Stalin's Other War: Soviet Grand Strategy, 1939-1941

by Albert L. Weeks

Release Date: May, 2003

Edition: Paperback

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Stalin's plans for war

For a lot of Americans the best thing about the Soviet Union, or its saving moment, came in WW2. After Hitler's surprise attack (June 1941) the USSR became one more victim of Nazi aggression and joined together with US and Allies to end that most horrid totalitarianism.
Albert Weeks provides an essential corrective to this view. Drawing on newly available documents and his wide reading in Russian historians, Weeks argues forcefully for the view that Stalin had long had an imperialist project in mind for Soviet expansion into Europe, and specifically had the aim of striking his "ally" Germany. Hitler did not end a healthy alliance but only managed to surprise Stalin before Stalin could surprise him.
For a book in Soviet history, which has been loaded down with didactic interpretations on both sides, this book is refreshingly reasonable. Weeks weighs and assesses each bit of evidence he finds. He does not force evidence to fit his interpretation when there is room for doubt. And he is morally serious without being preachy.
Balanced and thoughtful histories of the USSR are finally possible. Who knows what other archives are going to be released? Which former Soviet officials will come clean about old state secrets? If Albert Weeks's book is any sign, reassessments of the USSR's past have a promising future.

Where was the editor?

Yet another good book spoiled by lousy editing.

1. Russians do not have middle names. It should be Andrey Dmitrievich Sakharov, or A.D. Sakharov, or Andrey Sakharov, but NOT Andrey D. Sakharov.

2. There are A LOT of mistakes in spelling of Russian names and book titles.

3. In two Greek words (allegedly by Plato), chresimos pseudos, I found 3 (THREE) errors: there are no zetas it those words at all, only sigmas.

4. By the time of Versailles Treaty, Romania had been on the map of Europe for about 50 years; it had not been created as a result of that treaty . . .

etc., etc., etc.

I do not believe Professor Weeks doesn't know when Romania was created. I blame copyeditor and proofreader . . . if there were any.