I know historical hindsight is 20/20, but how did no one bully this guy into giving up his moronic "de-stalinisation" policy? Like the SU was built by Stalin and now suddenly hes satan incarnate? No wonder SU citizens lost faith in the party over time, how can you trust a bunch of weather vanes?
I agree thats why, but i still think you should maybe be keeping your strongest communists from dying, theres a reason princes did not often lead their armies into battle, the princes of the soviet union were the smart young cadres. I suppose they felt it necessary in the face of existiential danger of their country, and i empathise with that feeling, but i think keeping 1000 cadres away from the war to study as hard as possible so they could lead the restoration wouldnt have changed the outcome of the war probably