In one of the programs V. Pozner claimed that in 1941 the Russian roads prevented the Germans from taking Moscow. Of course, Posner is not the first to try to belittle the importance of the heroism of Soviet soldiers in the defense of the capital in this way, exaggerating the role of roads and the climate in general
This tendency is clearly visible in the work of the British military theorist L. Hart, who in his book "Strategy of Indirect Actions" tried to "prove" that the defeat of the Germans near Moscow was caused by bad roads, impassable mud, and deep snow. "By that time," he wrote, "when the operation near Vyazma was over, winter had come, and the Germans could not build on their success, since the roads leading to Moscow were covered with impassable mud." And further: “If there were a judicial investigation into the failure of the German campaign of 1941, then the only solution would be“Defeat as a result of natural causes.”Then comes the final conclusion:“German troops were defeated not by the enemy, but by space.” Hitler's General G. Guderian also saw the cause of the defeat of the German troops near Moscow in the "harsh Russian winter", which allegedly "won the battle."
But bad roads, climate, frost acted no less cruelly on Soviet soldiers. According to K. K. Rokossovsky, deep snow cover, severe frosts made it difficult for us to use a maneuver away from the roads in order to cut off the enemy's escape routes. So the German generals, the Soviet marshal rightly concludes, should thank the harsh winter, which facilitated their departure from Moscow with less losses, and not refer to the fact that the Russian winter became the cause of their defeats (see Rokossovsky K. K. "Soldier's Duty").
The real reason for the defeat of the Nazis near Moscow was the heroism of its defenders, which included representatives of all strata of our Fatherland. Expressing their thoughts, the Ukrainian poet I. Nekhoda wrote: "In the snow, in the forty-first, under Istroy, // Fire overshadowing Moscow, // I firmly believed: I will stand! - II And I survived. And I live!" ….
Even our enemies were forced to admit the indestructible staunchness of the defenders of the Motherland. "The Soviet soldiers," admitted the German Field Marshal Kesselring, "fought heroically and stalled the advance of our forces, which had become almost motionless."
Another Hitlerite general Westphal admitted that "the bulk of the Russian army, inspired by the commissars, fought to the end." And G. Guderian, apparently having changed his mind, nevertheless admitted later that Western leaders "underestimate the power of the Soviet Union, its technical and military capabilities, industrial potential, organizational talents of leaders, just as the abilities of its high command, and strength The main thing is the latter, the power of the idea, which provides the Soviet system with the sympathy of the broad poor masses, ensures even in difficult times, when success becomes doubtful "(G. Guderian" Is it possible to defend Western Europe? "p.46).
Thus, we can say that V. Pozner is one of those Mohicans who are still trying to belittle the merits of the peoples of the great Soviet Union in crushing the Hitlerite war machine. He is not even convinced by Churchill's confession that it was the Red Army that "squeezed the guts out of the German military machine."
