Deliberate or Desperate? Red Army Counterattacks of 1941 & 1942

Thank you to Eric Zadravec for today's question! - Were the constant counter-attacks and counter-offensives conducted by the Red Army in 1941 and 1942 a deliberate strategy of attrition or merely the result of the Stavka overestimating the Red Army's abilities and a 'cult of the offensive' mindset? Were the large losses this offensive posture incurred on Soviet soldiers worth the effect they had on the Wehrmacht? Did Stalin play a large role in influencing this strategy or was this something ingrained in the Soviet high command's mindset and operational doctrine? And would a defensive posture, specifically in 1941, have better suited the Red Army or was buying time the best option for the USSR?

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BIBLIOGRAPHY / SOURCES

Specific sources used -

Glantz, D. & House, J. “When Titan’s Clashed.” University Press of Kansas, 2015.
Fritz, S. “Ostkrieg: Hitler’s War of Extermination in the East.” University Press of Kentucky. 2011.
(David Stahel's books would be relevant too, although I didn't use them in the video.)

Full list of all my sources https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/114GiK85MPs0v4GKm0izPj3DL2CrlJUdAantx5GQUKn8/edit?usp=sharing

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If you like Stalingrad, you may also enjoy historian Anton Joly's YouTube channel "Stalingrad Battle Data". Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIk1QDvITjPOCsIRGGpSasA

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RELATED VIDEO LINKS

Soviet "War-Winning" Tanks in 1941? The Role of Tanks on the Eastern Front WW2 https://youtu.be/DkDiYuWlgV8

The State of Soviet Artillery on the Eve of Operation Barbarossa WW2 https://youtu.be/dprGvO5GG9c

The Red Army Air Force in the First Days of Operation Barbarossa https://youtu.be/kh7KmtwLUbw

The REAL Reason why Hitler HAD to go to War in WW2 https://youtu.be/PQGMjDQ-TJ8

The MAIN Reason Why Germany Lost WW2 - OIL https://youtu.be/kVo5I0xNRhg

FALL BLAU 1942 - Examining the Disaster of German’s second summer offensive https://youtu.be/hzr6dD8fvVY

BATTLESTORM STALINGRAD https://youtu.be/YAfo5mse-ag

History Theory 101 https://youtu.be/PvpJEc-NxVc

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ABOUT TIK

History isn’t as boring as some people think, and my goal is to get people talking about it. I also want to dispel the myths and distortions that ruin our perception of the past by asking a simple question - “But is this really the case?”. I have a 2:1 Degree in History and a passion for early 20th Century conflicts (mainly WW2). I’m therefore approaching this like I would an academic essay. Lots of sources, quotes, references and so on. Only the truth will do.

This video is discussing events or concepts that are academic, educational and historical in nature. This video is for informational purposes and was created so we may better understand the past and learn from the mistakes others have made.

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