[PEN-L:36261] The Stalingrad thesis.

[Chris Burford <cburford@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I am getting a number of mails off list in response to my posts, for which
thanks, and apologies if I cannot reply to them all. Also a word of warning
that no one can agree with anybody else all the time!

I am forwarding a link that has been drawn to my attention about the
Stalingrad hypothesis. I would caution that I do not claim this hypothesis
as mine. I had merely noticed that if Saddam is vilified as an admirer of
Stalin, he might have taken some clever as well as some not so attractive
features our of Stalin's experience: including an ability to rally a
patriotic war after a period of great social divisions and repression. Just
as inhabitants of countries like Iraq looked to Germany during the second
world war, I do not think it is surprising if many third world peoples
looked to Stalin.

I had also noticed the word 'Stalingrad' falling lightly out of the mouth
of two of the most distinguished BBC political commentators: Sir David
Frost and Andrew Marr, this month.

It is even possible that this link, going back to February, has provided
the intellectual base for discussion among the New Labour background
defence briefers, which eventually got through to Frost and Marr.

I cannot judge how authoritative it is but the whole Editorial of the
Magazine of Future Warfare is interesting about the difficulties of taking
a city.

http://g2mil.com/Feb2003.htm


Extract:


> The historical similarities between a 2003 "Battle of Baghdad" and the
> 1942 "Battle of Stalingrad" are alarming.  The German 6th Army which
> advanced to Stalingrad was the same size of today's American force, and
> also attacked over 400 miles inland with powerful air support.  They were
> far better equipped, trained, experienced, and motivated than hastily
> assembled Russian conscripts (see the movie "Enemy at the Gates") Even
> though Stalin was a brutal dictator, untrained peasants stood and fought
> against overwhelming odds.  A summary at this website includes these eerie
> comments:
>
> "At the end of 1941 Hitler wondered what could be holding Russia together."
>
> "Against the advice of his generals Hitler attacked Stalingrad."
>
> "Hitler also greatly underestimated the power of the Red Army."
>
> "The Luftwaffe played key roles including the destruction of the Soviet
> air force."
>
> "Also by this point the Russian soldiers heard of the horrible POW camps
> [Guantanamo Bay, Cuba?] and now preferred to die in battle than be captured."
>
> "The German army encountered fierce resistance from not only the
> determined soldiers of the Red Army, but also from the patriotic civilians
> as well."


Chris Burford
London