The Road to Berlin
“Shtemenko, Chief of the Main Operations Directorate. As usual, Stalin set the scene carefully. The conference opened with a survey of the situation on the Soviet–German front and an appreciation of both Allied operations and their intentions. Summarizing the position, Stalin then called on Shtemenko to read aloud a telegram to the meeting: Anglo–American forces, Shtemenko intoned, were about to mount an operation designed to capture Berlin before the Red Army, Field-Marshal Montgomery was even ...now assuming command of these forces, which would attack to the north of the Ruhr and thus take the shortest route to Berlin, with assault forces presently being readied since the Allied command believed the operation to be eminently feasible. At that Stalin fired his question, aimed directly at the two Marshals. Koniev recovered first and assured Stalin that the Red Army would be the first to take Berlin. Koniev had risen too readily to the bait and Stalin swung on him, asking him how he could regroup his forces in time when the bulk of his striking power was dispersed to the southern, left flank.MoreLess
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