Is Stalin Against Clausewitz

In the year of the 80th anniversary of Victory, it is important to make additional efforts to close the gaps that have persisted for a long time, contributing to an unbiased or distorted perception of events and facts, including those related to the decisions and assessments of the Soviet leadership caused by the Great Patriotic War and its results. This includes the assessment provided by I. V. Stalin in February 1946 regarding the ideological legacy of the renowned Prussian war theorist Clausewitz, in response to an inquiry from Soviet military historian E. A. Razin. In both domestic and foreign literature, this assessment is typically downplayed or treated superficially and speculatively. Analyzing the circumstances surrounding Stalin’s evaluation, including the context in which his opinion was formed, reveals that he was actually guided by pragmatic considerations. The implications of Stalin’s assessment in our country are also of interest. Moreover, the interpretation of Stalin’s actions during the war as a follower of Clausewitz, which is widespread abroad — primarily in Germany — merits attention

Foreign policy · Ideology · Public opinion · Spanish Civil War · European and Russian Geopolitical Military Strategies · Military History and Strategy · World Wars: History, Literature, and Impact