Imperial Overlord

USSR, Moscow, Kremlin.

Stalin looked at the various reports from Ukraine on the table, and angrily threw the documents in his hand on the table.

"Budyonny's counterattack failed. He didn't even have the courage to continue to attack. What was in his mind?" Looking at the panicked expressions of his generals, Stalin asked coldly.

A flank counterattack was the most effective way to prevent the German troops from continuing to attack the understrength Zhukov Group.

But Budyonny failed. He tried an attack as timid as a mouse, and then shrank back and started to fight his defense.

Even so, the news just came yesterday that the German troops have entered Ukraine from Romania.

The last Soviet troops to step on Romanian territory were also driven back behind their starting position.

What made Stalin even more annoyed was that the fully defended Soviet army did not prevent the German army from capturing Lviv. The Soviet Union's first important city in Ukraine is now an enemy-occupied area.

Although from the frontal battlefield, the loss of Lviv has little impact on the situation on the main battlefield, but its far-reaching significance has caused headaches for the top Soviet military.

The loss of Lviv, on the surface, is not a traumatic loss. The Soviet troops that could be repulsed could only give up some lines of defense to ensure the stability of their lines of defense.

In this way, the bridgehead for the Soviet army to attack Brest ceased to exist, and its loss left the Soviet army without a favorable situation for flanking attacks.

For the Germans, it was obvious that the pressure on the Soviets to attack Brest was much greater than that of places like Pinsk.

"The great leader, Comrade Stalin... Zhukov finally stabilized the line of defense. He is building a new line of defense near Krupki." A general said to Stalin.

Another general also followed and comforted: "As long as we have enough troops to reinforce him, he can stabilize his line of defense."

"Yeah! I know he has stabilized his line of defense!" Stalin put his hand on the table and said to his subordinates.

Then he raised his voice and continued: "Have you not thought about the consequences if the Germans suddenly went south?"

The top Soviet military, who did not know Germany's specific strategic arrangements, were very afraid of the Germans going south into Ukraine.

Once the Germans attacking Smolensk began to attack south, the Black Sea would help the Germans complete the encirclement, leaving the Soviets in Ukraine cornered.

If Germany encircled the main Soviet army in Ukraine, the Soviet army may lose more than 1 million troops in the next month.

This possibility is like the sword of Damocles, which has been hanging above the heads of the Soviet Union, making Stalin and others sleepless.

Although there is no indication yet that German troops will suddenly move south. However, once the German offensive against Smolensk is blocked, it is difficult to say whether they will choose another offensive direction.

In this case, the advance of German troops was stopped, and it seemed that Stalin was not a good news.

"Budyonny played too badly on the southern front. He couldn't stay there and command our last remaining elite." Stalin gave his own thoughts.

In the unfavorable situation of the war, changing the commander was something Stalin often did. So everyone is used to it, and there is no fuss.

To the headaches of the remaining generals, it was clear that after Budyonny was replaced, there were not many people who were qualified to replace that important position.

There are not many people who can match the marshal in terms of qualifications, and there are very few people who have the courage to take over the burden from Budyonny in the current situation.

Seeing that everyone had no desire to speak, Stalin also knew that the idea of ​​​​substitution was beyond the understanding of these generals.

For a moment, he even thought about the Tukhachevsky that he had killed - if Tukhachevsky was still there, then he had a very good replacement candidate in his hands. .

Looking at these subordinates who were determined to keep silent, Stalin could only explain himself: "Didn't you just say that as long as you increase the number of troops, the defense line near Krupki will be impregnable?"

Hearing that Stalin did not ask about changing candidates, several generals had the courage to speak: "Yes, the great leader Comrade Stalin... We have already stopped the advance of the German army, as long as we strengthen the defense line and reinforce the troops, that's all. ."

Stalin seemed to have found the answer to the problem, and a long-lost slight smile hung on his face: "Then, let Budyonny come back to take over the central defense line, and let Zhukov go to Ukraine!"

In the view of the Soviet leader, General Zhukov, who prevented the German army from advancing and turned the tide, was obviously a capable commander.

And Budyonny, who did not perform well, is obviously a mediocre general. After comparing the two, Stalin was more optimistic about Zhukov.

After having this idea, Stalin decided to hand over the 2 million elites of the Soviet army in Ukraine to a more suitable person to command and play a greater role.

As for the central line of defense, doesn't it mean that it is enough to just increase the defense? Then the slightly clumsy Budyonny seems to be able to do it, right?

Once he had this idea in his mind, he couldn't get rid of it. Stalin felt that his ideas were very mature, at least he could not find any flaws.

"I believe that Zhukov can hold Ukraine, then the war will enter a stalemate. Germany will be dragged by us and defeated!" Stalin said ~www.wuxiaspot.com~, banging his desk twice.

Several generals always felt that Stalin's decision to switch commanders was a little tricky, but they couldn't think of a good way to discourage it.

After all, what they said just now, the battlefield in the central frontline has stabilized, and as long as the troops are increased, they can defend the line of defense.

Under such assurances, any explanations by them would backfire and anger Stalin, who was proud of his mobilization.

Therefore, in their view, shutting up at this time and letting Stalin make such a decision is the wisest choice.

Sure enough, the smile on Stalin's face deepened a little when he found that his proposal did not attract any opposition.

He gave a loud order to transfer Budyonny to the central region, take over the original Zhukov Group, and renamed this unit the Budyonny Group.

Zhukov, on the other hand, was transferred to the faraway Ukraine, where he commanded 2 million Soviet troops to resist the German army that could go south at any time.