Post by ∬: Erhard Strumfelder on Dec 23, 2008 17:58:34 GMT
At the beginning of its time on the earth, the Soviet Union was incredibly vulnerable. Its forces were weak, with little modern technology such as tanks and aircraft, and the Red army had been fighting a bitter civil war for the past seven years. If attacked, the Russian military would crumble.
A new recruitment drive was set up, and Generals and ministers set about producing a plan of action in the event of a war. What the USSR devised was a plan known as Deep Battle. Russia had poor production levels after their civil war, and although this was being tended to, it would be nearly a decade before the extra industry was paying back its loan. These poor production levels meant that munitions were much harder to come by, but one thing Russia had in millions was willing men. It would take time to train them, and they couldn’t be well equipped, but bodies were what was needed.
Over the next few years, the Red army’s ranks swelled, and slowly tanks and aircraft filtered into production. Deep Battle dictated that overwhelming numbers would be used to push back the enemy front line, using tanks and aircraft to support this. The fighting would be fierce, but the troops would have high morale and keep pushing. The enemy would not be able to recover from such and onslaught, and resistance would just melt away.
However, in the mid 1930’s, Soviet Leader Josef Stalin became paranoid that the military would over throw him, so had his crack political troops, the NKVD, butcher thirty thousand officers and people in powerful positions. This would stop any coup, but the army lost its training and experience in one blood soaked year.
When war broke out in 1941 with Operation Barborossa, the Red army was totally unprepared. In some cases, men would have to share rifles, convicts were used as human shields, and tank crews were given just an hours training before being sent to the front. Russia had the production levels and number of men, but they didn’t have the experience nor training. As the war continued however, the Soviet troops leant from their previous mistakes, and used the tactic of Deep Battle to its greatest effect. Deep Battle is still used by Russian troops today.
A new recruitment drive was set up, and Generals and ministers set about producing a plan of action in the event of a war. What the USSR devised was a plan known as Deep Battle. Russia had poor production levels after their civil war, and although this was being tended to, it would be nearly a decade before the extra industry was paying back its loan. These poor production levels meant that munitions were much harder to come by, but one thing Russia had in millions was willing men. It would take time to train them, and they couldn’t be well equipped, but bodies were what was needed.
Over the next few years, the Red army’s ranks swelled, and slowly tanks and aircraft filtered into production. Deep Battle dictated that overwhelming numbers would be used to push back the enemy front line, using tanks and aircraft to support this. The fighting would be fierce, but the troops would have high morale and keep pushing. The enemy would not be able to recover from such and onslaught, and resistance would just melt away.
However, in the mid 1930’s, Soviet Leader Josef Stalin became paranoid that the military would over throw him, so had his crack political troops, the NKVD, butcher thirty thousand officers and people in powerful positions. This would stop any coup, but the army lost its training and experience in one blood soaked year.
When war broke out in 1941 with Operation Barborossa, the Red army was totally unprepared. In some cases, men would have to share rifles, convicts were used as human shields, and tank crews were given just an hours training before being sent to the front. Russia had the production levels and number of men, but they didn’t have the experience nor training. As the war continued however, the Soviet troops leant from their previous mistakes, and used the tactic of Deep Battle to its greatest effect. Deep Battle is still used by Russian troops today.
