Joseph Vissarionovich was a great leader of a great country for a long time. He is known and respected far beyond the borders of the CIS countries. He was an outstanding ruler and dictator. But during the beginning of the Second World War, Stalin disconnected from the world around him, thus the country lost its commander, but this did not last long ...
Stalin's silence or reasons for silence
I.V. Stalin, who was silent during the outbreak of the war, introduced all the inhabitants of the Soviet Union into complete prostration. They expected to hear Stalin’s speeches, an instruction from their leader, from the one whom they trusted their lives and were ready to go to die for their homeland. But instead, they heard the voice of Molotov, the people's commissar for foreign affairs in the USSR.
It was he who, on June 22, 1941, told that Hitler had moved east. The thoughts of people at that time were very confused, and everyone had only one question: why was it not Stalin who reported the war, but Molotov? After all, it is necessary for the head of the country to report this ...
Stunned Leader
All this caused utter turmoil both among the highest ranks and among ordinary people. How much did Stalin avoid public speaking? It was the second, third, fourth day after Hitler’s attack, and there was silence on all the streets. No news in the newspapers, no sound from the radio, nothing. As it became known later, Stalin, stunned, simply locked himself in, did not see anything around, considering what he needed to do with all this. Everyone was in ignorance. Ambassadors who could try to solve the problem did not receive any instructions and were simply confused. Nobody expected this.
Although, judging by the words of Vyacheslav Molotov, it was Stalin who made the decision to speak on the radio and tell the people what was happening in the country. He also said that Stalin was completely defeated, because he is the same person as everyone. The leader assured Molotov that he would speak soon, but all that was needed was to see the situation at the front and give some adequate comments on what had happened.
Stalin's disbelief in Hitler's betrayal
How many days did Stalin avoid public speaking, why did this happen? According to the comments of Georgy Zhukov, marshal and honorary military commander of the USSR, Joseph Stalin was confused, but then came to his senses, began to work with full dedication and energy in order to resolve the problem with the war as quickly as possible. True, at the same time, Stalin was very irritated, perceived almost everything with hostility, knocking the entire team out of the rut, literally making them give up when they work.
According to some information, from the leader’s diary, in which he wrote down all his visits to the Kremlin, it was established that he did not believe to the very end that Adolf Hitler had attacked the USSR, even expressed it to his colleagues. He said that, most likely, the German leader was not even aware of what was happening, it was necessary to call him and talk, so that he would give a full assessment of the situation. After this, the first public appearances of Stalin were planned.
When the meeting with the German ambassadors took place, everything became clear. Molotov confirmed the fears of all, telling Stalin that the war had begun, and Hitler himself ordered the attack on the USSR.
Joseph Vissarionovich simply could not believe that for so many years the foreign policy he had been building, protected by various pacts and agreements with the Fuhrer, collapsed at one moment. He thought that Hitler would be afraid to start a war, because it was pure suicide, and all the hints that the Fuhrer was hostile towards the East, he considered the machinations of everyone else who wanted to quarrel "friendly peoples."
Rejection of Stalin’s speech
In early July, all Stalin’s associates went to his dacha in the Middle. He met them very irritated, as if they had declared war on him, and not Hitler, from the friendship with which everyone wanted to protect him. The leader sat in his chair and smoked. After he asked why they all came to him, for which they had come such a long way. The reason was clear; everyone wanted to hear Stalin speak at the congress.
Vyacheslav Molotov expressed the general opinion that it is necessary to put the country on its feet after such a blow, to raise the people, to do at least something, and Joseph Vissarionovich should give orders as commander in chief. They needed the strength of their leader, so they came to him to return him to the ranks. Stalin was surprised at such courage on the part of members of the Politburo, but did not raise any objections; on the contrary, he supported such an initiative.
The State Defense Committee was created on the same day, and the very next day all the newspapers trumpeted it. This committee included the closest people of Joseph Vissarionovich: Molotov, Beria, Malenkov and Voroshilov. Approved the authority of Stalin as commander in chief.
The people heard the leader’s voice only three days after the creation of the defense committee. At that time, Minsk was already taken by the Nazis, and military operations began. In 1941 alone, the USSR lost almost four and a half million people. As it turned out later, two and a half million of them were captured by the Red Army, among whom was the son of Joseph Vissarionovich - Jacob. At the beginning of 1942, the enemy was twenty kilometers from Moscow.
Admiration for the Russian people
In the next two years, the heroic people of the Soviet Union conquered their territories, was able to push the fascist invader away from the borders of the Motherland. The shown courage and strength of the Russian spirit impressed everyone. In his speech, Stalin noted that the courage of the Russian people is something great, but the courage lies in the fact that they are not fighting for the state, but for their land on which they live, that’s the whole secret.