Chapter 558 Prelude to a Death Battle

The ticking pendulum echoed in the Kremlin's most powerful office. The atmosphere was so weird that you could hear the drop of a needle, making anyone who entered the room feel inexplicably uncomfortable. The loving father Comrade Stalin, who alone held the power of the Soviet Union, was... Sitting behind his desk, his eyes widened.

"Comrade Timoshenko has just sent a battle report. Comrade Stalin has completely lost control of the situation on the front line and asked the General Staff Department how to proceed with the next step."

The old and sick Chief of Staff Shaposhnikov has submitted his resignation to his loving father Comrade Stalin and returned home to recuperate. According to Marshal Shaposhnikov's resignation letter, his current physical condition is no longer able to bear such a burden. With the high-intensity work of the Chief of General Staff of the Red Army, it is time for a more energetic Chief of General Staff of the Red Army who can also take charge of the overall situation to take office.

Regarding the candidate to succeed the Chief of General Staff of the Red Army, before leaving, Marshal Shaposhnikov recommended his disciple to his loving father Stalin: General Vasilevsky, who was well-known in distant later generations.

But Vasilevsky, who took over the position of Chief of General Staff of the Red Army, soon discovered that this position was not easy to sit in. To be precise, the current frontline situation was equivalent to a fire burning him under his butt.

The counter-offensive on the front line is doomed to collapse irreversibly. Looking at the Supreme Leader of the Soviet Union who was speaking plausibly and confidently at the Supreme Council three months ago, now he looks like this with a sad face. He had discussed the counter-offensive with Zhukov in private. Vasilevsky, who had planned and agreed that it was inappropriate, could not help but sigh.

"Comrade Stalin, please cheer up. The people and the entire Red Army need your leadership to win."

Hearing the reminder from Chief of Staff Vasilevsky who was very close in front of him, the loving father Comrade Stalin, who had been sluggish all this time, finally managed to cheer up and raised his head. His bloodshot eyes were obviously filled with fatigue for several nights. Didn't get much sleep.

"I know my situation is not very good, but your situation is also very bad. You should pay more attention to rest."

The loving father Stalin, who was holding a pipe in his hand, stretched out the index and middle fingers of his right hand and pointed at his two eyes. Seeing Stalin's hint, Vasilevsky quickly understood the leader's intention and recalled that he had washed up this morning. The man with the dark circles around his eyes that I saw in the mirror was almost unrecognizable.

"I understand, thank you! Comrade Stalin, I will pay more attention to rest."

After a brief exchange of greetings with Vasilevsky, Stalin stood up from his chair, holding a newly lit smoking pipe, taking a puff from time to time and starting to pace slowly in the office as if no one else was around.

There is no doubt that none of the battle reports coming from the front in recent days are extremely annoying and frustrating, and even made Stalin, the leader, astonished as if he had been struck by lightning.

Three months ago, Stalin was full of optimism about the situation on the front line. He felt that the Fascist army was exhausted and full of cowardice after the disastrous defeat in the Winter War. As long as the heroic Soviet Red Army launched such a powerful counterattack, the lands occupied by the evil Hitler's minions could easily be captured. .

In addition to recovering the western territories occupied by the German army, Stalin even planned how to deal with Finland, a clown with a short memory, and bring it into the territory of the Soviet Union.

But what Stalin didn't expect was that Timoshenko, who was entrusted with the important task he had entrusted, would be so unsatisfactory and ruined all his good advantages to the sharp teeth of the German army. The scene of the embarrassing defeat even reminded Stalin of last year. Pavlov suffered a similar defeat and was ordered to be shot by himself.

Ironically, the last person to meet Pavlov was Timoshenko, who was also being beaten by the Germans. Stalin couldn't help but wonder whether the plague of disastrous defeat could be transmitted among generals. ?

"Comrade Stalin!"

A sudden reminder interrupted his loving father Stalin's wandering reverie. After quietly turning his head, the next thing he saw was Vasilevsky's serious and solemn expression.

"The General Staff and I both believe that it is time for us to discuss and start preparing for the defense of Stalingrad. According to the current frontline battle situation, the Germans will push the front to Stalingrad in a few days. We must hurry up. Prepare your defense at the last minute!”

Hearing the decisive words from Vasilevsky's mouth, Stalin, who was holding the pipe in his right hand, couldn't help but his wrist trembled, and he almost dropped the precious furniture in his hand to the ground.

No matter how reluctant the loving father Stalin is at this moment, the problem he has been least willing to face has inevitably come to him. This city in the name of its leader is about to face the most cruel battle. baptism of fire.

Stalingrad, formerly known as Tsaritsyn, is a large industrial city close to the west bank of the lower reaches of the Volga River. The famous Stalingrad Tractor Factory is located here, and it is here that countless Red Army tanks that beat the Germans to the ground slowly walked away. Off the production line and off to war.

Stalin was obviously very familiar with the city named after him.

Back in 1918, Stalin, who had not yet grasped the power of the Soviet Union, personally led the Red Army troops to repel the fierce charge of the White Army in this city. This city, where Stalin once personally led the army to fight, is famous in history. Stalingrad is the best commemoration of this period of glorious history.

At this moment, Comrade Stalin, the loving father, knew very well that the unusually important Stalingrad was not only an important transportation hub and heavy industry city in the southern part of the Soviet Union, but also the gateway to the Kuban Basin in the lower Volga River region.

If the German army breaks the shackles and captures this holy city, it will completely cut off the connection between the central Soviet Union and the south, which will be even more unacceptable and a heavy blow than the loss of Kiev last year. The German army will be able to use Stalingrad as a front-line war base and go north to attack Moscow. If it goes south, it can even fight all the way to the Persian Gulf if Hitler is willing.

For Stalin, losing Kiev was more of a matter of face than actual value, but losing Stalingrad was something he couldn't even afford. Stalin didn't dare to imagine what would happen if the Nazi flag flew over Stalingrad. What will be the consequences? My absolute prestige in the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union will probably plummet.

Stalin tapped the pipe in his hand against the edge of the desk, his beard trembling slightly, and almost gave the order decisively in a tone that could determine the future.