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The Myth and Reality of Joseph Stalin’s Order No. 227 “Not a Step Back!”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOKAIDpOY80

I just discover this channel recently.

The Numbers Say it All | The Myth of German Superiority on the WW2 Eastern Front.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7BE8CsM9ds

While we are at myth...

A fantastic resource, whether you are a player or designer is WW2 week by week. https://www.youtube.com/@WorldWarTwo

I've read many books on WW2, but the week by week format puts things into a better perspective.

ncc1701e wrote: Sun Dec 18, 2022 8:29 pm The Numbers Say it All | The Myth of German Superiority on the WW2 Eastern Front.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7BE8CsM9ds

While we are at myth...

I have watched some of his videos he is good I think. Not going to get political but he made a statement about something which showed some of his political view which I really did not agree with so rightly or wrongly I stopped watching him.

/MM

sveint wrote: Sun Dec 18, 2022 9:01 pm A fantastic resource, whether you are a player or designer is WW2 week by week. https://www.youtube.com/@WorldWarTwo

I've read many books on WW2, but the week by week format puts things into a better perspective.

Thanks for that link I have been listening to some episodes I like it

/MM

Double post again I dont know what I am doing .

/MM

ncc1701e wrote: Sun Dec 18, 2022 7:39 pm The Myth and Reality of Joseph Stalin’s Order No. 227 “Not a Step Back!”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOKAIDpOY80

I just discover this channel recently.

So he says the numbers don't support the "myth" of German superiority, idk kinda seems like they do. when the Germans were winning they were inflicting 5 to 1 losses on the enemy when the Soviets were winning they were even or only doing slightly better, seems like the Germans were pretty good

German soldiers were better.
Even the Allies said this
My expert friend says this
Other experts I know say this
The numbers say this. Just because it isn't 10:1 it doesn't mean they weren't better.

If you look at the Kursk casualties and losses you would think the Germans won. And note they were on the offensive. To attack you at least need a raw 3:1 in numbers to take on the enemy.

If you look at the Ardennes 1944 the casualties and losses are close to even against an enemy with overwhelming superiority in tanks, men, and planes.

Just look at France 1940 as well.

Did the Allies get better as the war progressed? Of course.
But if you are attacking and inflicting 2:1 losses on an enemy that has more men and more stuff..... that's pretty darn good.

Tactically they operated better.

USA would throw recruits into squads without much training or bonding. They were considered dead men walking by the veterans until they proved themselves.

The Germans would send recruits to a forwarding base away from the battle field where veterans took recruits under their arms, trained them, helped them, and bonded with them forming a better more cohesive team of soldiers that worked together better.

The Allies had a general strategy of bombard to oblivion, the Germans retreat before they get destroyed, then Allies advance. Maybe you can argue that method saved Allied lives.

On the Eastern Front the Soviet generals were constantly under threat of being killed. If they didn't follow orders they would be shot, If they followed orders and failed, they would be shot. I remember reading one general that was stuck with orders that would certain fail or he came up with a different option that had a much better chance of success but disobeyed orders. He did the latter that had a higher chance of success, succeeded, and had to explain why he violated orders. He wasn't shot luckily. So Soviet leaders were hamstrung by Stalin and the NKVD. German generals were replaced but not executed for poor performance. They could speak their minds without being executed.

If I remember after Uranus is when Stalin relaxed a little and let the generals do what they do best. Even so it wasn't until 1944 where German losses surpassed Soviet ones.

I can't even imagine being on the Eastern front. You can't surrender because your enemy will shoot you or enslave you working you to death.

The war was created on the whims of a handful of terrible people that words can't describe the hatred I have for what they represent. I thought I hated Nazis. I read Wages of Destruction and my hatred for Nazis grew more. I couldn't believe that was possible.

But like I said their soldiers and tactics were better.
The Allies had the advantage of a better overall strategic plan. The Germans were all over the place. Their grand strategy was severely flawed.

Very well said Alvaro, I agree with all that

I think where the Soviets should get both credit and scorn is they early stages of Barbarossa where they lost such an amazing amount of men and material, which was bad tactics on their part but impressive because no other army on the planet could have taken those losses and still existed as a fighting force

Army of that time, true.

And this one?

"The Soviet-German War, 1941-1945: Myths and Realities" by COL (Ret) David M. Glantz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qkmO7tm8AU