I just feel like it might be the latter, because the idea that Germany only achieved limited success due to surprise, amphetamines, and Allied incompetence kind of takes away from the fact that the Soviets spent so much effort and so many lives in beating them back halfway to Berlin before the Allies even invaded on the Western front. With the idea that the German army was somehow more competent, professional, whatever, over the French/British/Etc, that adds to the achievement of the Soviets in blunting and then turning back their advance. But the criticisms of the Nazi army, idk, it seems to take away from all of that? Like "lol whatever they were all hopped up on adderall and would have been stopped anyway." idk y'all it just seems weird. I don't know how to take it.
edit: like say it's boxing and you got The Best Boxer and they're beaten by someone else, well, that'd make the latter the Boxer who beat The Best Boxer, but then people come out saying actually they weren't that great etc etc, it detracts from both of them, not just one, idk
It can be both depending on context.
Nazi German fucks stomped several major countries and pushed The Soviets back to Stalingrad. They were clearly competent enough. But they also had a massive, long-running industrial base the element of surprise vs. powers to the West, which aren't really being amazingly tactical, efficient, or technologically advanced, and that's a place where they're way overrated. Especially on efficiency, since they were constantly burning out their workers because they were, you know, fascists.
The Soviets were far more impressive, with their rapid industrialization, moving industry to the Urals at incredible speed in anticipation of the Nazis rapidly advancing over the plains, and creative and effective strategies and tactics. My favorite is their use of decoys and props to mislead Nazis on their buildups, which they used constantly to great effect. Just completely rocked the Nazis' tanks once they regrouped and German supply lines were weakened, especially the long campaign to isolate a large Nazi force in Stalingrad, which wasn't a small one-off but the culmination of a series of smart moves that left no good options for the fashies (:pit:).