By most accounts, Stalin was genuinely surprised on June 22nd, 1941 when his “non-aggression” pact partner Adolf Hitler launched an invasion of the Soviet Union. When Russia entered into its backroom deals with Germany, it was simply a means to an end. Stalin felt that war in Europe would be inevitable, but he was working a long game in which he hoped that Germany, England, and France would fight each other to a standstill in a protracted struggle, completely exhausting their resources. Meanwhile, he would work to build up tremendous resources for the Soviets, allowing them to emerge at the
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