Chapter 884: Collapse

The cause of the collapse of the revolutionary order in Leningrad was not because the masses opposed the Bolsheviks' support for the Romanov dynasty. Although the masses were a little ignorant of the truth, they had been educated by the Party for many years. Their collapse was actually caused by the psychological trauma left by the nearly one-year siege - the evil Nazis and White Russians were so abominable that they left the good Leningrad revolutionary masses with a psychological shadow!

Therefore, when the revolutionary masses with psychological shadow saw the "blue hats" coming to the front line and the cadres moving around in disorder, they immediately thought of siege and starvation! In order not to be starved to death or expelled, the revolutionary masses need enough bread.

Therefore, the chaos in Leningrad on June 13 started from food supply points strolling around the city.

Residents of the entire city seemed to have poured into the streets at once, gathering in front of various food supply points, holding various supply cards, supply coupons and rubles to ask for food in advance.

However, the supply of ration materials in the Soviet Union was systematic. It was impossible to distribute food for a year or six months at a time. This was against regulations.

Moreover, the warehouse of the Leningrad City Grain Bureau does not have that much food to distribute! Because the siege of Leningrad had not been lifted entirely, but only half, and the main roads and railways in and out of the city were still blocked by the Germans, the amount of food transported into the city was limited. It was simply impossible to provide adequate food supplies for the millions of residents of Leningrad for a few months to a year.

The people in Leningrad who could not buy bread refused to disperse. They all gathered in front of supply points. There were huge crowds of people and the order was very chaotic. In some places, vicious incidents of looting of food occurred!

Faced with this situation that was about to get out of control, Leningrad City W and the Leningrad Front Army did not make a timely response-for example, they sent a small number of "blue hat soldiers" who stayed in the city to take to the streets to restore order.

Because on the afternoon of June 13, when chaos broke out in the city of Leningrad, W Secretary Kuznetsov of Leningrad City, Commander Vlasov of the Front Army, and Abaku, the head of the Leningrad Internal Affairs Department, The three of them, Moff, were busy dealing with the chaos on the front line in the south of the city.

It turned out that when the "blue hat soldiers" were marching into the divisions on the southern front of the city, the 644th Regiment of the Red Army publicly displayed the Belarusian tricolor flag.

Faced with such blatant resistance, it was certainly impossible for Kuznetsov, Vlasov and Abakumov to pretend not to see it - this was a rebellion of the entire regiment by the Red Army!

Such a vicious incident has never happened since the founding of the Soviet Union! If this group of traitors to the Soviet state cannot be resolutely eliminated... maybe other troops will follow suit!

Therefore, eliminating the mutinous 644th Regiment became the top priority for the Leningrad defenders. Front Army Commander Vlasov, Political Commissar Kuznetsov and Commander-in-Chief Abakumov of the "Blue Hats" He was immediately on the front line, sitting at the headquarters of the 36th Group Army, and personally commanding the troops to counter the rebellion.

However, the German and Russian troops across the front also responded immediately, sending an armored battle group at least at the regimental level into the 644th Regiment's position, and also dispatched a large number of aircraft to support the 644th Regiment's resistance.

As a result, several waves of offensives by the counter-insurgency forces led by the "Blue Hat Soldiers" were severely defeated. By the night of the 13th, the corpses of Cheka soldiers had covered the battlefield, and the White Russians on the 644th Regiment's position But the tricolor flag still stands.

Even Kuznetsov and Abakumov, who had not experienced the brutal Russian domestic revolutionary war, knew that this was a very bad precedent!

All people with ulterior motives inside and outside Leningrad are watching the 644th Group! If the person who first raised the flag of rebellion does not get the fate he deserves, then people who follow suit will appear.

"Comrade Commander!" After learning that another round of attacks had been crushed by the rebels, Kuznetsov was already a little anxious. He loudly said to Vlasov, "We can't go on like this... now The entire purge operation cannot go on, and the anti-GM elements in other teams are ready to take action!”

The purge operation was suspended after the 644th Regiment raised the rebel flag, because Vlasov, Kuznetsov and Abakumov were all afraid of the second 644th Regiment.

Most of the troops currently on the outskirts of Leningrad are unreliable cannon fodder. If they all rebel...how can we defend Leningrad?

Moreover, there are many families of anti-GM elements in Leningrad!

"But what can we do now?" General Vlasov was at a loss. "The 644th Regiment received the assistance of a German armored group, with more firepower than any of our corps, and the Germans had more troops outside Leningrad. It’s also stronger than us… It’s impossible to defeat them!”

The 644th regiment could not be destroyed, and the other "cannon fodder regiments" did not dare to "wash". The Germans were about to attack the city again.

This is how to do ah?

When Vlasov was helpless, bad news finally came in Leningrad.

At least hundreds of thousands of citizens took to the streets in Leningrad. The situation was very chaotic. The few "blue hat soldiers" remaining in the city may not be able to control the situation.

"The internal defense division must be transferred back!" Kuznetsov looked at Abakumov and said loudly, "There must be no trouble in Leningrad, otherwise we will be doomed."

Even if the outer perimeter of Leningrad was lost, the Red Army could still retreat to the city, relying on countless tall buildings and German street fighting. If the city was lost... relying on the trench defense zone outside the city, wouldn't it be crushed by German tanks every second?

Abakumov couldn't make up his mind, so he turned his head and looked at General Vlasov.

"Okay, let's do it!" Vlasov, like Kuznetsov, was also confused at this time. If a person like Tukhachevsky was asked to defend Leningrad, he would never make such a mistake.

Because compared with the civilians who were making trouble in the city, the unreliable army outside the city was a fatal threat.

Now the Leningrad Front has mobilized its most trusted internal guard division to attack. If it fails to defeat it and retreats in disgrace, then the anti-GM elements in the various "cannon fodder regiments" on the front line will immediately become arrogant, and the second, third, and fourth "644 regiments" will soon appear.

And what's the use of the internal guard division returning to the city? Do you really dare to open fire on the people of Leningrad? There are 300,000 Leningraders on the defense line outside the city! Their morale has been shaken. If they hear that their families have been killed, they may all rebel. How many people are there in 5 internal guard divisions? Can they stop 300,000 armed Leningraders?

...

"What? Leningrad actually..."

Stalin learned on the evening of June 13 that the anti-counterrevolutionary movement in Leningrad was in big trouble... But this also shows the necessity of launching a purge in Leningrad!

"Comrade General Secretary," Beria also knew the seriousness of the problem and asked loudly, "I request to go to Leningrad to preside over the purge there."

Stalin glanced at his confidant and shook his head slightly. Although Beria was an old Cheka in 1921, the chaos in Leningrad was still not something he could handle. Because Leningrad now has rebellions inside and powerful enemies outside, the situation is more serious than Petrograd after the revolution in 1917.

It is necessary to have leaders like Lenin and Trotsky go there, because they are not only the leaders of the Bolsheviks, but also outstanding revolutionaries and agitators who know how to arouse the masses of Leningrad and arouse their confidence in the revolutionary cause and hatred for the Tsarist Empress.

Such work is simply beyond Beria's ability. If he went to Leningrad, it would be nothing more than more ruthless means, more killings, and a more resolute attitude of suppression. But what use is such an approach to the anti-GM elements who have already taken up arms to fight?

Stalin cast his eyes on Zhukov, the Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army. Zhukov frowned tightly, and obviously had been thinking hard about countermeasures.

"Comrade General Secretary, Leningrad is very likely to be lost!" Zhukov disappointed Stalin a little as soon as he opened his mouth. He told Stalin, "The 4th Tank Army fought very hard along the Volkhov River, and the troops suffered heavy losses... Even if the 6th Tank Army was deployed, it would be difficult to win."

It is certain that they will not win! The Tippelskirch Group, which is now facing the Soviet 4th Tank Army and the 18th Army, has more than 1,000 tanks/assault artillery and overwhelming air superiority. How could the Soviet army win without several times the army and equipment advantage?

Now Zhukov has adopted a more correct tactic, but he has only obtained a better exchange ratio... and lost more beautifully.

Now that Leningrad has changed again, there is little point in continuing the Battle of the Volkhov River. Instead of burying the 6th Tank Army and the 4th Tank Army near Leningrad, it is better to treat them as the backbone of defending Moscow.

"Never give up Leningrad!" Stalin immediately rejected Zhukov's suggestion, "Immediately send the 6th Tank Army... No, not only the 6th Tank Army, but all the troops that can be sent in, and Leningrad must be saved at all costs... Because it is the birthplace of the revolution and the glorious second capital of the Soviet motherland!"

"But..."

"But what?" Stalin glared at Zhukov, "Comrade Zhukov, you go to Kalinin immediately, as a representative of the Supreme Command, and unify the command of the Kalinin Front and the Leningrad Front!"

"Yes, sir." Zhukov could only stand at attention, "Comrade General Secretary, I will go to Kalinin immediately."

"Comrade Pavlov," Stalin glanced at Pavlov, the First Deputy People's Commissar of Defense, whose bald head was covered with sweat, "Prepare to defend Moscow... Moscow must not become the second Leningrad!"