, always changed the outcome every time he reached out to the military field. more pessimistic. It's a pity that this kind of question itself has no answer, right? Unless Stalin himself admits that he is not as good as the damned head of state in Germany, but this is obviously impossible.

Thinking of the head of state, Stalin seemed to think of something, he looked at Zhukov, and finally agreed to the attack plan: "Since you, a dedicated military commander, think it is good to do so, then I support your plan. I hope you will be victorious in this final battle, go ahead and drive the Germans out of the Soviet Union!"

When he said these words, he clenched his fists tightly. If the head of state can be kind to his generals, so can Stalin. Since he, Stalin, and Germany's Akado are destined to be rivals, at least in the last battle, he must give his subordinates enough room to play, just like the German generals!