Preparation for War

          Because the Soviet Union was a communist state, the Soviets knew that it was prone to attacks from capitalist countries from the west. Both of Stalin’s five-year plans contained a resolution that outlined both this situation and the importance of economy to war:

          With the alarming threat of German rearmament prior to the war, Soviet defence bureaus realized that more innovative and sophisticated weapons and equipment were needed. Communications systems were not up to Western standards, although radios were implemented later on. Also, new designs were not adopted and manufactured fast enough.

         A new strategic deployment plan had been developed in late 1940. There was an increase in personnel, reorganization of old units, and modernization of equipment. As a result of the plan, the army numbered 5,373,000 in June 1941, along with 1,861 new tanks (T-34s and KVs) and more than 2,700 new aircraft (MiG-3s, Il-2s, and Pe-2s).