"Knockout blow" in regards to Russia?

[Ianseymour95]

In terms of delivering "Knockout blows" what would you consider a Knockout blow to Russia be in 1941?

This is either Germany doing or another power

[stg 44]

Not sure there is one. The closest would be Moscow IMHO due to the centralized nature of the Soviet government.

[BDV]

Not sure there is one. The closest would be Moscow IMHO due to the centralized nature of the Soviet government.

Telegraph and radio together with rail-way ensure that a centralized government can change physical positions and move to different location if such is available; not a problem in Russia. Short of a A-Bomb strike on a joint STAVKA-KGB-Politburo meeting, there is no such "knockout blow" possibility.

[stg 44]

Not sure there is one. The closest would be Moscow IMHO due to the centralized nature of the Soviet government.

Telegraph and radio together with rail-way ensure that a centralized government can change physical positions and move to different location if such is available; not a problem in Russia. Short of a A-Bomb strike on a joint STAVKA-KGB-Politburo meeting, there is no such "knockout blow" possibility.

I'm going to disagree with you; for the Soviet state Moscow WAS the state. It could displace, but it loses it's legitimacy to relocate to a deep provincial city after losing the core of the regime, agricultural, and industrial heartland. Moscow was about 10% of the USSR's industry and even with population/industrial evacuation, you aren't displacing the core of the electrical infrastructure of the iron/coal deposits in the area. Plus losing Moscow means Leningrad falls due to lack of supply to the Ladoga 'road of life'. Losing Moscow means losing the #s 1 and 2 cities in the country, the cores of the revolution, and the heart of industry. Stalin loses legitimacy with the country and rest of the regime, plus THE crucial staging area to supply and organize the partisans in Belarus.

[SpicyJuan]

In terms of delivering "Knockout blows" what would you consider a Knockout blow to Russia be in 1941?

This is either Germany doing or another power

Moscow falling in the classic earlier typhoon scenario. However if that was not enough, it would likely take several additional blows such as the fall of Leningrad, Murmansk, and the German's holding Rostov.

[BDV]

The loss of industry would not help the Sovjets, true.

But the government and its repressive organs can evacuate efficiently by rail and continue to control the Soviet state by means of commands relayed by telegraph and radio. Moscow, the geographical location, means little for the continued function of the soviet state.

[thaddeus_c]

will offer one blow (not a knock out) that is out of left field, but very possible for Germany to achieve.

complete elimination of Soviet fleets from Baltic & Black Seas, they had majority trapped in port of Tallinn in Baltic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_ev ... of_Tallinn

relied on Romania on the Black Sea (malpractice by KM)

if they had eliminated the fleets the escape from Odessa, reinforcement of Leningrad and Crimea would not have happened. they might at outside chance have even been able to refloat and/or capture intact some ships and form small flotillas.

solves a lot of German transportation problems to have been able to use both seas unmolested.

[Dark Age]

You people on the forum should stop contributing to these lazy What if posts.

Best not to even respond I think. The original poster doesn't want to contribute anything to the conversation.