Ebook: Codeword Barbarossa

Operation BARBAROSSA--the German invasion of Russia--is one of the greatest military surprises in history and, as presented here, a case study of the decisive role of secret intelligence, code breaking and counter-espionage.
On June 21, 1941, Alfred Liskov, a German soldier stationed on the Russo-German border, defected to the Soviet army to reveal that the German invasion of Russia was due within a few hours. A startled Moscow sent a midnight alert to its border troops, but it was too late. Operation BARBAROSSA had begun. Thus began one of the greatest military surprises in history. Not only was Stalin completely duped, but so were all the world's intelligence services. Until now, experts and historians alike have remained mistaken as to who was fooled and how. Herein, Whaley unravels the BARBAROSSA mystery. This is a case study of the decisive role of secret intelligence, code breaking, and counter-espionage at one of the turning points of history. Whaley's solution will cause scholars to reexamine the role and causes of surprise in world affairs and will please any mystery fan.
Whaley, Barton. Codeword Barbarossa. London & Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1973.
According to Constantinides, Whaley's central thesis is that "Hitler did succeed in deceiving Stalin about his intentions in 1941." In keeping with his model, Whaley finds the key to the surprise in deception activities. The author is "first-rate in research, and his industry and ability to relate diverse data are laudable." Some critics point out, however, that there is no specific evidence that Stalin was influenced by German deception operations. Pforzheimer comments that this work "has much to offer the serious student of intelligence," whether or not one agrees with all of the author's interpretations.
[Russia/WWII/Gen; WWII/Eur/Ger]