Reading

[yolkin]

Hello all!

As a result of the pursuit of my phaleristic hobby, I began reading some reference and historical materials pertaining to Russia's Soviet period (1917 - 1992).

Over the last week I was on vacation in a nice tropical coutry, and decided to read up on some things. I finished one book and started two other books.

I finished reading a Russian-language book called "Voina i Sud'by" or "War and Fates" that was published by Chicago's Russian-speaking Veterans of WWII. I will post the scans of the book at a later time. The book is a collection of personal stories told by the veterans who fought in the war. The book also incudes separate parts for personal accounts by the medical staff, the entertainment groups, as well as prisoners from gettos and/or concentration camps.

I started to read two other books both by Viktor Suvorov, "Ochischenie" and "Ten' Pobedy" or "Cleaning" and "Shadow of Victory" respectively. Both books describe the horrific events that transpired right before and during WWII in relation to G.K. Zhukov, as well as other Red Army military leaders.
Suvorov quotes other Marshals (Rokossovsky, Konev, etc.) as well as Stalin himself giving Zhukov a "less than perfect" evaluations due to his rude manners, his selfish attitudes, etc.

It was very difficult for me to read these books because of the years of propaganda that I grew up with stating that all of these leaders were next to saints. Now the truth comes out... I would definitely recommend that whoever has not yet read these books to try to pick them up or PM me and I will point you to an on-line library where you can read them on-line for free (mostly in Russian though).

In the "Shadow of Victory" Suvorov desribes Zhukov's promotion to General of the Army (then 5 stars) in 1940. I came across the following photo, and decided to share my recent experience.

Sorry for the rant.

Eric

[Ed Maier]

Eric,

Is it possible to get a copy of "Voina I Sud'by"? I would love to read it.

Thanks,
Ed

[yolkin]

I will try to acquire several copies and distribute them to the willing on this forum.

I will have another post when I get the book.

In the mean time take a look at some examples...

Eric



Hero of Soviet Union Stepan Borozenets. Fighter Pilot

Moisey Belferman. Colonel, Second in command of the 239th rifle division.

PLEASE NOTE: He was awarded a Bogdan Khmelnitsky 1st class.

[otlichnik]

I would love a copy of "War and Fates".

One of the greatest tragedies regarding the GPW is that the USSR completely ignored the "redarmyman" after the war. There were propaganda works, unit histories, memoirs of high ranking officers and officials and even many valuable military studies of the war but nothing, nothing on the Soviet soldier.

An examination I did for my MA of Michael Parrish's early 1990s 2 volume bibilography of soviet works on the GPW (he lists over 10,000!!!) found NOT ONE dedicated to the Soviet enlisted man!!!

Only recently has this sort of work started to come out and recently is, sadly, too late. Too any brave redarmymen have died. We can only get a drop in the ocean of their experiences today whereas their German opponents and Western allies were able to write for the last 50 years or so!

So hurra for the veterans of Chicago area for putting out this book.


While I am on a rant. In my opinion nothing the so-called Suvurov (it is a pen name) has written is worth its weight in paper. I will admit I have not read those two books quoted yet. I gave up on him in the 1980s.

He was a captain in Soviet military reconnaisance - not in the GRU till his final few years where he was a cipher clerk in Vienna. He then defected and wrote books for his income. He tried to tackle things he knew nothing of - the grand strategy of the USSR, WWII history, etc. and to claim he was an authority.

His works are not taken seriously at all amongst professional historians of the USSR or Soviet military. I have met a few of his de-briefers who share a similarly low opinion of his works.

If you want English language works on the Soviet military in WWII the authorities are David Glantz, John Erickson (who sadly died about a year ago), Richard Reese, Walter Dunn, Mark van Hagen and Charles Sharpe. They have different specialities although Glantz and Erickson are excellent "generalists".

Glantz is likely the most knowledgeable person about the GPW alive. Certainly the most knowldegeable non-Russian. He studied the USSR military full-time for over 20 years, set up the US military's famous Soviet Army Studies Office at Ft. Leavenworth continues to work full time on GPW history and has extremely high level contacts in Russia - he lectures at the General Staff Academy and has the run of the library and archives.

End Rant

Shawn

[Stephende]

I couldn't agree more with your comments re. the individual soldier's story. For those of you who have not seen it before, the "I Remember" website (I'm sure Tal has posted this link before) is excellent and bilingual. Some of the translations are a bit rough but the power of the stories overshadows all.