Stalin's initial reaction to setbacks on the Western Front was to personalize the defeats as individual negligence. The attribution of blame for the setbacks inhibited candid expression by the leadership complicated by the identification and clarification of lessons. Stalin's harsh reaction caused commanders to be cautious in reporting the truth if it was unpleasant. In an illustrative conversation of 4 Sept '41 between Marshal Zhukov and Maj Gen Rakutin, cdr of the 24th Army, Zhukov reprimanded Rakutin for throwing his tanks into battle "thoughtlessly" and losing them, and also for making false reports:
Rakutin: "I'll go out this morning to investigate the matter, as I received the report only now...."
Zhukov: "You're not a detective, but a general. Send me a written dispatch that I can report to the government. Has Shpelevo been occuppied or is that also eyewash?"
Rakutin: "Shepelevo has not been occupied. I'll look into it myself tomorrow and report. I won't lie."
Zhukov: "The main thing is, stop the fibs of your staff, and deal properly with the situation, or you won't look too good." [source Volkogonov, "I.V. Stalin: Triumph and Tragedy", p. 213 with citation to archival material]
Stalin's repression proved detrimental to a change process that required candid assessments from commanders who were gaining experience from shortcomings in operational concepts and organizational adaptations. Zhukov later convinced Stalin that little was accomplished by executing senior commanders for battlefield defeats. Zhukov saved Konev from following Pavlov's fate.
TBC
Rakutin: "I'll go out this morning to investigate the matter, as I received the report only now...."
Zhukov: "You're not a detective, but a general. Send me a written dispatch that I can report to the government. Has Shpelevo been occuppied or is that also eyewash?"
Rakutin: "Shepelevo has not been occupied. I'll look into it myself tomorrow and report. I won't lie."
Zhukov: "The main thing is, stop the fibs of your staff, and deal properly with the situation, or you won't look too good." [source Volkogonov, "I.V. Stalin: Triumph and Tragedy", p. 213 with citation to archival material]
Stalin's repression proved detrimental to a change process that required candid assessments from commanders who were gaining experience from shortcomings in operational concepts and organizational adaptations. Zhukov later convinced Stalin that little was accomplished by executing senior commanders for battlefield defeats. Zhukov saved Konev from following Pavlov's fate.
TBC
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