The USSR in the Anti-Hitler Coalition

A German World War II poster

Russian communism was a specifically Russian product of a global crisis, the hallmark of which was the start of the Era of World Wars

The Russian Revolution was an act of rejection of the World War logic – and of its capitalist roots

In the 1920s, under NEP, USSR experienced a brief respite from global conflict - the Soviet state was tested for its ability to serve society’s peaceful needs

In the 1930s, the logic of global war reimposed itself Preparation for war – and capability to win as the main

criterion of the state’s vitality and strength

The Romanov Empire failed that test in WWI – and fell By the time of the next test – WWII, the Russian state was

transformed into a more formidable machine The “socialist” organization of the country was aimed at

making the state more militarily capable A similar logic unfolded in Italy and Germany under

different forms of “socialism” They talked of “socialism”, but they meant winning world

wars

Global civil war and interstate conflict Fierce Left-Right struggles in European countries since

WWI, the lure and fear of revolution Stalinism in Russia as a new stage in the Russian civil

war: forced modernization to strengthen the state and make it fit for the next round of interstate wars

Fascism as a new stage in European Left-Right conflict: to defeat the Left internally and externally

Projection of the internal conflicts on interstate relations Spain: a classic example Appeasement: betrayal of Czechoslovakia The fall of democracies across Europe was due to both

internal (Left vs. Right) and external (German policies) factors

As a state committed to world revolution, the Soviet Union was viewed as a threat by Western elites

The rise of fascism was partly a response to the threat – and anticommunism was one of the motives of Western appeasement of Hitler

Stalin saw the prospect of a new world war as an opportunity for the spread of communism: the WWI template

But ultimately, WWII was not about revolution: it was an interstate conflict of a traditional kind, similar to WWII, waged on a global scale

The geopolitical triangle: Germany, USSR, Western democracies (WDs)

WDs hoped to channel Hitler’s aggression to the East, toward conflict with Russia – reluctant to fight Germany

Hitler was determined to prevent WDs and USSR from joining forces: beat them one by one

Stalin was determined to avoid war with Germany as long as possible

1939: A divergence of interests between USSR and WDs – and a convergence of interests between Germany and USSR

The unexpected deal was logical – but only temporary

September 1, 1939: Nazi Germany invades Poland

Soviet and Nazi officers in occupied Poland, 1939

May 1940, Dunkirk: British troops evacuated from the continent

Hitler and his High Command after occupation of France, summer 1940

Hitler and Mussolini in Munich, June 1940

1940: Hitler in occupied Paris

1939-1941: growing tensions between USSR and Germany At first: division of the spoils. But then: Germany’s unexpected triumph in the West emboldens

Hitler Hitler’s strategic goal of conquering the USSR was never

abandoned – for geopolitical and ideological reasons Stalin expected the new war to generate a new wave of

revolutions – and intended to get involved By 1941, his fear of German power became the

overwhelming factor He was appeasing Hitler – and preparing for war against

him at the same time Each of the two intended to strike first Hitler outfoxed Stalin and delivered a crushing blow

June 1941: Plan Barbarossa

June 22, 1941: Nazi Germany invades the Soviet Union

Goals: Total destruction of the Soviet state Colonization of the Soviet territory, together with

allies – Japan especially Enslavement of the population, turning the territory

into a resource base for the Third Reich

In the first 10 days, German armies moved 550 km into Soviet territory

In the first 20 days of the war, the Red Army lost 1/5 of its manpower – 600,000 men

By July, 20 mln. Soviets found themselves under occupation. Nazi terror began.

Resistance Redeployment of industry to the East

General von Richthoffen in Russia with his officers

Rolling across Ukraine: 1941

Invaders

Nazi propaganda poster: SS forces kill the Red beast of communism

German poster depicting Soviets: “The lower race”

Soviet POWs in Auschwitz concentration camp

A German patrol in a Russian village

Celebrating success in Lightning War

In the wake of German occupation

A Holy Warhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWwE56y-THM&feature=related

Volunteers signing up for Red Army, 1941

Moscow, October 1941

Red Army infantry in assault

1942: The ruins of Stalingrad

Soviet “Katyusha” rocket attack

Stalingrad: street fighting

1943: Germany’s defeat at Stalingrad

Stalingrad: surrender of German Field Marshal von Paulus

Summer 1943: Soviet anti-tank unit in the Battle of Kursk

Soviet tanks and infantry at Kursk, summer 1943

German POWs in Russia

German POWs outside Moscow

Ovens in Buchenwald concentration camp

Buchenwald, 1945: Survivors of Hitler’s “Final Solution”

Berlin, 1945: Hitler’s boy soldiers

The Red Army takes Berlin, May 1945

Berlin, 1945: surrender of German High Command

Berlin, 1945: after the capture of Hitler’s headquarters

Checking out Hitler’s headquarters, May 1945

June 1945: Victory parade in Red Square

The Big Three: Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin at Yalta, Feb.1945

July 1945: Stalin, Truman and Churchill at Potsdam, Germany

DIMENSIONS OF WORLD WAR TWO

Ideological:Global Right (The Axis: Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, and smaller allies)

vs. Global Left (The USSR and the international communist movement)

vs. Global Center (US, Britain, Nationalist China)

1939: Right and Left make a deal, liberal democracy the big loser; the Right and Center at war

1941: The Right attacks the Left and the US; a Center-Left coalition is formed

1945: The Right is defeated by the Center-Left coalition; the war’s aftermath gives a major boost to the global Left; liberal internationalism becomes the blueprint of a new world order

Geopolitical The Axis as the challenger to the world order The West is torn apart by war USSR as a status-quo power and a victim of aggression

– not as a revolutionary state The battle for Russia as decisive for defeat of the Axis

challenge Russia’s decisive role entitles it to geopolitical gains from

common victory BUT: In the ideological atmosphere of 1945 (democracy,

anti-imperialism, rights of nations, human rights) a geopolitical deal could only be couched in ideological terms incompatible with Stalinism

The geopolitical deal contained a timebomb: ideological conflict between democracy and Stalinism

Stalin’s wartime goals:

At first - survival of the country and the regime Later - maximum possible spoils from the victory – a

security belt in Eastern Europe Postwar cooperation with the West, hope for

Western economic assistanceStalin’s foreign policy tools:

The Worker-Peasant Red Army (renamed the Soviet Army)Intelligence services (GRU and NKVD)Diplomacy (Molotov, Litvinov, Maisky)International communist movement and its allies

World War II losses, military and civilian

50-80 mln. dead (36 mln. in combat)Global capitalism shattered even more than by WWIThe stage is set for WW III

Soviet losses in World War II: Over 27 mln. killed (13.6% of the population) 29 mln. took part in the fighting (including 0.8 mln.

women) Battlefield losses – 9-11 mln. (Germany lost 3.25 mln.) 5.8 mln. POWs (of them 3 mln. died in concentration

camps) 1710 cities and 70,000 villages completely or partially

destroyed 40,000 hospitals, 84,000 schools, 43,000 libraries

destroyed Historically unprecedented level of damage inflicted on a

country

The war took all nine of her sons