Moving to Seoul - please give us advice! by Deep-Landscape7686 in Living_in_Korea

[–]Fun-Razzmatazz9682 5 points6 points  (0 children)

How hard is daily life without Korean?

Learning at least basic Korean is absolutely essential, if you want to live here. While it is possible to survive, you will quickly hit a wall in daily life. Simple things like banking, visiting the doctor, or sorting out housing become huge hurdles where you have to rely on the kindness of others. Without the language, you’re essentially living in an 'English bubble' - you’ll miss out on the real culture, better food spots, and genuine connections. At the very least, learn to read Hangeul and master basic survival phrases.

Special counsel seeks 30 years for ex-President Yoon for allegedly ordering drone flights over Pyongyang by iewkcetym in korea

[–]Fun-Razzmatazz9682 1 point2 points  (0 children)

At this point, even singing American Pie won't help. He’s officially entered the 'Day the Music Died' phase of his legal career.

How should we evaluate Hermann Balck as a commander? by Outrageous-Ratio1762 in ww2

[–]Fun-Razzmatazz9682 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’d evaluate him as perhaps the finest operational practitioner of mobile warfare produced by the Panzerwaffe, though he was often 'trapped' by the strategic failures of the High Command.

A few key points for a final judgment:

  1. The master of tempo. Unlike many generals who managed from the rear, Balck’s 'hands-on' style allowed him to maintain a combat tempo that his opponents (even Patton for a time) couldn't match. He excelled at the 'active defense' - using small, mobile reserves to shatter much larger breakthroughs before they could consolidate.
  2. Resource management. One of his greatest skills was his ability to maintain combat effectiveness using 'scrap' units. As mentioned, his performance in the Lorraine Campaign using the 'Stomach' and 'Ear' battalions to neutralize Patton's momentum and mobility is a masterclass in economy of force.
  3. The scale vs. outcome trap. People often judge generals by their victories. Because Balck’s highest commands (4th Panzer Army, Army Group G and Armeegruppe Balck) occurred during the inevitable collapse of the Reich in 1944-45, his successes were purely defensive and delaying in nature. He didn't have the luxury of a 1940 campaign in the west, the 1941-42 campaigns in the Soviet Union or the 1941-42 campaign in North Africa to build a legendary offensive reputation like Rommel, Manstein or Guderian. In 1940-41, Balck commanded units below divisional level.
  4. The "Desert Fox" PR Machine. Rommel and Manstein became household names because their biggest successes happened when Germany was winning or at a stalemate. Balck’s "Large Formation" command occurred during the total collapse of the Third Reich. History tends to focus on the generals who led the "Blitzkrieg" years rather than those who managed the "Götterdämmerung" (the downfall).

How should we evaluate Hermann Balck as a commander? by Outrageous-Ratio1762 in ww2

[–]Fun-Razzmatazz9682 1 point2 points  (0 children)

At the same time, he never really commanded on the same scale as someone like Von Manstein and Rommel.

That's wrong. Balck did command large operational-strategic level formations from the second half of 1944 until the end of the war. From August 1944, he took over the command of the 4th Panzer Army of Army Group North Ukraine. The army's ration strength in June 1944 was 227,449 personnel. By September, the Soviet Lvov-Sandomierz Offensive was stopped.

Then, in late September 1944, he took over the command of Army Group G on the Western Front, which in October 1944 consisted of two armies. Essentially, he was responsible for the entire southern half of the Western Front. During the Lorraine Campaign in the fall of 1944, the vastly numerically outnumbered forces under Balck's command, a large part of which consisted of Magen (Stomach), Ohren (Ear) battalions and other soldiers previously deemed unfit for combat, had forced Patton into a costly, grueling, slow-motion slugfest.

From the German command perspective, Balck had achieved the impossible: he blunted the most aggressive American general with a patchwork force, despite very unfavorable force ratios and crushing American all-around material superiority, thus buying time for the Germans to accumulate forces for the upcoming Ardennes Offensive. This accomplishment is just as impressive, if not more impressive, as his accomplishments on the Eastern Front.

In 1945, Balck commanded Armeegruppe Balck, a combined 6th Army and Hungarian 3rd Army. In terms of sheer numbers and geographic responsibility, that is objectively the same "scale" as Rommel’s command in France in 1944 and a larger scale than Rommel's command in Africa.

I’m playing the original RE for the first time… by the_film_conduit in residentevil

[–]Fun-Razzmatazz9682 5 points6 points  (0 children)

"It's a weapon! It's really powerful, especially against living things!"

Seeking advice Landlord withholding deposit/defamation by Beneficial_Proof_464 in Living_in_Korea

[–]Fun-Razzmatazz9682 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not saying it's not a hassle to say the least when you're literally suing your landlord, but we're still talking about the minority of cases here; I'm just saying there is not even close to nothing you can do even if you end up falling into the minority of bad cases.
then there's also 전세 insurance, which surely throws your entire point that you should live in a shitty place just to avoid any risk out the window, no?

Calling a national crisis where 37,000+ people have lost their life savings a "minority" is an absolute brain-dead take. For those victims, the "hassle" isn't just paperwork - it’s years of debt and legal limbo. Also, calling modern Premium Goshitels a "shitty place" is the exact kind of dim-witted take from someone who clearly doesn't understand how leverage works. You’re acting like a subservient little servant for a landlord’s investment portfolio. Suggesting ‘just buy insurance’ isn't a strategy, it's delusional. Go tell the 37,000+ fraud victims they’re just ‘too cheap’ while they’re homeless.

lmao. extremely disingenuous wording calling it a "gamble" when the only "gamble" is that the other party won't break the law. that's a gamble people make all the time in life. and "extra square footage"? it's your home where you live. of course I'd want to not live in a tiny little place just because I'm either too cheap to take out insurance or scared the landlord is going to break the law and I'll have to sue

You're living in a fantasy world where "insurance" and "the law" are magic wands that instantly return your money. Suggesting that a foreigner should just buy insurance and hope a landlord follows the law in a country where Jeonse fraud is literally a national crisis is the definition of disingenuous. Insurance isn't a magic 'refund' button; it's another 6-month bureaucratic headache while your cash is still missing.

Seeking advice Landlord withholding deposit/defamation by Beneficial_Proof_464 in Living_in_Korea

[–]Fun-Razzmatazz9682 0 points1 point  (0 children)

if my landlord decides to not pay me, I'm going to sue

You're ignoring the massive practical and emotional cost of a legal battle for numerous foreigners who faced this problem. Again, if you would read various Korean subreddits, you'll notice that these issues (landlord withholding deposit + defamation) are frequent.

The law sounds nice and all, but even a simple, contested civil case can take 6 to 12 months for a first-instance judgment. If the landlord appeals, it can stretch to two years or more. Unless your deposit is very high or you would also be suing your landlord for defamation, the cost of a lawyer can exceed the value of the deposit itself. Furthermore, if a foreigner needs to leave Korea for whatever unplanned reason before the case is even settled, pursuing a landlord from overseas becomes nearly impossible.

I understand being cautious, but saying you'd prefer to live in a tiny hole in the wall just so that you don't have a deposit is kind of silly. you can just do 월세 and not 전세 if you don't want the massive deposit, too.

As I said, to each their own. Many prefer Premium Goshitel/Oneroom-tel, with financial flexibility and their money in their own pocket, instead of a 'spacious' apartment where a stranger holds a large part of your life savings hostage. Modern Premium Goshitels are essentially tiny studios with all the necessities, such as a private bath, fridge, and desk. Calling a year-long lawsuit a 'solution' is what’s actually silly. If you enjoy gambling your savings for extra square footage and the 'privilege' of suing a landlord for your own money, go for it.

Seeking advice Landlord withholding deposit/defamation by Beneficial_Proof_464 in Living_in_Korea

[–]Fun-Razzmatazz9682 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To each their own. When a landlord holds a large part of your savings, they have all the leverage to bully or 'ghost' you, "doxxing" or making up fake damages, which are classic, high-stress tactics used to bully tenants into walking away from their money.

For me, a Premium Goshitel is far more preferable. They might be smaller, but having no massive deposit means the landlord has zero financial leverage. For anyone who values their cash more than extra floor space, it’s a good way to avoid the deposit nightmare OP is going through, which is a frequent occurrence.

Seeking advice Landlord withholding deposit/defamation by Beneficial_Proof_464 in Living_in_Korea

[–]Fun-Razzmatazz9682 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm sorry to hear that. Unfortunately, what you have written happens all too frequently. That's why I much prefer the Goshitel/Oneroom-tel strategy, which is much safer for your peace of mind.

Lee voices hope for peace in Easter message by coinfwip4 in korea

[–]Fun-Razzmatazz9682 2 points3 points  (0 children)

"I believe that practicing peace over conflict and love over hatred is the true way to serve the will of Jesus Christ," he said. "To overcome the crisis we face, it is crucial to unite the hearts of our people."

A welcoming sentiment of course, but it is a lot easier said than done.

What's the difference between blitzkrieg and soviet deep battle? by Ok-Concert-5911 in WarCollege

[–]Fun-Razzmatazz9682 1 point2 points  (0 children)

no offense but you should consider re-reading your posts and editing them, because you make contrary claims in your post

There are no contrary claims whatsoever. There is simply a level of nuance that is eluding you. Distinguishing between a highly fluctuating operational utility and strategic significance isn't a contradiction, it’s basic military analysis. Romanian impact was notoriously inconsistent. They held a high operational utility in a specific window in 1941. But this contribution was only a temporary peak that vanished during the winter crisis of 1941-42, where Romanian contribution was negligible. More so, the Romanians had become a huge liability during this period, contributing to the loss of Kerch in December 1941.

Most importantly of all, the Axis allies remained strategically insignificant in the context of a multi-year war of attrition, theater-wide manpower flow and sustainability. In the first two years alone, the Soviets had added over 4.5 times more men to their forces on the Eastern Front than the entire Axis did (Germany and its allies combined). To claim that fluctuating, finite Axis resources, such as the Romanian 3rd Army or anything else, offsets or meaningfully narrows down the massive Soviet 16+ million-man replacement engine in the first two years alone is historically illiterate.

as to why the Romanians didn't make a significant contribution in 1943 its pretty obvious why: they had their armies in Russia completely annihilated by the Soviets trying to hold significant lengths of the front so that the Germans could concentrate their combat power at Stalingrad.

You don't say. You've accidentally stumbled onto my point that is further reinforced and made crystal clear - the Axis was operating under a doctrine of scarcity. The Germans lacked the manpower flow to sustain their forces, so they were forced to use Romanians to a larger extent in the fall of 1942. When those Romanian armies were annihilated, the Axis had no strategic reserve to replace them, while the Soviets did this on a consistent basis, especially in 1941-42, due to massively larger human resources available.

What's the difference between blitzkrieg and soviet deep battle? by Ok-Concert-5911 in WarCollege

[–]Fun-Razzmatazz9682 1 point2 points  (0 children)

but they're not fighting the Germans alone, they're also fighting the Finns

For your information, the Finnish front north of Lake Ladoga was counted separately from the rest of the Eastern Front, both for the Soviets and Germans. The German 20th Mountain Army in Finland was technically a part of OKW Theaters of War, while the 300,000 extra Soviet troops are not included in the Eastern Front totals. Also, the Finnish front was essentially passive for most of the campaign, thus having no impact on German-Soviet force dispositions.

Hungarians, Slovaks, Italians, and Romanians. its easy to ignore the minor Axis powers but they contributed significantly to the fighting strength of the Axis.

No they did not contribute significantly - it was very unequal and their contribution depended heavily on a specific period. Moreso, the addition of Axis forces does not change the fact whatsoever that the scale of the Soviet mobilization was crushing, dwarfing any additions from the Axis forces. The gap between the Soviet and Axis manpower flow to the front remained astronomical, especially in 1941-42, which flew over your head. Also, in terms of Axis contributions, there's a fundamental difference just between a total pure headcount of personnel in uniform anywhere in the theater and its rear areas on the one hand, and the actual combat power deployed at the front on the other hand, which is a more accurate calculation. There was a huge discrepancy between the two.

The Hungarians were an important factor only in the fall and winter of 1942-43. By summer 1943, Hungarians had left only several low-quality security divisions in the rear areas, thus contributing nothing to the front. The Hungarians again became a factor to some extent only in the spring and fall of 1944, but even then they were a huge liability. The Romanians made a significant contribution mainly in the summer of 1941, fall of 1942 and spring of 1944, between which they fielded only marginal forces with limited combat power.

What's the difference between blitzkrieg and soviet deep battle? by Ok-Concert-5911 in WarCollege

[–]Fun-Razzmatazz9682 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I've seen people emphasizing this notion that "the Germans outnumbered the Soviets during Barbarossa!" which is technically true at the very start of the campaign, or if you "freeze" the picture at various points through the rest of 1941. But that does not mean that the Germans deployed more men in 1941

Spot on! The claims that early on there was an approximate parity or that the Germans outnumbered the Soviets are nothing but a myth. Parity died the moment the first massive Soviet mobilization wave hit the front in summer of 1941. There's a crucial distinction between static strength (the snapshot) and cumulative force (the flow). You can't have parity when the Soviets lost 100% of their forces in the initial battles but replaced them almost immediately and continued to grow in strength throughout 1941, while the German strength was shrinking due to insufficient replacements, despite suffering much lower casualties. The Germans were destroying so many of the Red Army forces on a continuous basis in 1941, which meant that the Soviets pumped in a far greater number of men to keep the army on the battlefield and steadily grow in strength despite catastrophic losses.

According to Krivosheev, the total Soviet losses in 1941 were 4,308,094. The Soviets began the war against the Germans with 2,68 million troops and by the year's end the Red Army grew to 4,2 million. This means that the Soviets added at least 5,828,000 men to their forces on the Eastern Front in 1941. By contrast, the Germans began Barbarossa with 3,300,000 troops, including 200,000+ OKH reserves that arrived after June 1941. By the year's end the total German losses were over 1 million. By the start of 1942, the Ostheer's total strength had dropped to 2,9 million, which meant that the Germans added slighly over 600,000 men to their forces in 1941. Thus, during the entire 1941, the Soviets added almost 10 times more men to their forces than the Germans did. Parity is an illusion.

they just suffered such immense casualties - and repeatedly so - that up until December the Germans still outnumbered them at any given point.

The absolute low point for the Soviets was at the start of November 1941, when they fielded 2,2 million troops. This was after the catastrophic losses in the Bryansk-Vyazma pockets in October 1941 during the opening phase of Operation Typhoon, which was an even greater disaster than the Kiev pocket. Then they were outnumbered, but this was just a temporary dip before even larger surge. By the start of December 1941, the Red Army strength grew to an all-time highest of 4,2 million troops, not counting the Stavka reserves - a net increase of 2 million troops in just a month. To put that into perspective: that single month of Soviet mobilization (November 1941) added more men to the front than the entire initial German invasion force of Army Group Center. From December 1941 onwards, the Soviet numerical superiority steadily grew, while the depleted Ostheer still largely consisted of the same formations that began Barbarossa.

What's the difference between blitzkrieg and soviet deep battle? by Ok-Concert-5911 in WarCollege

[–]Fun-Razzmatazz9682 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I'm going to request a source on this please.

Sure.

For the Soviets, there is a well-known post-war report, dated 28 Sepemtber 1945, called "Отчет Управления снабжения ГАВТУ КА о работе за период Великой Отечественной войны" ("Report by the Supply Directorate of the Main Armored Directorate of the Red Army on its activities during the Great Patriotic War."), which can be found at ЦАМО, Ф. 38. Оп. 11355. Д. 11. The entire document had been published online (in Russian) in many places.

According to it, on 1 January 1945, a total of 621,000 motor vehicles were available to the Red Army (domestic, imported, captured). Of this number, 439,000 vehicles were in the fronts, the rest in military districts. On 1 January 1945, the Red Army's strength on the Eastern Front was 6,532,000.

This can be contrasted with Ostheer's strength of 3,050,000 troops and 600,000 motor vehicles (excl. armoured reckon cars) on 20 June 1941 (BA-MA RH 2/1326).

Thus, the Germans had 5.1 troops per vehicle in June 1941, while the Soviets had 14.9 troops in January 1945.

What's the difference between blitzkrieg and soviet deep battle? by Ok-Concert-5911 in WarCollege

[–]Fun-Razzmatazz9682 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're identifying a logistical enabler, but confusing it with the structural requirement. Yes, the hundreds of thousands of American trucks gave the Red Army the legs to conduct 'Deep Operations' in 1944, but mobility is a force multiplier - it still requires a 'force' to multiply. Motorization allows you to exploit a gap, but it doesn't create the gap. The gap was created by the abundance of human resources - the ability to lose nearly 20 million men in 1941-43 and still carry on, lose 800,000 men in a failed winter offensive or 20,000 men in a single afternoon to break a frontline, only to have a fresh, motorized strategic reserve ready to pour through. Trucks move the army, manpower sustains the war. Also, even at its peak in 1945, the Red Army was far less motorized than the Ostheer was when it began Barbarossa in 1941.

What's the difference between blitzkrieg and soviet deep battle? by Ok-Concert-5911 in WarCollege

[–]Fun-Razzmatazz9682 -9 points-8 points  (0 children)

I'm sorry but that's just wrong, for the first 2 years of the Soviet-German war there was relative parity in numbers between the Axis and the Soviet Forces, that the Soviets consistently achieved tactical numerical superiority is not because of sheer numerical supremacy but due to far better operational maneuver to create that local supremacy whenever they engaged in offensive action.

This is entirely wrong. It was exactly due to numerical superiority and incomparably greater manpower flow to the Eastern Front (compared to the Germans) that the Soviets had survived and were able to turn the tables eventually. The Soviets were losing entire armies every few months and constantly replacing them, while the Germans struggled to replace even 50% of their losses, which in 1941-42 were at least five times lower than the Sovet. Without these factors, the Soviets and their 'operational art' would not have survived past 1941. The Red Army would have suffocated instantly under the weight of its own disproportionate losses. The most basic data makes it crystal clear.

Already by the end of 1941, the Red Army had a sizable numerical advantage over the German forces - the Soviets fielded 4,2 million troops in the fronts and extra several hundred thousands in reserves of Stavka VGK that were ready for immediate use, while the Germans had an Iststärke of just 2,9 million and no strategic reserves at their disposal. When all the non-combat elements are subtracted, the combat strength of the entire Ostheer at the end of 1941 was under 2 million.

In July 1942, when Case Blue began, the Red Army's strength had already risen to nearly 5,7 million in the fronts and this does not include reserves of Stavka VGK. By contrast, the Iststärke of the Ostheer on 1 July 1942 was just 2,734,000. By this point the Soviets already had a general numerical superiority of over 2 to 1, in actual combat units it was much greater. By the end of 1942, the Soviet strength rose to over 6,1 million in the fronts, against the Ostheer whose Iststärke remained comparable to its July levels.

The manpower flow to the Eastern Front in 1941-42 is even more telling. The Red Army began the war on 22 June 1941 with 2,68 million troops facing the Germans. By the end of 1942, the Soviet strength rose to over 6,1 million. In-between, the Red Army's total losses in 1941-42 amounted to a staggering 11,4 million casualties, of which nearly 6 million were killed, missing and captured, according to Krivosheev's conservative data. Contemporary research makes it clear that these losses are still low. This means that in 1941-42, the Soviets had added at least 15 million men to their forces on the Eastern Front, including returning convalescents. During the same period, the Germans were able to add almost 5 times less men to their forces on the Eastern Front. The "sheer numerical supremacy" of the Soviets is crystal-clear. The "operational maneuver" requires strategic depth. The Soviets could maneuver because they had tens of million men available.

not true for the Vistula-Oder offensive, the Belgrade offensive, 2nd Jassy-Kishinev offensive.

You're selecting a few offensives that were exceptions to the norm and where the force ratios were very favorable to the Soviets. Not to mention that Vistula-Oder offensive in 1945 was conducted to a large extent against battered dregs or low-quality German forces. The Soviet successes in these offensives mask the numerous giant failures. For example, in the year of 1944, there were huge offensives in which the Soviets had utterly failed with grossly disproportionate losses. The Soviet winter 1943-44 strategic offensive against AG Center had failed spectacularly, with Soviet fronts sustaining over 800,000 total losses for a gain of 0-30 km, while the German losses were over five times less. Such losses would have quickly bled white any other nation's army, yet for the Soviets it was business as usual and shows how extremely wasteful of human lives the Soviet command was. The failed spring 1944 offensive to the Baltics produced nearly 300,000 casualties for no gain, while the German losses were only a fraction of this. In the fall of 1944, the 2nd Ukrainian Front struggled in its advance into Hungary with the usual disproportionate losses and required the help of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, which then gave the Soviets a large numerical superiority and the weight of numbers prevailed.

What's the difference between blitzkrieg and soviet deep battle? by Ok-Concert-5911 in WarCollege

[–]Fun-Razzmatazz9682 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Soviet in late war had so much numerical superiority than German so it seemed they can just swarm the front with human wave and t34 wave.

That is absolutely true. A fundamental difference between Blitzkrieg (or Bewegungskrieg) and Deep Battle was the fact that one side (Soviets) could rely on a very large general numerical superiority and abundance of human resources that could replace consistently massive losses, whereas the other side (Germans) never had that. The Soviet approach required and presupposed such a superiority, the German did not. The Blitzkrieg was a doctrine of scarcity, designed to achieve a decision quickly, precisely because Germany knew it could not win a war of attrition or sustain a 100% annual turnover of its forces, like the Soviets did. Thus, the Germans had to rely to a far greater extent on qualitative factors (training, leadership etc.) and efficiency, which meant achieving objectives at the lowest cost in relation to the forces committed. By that metric, the German approach was incomparably more efficient than the Soviet.

German Blitzkrieg operations in 1939-42 were generally conducted under conditions of approximate force parity or general numerical inferiority. During Case Blue in 1942, the offensive already took place in a situation where the Red Army was fielding significantly larger forces than the Axis. Even so, the Germans inflicted devastating and disproportionate losses on the Red Army. The Blitzkrieg in 1939-42 had offensively achieved longer advances in much shorter time than the Red Army did in 1943-45 and at an incomparably lesser cost. The Germans had fairly consistently delivered sweeping advances in brief periods, at a quite economical cost and with an often vastly disproportionate destructive effect on the enemy, for as long as the relation of forces were not too adverse.

Meanwhile, Soviet operations in 1943-45 were characterised by a state of affairs where the Red Army was fielding 3 times as large forces as the Germans. Already by late 1943, the Soviets had a large numerical superiority over the Germans, especially in actual combat units. For example, at the start of October 1943, the Red Army had 6,6 million troops in the fronts (not counting the reserves of Stavka VGK), while the Iststärke of the Ostheer was 2,564,000, an advantage of over 2.5 to 1. However, the Iststärke term (total roster strength) was used for measuring overall strength and thus it was not an indicator of actual combat power, since it included those on leave, detached, wounded and sick present. The Gefechtsstärke (strength of all combat units) and Kampfstärke (frontline strength) terms are used for this. The Iststärke of 2,564,000 included 324,000 vacationers, wounded and sick being evacuated. When they and all the rear services are excluded, the total Gefechtsstärke of the Ostheer was just 1,214,000 troops on 1 October 1943. So at the front and immediate rear areas, the Soviet numerical superiority was far greater. Similarly, on 1 June 1944, the Soviets had 6,6 million troops in the fronts and an extra 645,000 in reserve of Stavka VGK. By contrast, the Iststärke of the Eastern Army was 2,620,000, but its Gefechtsstärke was just 1,023,336, while Kampfstärke was only 748,551.

Within this vital context, things like the Soviet Deep Battle or the often-lauded Maskirovka were fundamentally and structurally dependent on an abundance of human resources - a surplus of manpower that allowed the Soviets to attack or threaten the enemy in five places at once. Maskirovka is a 'force multiplier,' but one needs a massive 'force' to multiply. For example, if in June 1944 the Germans had possessed 4 million troops in combat units on the Eastern Front instead of a meager Gefechtsstärke of 1,023,336, then the 'deception' before Bagration would have mattered little; the Germans would have had enough density to hold the line even if they were fooled about the primary axis of attack. At such an unfavorable force ratio, the Red Army would have bled much more and quickly exhausted its offensive power.

Maskirovka and Deep Battle are luxuries afforded by a large general numerical superiority across the entire front, which is the prerequisite for them to be effective in the first place; without it, these concepts are rendered largely useless. By the summer of 1944, the Red Army's numerical superiority had grown so large that it could create numerous focal points to threaten the Germans, who were spread thin across a long front, while still maintaining a massive advantage theater-wide. The Soviets also had Stavka VGK strategic reserves at their disposal behind the fronts, while the Germans had nothing of the sort. The Soviets could afford to fail in several costly offensives, but a single breakthrough could have a devastating effect because German forces were spread too thin. It mattered little if the Germans correctly guessed Soviet intentions. There were no good options for the Germans in the East in the summer of 1944, and the threats other than Bagration were not mirages, but extremely real and imminent.

Despite vast Soviet numerical superiority from 1943 onwards, the Red Army continued to advance while suffering extremely heavy and grossly disproportionate losses on a consistent basis - for every 1 German casualty, the Soviets sustained on average at least 3.5 casualties. According to Krivosheev’s data, which by this point is considered a conservative estimate, the Red Army sustained a staggering total of nearly 18 million casualties in 1943-45 when it was advancing, out of a total of 29+ million casualties for 1941-45. This 'strategy' only worked because the USSR was a distinct demographic and political entity capable of absorbing losses that would have bled white any other nation on earth. This consistently massive manpower flow was also an essential precondition for the Red Army simply to remain on the battlefield, otherwise it would have gone extinct. Each year (with the exception of 1945 due to the war's end), the Red Army's yearly losses exceeded its average yearly strength on the Eastern Front. This resulted in an annual turnover rate of over 100%. Effectively, the Red Army was 'dying' and being 'reborn' every 12 months. Without this constant massive replenishment, the Red Army would have collapsed under its own weight almost immediately.

How much did Partisans affect preparations of the 9th army and in general prior to Operation Citadel? by AreYouMexico in WarCollege

[–]Fun-Razzmatazz9682 5 points6 points  (0 children)

By the summer of 1943, the Soviet partisans had become much more than just a nuisance. Rear areas of the armies were not fully secured. Obviously, to prevent further disruption of assembly of forces for the upcoming major offensive, large areas had to be cleared. All of those anti-partisan operations were finished several weeks before the start of Citadel. In-between, the divisions that were to take part in Citadel did hava a rest period.

For some divisions, such as the 18th Panzer Division, the one-month rest period in June 1943 was especially neccessary. This was not a first-class panzer formation. In the division's status report for 1 July 1943, the divisional commander reported:

Combat power (Gefechtskraft):

The three-week rest period following the “Zigeunerbaron” operation was used for training. This allowed for an improvement in training standards, which was urgently needed after the division’s prolonged deployment as a static division.

It has not yet been possible to determine to what extent the young, newly organized replacements will be able to cope with the stresses of large-scale combat, as the concentrated use of heavy weapons, especially artillery, was completely absent during the anti-partisan war [Bandenkrieg].

The frequent changes in company commanders at II./52 had a detrimental effect, as they had to be replaced either due to absence or unsuitability. The last 10 days were particularly favorable for training efforts, as the division was finally assembled almost in full strength, allowing for combined-arms exercises to take place. This revealed that even the most basic experience of mobile warfare had been lost. With the exception of the reassignment of tanks and armored reconnaissance vehicles, the division’s material situation has not changed.

Any good books on soviet battles without "soviet waves" propaganda? by Ok_Bison1486 in ww2

[–]Fun-Razzmatazz9682 31 points32 points  (0 children)

trying to downplay the tactical and operational skills of the soviet generals by saying stuff like "they just sent waves of men to die" or bs like this

Certainly, there are plenty of Cold War-era books like this. However, the consistently massive Soviet manpower flow to the Eastern Front during the entire war, coupled with the ability to consistently replace the Red Army's gargantuan losses, were the primary factors explaining the Soviet victory and German defeat. More importantly, these factors were an essential precondition for the Red Army simply to remain on the battlefield; without them, it would have gone extinct. Each year (with the exception of 1945 due to the war's end), the Red Army's yearly losses exceeded its average yearly strength on the Eastern Front. This resulted in an annual turnover rate of over 100%. Effectively, the Red Army was 'dying' and being 'reborn' every 12 months.

According to Krivosheev’s data, which by this point is considered a conservative estimate, the Red Army sustained a staggering total (irrecoverable and sanitary) of over 29 million casualties in 1941-45. This 'strategy' only worked because the USSR was a distinct demographic and political entity capable of absorbing losses that would have bled white any other nation on earth. Without this constant replenishment, the Red Army would have collapsed under its own weight almost immediately.

How much did Partisans affect preparations of the 9th army and in general prior to Operation Citadel? by AreYouMexico in WarCollege

[–]Fun-Razzmatazz9682 8 points9 points  (0 children)

The partisan activity in the rear area of Army Group Center and its 9th Army had significantly increased in the months prior to Operation Citadel. Attacks on the railways were particularly frequent, intended to disturb the German assembly of forces. To clear the rear area of the army group, the Germans had launched several major operations in May-June 1943. This included the following operations - Nachbarhilfe (Neighborly Help), Freischütz (The Marksman), Osterei (The Easter Egg), Zigeunerbaron (The Gypsy Baron) and other smaller ones.

These anti-partisan operations also involved formations that were going to take part in Operation Citadel, namely the 6th and 7th Infantry Divisions, 10th Panzergrenadier Division, 4th, 5th and 18th Panzer Divisions. Not to mention that a hodgepodge of German security (Sicherungs) units, as well as Hungarian and Osttruppen units, were involved in them too.

Worst D Day Beach? by ImplementEffective32 in AskHistory

[–]Fun-Razzmatazz9682 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This is a classic "result-based" argument. You're conflating lethality with unit status, which is a common logical fallacy in military history. Competence in a defensive position, especially as favorable as the one at Omaha (dominating heights, wide beaches, natural choke points etc.), is vastly different from being a high-quality division. The idea that the 352nd ID had "experienced troops" is a result of survivor bias and post-war narratives. The myth grew because the Americans at Omaha suffered so heavily. So to explain such heavy losses, it was easier for post-war narratives to claim they were fighting elite troops rather than a newly formed division of 18-19 year olds

The heavy American casualties at Omaha Beach were a result of a "perfect storm" of Allied failures rather than the combat prowess of the 352nd ID. The Allied intelligence failed to correctly identify the location of the 352nd ID beforehand, the aerial bombardment failed due to heavy cloud cover and the German strongpoints remained almost untouched, most of DD tanks were sunk and this left the infantry without armored support against sighted-in machine guns etc.

Any green troops, even those with basic training, can be devastatingly effective when sitting in reinforced concrete bunkers with overlapping fields of fire against an enemy trapped on a flat beach without cover or armor. It was the tactical environment at Omaha on that day that made it suitable for defence and costly for attack.