It was my view that the catastrophe. . . . could have been avoided if Vasilevsky had taken the position he should have. He could have taken a different position. . . . but he didn't do that, and as a result, in my view, he had a hand in the destruction of thousands of Red Army fighters in the Kharkov campaign.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- He blamed Vasilevsky for a strategic error that led to heavy losses in the Kharkov campaign.
- In plain terms
- He held Vasilevsky responsible for a disastrous decision.
- What can you take from it?
- Leadership mistakes can cause massive casualties.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How should leaders be held accountable for failures?
- What evidence is needed to judge a decision?
Another view
The critique may reflect personal bias rather than objective facts.
More from Aleksandr Vasilevsky
A man who knew his job as he spent a long time commanding a regiment and who earned great respect from everybody.
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Permalink to quote #4 Conditions to the north of us, in the Voronezh and Steppe Fronts zone of action, and our offensive on Kharkov demands that we not lose time and we commit all f…
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