Chronological Influences III: The Wrath of Stukov

[GeneralHannibal]

Will you make a puppet PRP (People's Republic of Persia) or will it be annexed as the Persian SSR.

[lifeless]

next step afganistan?

[TC Pilot]

GeneralHannibal: Alexei Stukov doesn't make no stinkin' puppets!

lifeless: Could be

I must admit it is a tempting target to squash.

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February 3rd, 1938

It had become a familiar occurrence now, Stukov pacing back and forth along the rows of empty chairs, while Stalin would sit leisurely in his chair, a slightly bemused but threatening aura to him.

Since the outright annexation of Persia into the Soviet Union, things had been relatively quiet. Relative, Stukov thought, was the key word there.

War had broken out in the Far East not long after the annexation. Stalin had been quick to offer the Chinese valuable shipments of war materials. Since then, a large and steady stream of supplies had been shipped from Vladivostok to any available Chinese ports.

So far, it seemed the plan was working. Japanese forces were still advancing, though painstakingly slowly. Chinese forces had, for the most part, managed to hold their ground along the banks of the Yellow River. So much the better when Soviet forces rolled through Manchuria and crushed the Japanese army from two sides.

Plans had also been drawn up, in what Stukov had affectionately called Operation Defenestration, for the all-out invasion of Poland by the Soviet Union's western armies. War would inevitably engulf the whole of Europe in response to this blatant aggression.

That was what Stukov hoped would happen. Having just reported to Stalin that 130 divisions now stood ready on the border, composed of 9 motorized, 4 armoured, and the rest infantry divisions, Stukov believed that if war were to break out, Soviet forces could steamroll through any opposition and be at the banks of the Oder in a month.

But that was just the plan.

"Comrade Stukov," Stalin said.

"Yes, comrade?"

"Since you performed so admirably in amassing a large military force on our western borders, I want you and Comrade Uritskiy to begin investigating our Red Army officer corps. I expect a list of all the traitors and western sympathizers in our ranks."

Stukov came to a sudden halt, disbelieving what he heard. "Comrade... are you suggesting...."

"I am," Stalin reaffirmed menacingly, eyeing Stukov, the vague machinery of paranoia begining to run inside the tyrant's mind.

Stukov stiffened noticeably. "Then... you will have your list of traitors..."

Slowly, shakily, Stukov managed to sit down in a nearby chair before his legs gave out. A purge of the officer corps would devastate the Red Army, and failure to do so would mean his end.

All my plans ruined!

War would have to wait.

[GeneralHannibal]

Poor Stukov, his plans ruined. The army could still use some practice in Afghanistan though, couldn't it.

[jose1357]

hmm...in my game I'm waiting till the guarantees of independance by UK end so I don't run risk of having war w/ them w/out a navy...still

[lifeless]

darn! maybe stukov should just kill stalin and take his place!

[Jape]

An Emperor does not bow to a georgian bank robber- cut his head off!

Operation Defenestration will be a mighty battle and every oment lost is a moment gained for Stukov's enemies!

[TC Pilot]

GeneralHannibal: It would take 1000 Afghanistans to get enough practice to make a difference.

jose1357: Well, considering I'm contemplating starting World War II, I'm not too worried about what the British think about all of it.

lifeless/Jape: Well, I don't really have the option to rid myself of him quite yet. That may change in the future, though.

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March 20th, 1938

Alexei Stukov sat in his office, nursing a stiff drink. He couldn't remember what it was, only that it wasn't vodka, having sworn off the stuff years earlier.

Without question, Stukov had far more important things to do than get himself lost in a drunk stupor. On the other hand, he could care less about those "important" things. Most of them he would have refuse to do if he wouldn't incur Stalin's wrath for disobeying.

Starting in mid-February, he had reluctantly compiled a comprehensive report on various high-ranking Red Army officers, working alongside NKVD officials and Uritskiy, under Stalin's orders of course, to find all traitorous or dangerous army officers.

The results had not been pretty. The Red Army's command structure had been decimated. Two Field Marshalls, Egorov and Tuchatevsky, were dead now, another, Voroshilov, forced from active service. About a dozen generals had been selected and vanished without a trace, as well as a multitude of lesser officers. Half the army commanders in the west were eliminated.

The resulting power vacuum needed to be filled, and quickly. To meet the need for higher ranking officrs, many had been promoted en masse. Stukov had been persuasive enough to select the generals himself, and he had done the best he could.

But the damage had been done. Many of the field armies were now under the command of men who had been division commanders a week earlier, and mere Major Generals were commanding whole armies in Siberia and the Far East.

The situation was not good and Stukov didn't like it one bit.

The door opened and Sergei Uritskiy stepped in, closing the door quietly behind him. Stukov looked up and set his drink down on the purge report.

"Glad to see you still with us, comrade," Stukov commented. Uritskiy had almost been replaced by NKVD chief Beria, but Stukov had managed to stop that from happening. The same could not be said for Yan Berzin, intelligence chief who had failed spectacularly to clear the country of foreign spies, an infestation well documented.

"A pleasure as always," Uritskiy replied dryly.

"So," Stukov drawled, pushing himself uncertainly up more properly in his chair. "You've heard the foreign news?"

"You mean German annexation of Austria? Of course."

Stukov sighed. "Here we are, struggling to barely keep our army competently lead while Hitler waltzes himself into a Third Reich. Where's Voroshilov at? I've been meaning to talk to him."

"Last I heard, he's busy at STAVKA. I can't blame him, considering the mess he has to work through."

Stukov nodded and reached for a discarded report paper. "Well," he mumbled apathetically. "We have another 2 tank divisions deployed now to Zhukov's corps... correction, he took over an infantry army... uh... I don't remember his name."

Uncharacteristically, Stukov smiled. Despite the losses to the Purge, it was only temporary. Before long, Stukov was sure he could set his grand plan into motion.

[GeneralHannibal]

You should invade Afghanistan since it will make invading British India easier.

[lifeless]

seems like things are still chaotic..

[TC Pilot]

GeneralHannibal: Taking India will make my front with British India bigger, thus not making it easier. With so many more forces in that theater than I have, it would simply being an annoyance to deal with that's not worth it in Stukov's stategic outlook.

lifeless: They are. Soviet command structure has been devastated. Losing half the commanding generals in the field will do that.

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August 2nd, 1938

"Comrade Stukov!" Zhukov heard one of his aides announce in a mixture of surprise and fear. Out of habit, Zhukov turned from his work and snapped to attention.

Stukov stepped in hurriedly and took of his beat-up and dirty cap. "At ease, comrade. This isn't a loyalty test."

General Zhukov relaxed noticably. The rumors coming out of the Kremlin implicated Stukov as the key instigator of the officer purge, so Zhukov had good reason to be worried.

"Comrade, I did not expect to see you here today. The inspection isn't scheduled for another two days."

At Zhukov's behest, Stukov sat down in a creaky wooden chair. "I decided to cancel the inspection. I believe I already know the condition our armies are in."

Zhukov's brow furrowed in thought. Was that a threat? Some veiled insult about a failure on Zhukov's part? Was this a ruse? Or was Stukov genuinely as angry as he was over the purge.

"Then... why did you bother traveling all the way to Minsk..." he paused for a moment as Stukov pulled a flask out from his jacket pocket and took a swig from it. "What's that?"

"Orange juice," Stukov replied tersely. "As for why I came here... I take it you know about Operation Defenestration?"

"Not at all," Zhukov repleid immediately, albeit reluctant to admit ignorance.

Stukov looked confused for a moment but realization soon dawned on him. "Ah, now I remember. Voroshilov got it renamed to Operation Phalanx. A pity..."

"Ah," Zhukov nodded. "I know about it. Given the timetables mentioned on it, I've actually been studying it intently."

"Good, because what we're doing right now is essentially waiting for Stalin's approval to arrive," Stukov said with a slight grin.

"You mean..."

"I mean, any minute now," Stukov pointed at the radio nearby for emphasis, "A communiqué from STAVKA could come in and order all 138 divisions to storm across the Polish border and draw Europe into a conflagration that will see the Soviet Union emerge the supreme ruler of the European continent."

Zhukov stood up and saluted smartly. "Comrade Stukov, the Red Army stands at the ready!"

A sly smile crossed Stukov's face. "I'm sure, General Zhukov."

[Dogma]

How did I miss this AAR for this long? May the Red flag wave across the entire planet (again)!

[lifeless]

its almost time...i guess if the plan succeeds, stalin better get stukov a crate of orange juice!

[Patrick O'Harte]

Yes! Go Stukov! The world will be yours!... again...

[GeneralHannibal]

I wonder what effect this will have on Germany's plans.

[Marchalk_Zjukov]

For the glorius soviet union and orange juice!

btw great update

[TC Pilot]

Dogma: Thanks for your support. The post is appreciated greatly.

lifeless/Marchalk_Zjukov: I suspect you're fans of orange juice?

Patrick O'Harte: Yeah, and for the last time

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The storm had finally come. On morning of August 8th, 1938, approximately 1.4 million Red Army soldiers stormed across the border of Poland, inaugurating the much lauded Operation Phalanx, affectionately labeled Operation Defenestration by its creator Alexei Stukov for essentially throwing the political world of the time out the window. Operation Defenestration was not just meant to bring about the conquest of Poland, but to draw the rest of Europe into a war against the Soviet Union that Stukov believed would inevitably be won by the massive Russian state.

Soviet attacks on the morning of August 8th

From its purely military aspect, Phalanx started out with promising results. Across the entire front, Soviet armies were reporting successful advances, pushing Poland's far outnumbered divisions westward. In the south, Soviet forces were pushing towards Lvov, intending for a quick thrust to Kracow and then northward toward Lodz. In the center, Brest Litovsk was to be the main target for a follow-up assault on Warsaw itself, which would be supported from the north by the third arm of the Red Army's invasion, running astride the border with Lithuania and German East Prussia after securing the Polish "panhandle". Lvov was captured on the 17th with only moderate resistance, and Brest Litovsk would fall on the 28th. But in the north, determined Polish resistance held off a poorly coordinated Soviet assault on Suwalki, depriving any drive on Warsaw of northern flank support.

Politically, Phalanx began with promise. France immediately cancelled its pact of non-aggression on the 9th and some in the Soviet Union hoped the British and French would come to the aid of the doomed Polish nation. The air of hopelessness was mirrored by a Polish peace offering on the 16th which essentially surrendered its sovereignty to Russia. Of course, Stalin would have none of it. Poland would be utterly crushed and annexed completely into the Motherland.

But while Brest Litovsk and Bielsk were abandoned by the retreating Polish, an army of ten divisions under General Zelegowski established a defensive around Lublin and west of Warsaw, determined to hold the Soviets back from the capital.

The Soviets were not long in coming. A horde of 48 divisions struck the Polish defenses from three fronts in the late hours of hte 28th, General Rybalko leading the charge. As dawn broke, so did the Poles, forced back further toward Warsaw. But all hope was not lost. Again the Soviets made a strike at Suwalki, once again failing to make headway.

But the Soviets would not give Poland a chance to regroup. Sensing Warsaw's defenses were paper-thin, General Rybalko pressed Zhukov to give him authorization to attack the capital. Zhukov consented, and Soviet forces blasted their way through into the city on September 6th.

With the conquest of the capital, the Soviets took their time in reorganizing themselves for the coming battles. They were now no longer facing vastly outnumbered Polish border guards, but the combined force of the Polish army, now dangerously concentrated along the center and northern fronts. It would take strong, coordinated assaults to dislodge the Poles.

Soviet progress up to September 12th

[GeneralHannibal]

Poland can't hold out for another month I'm betting.

[Marchalk_Zjukov]

Poland can't hold out for another month I'm betting.

Agreed.

No other dows on you?

[lifeless]

bye bye poland..