Originally posted by Toby
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First, there was the disruption the structure of the armed forces. Without powerful advocates some of the key structures needed for the implementation of more advanced operational doctrines were either pulled apart or allowed to go into decline.
Second was the impact on thinking. The purging of innovative thinkers had a chilling effect on those who might defend ideas that might be seen as too 'independent'. There was a similar impact on behavior. Taking the initiative suddenly seemed incredibly risky, perhaps fatal. Combine these and you create a shocking military culture.
Finally there is the most obvious impact - replacing better trained officers with more poorly trained ones.
The impact of all of this is clear in 1940 in Finland & 1941 against Germany. Some of the heaviest losses in 1941 were caused by Stalin deciding where to position troops defensively and then commanders who refused to retreat when they should have, losing everything. There were further purges in 1941, with hundreds of officers executed. It really wasn't until the near death experience of 1941 that Stalin allowed a select few of his senior Generals more freedom of action & the scope to challenge his decisions.
Something worth considering when assessing the Russian military post 1941. In the previous 5 years it had lost thousands of officers, including many of its best & brightest, first through purges, then through invasion. It lost something like 4-5 million men, many of its best units & much of its best equipment. Just think about all of that for a minute, then look at the size of the offensives that were mounted in 1942 alone. The recovery is just remarkable. Because we know how the war turned out we almost take it for granted that this could happen, but it is a herculean feat. That took tremendous skill, not just military, but organizational.
Stalin was obviously completely paranoid and probably with good reason
It was all about his paranoia, and in the end it cost more lives than any of his purges or famines.
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