Recaps

President Roosevelt and his advisers assessed the United States’ military inferiority to Germany after reviewing the German-Buru war. Roosevelt ordered discussions to acquire Buru’s B-4 heavy howitzer technology, while Marshall urged the rapid development of a powerful American heavy tank.

• Secretary of War Woodring argued that seeing Germany’s strength in its war with Buru gave the United States a chance to improve before facing Germany itself.
• General George Marshall warned Roosevelt that Germany’s 210mm self-propelled heavy howitzers could overwhelm American forces and that developing comparable artillery would take too long.
• Woodring and Marshall proposed obtaining Buru’s B-4 heavy howitzer technology, and Roosevelt instructed Secretary of State Hull to negotiate for it when the Buru envoy arrived.
• Marshall described how Germany’s Panther and Mighty Tiger tanks had crushed Buru’s armor and said American M3 and M4 tanks would also be outmatched.
• Marshall urged the United States to develop a powerful heavy tank as quickly as possible, and Roosevelt agreed.

President Roosevelt and American military leaders assessed the United States’ weapons and aircraft disadvantage compared with Germany and discussed ways to catch up. The chapter left them planning closer cooperation with Britain and greater aircraft development as they confronted Germany’s growing lead.

• President Roosevelt urged the United States to close its military equipment gap, and George Marshall pledged to accelerate heavy tank development and mass production.
• Henry Harley Arnold reported that German BF-109 and FW-190 fighters outperformed American fighters, while Germany’s next-generation aircraft might already be nearing test flights.
• George Marshall confirmed intelligence that Germany’s next-generation aircraft could soon enter service, and Roosevelt ordered Arnold to contact Britain about joint aircraft development.
• Arnold compared German and American bombers, saying American B-24 and B-25 aircraft could rival some German models, while Germany’s H-21 had a modest advantage.
• Arnold said American SBD dive bombers could still provide support and suggested the Army Air Corps could procure them if needed.

Admiral Harold Stark warned President Roosevelt that American carrier fighters lagged behind German aircraft, while Roosevelt urged faster weapons development ahead of America’s expected entry into the war. Hopkins and Hull warned that Buru might not survive until the promised 1941 entry date, and Roosevelt left the question of entering early for discussion after the Russian envoy arrived.

• Admiral Harold Stark told Roosevelt that the Navy’s F4F fighters were inferior to German carrier-based fighters and urged greater investment to speed the F4U’s development.
• Roosevelt told the assembled officials that the United States needed to use its remaining time before entering the war to develop better weapons.
• Hopkins and Hull warned Roosevelt that Buru might ask the United States to enter the war early because it might not withstand Germany’s offensive for two years.
• General George Marshall recommended providing Buru with more aid and entering the war early if Buru could not hold out, so the United States could attack Germany from another direction.
• Roosevelt said the officials would discuss early entry again after the Buru envoy arrived.

Roosevelt and his advisers discussed using the heavily armed Island Nation to open a new front against Germany and relieve pressure on Buru. Roosevelt decided it was time to order the Island Nation to fight, with American aid set to strengthen its military further.

• Hopkins proposed that the Island Nation attack the South Seas and Australia to force Germany to divert troops from Buru.
• Roosevelt and Hull questioned whether the Island Nation could shoulder the campaign, and Marshall argued that its army could mobilize millions of soldiers and tie down German forces.
• Stark described the Island Nation Navy’s battleships, battlecruisers, and aircraft carriers, emphasizing its growing strength.
• Woodring recommended continuing American supplies of steel, oil, and other metals to build up the Island Nation’s military.
• Roosevelt agreed that the Island Nation should be sent to fight Germany after years of American support.

Molotov arrived in Washington on September 27, 1939, and pressed the United States for more weapons and supplies to help Buru withstand Germany’s invasion. The Americans agreed to provide tanks and fighters but warned that the Siberian Railway could not carry the aid already waiting at Vladivostok.

• Molotov arrived at a Washington-area airbase, where Hull welcomed him and escorted him to a hotel.
• Molotov refused to delay for a banquet and began talks with Hull, Woodring, George Marshall, and Hopkins after a short rest.
• Molotov described Buru’s losses and asked the United States for more tanks, aircraft, weapons, and equipment.
• Hull agreed to provide Buru with one thousand M3 light tanks, five hundred M4 medium tanks, and five hundred P-39 fighters.
• Woodring warned that aid was piling up at Vladivostok because the Siberian Railway could not transport it to the front.

Molotov negotiated with Hull and other American officials over aid for Buru, securing plans to ship supplies through the Arctic Ocean and a promise that the United States would enter the war before the first half of 1941. Hull also said the United States would persuade the Island Nation to attack German Pacific colonies next spring, easing pressure on Buru.

• Molotov asked the Americans to send supplies to Murmansk through the North Atlantic, but Hull rejected the route as too dangerous.
• General Marshall proposed using the Arctic Ocean in summer, and Molotov agreed to preparations for shipping supplies to Buru next year.
• Molotov urged the United States to enter the war sooner, warning that Buru could be devastated if left to fight Germany alone.
• Hull promised to report the request to the President and assured Molotov that the United States would declare war on Germany before the first half of 1941.
• Hull said the United States would persuade the Island Nation to attack German Pacific colonies next spring, and Molotov welcomed the plan.

German Army Group B prepared to capture Smolensk before shifting to defense for the winter, while German forces continued their assaults on other Russian strongholds. The chapter left Smolensk, Kursk, Voronezh, and Ulyanovsk surrounded as their defenders faced imminent attacks or starvation.

• General Guderian told the Army Group B commanders that capturing Smolensk was their last operational objective before the troops shifted to defense.
• General Fedor von Bock and Lieutenant General Georg von Küchler assessed the Russian defenders as isolated and unable to receive reinforcements.
• General Guderian ordered the 3rd Army Corps and allied Polish and Belarusian corps to capture Smolensk and eliminate its defenders within half a month.
• General Guderian directed the rest of Army Group B to build defensive lines and prepare for the Russian winter counterattack, with Moscow as the following year's objective.
• German Army Group C continued attacking the Russian remnants in Kursk and Voronezh.
• German Army Group A, Baltic forces, and the Finnish Army besieged Ulyanovsk, where General Kuznetsov's troops and more than a million civilians faced dwindling food supplies.

German and allied forces bombarded Smolensk before launching an assault against the encircled Russian defenders. General Timoshenko learned that Joseph had replaced him with Marshal Voroshilov and faced the coming battle with his army abandoned and vastly outnumbered.

• German, Polish, and Belarusian artillery shelled Smolensk while General Timoshenko learned that Moscow would send no reinforcements and ordered his units to hold their positions.
• General Timoshenko's confidant revealed that Joseph had reorganized the Western Front Army and appointed Marshal Voroshilov as its commander.
• German artillery and aircraft devastated much of Smolensk and inflicted heavy casualties on the Russian defenders.
• General Bock ordered the German 3rd Army Corps, 1st Polish Army Corps, 2nd Army Corps, and 1st Belarusian Army Corps to attack Smolensk.
• German and allied troops launched brutal street fighting against the outnumbered Russian forces.

German forces from the 3rd Army Corps fought their way into Smolensk and began clearing its streets and buildings, while Russian troops resisted fiercely despite being outmatched. The Germans captured a barricade, but the city’s defenders continued to inflict casualties as the battle spread through the ruins.

• Under General Fedor von Bock’s orders, four German Infantry Divisions broke through the Russian defenses outside Smolensk and entered the city.
• A German platoon used mortars, Grenade Launchers, machine guns, and snipers to suppress and destroy Russian defenders at a street barricade.
• German soldiers captured the barricade and began clearing buildings, where Russian troops fought back and a wounded soldier detonated a grenade, killing and wounding several Germans.
• Russian forces repeatedly counterattacked positions captured by the Germans, turning the fighting for streets and buildings into a costly back-and-forth struggle.

The Polish 1st Army Corps attacked Smolensk, advancing through fierce street fighting despite heavy casualties. Polish artillery destroyed a Russian position and allowed the Polish troops to capture it, while the Russians faced an enemy with overwhelming manpower and firepower.

• Lieutenant General Sakel ordered Polish commanders to keep advancing and promised priority replacements for units suffering losses.
• Five Polish infantry divisions attacked Smolensk, but the Russians’ stubborn resistance caused heavy Polish casualties.
• A Polish battalion failed to break through Russian defenses on a street and requested artillery support from Division Headquarters.
• The Polish troops withdrew as ordered, and Russian soldiers celebrated their apparent victory.
• Polish artillery blanketed the Russian position, killing nearly all its defenders, and Polish troops captured the street.

German and allied forces steadily advanced through Smolensk, using air and artillery support to break Russian defenses while Guderian ordered the offensive to avoid unnecessary losses. After three days, nearly half the city had fallen, and General Bock predicted Smolensk could be taken within a week.

• Guderian received a report that German, Polish, and Belarusian corps were advancing on Smolensk, with the allied forces taking heavier casualties.
• Guderian ordered the troops to advance steadily and requested stronger air support for the attack.
• A German ground-attack aircraft destroyed a Russian anti-aircraft machine gun, allowing German soldiers to overrun the position.
• German and allied forces used air and artillery strikes to keep forcing Russian troops from their defenses.
• After three days, nearly half of Smolensk had fallen and more than one hundred thousand Russian soldiers had been killed or wounded; Bock predicted the city could be taken within a week.

As German forces intensified their siege of Smolensk, General Timoshenko’s commanders confronted the grim prospect that their battered troops could not hold out much longer. Timoshenko ordered them to keep resisting for Joseph’s sake, though he privately believed their fate was already sealed.

• German forces inflicted heavy casualties on the Russian troops in Smolensk, leaving the Western Front Army’s surviving corps badly depleted and demoralized.
• At a military conference, General Fominikh and other political officers insisted that the Russians would win if they kept fighting, while General Timoshenko asked what they should do.
• Major General Korobkov challenged the optimistic claims, pointing out that the Russian forces faced overwhelming German numbers.
• Fominikh accused Korobkov of betraying Joseph and the nation, but Timoshenko stopped the argument before it further weakened the army.
• Timoshenko ordered the commanders to hold Smolensk and pin down the Germans, while privately recognizing that the remnants of his army would likely soon be destroyed.

General Timoshenko met with Major General Korobkov, who resented the political officers and Moscow’s decision to rebuild the Western Front under Marshal Voroshilov. Facing a looming German assault, Korobkov urged surrender, and Timoshenko began to consider the possibility.

• General Timoshenko received Major General Korobkov and warned him that criticizing the political officer system could bring severe consequences.
• Major General Korobkov told General Timoshenko that Moscow had rebuilt the Western Front with more than twenty army corps and appointed Marshal Voroshilov as its commander.
• Major General Korobkov argued that the Western Front had been abandoned, while General Timoshenko silently weighed whether Korobkov’s words might be a trap.
• Major General Korobkov proposed surrendering to the Germans to survive the expected defeat.
• General Timoshenko rejected surrender at first, but Korobkov’s despair and his own sense of being discarded left him glimpsing a possible way forward.

General Timoshenko, Major General Korobkov, and Major General Golubev agreed to surrender their forces to Germany and launched a coup against the Western Front’s political workers. After seizing control and arresting the Front Army Political Commissar, General Timoshenko sent an offer of surrender to Germany, knowing that Joseph might punish their families.

• General Timoshenko agreed to support Major General Korobkov’s plan to surrender and summoned Major General Golubev, who agreed to join them.
• General Timoshenko ordered the operation to begin, and Major General Korobkov and Major General Golubev arrested political workers in their army corps.
• Major General Korobkov’s troops took control of Area Army Headquarters and arrested General Fominikh, while General Timoshenko’s guards did not resist.
• General Fominikh accused General Timoshenko of betraying Joseph, the Party, and their country, and Timoshenko vowed to kill Joseph if their families were harmed.
• General Timoshenko contacted Germany to ask whether it would accept their surrender.

General Timoshenko surrendered the Russian Western Front Army at Smolensk, and Oscar accepted the surrender on the condition that willing Russian prisoners form a German-controlled Russian Liberation Army. The chapter ended with Smolensk under German control and Moscow’s defenses exposed.

• General Fedor von Bock halted the German and allied attacks after Russian envoys announced that the forces in Smolensk were preparing to surrender.
• Field Marshal Manstein reported Timoshenko’s surrender request to Oscar, who agreed to accept it.
• Oscar proposed forming a Russian Liberation Army from captured Russian troops, with Timoshenko as its Commander, and Manstein approved the plan.
• General Guderian presented Germany’s terms, and Timoshenko accepted them to gain an army and pursue revenge on Joseph.
• On October 2, 1919, Timoshenko surrendered more than one hundred thousand troops, and Smolensk fell under German control.

Joseph listened to news that Timoshenko and the Russian Western Front Army had surrendered to Germany and joined the Russian Liberation Army. After his officials reassured him, Joseph ordered the families of Timoshenko and other defectors hanged and offered battlefield promotions for their capture or deaths.

• Joseph and Buru officials heard a broadcast announcing the Russian Western Front Army's surrender to Guderian at Smolensk.
• Guderian announced that Timoshenko would command the Russian Liberation Army, with Korobkov and Golubev leading its army corps.
• Timoshenko pledged to overthrow Joseph and the Bolshevik Party, prompting Joseph to order the radio turned off.
• Joseph admitted he had misjudged Timoshenko, and Khrushchev, Molotov, and other officials blamed the betrayal on Timoshenko and Germany.
• Joseph ordered the families of Timoshenko, Korobkov, and Golubev hanged and promised three-rank promotions to troops who captured or killed them.

The Russian Northwestern Front Army was surrounded in Ulyanovsk as German forces pressed their assault through the ruined city. General Kuznetsov relayed Joseph’s order to resist to the end, leaving the trapped officers with surrender discouraged by the threat to their families and hope of surviving until winter reinforcements arrived.

• German Army Group A defeated the Russian 27th Army Corps and forced its remnants to withdraw into Ulyanovsk.
• German and allied forces surrounded Ulyanovsk and began street fighting against Russian troops and civilians amid the ruins.
• On October 2, General Kuznetsov gathered the Northwestern Front Army’s senior officers to discuss a Telegram from Moscow.
• General Kuznetsov said Joseph had ordered the execution of the surrendered Western Front generals’ families and urged the Northwestern Front Army to fight to the death.
• General Kuznetsov argued that the army could hold out until winter and reinforcements arrived, while Lieutenant General Dibrova urged the officers to obey Joseph and unite.

German and allied forces fought their way through Ulyanovsk as Russian troops mounted costly counterattacks and refused to surrender. By the evening of October 2, nearly half the city was under German and allied control, and the Russian defenders were steadily losing ground.

• Major General Berzarin ordered the 84th Infantry Division to keep attacking and drive the Germans from Moscow Street before sunset.
• Russian soldiers repeatedly charged the German positions but were cut down by heavy machine-gun and sniper fire.
• Five Finnish infantry divisions attacked in northwestern Ulyanovsk, pushing back the remnants of the Russian 11th Army Corps despite heavy losses.
• German and allied forces captured nearly half of Ulyanovsk by the evening of October 2.
• Political officers of the Russian Northwestern Front Army tightened control to prevent commanders from surrendering their units.

German forces intensified their assault on Ulyanovsk, using heavy artillery and armored units to break the Russian defenses. By October 8, the Germans captured the Northwestern Front Army headquarters, killed General Kuznetsov and the other defenders, and took control of the entire city.

• General Blomberg praised the Finns’ performance and ordered General Wilhelm Keitel to finish capturing Ulyanovsk within half a month.
• German artillery destroyed Victory Square and wiped out a Russian Infantry Division, opening a gap in the Russian lines.
• Army Group A sent more than a thousand tanks and armored vehicles into Ulyanovsk, and they broke through Russian defensive positions.
• General Kuznetsov ordered his forces to keep defending, though he had no reinforcements left to send.
• On October 8, the German 1st Armored Division attacked the Northwestern Front Army headquarters, captured it after two hours, and killed General Kuznetsov and the other defenders.

After Germany completed the first phase of Operation Barbarossa, Emperor Qin Tian ordered the army to prepare for winter, suppress Russian guerrillas, and begin strategic bombing while the ground forces held their positions. The chapter ended with Germany preparing to honor its successful commanders with marshal promotions.

• German Army Groups A, C, and D completed their first-phase objectives after capturing key cities and destroying more than two million Russian troops.
• Field Marshal Manstein reported that the German Army had shifted to defensive operations and would resume its major offensive in spring.
• Qin Tian ordered winter supplies delivered, Russian guerrillas cleared from occupied territory, and Russian industrial centers bombed by the Strategic Air Force.
• Qin Tian announced a marshal promotion ceremony at the Imperial Palace, and Germany held it on October 15, 1939.
• Germany promoted Blomberg, Brauchitsch, Guderian, and Rommel to army field marshals, Dönitz and Lütjens to navy marshals, and Edward Milch to air force marshal.

Kuniaki Koiso told Fumimaro Konoe that the United States was threatening sanctions unless Island Nation attacked Germany, and the Cabinet debated whether it could resist the American demands. The ministers recognized their dependence on American supplies and doubted the Anti-German Alliance could defeat Germany.

• The American Ambassador demanded that Island Nation attack Germany soon and threatened consequences if it failed to set a deadline.
• Kuniaki Koiso reported the American pressure to Fumimaro Konoe, who called the Army, Navy, and Finance Ministers to a meeting.
• Seishiro Itagaki warned that an American cutoff of support would severely damage Island Nation's military industry.
• Fumimaro Konoe asked whether Island Nation could win a war against Germany, and Seishiro Itagaki described Germany's strength and the uncertainty of the alliance's victory.

Fumimaro Konoe's cabinet weighed whether the Island Nation could defeat Germany in the South Seas and Australia, while facing pressure from the United States. Naruhiko Higashikuni proposed joining Germany's camp, and the chapter ended with Fumimaro Konoe asking the ministers what they thought.

• Mitsumasa Yonai said Germany's powerful fleets made a naval victory uncertain, while Seishiro Itagaki warned that German forces in the South Seas and Australia would make an invasion costly.
• Kuniaki Koiso urged the cabinet to decide soon before the United States lost patience and cut off further support.
• Fumimaro Konoe argued that the Island Nation should commit its full strength to seize the South Seas and Australia and secure resources.
• Naruhiko Higashikuni proposed that the Island Nation join Germany's camp and declare war on Buru and the United States.
• Fumimaro Konoe asked the cabinet ministers what they thought of Naruhiko Higashikuni's suggestion.

The Island Nation's leaders planned to negotiate with Germany, hoping to gain resources and the South Seas and Australia while reserving the right to change sides later. After rejecting their demands, Oscar heard Manstein suggest delaying a firm reply until Germany defeated Buru.

• Kuniaki Koiso and Fumimaro Konoe weighed the risks of cooperating with Germany, including losing American aid.
• Naruhiko Higashikuni proposed contacting Germany, and Seishiro Itagaki suggested demanding resources and the South Seas and Australia in exchange for joining the Allied Powers.
• Seishiro Itagaki proposed taking the colonies first and deciding later whether to honor the Island Nation's promise, while warning that refusal could force the Island Nation to fight Germany.
• Fumimaro Konoe ordered Kuniaki Koiso to arrange contact with Germany, and the Island Nation's ambassador met with Gustav Stresemann.
• Gustav Stresemann told Oscar about the Island Nation's demands, and Oscar rejected giving up the colonies.
• Manstein advised Oscar to stabilize the Island Nation and delay a final reply until Germany defeated Buru.

Oscar and Germany’s military leaders assessed the Island Nation’s threat and prepared the forces in the South Seas and Far East for war. Gustav Stresemann proposed deceiving the Island Nation and informing the Americans of its supposed betrayal, and Oscar approved the plan.

• Oscar asked whether Germany could defeat the Island Nation head-on, and Manstein warned that Germany might lose much of the South Seas and Australia in a full-scale offensive.
• Raeder assessed the rival fleets, noting Germany’s aircraft-carrier and carrier-aircraft advantages but the Island Nation’s strength in battleships and its growing navy.
• Oscar ordered the Army, Navy, and Air Force in the South Seas and Far East to prepare for war, and directed the air groups there to support the Navy.
• Gustav Stresemann proposed stringing the Island Nation along with promises of alliance and resources while leaking news of its supposed betrayal to the Americans.
• Oscar approved Stresemann’s plan to turn the Island Nation and the United States against each other.

The Island Nation debated Germany’s offer to join the Allied Powers in exchange for attacking Buru, while fearing Germany would eventually turn against it. After learning of the secret talks, Joseph ordered Buru to prepare its Far East defenses and asked the United States to warn the Island Nation.

• Germany rejected the Island Nation’s request for the South Seas and Australia, offered it captured Buru territory instead, and secretly leaked news of the talks to American and Buru spies.
• Fumimaro Konoe and his ministers judged Germany unreliable and leaned toward cooperating with the United States, despite their doubts about defeating Germany.
• Beria told Joseph that the Island Nation might join the Allied Powers and attack Buru’s Far East, threatening both the region and the aid route along the Great Siberian Railway.
• Joseph ordered Shaposhnikov to establish the Far Eastern Front Army and directed Molotov to protest to the United States and ask it to warn the Island Nation.