In Stumbling Colossus; David Glantz explored why the Red Army was unprepared for the German blitzkrieg that nearly destroyed it and left more than four million of its soldiers dead by the end of 1941. In Colossus Reborn he recounts the miraculous resurrection of the Red Army; which; with a dazzling display of military strategy and operational prowess; stopped the Wehrmacht in its tracks and turned the tide of war.A major achievement in the recovery and preservation of an entire nation’s military experience; Colossus Reborn is marked by Glantz’s unrivaled access to and use of Soviet archival sources. This allows him to illuminate not only Russian victories in the Battles of Moscow; Stalingrad; and Kursk; but also to rescue a host of major “forgotten battles;†many of which had been suppressed to preserve reputations and national pride. As he reveals in unprecedented detail; disastrous defeats vied with resounding victories throughout the early years of the conflict; as the Red Army struggled to find itself in the “Great Patriotic War."Beyond the battles themselves; Glantz also presents an in-depth portrait of the Red Army as an evolving military institution. Assessing more clearly than ever before the army’s size; strength; and force structure; he provides keen insights into its doctrine; strategy; tactics; weaponry; training; officer corps; and political leadership. In the process; he puts a human face on the Red Army’s commanders and soldiers; including women and those who served in units—security (NKVD); engineer; railroad; auto-transport; construction; and penal forces—that have till now remained poorly understood.The world’s top authority on the Soviet military; Glantz has produced a remarkable study that adds immeasurably to our understanding of the one part of World War II that’s still struggling to emerge from the shadows of history.
#2556664 in Books University Press Of Kansas 1995-11-28Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.02 x .94 x 5.98l; 1.50 #File Name: 0700607234352 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. The High Price of Romantic Military Notions"By Christian PotholmA very useful look at the way the Chinese made war during this period and the extent to which Mao's often muddled and romantic notions ("men can beat weapons") cost the Chinese 390;000 casualties; including 148;000 dead. His refusal to understand American air power; logistical requirements and the rudiments of Clausewitzian strategy cost the Chinese dearly; even though the Korean War effort did vaunt Chinese power and prestige globally. Points out that the Chinese commitment of troops lasted until 1958. Especially good on the Chinese Third; Fourth and Fifth Phase offenses and how they came to naught following the "nothing fails like success" dictum as Mao was convinced the U.S. was going to evacuate the peninsula. Ultimately; Mao would commit 20 infantry armies (60 divisions) as well as 10 artillery; 4 tank and 10 air force divisions to his failed effort. There is an excellent order of battle at the end of this work. An important analysis of the Chinese efforts throughout the war.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Insights into Mao's military thinkingBy Old-and-WiseAlong with Jian Chen 1994 book on what drew Communist China into the Korean conflict; Prof. Zhang's book provides valuable insights on how Mao and the PLA "volunteer" army conducts its warfare against the much better equipped U.S. military. Red China paid a very high price to defend the North Koreans; and Prof. Chen explores the root motivation for this "sacrifice." Prof. Zhang's book focuses on the how of the war; from the Chinese view point. Working with previously classified Chinese documents; the book details how Mao and his military commanders (led by Peng Te-huai; who was purged three years after the Armstice) differed on the strategies and tactics; with Mao coming across as an incompetent bureaucrat who placed zero value on the lives of his soldiers. While there are many mistakes in this book concerning the movements of the U.S. forces (likely because Prof. Zhang is quoting from Chinese military memos -- but it would have been nice if he caught them and corrected them); this book is a must-read for every American who has not forgotten the Forgotten War and the hundreds of thousands of U.S. casualties.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The Korean War: The Forgotten Chinese Victory.By PPPChina was outgunned and yet was able to stalemate the superpowers like britain and america. The chinese has no ships no tanks no planes and yet gave America hell. The chinese made the american invaders pay. The chinese were willing to sacrifice and willing to go the distance. Brave and courages Chinese fought well and are heroes.
