Valeri Danilov

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Valeri Danilov (also spelled: Valeriy; Russian:Валерий Дмитриевич Данилов) is a Russian military historian and a retired officer (Colonel). Danilov has Candidate of History Sciences degree (кандидат исторических наук) and is a professor at the Academy of Military Science.

In 1993, Yuri Gorkov and Valeri Danilov published^[1] a previously classified document, called Considerations to the plan of the strategic development of the armed forces of the Soviet Union^[2], (dating back to May 15, 1941) which proposed a strike on Germany. Allegedly, it was composed by Zhukov and Timoshenko and presented to Stalin. The publishing of this plan initiated a longer discussion among the Russian historian over Stalin's actual strategy in 1941.

Contrary to many historians both within Russia and the West (David Glantz), Valeri Danilov has argued that - taking into account the concentration of power to Stalin's hand - it is highly implausible, that the Soviet defense commissar and the chief of staff could have prepared such a document without Stalin's authorization. Considering the 1937 purges of the higher officers, it is hardly possible that staff officers would have risked antagonised official Soviet policy. Danilov suggests - and he is supported by Meltyukhov, Nevezhin and others - that this draft by Zhukov was actually basis for Soviet military planning in 1941.

[edit] References

1. ^ Y.A.Gorkov Gotovil li Stalin uprezhaiushchi udar protiv Gitlera v 1941 g., Novaia i noveishaia istoriia, 3/1993, S. 29-45. English: Was Stalin Preparing a Preemptive Strike Against Hitler in 1941? in Russian Studies in Histor, XXXVI, Nr.3, 1997/98, S. 22-46.
2. ^ http://osteuropa.bsb-muenchen.de/dig/1000doktest/0024_zuk/@Generic__BookTextView/502;cs=default;ts=default;pt=502

[edit] Works

• Данилов.В.Д. Сталинская стратегия начала войны: планы и реальность -- Другая война. 1939-1945 гг; or Danilоv V. Hat der Generalsstab der Roten Armee einen Praventiveschlag gegen Deutschland vorbereitet? // Österreichische Militarische Zeitschrift. 1993. №1. S. 41-51. Online text in Russian

• Данилов Валерий Забывчивость или обман? О некоторых нестыковках в освещении преддверия Великой Отечественной войны (Online text)

• Валерий Данилов Сталин опоздал... - Родина, 1995, №7, с. 70-73 Online text