How Far Was the Dramatic Development of a War Economy Responsible for Russia’s Victory in the Second World War?

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How far was the dramatic development of a war economy responsible for Russia’s victory in the second world war? Russia went into the second world war as allies with Germany. However, both countries seemed to know that this was a temporary alliance that would be disbanded as soon as possible. Despite this Stalin ignored the first signs of a German invasion and left Moscow for several days. When he returned he rallied the people against the betraying Germans. This rise in patriotism gave the Russians strength to fight and overcome their enemies, despite having inadequate leaders due to the purges. However, it was also Stalin’s gradual build up of resources that left Russia victorious in 1945. Ultimately one of Russia’s greatest strengths was its size. Russia was easily three times as big as Germany meaning that the leadership could take an almost disposable view of their soldiers; there would always be more available. At the Battle of Kruk for example the Russian soldiers outnumbered their German counterparts two to one, however, more prevalent than their sheer size was the approach the soldiers and the Russians took to the war. Due to the NKVD they knew that to retreat or surrender was a fatal act making them close to fearless in battle. This hardship meant that they could face the Germans discipline with toughness and be sure to win, due to their vast numbers. Stalin cleverly paired this ruthlessness with love and morale, using his propaganda as a vessel to convince the Russian’s they had something worth fighting for. In his first speech as the German’s invaded Stalin called out to them, addressing them as “dear friends” in order to reach them on a personal level. The speech focused entirely on their patriotism, not communism, uniting all people across Russia as one. By strengthening his soldiers and citizens from the outside in, Stalin ensured victory. He had
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