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Stalin’s plan to stop Hitler foiled when British talks broke down
Published: 22 October, 2008, 06:23
Newly declassified documents have revealed that Stalin was ready to send over a million Soviet troops to the German border in order to pre-empt potential Nazi aggression. It’s claimed that if agreement had been reached between the USSR, Britain and France
"Stalin's plan to stop Hitler foiled when British talks broke down" is an eye-catching title. However, its passive voice (foiled) and implied cause (British) are misleadingly inconsistent with historical time-line:
A) 1939: France, USSR, Britain (Tripartite) exploration of military responses to additional Nazi aggression. France, USSR most nervous; Stalin pushes hardest for military commitments.
B) 19 Aug: Poland to French ambassador, "no Red Army troops in Poland".
C) 20 Aug : German-Soviet Commercial Agreement signed 02:00.
D) 21 Aug: Stalin temporarily suspends Tripartite Talks.
E) 23 Aug: Molotov-Ribbentrop Non-Aggression Pact signed.
F) 25 Aug: Voroshilov, "... changed political situation, no useful purpose... in continuing the (Tripartite) conversation".
G) 25 Aug: Hitler to British, Soviet pact prevents two-front war; Accept German demands regarding Poland.
H) 25 Aug: Britain enters into defense pact with Poland.
Your statement " unprepared for full-scale military action, the USSR had to do everything possible to prevent conflict." seems to conflict with:
A) "Up to 120 infantry divisions (each with some 19,000 troops)... would have been placed on the German border."
B) Gen Sotskov, "together we could have put some 300 or more divisions into the field on two fronts against Germany"
Who is speaking the truth? Also, what were all these troops doing, while Germany was preoccupied with smashing France and England... and weakest on its Soviet front?