Leningrad

[Don Shafer]

And I quote from Harrison E. Salisbury's The 900 Days.

Only in one great country has The 900 days not been published. This country is the Soviet Union. True, a russian language paperback edition was published-but in the United States. True, there are few citizens of Leningrad who are not aware of The 900 Days and tens of thousands of them have read its works and treasure them. Nowhere has 900 Days been more avidly read and with deeper insight and appreciation than in Leningrad. But it has not been published there. Instead it was instantly attacked by the official Soviet propaganda agencies. Pravda published a full-page attack, charging that The 900 Days bemirsched the heroism of Leningrad and demeaned the role of the Communist Party in the city's defense. It was, Pravda declared, one more volley in America's cold-war attack on the Soviet. The name of the venerable Georgi K. Zhukov was signed to these words-an ironic touch since Zhukov himself had been one of the most savage critics of the blunders and misjudgements(of Stalin and the Party) which led to Leningrad being subjected to the terrible siege.
End quote.

New quote
That source of accurate and revealing information about the siege was a by-product of the relative liberalism of the regime of Nikita S. Khruschchev. When he was supplanted in 1964 by Leonid Brezhnev, it halted. The lid was hammerred down. From that day forward the revelations about what happened at Leningrad was suppressed. The story was tidied up. No more blunders. No more intrigue. No more stupidity by Stalin and his generals. Death tolls and suffering were softpedalled.
End Quote.

This is just the beginning. Does anyone really want to step forward and claim themselves as an expert as to what happened during the Russo-German War? Ed does. Why he can tell you, exactly what happened and why. Of course, he can also tell what could have never have happened, so obviously, he must have been there.

Quote
Nor has Moscow's antagonism toward Leningrad declined with the death of Stalin, the fall of Khruschev, and a succession of lesser Soviet leaders. There is considerable evidence that it exists to this time. During the regime of Politburo member G.V. Romanov as Party Secretary of Leningrad, extraordinary hostility toward the survivors of the 900 days began to be manifest. It was widely believed in Leningrad that Romanov hoped to remove from the city its very large number of invalids, disabled, and prematurely retired citizens-the victims and survivors of the blockade. They were regarded as an economic drag on the city, unable to take their places at the work benches and on the assemble lines-costing the city heavily, moreover, in medical expenses and pensions.
End quote.

Once again, Ed, I ask, why do you insist on being considered such an expert on this era, when even the historians cannot be sure of the data coming out of the former Soviet Union? I have only touched lightly upon the tip of the iceberg of what historians have to say on this period, but yet, you hold yourself out to the other members of this forum to be some kind of expert in this area. I cannot claim to be an expert nor to my knowledge has any other member of the team, but yet, you seem to be willing to pronounce to everyone on the forum that you are. Don't you think it's time to come clean and confess to what your real motive is?

Quote
There has been one major development. the Piskarevsky cemetary, with its hundreds of thousands of Leningraders buried in the mass grace, has become a place of genuine national popular pilgrimage. And a new popular custom has come into being. Young couples with their wedding parties come straight from the wedding "palaces" in their bridal gowns and formal dress to lay wreaths in tribute to the dead. Thus the living generation pays tribute to the dead. And so the generations go on. Leningrad and the siege will not be forgotten, As Olga Berggolts cautioned "Let no one forget, let nothing be forgotten". And nothing will. The stones of Piskarevsky make that certain and, in the words of one man born in Leningrad and a survivor of the siege: "Your book is destined to be a monument to our dead, more fine and durable than the stone statues in Piskarevsky Cemetery". That is a tribute to this author is finer than any in the world.
Harrison E. Salisbury
April 1985.
End Quote.

This is a man that spent several years researching a book and fought his way through the Soviet bureaucracy to give us his knowledge, and he himself admits that there are many things that he or any of us can never discover about the German-Russo War. This book was written in 1985, since then the Soviet Union has cease to exist, and we share a new openness with Russia. We still do not know all of the facts of what happened during the time period of 1941 to 1945. But yet, we have Ed, who claims to have knowledge of any and all activities in that particular theatre. I think we should all consider ourselves to be truly blessed to be graced with his omnipotent presence. Please, Ed, be our saviour and tell us the real reason for going out of your way to alienate other members of the team, and informing us as to how you know what the game will hold for us in the future.

[SoleSurvivor]

Don, this is plain stupid. Please stop this or move to "Art of Wargaming" where such practice is more common. There hasn't been released all Info on WWII of the US side either. Still there is a lot of "experts". I cannot rate Ed's knowledge but being expert would not need to know everything.

[Lokioftheaesir]

Don Shafer

The title of king has now passed to one who truly deserves the crown. Myself.
My first judgement is that you desist in the personal heckling of another poster (send him private Emails if you wish). All are welcome to express their opinions on topics posted but personal attacks should be left in the playground where they belong.
As a sign of my benevolent rule and with the plenipotentiary powers so wisely bestowed to me. I decree that your punnishment shall be to heckle one who truly deserves it.
G.W.Bush

Yours
(King) Loki of the Aesir