Stalin's Other War: Soviet Grand Strategy, 1939-1941 / Edition 216

by Albert L. Weeks

Overview

On June 22, 1941, just less than two years after signing the Nazi-Soviet Agreements, Adolf Hitler's German army invaded the Soviet Union. The attack hardly came as a surprise to Josef Stalin; in fact, history has long held that Stalin spent the two intervening years building up his defenses against a Nazi attack. With the gradual declassifying of former Soviet documents, though, historians are learning more and more about Stalin's grand plan during the years 1939-1941.

Longtime Soviet expert Albert L. Weeks has studied the newly-released information and come to a different conclusion about the Soviet Union's pre-war buildup—it was not precaution against German invasion at all. In fact, Weeks argues, the evidence now suggests Soviet mobilization was aimed at an eventual invasion of Nazi Germany. The Soviets were quietly biding their time between 1939 and 1941, allowing the capitalist powers to destroy one another, all the while preparing for their own Westward march. Stalin, Weeks shows, wasn't waiting for a Nazi attack—Hitler simply beat him to the punch.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780742521919
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	08/15/2002
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.22(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.81(d)

About the Author

Albert L. Weeks has been an expert on Soviet Russia for more than fifty years. Weeks has served as a journalist, policy analyst, and professor, and is credited with coining the name "Sputnik" while working for Newsweek in 1957. Stalin's Other War is his eighth book.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Soviet Expansionist Ideology: Propaganda or Blueprint? Chapter 3 Prewar Diplomacy and the Comintern Chapter 4 The Soviets' Pro-German Posture Chapter 5 Nazi-Soviet Agreements (1939-40) Chapter 6 Stalin Prepares for What Kind of War Chapter 7 Stalin's Response to "Barbarossa"— I Chapter 8 Stalin's Response to "Barbarossa"— II Chapter 9 Conclusions Chapter 10 Appendix 1: Stalin's Third Speech, May 5, 1941 Chapter 11 Appendix 2: May 15, 1941, Memorandum Chapter 12 Appendix 3: Stalin's Speech to the Politburo, August 19, 1939 Chapter 13 Appendix 4: Russia's New History Textbooks

Editorial Reviews

Nazi Germany's invasion of Soviet Russia had immense consequences for the world, lasting into the 21st century. Albert Weeks has made imaginative use of recently released archives to shed new light on this crucial conflict. This book is a reminder that history is anything but static—it requires constant revision, in the light of new information and fresh perspective.

Strobe Talbott

Stalin's Other War is an excellent study that thoroughly covers the subject matter under discussion, and Weeks provides an exceptionally good overview of the current state of the debate among Russian scholars who are making use of the new evidence that is progressively becoming available as the Soviet archives are opened to scholarly scrutiny. The book includes an excellent discussion of the issue of the supposed 'defensist' orientation of Soviet policy. Stalin's Other War presents substantial evidence that Soviet warplanning reflected its expansionist orientation. Provides an excellent update on the current status of a very contentious and important historical debate. Weeks does an excellent job of describing Soviet diplomatic and military strategy and supports his core arguments with solid evidence. Stalin's Other War is a sound contribution to the scholarly literature on the Soviet Union and a useful addition to the debate on the pre-Barbarossa relationship between two predatory empires.

Comparative Strategy

This slender volume is a must study for scholars and history buffs on the Second World War, and, especially for skeptics who still doubt Stalin's aggressive designs. First of all, the author judiciously weighs the Russian and English-language sources. Second, he tells his history engrossingly. Third, he prints in appendices key documents that have previously not appeared in English, or which have been hard to find. Fourth, he relates—this is an outstanding contribution to understanding the current Russian state of mind—Russian textbook presentations on the controversial topic.

Richard Raack

Since the demise of the Soviet Union, new documents have surfaced which show, according to Albert Weeks in Stalin's Other War, one of our leading Sovietologists, that, on the contrary, Stalin had developed an offensive-war strategy against both Nazi Germany and the Western democracies as well. Mr. Weeks has produced a volume of history which is bound to stir controversy. Mr. Weeks's analysis of Soviet archives is a piece of scholarly revisionism of major significance.

The Washington Times - Arnold Beichman

Recommended.

Choice Reviews

Recommended.

CHOICE

Recommended.

Choice

Since the demise of the Soviet Union, new documents have surfaced which show, according to Albert Weeks in Stalin's Other War, one of our leading Sovietologists, that, on the contrary, Stalin had developed an offensive-war strategy against both Nazi Germany and the Western democracies as well. Mr. Weeks has produced a volume of history which is bound to stir controversy. Mr. Weeks's analysis of Soviet archives is a piece of scholarly revisionism of major significance.
— Arnold Beichman

The Washington Times

Since the demise of the Soviet Union, new documents have surfaced which show, according to Albert Weeks in Stalin's Other War, one of our leading Sovietologists, that, on the contrary, Stalin had developed an offensive-war strategy against both Nazi Germany and the Western democracies as well. Mr. Weeks has produced a volume of history which is bound to stir controversy. Mr. Weeks's analysis of Soviet archives is a piece of scholarly revisionism of major significance.--Arnold Beichman "The Washington Times "

Nazi Germany's invasion of Soviet Russia had immense consequences for the world, lasting into the 21st century. Albert Weeks has made imaginative use of recently released archives to shed new light on this crucial conflict. This book is a reminder that history is anything but static--it requires constant revision, in the light of new information and fresh perspective.--Strobe Talbott, president, The Brookings Institution

This slender volume is a must study for scholars and history buffs on the Second World War, and, especially for skeptics who still doubt Stalin's aggressive designs. First of all, the author judiciously weighs the Russian and English-language sources. Second, he tells his history engrossingly. Third, he prints in appendices key documents that have previously not appeared in English, or which have been hard to find. Fourth, he relates--this is an outstanding contribution to understanding the current Russian state of mind--Russian textbook presentations on the controversial topic.--Richard Raack, author of Stalin's Drive to the West 1938-1945: The Origins of the Cold War

From the Publisher