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Shocking Lessons U.S. Military Leaders Learned by Watching Putin's Invasion
Newsweek ^ | March 1, 2022 | William M. Arkin

Posted on 03/02/2022 5:53:33 AM PST by C19fan

Russia's military is weak and backwards.

Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine produced this paradigm-shifting surprise—one that should transform the West's view of Russia's prowess, the threat that the country represents, and the Kremlin's future in the global arena.

(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.com ...


TOPICS: History; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: putinfanssad; putinsbuttboys; putinworshippers; russia; russiaisweak; russianaggression; ukraine; weak
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"I believe that at the heart of Russian military thinking is how Marshall Zhukov marched across Eastern Europe to Berlin," a former high-level CIA official told Newsweek in an interview. Zhukov's orders were to "line up the artillery and ... flatten everything ahead of you," he says. "'Then send in the peasant Army to kill or rape anyone left alive.' Subtle the Russians are not."

Is this the type of person who worked at the CIA? There is partial truth in what he said about the Red Army. At the beginning of the war, the Red Army was a rather blunt weapon. A large part of this was due to poor training for the officers and ranks. But the Red Army learned and trained. Ivan was able implement their pre-war doctrine of Deep Battle and Operations. The apex of this was Operation Bagration where Army Group Center was annihilated.

Zhukov was probably the most ruthless of the top Soviet generals. He did not give a damn about casualties. The two most notorious examples were Operation Mars and the Berlin campaign. In the first, Zhukov tried to pinch a salient where the terrain favored the defenders. The Berlin campaign Zhukov wanted to reach Berlin before the Western Powers and his own comrade Konev

Looking back at Russian military history they tend to do poorly when asked to invade some country without any pretext against a competent opponent. Napoleon was able to repeatedly smash the Russians until 1812. The Japanese inflicted a major defeat on Imperial Russia. The Soviets were defeated outside Warsaw, the Finns inflicted severe losses of men and material, and Afghanistan.

Where Ivan does remarkable well is defending the Motherland.

One thing I have read is Russian still has the rigid top down leadership structure where subordinate commanders have very little leeway in trying to meet objectives.

If one is interested, there is a tremendous amount of revisonist histories on the Ostfront published over the past thrity years; thanks to the opening of the Soviet archives. Some of the authors I have read include Dan Glantz, Prit Buttar, and David Stahel.

1 posted on 03/02/2022 5:53:33 AM PST by C19fan
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To: C19fan

Tanks and APCs are useless..........................


2 posted on 03/02/2022 5:54:30 AM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: All
When it comes to Russia this quote is something to always keep in mind: "Russia is never as strong as she looks; Russia is never as weak as she looks."

Many a great leaders have found out the hard way the lesson of ignoring this.

3 posted on 03/02/2022 5:56:26 AM PST by C19fan
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To: C19fan

Hitler and the weather defeat Germany in the east...not the Russians.


4 posted on 03/02/2022 5:59:25 AM PST by rrrod (6)
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To: C19fan

Spin, spin, spin...

In reality, Putin is being very restrained about it. On purpose. Avoiding unarmed civilians.

P
R
O
P
A
G
A
N
D
A


5 posted on 03/02/2022 6:00:32 AM PST by Basket_of_Deplorables (Putin is behaving rationally. The war is on Biden and Obama.)
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To: C19fan
For the United States and the West, the stumbling Ukraine invasion recalls the collapse of the Soviet Union, an eye-opening moment when it became clear that a supposedly unstoppable military shrouded a crumbling economy and a weak political and human base.

I suspect that the US government does not see itself when it looks in this mirror.

6 posted on 03/02/2022 6:00:45 AM PST by ClearCase_guy (Ukraine is not a good country and does not deserve active US support.)
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To: C19fan

Imagine leftists lecturing us on military tactics. Taking a country intact is much more difficult that blowing everything up!


7 posted on 03/02/2022 6:02:22 AM PST by Jan_Sobieski (Sanctification)
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To: C19fan

The bigger danger here is that we are not the only one watching the Russian struggles.

China has an advantage that their military is starting from a blank slate. They are seeing what it is useful to invest in in modern war (drones, special forces, anti-air) and what it is not (armor, conscripts)

We are 30 years ahead of Russia, but could soon be 20 years behind China.


8 posted on 03/02/2022 6:04:14 AM PST by Renfrew
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To: C19fan
The two most notorious examples were Operation Mars and the Berlin campaign. In the first, Zhukov tried to pinch a salient where the terrain favored the defenders.

Well, don't leave us hanging, Buddy! Just how did "Operation Mars" exemplify Zhukov's contempt for casualties?

Regards,

9 posted on 03/02/2022 6:04:52 AM PST by alexander_busek (Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.)
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To: C19fan

Lesson 1. You can get rid of some of the “snow” in the picture if you wrap some tin foil around the “rabbit ears”.


10 posted on 03/02/2022 6:06:40 AM PST by FlingWingFlyer ("You may all go to hell and I will go to Texas." - Col. David Crockett to the U.S. Congress.)
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To: Basket_of_Deplorables

In the Sumy region, he is negotiating with the local keadership- don’t shoot at us, and we won’t shoot at you, and we’ll leave the existing government in place. A lot easier to “hold” territory that way.


11 posted on 03/02/2022 6:06:56 AM PST by Fido969 (45 is Superman!)
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To: Basket_of_Deplorables

I agree.


12 posted on 03/02/2022 6:08:42 AM PST by Sacajaweau ( )
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To: Jan_Sobieski

They need to kill more civilians to show and prove how ruthless they are. Some people don’t get it. Don’t the Germans study history? Kraut history isn’t so noble either.

If we are in a position to clean up the mess afterwards perhaps the Ukraine will be more cooperative when it comes to putting their 2% into defense. Still people don’t learn.

We’re finding out who the chumps are. Brazil, Mexico, UAE. Not their circus/monkey. Fine, but not even a vote of discouragement. We got the same thing here. No drilling senators.


13 posted on 03/02/2022 6:10:29 AM PST by DIRTYSECRET (S)
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To: C19fan

Excuse me... DUH! China’s the threat.


14 posted on 03/02/2022 6:11:04 AM PST by dangus
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To: rrrod
Hitler and the weather defeat Germany in the east...not the Russians.

Last time I checked, General Winter and General Mud have yet to be defeated.

15 posted on 03/02/2022 6:11:16 AM PST by Night Hides Not (Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad! Remember Gonzales! Come and Take It!)
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To: rrrod

The weather is part of the war, the Germans were not well equipped to deal with it, the Russians were, so from that perspective the Russians did in fact defeat the Germans.

The Russians were able to move their factories well out of reach of the Germans and could have continued to produce tanks, airplanes, etc...

Eventually they would have worn down the German forces for two reasons, they had more to throw at the war and Germany was fighting on multiple fronts.


16 posted on 03/02/2022 6:11:58 AM PST by srmanuel (`)
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To: C19fan
NewsWeak (spit):

Shocking Lessons U.S. Military Leaders Learned by Watching Putin's Invasion

After we did so well in Afghanistan.

17 posted on 03/02/2022 6:12:01 AM PST by Navy Patriot (Celebrate Decivilization)
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To: Basket_of_Deplorables

I have people over there. They aren’t seeing any “restraint “


18 posted on 03/02/2022 6:12:12 AM PST by Jimmy Valentine (DemocRATS - when they speak, they lie; when they are silent, they are stealing the American Dreams)
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To: Red Badger

They are getting their asses handed with javelin anti-armor. The drones have been very impressive. Russia radar is useless against the Turkish drones.


19 posted on 03/02/2022 6:12:52 AM PST by DownInFlames (P)
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To: C19fan

It is clear that Russia has been holding back. You can see it in Russian target selection. They are purposely not targeting infrastructure. They are not using shock and awe on people they consider to be thier own. The western media and specifically the US are not being honest about what is going on here, or why. Why all the deception? What is the goal of the west? Deep state great reset?


20 posted on 03/02/2022 6:13:16 AM PST by D Rider ( )
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