Greg Goebel - The Great Patriotic War

[andyw248]

Just came across this: http://www.vectorsite.net/twsnow.html. Greg Goebel has written a number of accounts of historical events, including the Great Patriotic War and the Guadalcanal Campaign, among others.

 

What I like about Greg's site is that he puts the events into a historical context. In the case of the Great Patriotic War, he starts with a description of how Josef Stalin came to power, how he enforced his grip on the country, and how the brutality with which this was carried out affected the economy and the military, and caused a certain culture and mindset.

 

With this in mind it becomes easier to understand the different loss rates between German and Soviet air forces. Apparently, innovation (e.g. of air tactics) was not part of the normal mindset as it could lead to fatal results for the innovator, specifically if the innovation came with teething troubles, or was different from what the political leader had said. From my understanding of the culture at the time, creative flying and fighting may not have been something that would have been rewarded; on the contrary, it seems any deviation from the rule would have let to potential punishment.

 

Anyway, I highly recommend this to those that want to learn more about the Great Patriotic War.