Quote:
Originally Posted by Elbmek
Precisely my point. It was never the intention of Soviet Russia to expand westwards. This was NATO propaganda (to justify jobs for the boys). The creation of the iron curtain was to keep OUT.
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That is highly suspect. Soviet aid and support for leftist groups, actions in Asia, Africa and the Middle East point towards an expansionist agenda. Also a go nuclear from the start policy such as the US had until the Soviets got the bomb precludes the need for a large army geared for offensive mechanized warfare. The Doctors plot sure likes a manufactured cassus belli as well.
Mr Radzinski says Yes. He asserts that Stalin was injected with poison by the guard Khrustalev, under the orders of his master, KGB chief Lavrenty Beria. And what was the reason Stalin was killed?
"All the people who surrounded Stalin understood that Stalin wanted war - the future World War III - and he decided to prepare the country for this war," Mr Radzinski says.
"He said: we have the opportunity to create a communist Europe but we have to hurry. But Beria, Khrushchev, Malenkov and every normal person understood it was terrible to begin a war against America because the country [Russia] had no economy.
"It wasn't a poor but a super-poor country which was destroyed by the German invasion, a country which had no resources but only nuclear weapons.
Stalin by- Edvard Radzinski.
Also the large number of Soviet subs points towards an interdiction policy in the event of war. If they really planned on going nuclear from day 1 why such concern for cutting off Reforger units? Same as the focus inside the Red Army itself on offensive operations. They did not spend nearly as much time on field craft and defensive operations as they did on offensive training. Training your infantry to dismount and run towards the enemy firing from the hip for suppressive fire while you close is not defensive. Same goes for SCUD and FROG rockets, they are useless for hitting moving columns but ideal for hitting bases, choke points, and defensive works if your not sure about your air force doing the job.
The evidence say the Red Army was geared to go west. The only ingredient missing in the 50's and 70's when the Red Army had the most and best cards was the political will to do so.