Chapter 148: First Step
Yuri did not respond to Stalin's words. He remembered what Zhukov had just said to him outside the door. It was obvious that Zhukov knew in advance that Stalin would ask for his opinion on the settlement of the Kharkov offensive.
"The headquarters' opinion is to transfer Vatutin and Golikov to the rear and remove them from the front-line command positions," Stalin continued. "However, Georgy believes that Vatutin is still talented and competent, so it is recommended to retain Vatutin's command position. As for Golikov, he should be transferred to the General Staff to be responsible for cadre work. Now, I would like to hear your opinion."
"Comrade Stalin, I don't think any particular commander is responsible for the failure of the Kharkov offensive," Yuri said after a pause. "Comrade Nikolai Fedorovich is good at attacking and has a very accurate grasp of opportunities, while Comrade Philip Ivanovich is also an experienced and aggressive commander. However, his shortcoming is that he is too aggressive. We should not abandon such high-quality commanders, but use reasonable means to restrain their adventurous thinking. I suggest that they be paired with a chief of staff with a relatively cautious command style to make up for their shortcomings in this regard."
Stalin lowered his head and thought for a while, then nodded and said, "Your opinion is very good, Comrade Yuri Arkhipovich. I will consider it carefully."
"Comrade Stalin, I think the defense plan for the Kursk salient must be implemented as soon as possible," Yuri said, ignoring this complicated issue.
After saying this, Yuri cast his eyes on the map on the table, then pointed to the outer area of Kursk on the map and said, "I think the German attack should focus on the two wings. This is determined by their rigid tactics. Therefore, we need to build three lines of defense along the outer area of Kursk. On each line of defense, we need to build several anti-tank firepower strongholds to curb the German new tanks' assault on our defense line..."
In front of Stalin, Yuri elaborated in detail his ideas on building the defense line. The whole narration process was orderly, detailed and specific. Stalin nodded frequently while listening, and was obviously very satisfied with Yuri's specific details.
The German Tiger tank has now appeared on the Soviet-German battlefield. Some time ago, Leningrad seized a tank called the "Elephant". At present, there is no tank in the Soviet Army's active service that can match it. Therefore, a large part of the defense task in the Kursk direction is to effectively defend against the attack of the Tiger tank.
According to Yuri's defensive thinking, the construction of the defense line on the north and south wings of Kursk was undoubtedly a huge project. The trenches alone needed to be dug for thousands of kilometers, but Stalin did not even frown at this. As a leader, he was not considering what to consume or how much to consume, but whether he could defeat the German army in Kursk. As long as this combat goal could be achieved, he believed that the Soviet Union he led could afford any price.
In a word, as long as Kursk can be successfully defended, Yuri will have the people, the equipment, and the power. On this point, Stalin is still willing to delegate power.
"I will submit a specific battle plan to the General Staff and the headquarters as soon as possible," Yuri said at last. "I suggest that the specific details be handled by the Southern Operations Department and the Central Operations Department. The coordination of the front's operations must be presided over by the headquarters representative sent by the Supreme Command."
"I have listened carefully to your opinion, Comrade Yuri Arkhipovich," Stalin nodded with satisfaction and smiled, "Your battle plan can be submitted directly to Comrade Georgy. The next meeting of the headquarters will carefully study it and make a reply."
Although it was just a report , Yuri felt really refreshed during this report. This feeling came from the recognition of others, from the recognition of the top leader. He felt that Stalin was not that difficult to deal with. The key was whether he recognized your abilities.
Finally, Yuri agreed with Stalin on the exact time to leave for the Kursk salient inspection, and then he said goodbye and left. Just as he walked to the door of the office, Stalin suddenly called him again, "Comrade Yuri Arkhipovich."
Yuri stopped and turned around.
"I heard that you are still single now?" Stalin asked with a smile.
"Yes, Comrade Stalin," Yuri answered, "since the outbreak of the war, I have not been able to find time to think about marriage."
"Well, Comrade Alexander Sergeyevich did not do a good job," Stalin's face showed an unhappy expression again. He pointed to the window with his pipe and said, "I think the victory of the Battle of Moscow has made some people start to swell up, which is not good."
Yuri couldn't respond to this. He even suspected that this was Stalin's suggestion to him.
Alexander Sergeyevich should refer to Sherbakov, who is now the first secretary of the Moscow State Committee and the first secretary of the Moscow City Committee. His outstanding performance in the Battle of Moscow earned him Stalin's trust, and his career path has been smooth since then. He is now a member of the Politburo and secretary of the Central Committee. At the same time, he is also the director of the Political Department of the Red Army, the deputy people's commissar of defense, and the director of the Soviet Intelligence Bureau. He is a real powerful figure with his feet in both the military and political circles. In addition, he is also Zhdanov's brother-in-law.
In front of Yuri, Stalin said that Sherbakov was a little inflated. This may contain a lot of information. With Yuri's current political awareness, he could not fully understand this information. He was just one-sidedly worried that this was Stalin's hint to him, warning him not to be too inflated.
"Okay, you can go back, Comrade Yuri Arkhipovich," Stalin obviously didn't expect Yuri to speak on this issue. He waved his hand and said, "Also, tell Vatutin and Golikov to return to the front temporarily. The Supreme Command will deal with their problems later."
Stalin's final request really confused Yuri. You know, the notice to Vatutin and Golikov concealed a huge favor. Was Stalin going to give this favor to him?
Unable to figure out Stalin's intention, Yuri could only keep his doubts in his heart, saluted respectfully again, and then turned and walked out.
Outside the office, Zhukov and his men were still waiting in the corridor. When they saw Yuri coming out, Khrushchev was the first to speak with a smile: "Borenka, have you received a new mission? When are you going to leave for Kursk?"
"I plan to set off tomorrow, Comrade Nikita," Yuri raised his hand and took off his military cap. Just now in Stalin's office, he was sweating profusely and didn't know why.
"That's great. I'm also planning to go there tomorrow. We can take the same plane." Khrushchev didn't mind showing his close relationship with Yuri in front of outsiders. He said directly.
"That would be great," Yuri said with a smile, "If you have no other plans, I would like to invite you to my apartment tonight. Comrade Stalin has ordered me to draft a detailed combat plan as soon as possible, and I hope you can help me with it."
A person who can take off his shoes at the UN General Assembly is really straightforward. After hearing Yuri's invitation, Khrushchev's smile became even brighter. He scratched the mole on the side of his nose habitually and said with a smile: "That's great. I'll be there on time at four o'clock in the afternoon."
Yuri's invitation was not aimless, this was his public statement, yes, he had decided to completely join Khrushchev's camp, he had been marginalized in the General Staff during this period, and Stalin's initial opinions on Vatutin and Golikov today made Yuri realize a reality, that is, people like him could not occupy a place in the core power circle of Moscow just by relying on merit, he had to choose a camp, a camp he could rely on. This camp might not be able to give him advice on the battlefield, nor could it help him formulate a rigorous and feasible battle plan, but the existence of this camp could help him avoid a lot of troubles, and could speak for him at the right time.
Yes, Khrushchev may not be the first echelon in the core power circle of Moscow. People like Molotov, Bulganin, Beria, Malenkov, and Kaganovich are more prominent than him, but so what? Yuri only needs to know one thing, that is, after Stalin, the next person to lead the Soviet Union is Khrushchev.
Planning ahead is the key to success. After a period of marginalization, Yuri found his own direction. He gave up his plan to become a famous general and chose to climb to the pinnacle of power.
After dealing with his " mentor ", Yuri turned his gaze to Zhukov, saluted him, and then said: "Comrade Stalin's intention is to let Comrade Nikolai Fedorovich return to the Southwestern Front to take charge of the work first. As for the issue of Comrade Philip Ivanovich being transferred back to the General Staff, it will be put on hold for the time being. He will still be in charge of the command of the Voronezh Front. As for more detailed issues, I'm afraid the headquarters will need to discuss them in detail at the next meeting."
It was a very plain remark, a bit redundant, but Yuri said it anyway, and the reactions to it were that Vatutin looked happy, Zhukov had a serious expression, Vasilevsky looked dissatisfied, and Golikov was happy at first but then puzzled, with a pair of suspicious eyes moving back and forth between Zhukov and Yuri - Yuri took the first small step on the road to transformation from a soldier to a politician.
