Stumbling Colossus: The Red Army On The Eve Of World War (Modern War Studies)

David M. Glantz (Author)

ISBN 10: 0700608796 / ISBN 13: 9780700608799

Published by University Press of Kansas, 1998

About this Item

ISBN 0700608796. Hardback. First Printing as signified by descending number line on the copyright page going down to the number 1. Book is in Near Fine condition, a tight bright attractive copy with no markings to the book. Dustjacket is in Near Fine condition, with no creasing and no chipping, Tight bright attractive copy with no markings to the book. The dustjacket has been placed in a Brodart protective cover by us to protect it and it looks much better than described. . This does not affect the dustjacket in any way, as all taping is done on the outside of the protector. This book is Stumbling Colossus: The Red Army on the Eve of World War (Modern War Studies).

Seller Inventory # 226090

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Stumbling Colossus: The Red Army On The Eve Of World War (Modern War Studies)
• Publisher: University Press of Kansas
• Publication Date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0700608796
• ISBN 13: 9780700608799
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: First Edition.
• Condition: Very Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: Dustjacket included
• Signed: No Signature
• Seller catalogs:
  • Russia & The Former Soviet Union

About this title

Synopsis

Germany's surprise attack on June 22, 1941, shocked a Soviet Union woefully unprepared to defend itself. The day before the attack, the Red Army still comprised the world's largest fighting force. But by the end of the year, four and a half million of its soldiers lay dead. This new study, based on formerly classified Soviet archival material and neglected German sources, reveals the truth behind this national catastrophe. Drawing on evidence never before seen in the West-including combat records of early engagements-David Glantz claims that in 1941 the Red Army was poorly trained, inadequately equipped, ineptly organized, and consequently incapable of engaging in large-scale military campaigns-and that both Hitler and Stalin knew it. He provides the most complete and convincing study of why the Soviets almost lost the war that summer, dispelling many of the myths about the Red Army that have persisted since the war and soundly refuting Viktor Suvorov's controversial thesis that Stalin was planning a preemptive strike against Germany. Stumbling Colossus describes the Red Army's command leadership, mobilization and war planning, intelligence activities, and active and reserve combat formations. It includes the first complete Order of Battle of Soviet forces on the eve of the German attack, documents the strength of Soviet armored forces during the war's initial period, and reproduces the first available texts of actual Soviet war plans. It also provides biographical sketches of Soviet officers and tells how Stalin's purges of the late 1930s left the Red Army leadership almost decimated. At a time when blame for the war in eastern Europe is being laid with a fallen regime, Glantz's book sets the record straight on the Soviet Union's readiness-and willingness-to fight. Boasting an extensive bibliography of Soviet and German sources, Stumbling Colossus is a convincing study that overshadows recent revisionist history and one that no student of World War II can ignore.

About the Author

An excellent book as usual from Glantz. Objective, scientific, without the influence of political biased points of views. This book is a real reference about the soviet army at the period.