Simon Montefiore - Stalin

RGASPI 558.11.489.11, Stalin to Budyonny 27 July 1942, uniting of Malinovsky’s Southern Front with Budyonny’s North Caucasus Front. Kaganovich, Zapiski, pp. 463–79. Strakhov, Bialer (ed.), pp. 442–7, 608. TsAMO 132a. 2642.32.145–7, Stalin to Kaganovich Aug. 1942. RGASPI 558.11.712.119–20, Budyonny to Stalin 19 Sept. 1942 and 25 Nov. 1942. On Stalin’s fury about Kaganovich’s wound: Sudoplatov, p. 148, and Sergo B, p. 83. Kaganovich was wounded in late Oct. and visited Stalin 19 Nov. 1942, IA .

Beria, p. 120. Sergo B, pp. 79–85. Sudoplatov, pp. 148–51. Tiulenev in Bialer (ed.), pp. 451–2, and Strakhov, pp. 442–7, 608. Interview Nikolai Baibakov. Also: Baibakov, p. 113. Beria’s arrival at Ordzhonikidze: Gela Charkviani from Candide Charkviani, notes. Beria was away 20 Aug.–17 Sept. Overy, pp. 157–9. Erickson, Stalingrad, pp. 370–1, 376–81. Kaganovich, Zapiski, pp. 463–79. TsAMO 132a.2642.32.145–7, Stalin to Kaganovich, Aug. 1942. RGASPI 558.11.712.119–20, Budyonny to Stalin 19 Sept. 1942 and 25 Nov. 1942. “I’ve been back in Moscow for seven days and I want to see you but you are very busy. To be without work in the present situation is impossible… please receive me.”

The main sources for this account of Stalingrad are A. Beevor, Stalingrad , Overy, Russia’s War, and Erickson, The Road to Stalingrad and The Road to Berlin, D. Volkogonov, Stalin: Triumph and Tragedy, and the memoirs of Zhukov and Vasilevsky. TsAMO 3.11556.9, Stalin to Vasilevsky, Yeremenko and Malenkov 23 Aug. 1942.

Zhukov II, pp. 293–9. Erickson, Stalingrad, pp. 384–5. Volkogonov, p. 461. Beevor, Stalingrad, pp. 117–27. Overy, pp. 166–9. Vasilevsky flew back, leaving Malenkov down in Stalingrad to work with Zhukov. Stalin and Zhukov’s characters: Zhukov, “Korotko o Staline,” Pravda , 20 Jan. 1989, p. 3. KR I, p. 218. Victor Gobarev, “Khrushchev and the Military. Historical and Psychological Analysis,” Slavic Military Studies , vol. 11, no. 3, Sept. 1998, pp. 128–44, inc. Gobarev: “K’s finest hour.” Luganski in Bialer (ed.), pp. 54, 610: Gen. Stepan Mikoyan, Vasily Stalin’s friend and son of Mikoyan, casts doubts on this story. Thanks to Antony Beevor for this.

A. M. Vasilevsky, Delo Vsey Zhizni , pp. 95–6. Volkogonov, p. 470. Thanks to Prof. Oleg Rzheshevsky for the rest of the story based on his own conversation with Vasilevsky. Money orders: MR , p. 303. On Stalin: “my father was a priest too…” Ogonyok , 2 Apr. 1988, no. 14, p. 20. Alexander Bolotin, “Shto my znaem o Liapidevskom?” the famous aviator Anatoly Liapidevsky met Stalin at the Kremlin: “Comrade Liapidevsky, your father was a priest, mine was a priest too. In case of need, contact Comrade Stalin directly,” quoted in Tucker, Power , p. 3. Stalin’s lifelong friendship with priest Peter Kapanadze: Charkviani, pp. 45–6. On Stalin’s freeing a prisoner: Vasilevsky on his friend Shavlovsky in Kumanev (ed.), p. 236. On timetable and Stavka: Erickson, Road to Berlin , p. 41. Shaposhnikov and Voodoo: FO 800/300, John Reed (Moscow), 19 Aug. 1942. TsAMO 215.1184.48.179, decision of GKO no. 1723, signed Stalin Ch, GKO, 11 May 1942. Vasilevsky had actually been serving as Acting Chief of Staff since 24 Apr. when Shaposhnikov had first attempted to retire, Jukes, Vasilevsky in Stalin’s Generals , pp. 279–80. Won’t hurt a fly: Sergo B, p. 339.

Zhukov II, pp. 307–58. Anfilov, Zhukov in Stalin’s Generals , p. 354. Erickson, Berlin , pp. 425, 429, 433, 445, 452, 458, 461–63. Beevor, Stalingrad , pp. 213, 232–4, 240. Alan Clark, Barbarossa , p. 218. Slavic Military Studies , vol. 10, no. 4, Dec. 1997, pp. 104–39. Insomnia: PREM 3/430/7: Record of private talk between the PM and Generalissimo Stalin after Plenary Session 17 July 1945, Potsdam: Churchill and Stalin , FCO 2002. On Operation Mars: see David Glantz, Zhukov’s Greatest Defeat: The Red Army’s Epic Disaster in Operation Mars 1942 , in which he estimates losses of up to 500,000. Soviet data suggests much lower losses of 70,000 killed and missing. (A. S. Orlov, “Operaziya Mars: razlichnye traktovki” in Mir Istorii , vol. 4, 2000.)

Stalin at war: sleeps in clothes, I. Orlov in Rybin, Stalin v Oktyabre 1941 , p. 13. Shtemenko in Bialer (ed.), pp. 351–9. TsAMO 3.11.556.13.247–8. Stalin to Vasilevsky, 23 Aug. 1943. Vasilevsky, Jukes in Stalin’s Generals , pp. 279, 283. Zhdanov: RGASPI 558.11.492.86. Stalin and Molotov talk to Zhdanov 1 Dec. 1941. Antonov: green files: Shtemenko in Bialer (ed.), pp. 351–8. Antonov, “dark handsome lithe” Djilas, p. 109. Anteroom: Starinov in Bialer (ed.), pp. 456–7. I. V. Kovalev in Volkogonov, p. 419. Zhukov by Simonov in Volkogonov, p. 385. “Wise decision, Comrade Stalin,” Volkogonov, pp. 390–1. “Frank discussions, Stalin listened,” Mikoyan, pp. 463–5. Mikoyan in Kumanev (ed.), p. 70. “I don’t think so”: Golovanov quoted in MR , p. 306. Stalin style: Nikolai Baibakov. Voznesensky: Vasilevsky, in Kumanev (ed.), pp. 237–8. Bafflement: Belov in Bialer (ed.), p. 295. Kuznetsov in Bialer (ed.), p. 349, inc., “his associates never argued…” Zhukov in Bialer (ed.), pp. 259, 267, Belov (haggard, sallow) p. 295, Shtemenko, p. 352. “Bag of bones”—Khrushchev, Glasnost , p. 65. Pipes: RGASPI 558.11.775.110, Maisky to Stalin 18 Aug. 1943. Stalin as military expert: Mikoyan, pp. 463–5; KR I, p. 145; Zhukov (English ed.), pp. 281–4, Khrulev refuses railways: Khrulev in Kumanev (ed.), pp. 349–50. “Don’t lose any more Mikoyans”: Stepan M, p. 86. Stalin also ordered the writer Alexei Tolstoy to be kept away from the front: Brooks, Thank You C. Stalin, p. 185.

Fear: Zhukov, Anfilov in Stalin’s Generals , p. 347. Golikov denounces Yeremenko: RGASPI 558.11.725.180–2. Golikov to Stalin, 12 Sept. 1942. Voronov in Bialer (ed.), pp. 457–9. Mekhlis , p. 99. Mikoyan, pp. 396–9. KR I, pp. 196, 214, 218, 226–7; during the Battle of Kiev, V. T. Sergienko repeatedly informed on Khrushchev to Stalin, p. 196. Rzheshevsky, Koniev in Stalin’s Generals , p. 94. Yaroslav: MR , p. 24. Khrulev: N. Antipenko. “Tyl Fronta,” Novy Mir , vol. 8.

Magnates at war: Mikoyan, pp. 394, 400, 463–4. Stepan M, p. 110. On Zhdanov: 900 Days, p. 542. KR I, p. 155. Beria, pp. 111, 118: Lesser Terror, p. 73. Bugging: Sudoplatov, p. 328. Zhukov officers arrested: Spahr, Zhukov, p. 197: V. S. Golushkevich. Beria: Mikoyan, p. 424. For example of generals’ “coffee with Beria,” see The Times , 18 Jan. 2003, “Beria’s Terror Files are opened.” On sacking Kaganovich: Beria A fair : Andreyev’s speech, p. 154. Khrulev, Kumanev (ed.), pp. 349–50. Stalin admires Kaganovich: Mgeladze, pp. 203–4. Labour statistics: Anne Applebaum, GULAG , pp. 521–5.

RGASPI 558.11.490.7–49: the Stalingrad press releases are nos. 34–49. Tobacco: Mgeladze, p. 40. When his former secretary wrote to him asking if he could come to Moscow, it was Stalin himself who replied: “You can come to Moscow. Stalin.” RGASPI 558.11.726.4–6, Dvinsky to Stalin 25 July 1942.

Shtemenko in Bailer (ed.), pp. 350–7. Kaganovich sleepless nights: Kovalev, Volkogonov, p. 419. Rest time: Shtemenko in Bialer (ed.), pp. 352–3. Jukes, Vasilevsky in Stalin’s Generals , pp. 279–80. Marshal of Artillery Yakovlev story: Artyom Sergeev. Hours of work for Poskrebyshev: Natalya Poskrebysheva.

Mikoyan, pp. 463–4. Dinners, Khrushchev, Glasnost , p. 66. Tea ritual: Kovalev in Volkogonov, pp. 419, 471.