Why was Russia better equipped to fight World War 2 than it had been to fight World War I?

Answer 1

When Russia entered the First World War it had a large army that was mobilised for total war from the beginning. The political turmoil caused by the October Revolution however created massive unrest and caused huge problems for Russia in terms of trying to conduct a military campaign. This was combined with the fact that the majority of the army sided with the Bolsheviks during the revolution and put themselves beyond the command of the Zsar and his generals. Lenin signed the Brest-Litovsk pact with Germany in 1917 in order to buy himself the time he needed to defeat the remaining Imperial forces and secure his position as the new leader of Communist Russia. It was not that Russia was poorly equipped to fight World War 1, more that political circumstances caused the collapse of the Russian campiagn.

In reality Russia was probably worse off in 1941 than she had been in 1914. Stalin`s purges had eliminated half the Russian officer corps and most of the top generals, leaving the army with an inexperienced command structure. However the rapid industrialisation of Russia in the inter-war period was one of Russia`s saving graces because it meant that the country had the industrial capacity to provide it`s military with the tools of war. Stalin had also had the foresight to move all Russian heavy industry east of the Ural Mountians prior to the German invasion. This put it out of the ranfe of German bombers and allowed Russian industry to continue unhindered.

Despite this Russia still suffered heavily in the campiagns prior to the Battle of Stalingrad. The German Blitzkreig destroyed inexpeienced Russian units and Russian military technology was forced to adapt to meet the new German technological advances.

Because of the nature of Blitzkreig the initial defeats of the Russians were catastrophic and losses were high but[and this is key to the understanding of the eventual German defeat in Russia]

1.Russian heavy industry remained intact.

2.Hitler took personal command of the army just before the Battle of Stalingrad and many of the critical tactical errors can be attributed to his own poor judgment and lack of military know-how.

3.Russian generals such as Zhukov came to the fore during and after the Battle of Stalingrad and helped in turning the tide of war against Germany.

4.Russia had succeeded in developing her technology to meet that of Germany.She produced the T-34 tank and the IL-2 fighter bomber, which were key in the campigns to follow.

In answer to this question we must consider the political climates during both wars:

1914-1917:Politcal unrest and eventual revolution,impossible for Imperial government to continue a military campaign.

1941-1945:Period of repression and Dictatorship. Soldiers had no choice, they died by German bullets or they died by Russian ones.

Industrial situation:

1914-1917:Russia can produce the necessary supplies for it`s army but World War 1 does not involve the kind of production we see in World War 2.

1941-1945:Russia is one of the most highly industrialised countries in the world thanks to Stalin`s Five Year Plans.Movement of industry east of the Urals also hepls to sustain Russian military production.

Military experience/ability:

1914-1917:Russia has adequate military command but once again the political situation creates difficulties.

1941-1945:Effect of the Purges on the officer corps means that initially Russia cannot withstand the might of Blitzkreig but with the rise of Zhukov etc. and Hitler`s takeover of German military High Command the tide turns agaist Germany leading to the eventual fall of Berlin.

Lend Lease, (and skip the propaganda) war matériel shipped to the Soviet Union through the Lend-Lease program from its beginning until 30 September 1945.

Aircraft 14,795 Tanks 7,056 Jeeps 51,503 Trucks 375,883 Motorcycles 35,170 Tractors 8,071 Guns 8,218 Machine guns 131,633 Explosives 345,735 tons Building equipment valued $10,910,000 Railroad freight cars 11,155 Locomotives 1,981 Cargo ships 90 Submarine hunters 105 Torpedo boats 197 Ship engines 7,784 Food supplies 4,478,000 tons Machines and equipment $1,078,965,000 Non-ferrous metals 802,000 tons Petroleum products 2,670,000 tons Chemicals 842,000 tons Cotton 106,893,000 tons Leather 49,860 tons Tires 3,786,000 Army boots 15,417,001 pairs