In this episode, we discuss:
-How Stuart got into studying Russia
-Stuart’s childhood interest in military history and the books that have influenced him most
-What led Stuart to translating books on the Eastern Front
-The prolific work of Colonel David Glantz, US Army (ret), and how he helped get Stuart his “big break”
-What are the key roles and responsibilities of a translator and editor of Russian military history
-The excellent Great Patriotic War website “I Remember”
-Stuart’s role models and inspirations when it comes to translating and editing
-Working with Russian military historians and researchers
-Russians’ propensity to write large books and the special role of authors in Russian society
-Stuart’s favorite Russian military historians and the challenges that historians in Russia face in writing “objective” history
-Which books Stuart has enjoyed translating the most
-What Stuart has learned about the Eastern Front since becoming a translator
-Three stereotypes that Westerners still hold about the Soviet Army of WW II: commissars, blocking detachments, and penal companies and battalions
-The Red Army’s ability to learn quickly from their failures and how Stalin became more open to listening to his generals as the war went on
-On General Konstantin Rokossovsky—Stalin’s Polish-born “Gentlemen Commander”
-Stuart’s interest in the forgotten (and horrific) Battle of Rzhev
-Forgotten offensives and battles of the Eastern Front
-How well Americans understand the influence of the Great Patriotic War on the Russian memory and psyche
-How well Russians understand the American contribution to WWII
-How much WWII still influences Russia’s behaviors on the world stage
-The Russian Army’s long-held emphasis on maskirovka
-What every American should know about Russia’s experience in the Second World War
-Stuart’s advice on which books Marines and soldiers should read to begin their study of the Great Patriotic War
-Sources for potential tactical decision games, decision-forcing cases, and wargames from the Eastern Front
-How Stuart got into wargaming
-How wargaming plays a role in his translation work
-Stuart’s thoughts on using wargames as training and educational tools
-Decision games as a form of therapy
-The lifesaving wargaming efforts of the Western Approaches Tactical Unit in WWII
-Some perils of wargaming
Links
Stuart Britton’s translations on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=stuart+britton&ref=nb_sb_noss
David Glantz’s books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=david+glantz&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
The “I Remember” website: https://iremember.ru/en/
Operation Barbarossa and Germany's Defeat in the Eastby David Stahel: https://www.amazon.com/Operation-Barbarossa-Germanys-Cambridge-Histories-ebook/dp/B00B23DEBQ/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=david+stahel&qid=1589214281&sr=8-2
Errata
At the 00:50:25 mark, Stuart references the movie “Stalingrad.” He meant to say instead the movie “Enemy at the Gates.”
