The Military Strategy of the Soviet Union by David M. Glantz

Author:David M. Glantz [Glantz, David M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Military, General
ISBN: 9781135190057
Google: 22SzDwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2019-10-01T15:57:55+00:00

War Planning:

Forward Defense (The GOFG 1946 Plan)

Faint glimpses of Soviet postwar war planning offer a contradictory picture regarding the relative degree of offensiveness of Soviet military strategy. While theoretical writings underscored Soviet faith in the offensive, recently declassified Soviet materials argue that Soviet strategy was more subtle, at least prior to 1949, when the Soviets now claim the Cold War began.

In February 1989 the Soviets surfaced a "pre-Cold War" model for a future Soviet strategic defensive posture when they published in their Military-historical journal excerpts from a 1946 operations plan for the Group of Occupation Forces, Germany (GOFG) (see figure 31). The 1946 plan was probably indicative of General Staff concepts current in 1988 and early 1989. Although the operational plan had certain paragraphs deleted, those published portrayed a defense in sector followed by a counteroffensive to restore the international borders. Comparison of the plan's details with Western intelligence materials affirm its overall authenticity, but also raises some critical issues associated with deleted elements of the plan.

The introduction to the plan, entitled "Whence the Threat" described what it termed the Soviet "defensive" strategic posture in 1946, stating:

At the end of 1946-beginning of 1947, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR presented the Higher Military Council with "A Plan for the Active Defense of the Territory of Tlie Soviet Union." In accordance with this plan, the following tasks were put before the Armed Forces:

- to assure the reliable repulsion of aggression and the integrity of the borders established by international agreements after the Second World War;

- to be prepared to repel an enemy air attack, including one with the possible use of atomic weapons;

- for the Navy to be prepared to repel air aggression from maritime directions [axes] and to provide support to Ground Forces operating in coastal regions.

To resolve these tasks it was envisioned that on the primary directions the Armed Forces should consist of the following:

a. a repulsion (blocking) army including troops of fortified regions;

b. troops of the reserve of the Supreme High Command;

c. secondary troops and new formations, above all for supplying these directions during military operations. It was planned to deploy the second and third components only in time of war to repel aggression.20

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