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Originally Posted by LeEnfield Moscow like Stalingrad where more symbols of victory rather than sound objectives, if they had captured Moscow the war would have still gone on and made the German supply lines even longer. All the heavy industry had already been moved to the Urals, it one thing taking all this territory but it is another thing to control it. The Germans by their actions in Russia had just made themselves more hated than Stalin and had unified the the Russian people against them |
I can't agree that Moscow was a mere symbol rather than a sound objective - in fact quite the reverse is true. Despite the Soviets moving as much of the political and communication apparatus to Kuibyshev in late 1941, much of it was still in Moscow. Moreover, Moscow was still the most important railroad hub in the whole of Russia and it still controlled North/South communications and transport links. If you don't believe me go and have a look at a map. If the Germans controlled Moscow they would seriously disrupt the Red Army's ability to move their forces north to south. The only way they could guarantee large-scale movement of their forces would be East, which of course is in the wrong direction. Any suggestion that Moscow was merely or even mainly a symbol is entirely incorrect.
You also need to realize that that the main reason why the Russian people fought was not their hatred of the German invaders but their fear of Stalin and his political and military apparatus. If Stalin and his power is seen to be gone (and indeed he himself by many accounts was in a state of panic for a few weeks when the Germans were scoring victory after victory) then the Russian people in the main will panic and flee, as when it comes down to it concern for personal safety and the safety of loved ones becomes the primary goal. It's human nature. That is why it was
so vital that Stalin chose to remain in Moscow during the darkest days of October/November. Had he relocated to Kuibyshev there was a real danger that Moscow would not have held.