State of Affairs ​

"War it is then"

These were the words spoken by Field Marshall Gerd von Rundstedt upon hearing the result of Minsk accords.​





"Comrades! Attention! Today, we strike hard at the Fascist dogs of the west. Great Stalin, our leader, has proposed a master plan. While the west grows in turmoil, with our capitalist and fascist enemies slicing at each others throats, we, the glorious army of the proletariat, the Red army, shall lead a crusade against our western advisories and usher in a new age of Socialism in Europe! We shall liberate the people of Europe under our crimson banner and together, we shall march against the oppression and hierarchy of the west! We shall march from Warsaw, to Königsberg. From Berlin to Paris. From Belgrade to Rome! Our red flag shall fly high! All of Europe will bow to the will of the Soviets! To the will of the Proletariat! We shall bring honor and glory to our motherland and to the working class. Now, forward comrades! Raise high our sacred banner! March westward as we purge the world through the fires of industry! For Stalin! For the Soviet Union! "



~

"The Soviets have betrayed us. By moving forces to our border, they have forced our hand. We will soon embark upon the great crusade. Your task is a glorious one. However, it will not be easy, the Soviet soldier is strong, the Soviet soldier is hardened from fighting in Manchuria and Finland. He will show you no mercy, will give no quarter. However I have every confidence in your abilities as soldiers, your officers are all experienced and able. You will be the iron fist that crushes their armies, you will be the sword and shield that will lead Germany to victory. Brandenburg is with you, Bavaria is with you. The whole of the fatherland is with you. The fate of the Reich as we know is in your hands. Only you, the men on the ground, can save it from the red menace. What you do now, will echo in eternity. Every German will hear of the men of Army Group South and be instilled with the same feelings of courage and audacity that you will exemplify today. Forward, hail victory!"

~

Starting out as an attempt to settle disputes over Soviet territorial demands, the Minsk accords quickly devolved into heated debate and argument. German foreign minister Constantin von Neurath had given his Soviet counterpart, Maksim Litvinov, an ultimatum demanding an end to the Karelian war. The request was simple, withdraw all forces from Finnish Karelia and Lappland, return all captured territory, and cease all expansion on the European Continent. Instead, with orders straight from the desk of Stalin, Litvinov refused. The Soviets had already launched an offensive that would crush Finland, and all plans for peaceful expansion had been completed.If a state of war were to occur, the Red Army was more than confident in it's ability to win. It numbered nearly 5 million men at arms, possessed more planes than the next 2 air forces combined, and could call on the largest industrial capacity in the world. After defeating both Japan and FInland, the word overconfidence couldn't begin to describe the mood in the STAVKA high command.Even after witnessing Poland fall in a week, Belgium in 3, and the mighty France in just 2 months, key members of the Soviet leadership still believed the Wehrmacht could be easily defeated. The 2 1/2 million men of the German Heer would disagree with this, believing superior men, equipment, and leadership would be the key to victory.