ALTERATION IN SOVIET GRAND STRATEGY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000500790083-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Sequence Number: 83
• Content Type: REPORT

. _,..? ,.,,. s,_np Approved For Release 2006/10/20: CIA-RDP80-00809A000500790083-0
SUBJECT
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
PLACE ACQUIRED
201Y SOURCE)
DATE ACQUIRED
(BY SOURCE)
01 TIC L.1 190 IT", I. Cl TN IN T., 01..100 OF rI TLI I1 SI,,10.5 711
,No 711. GI 1.1 1,.1. #001. AN 101,010. ITS St. 0. ON l6Y1?
I.TION OF ITS -.'1N1% 10 G. IIICSI.T IT AN U..UTN001190 11.100 II
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REPORT NO.
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01 . i N IB U T IUN y iiAT E.__ ANMY NAVY A1R II FBI
1. Marshal L.A.Govorov has at present no specific command, but is directing the office
for strategic coordination in the Soviet General Staff. In this capacity Govorov
presides over the Committee for Strategic Coordination or the Defense Ministry.
2. This committee has been studying all questions concerned with the unification of
general strategy, dividing the area covered into three zones: Europe, Europe-South
Asia, and Far East. Govorov is in favor of priority for the defense of the second
zone, Europe-South Asia, and conceives that defense as based on a Soviet offensive in
the direction of the Dardanelles, Suez and the Persian Gulf. The plan is to prevent
an air or ground attack on the war industrial centers of the Urals from the very
beginning of a conflict.
3. For this reason Govorov opposes the strategic plan of Marshal Konev, which gives
priority to strategic attack in Europe. Govorov believes that the cordon sanitaire
of small states along the Soviet frontiers which allowed the capitalist nations to
threaten the USSR.,as been reversed by the war and is today enough of a threat to
the capitalist nations to prevent all danger to the USSR from that side. He
also thinks that an offensive in Europe is not possible without the collaboration
of Germany, and without that collaboration, It would rends. the USSR's task very
exhausting everywhere, and would not permit the defense of the Europe-SuuLh Asia
zone, weer the USSR _s vulnerable.
4. Govorov has thought out only the main lines of this strategy, since his education is
not that of a technical specialist. But one has confidence that he would be an
effective executive of such a strategy, possessing as he does the qualities of
energetic leadership.
Govorov, who belongs to the Zhukov group and up to now has not occupied too brilliant
a political position in thc. Party Is drawing nearer Malenkov. Soon after Stalin's
death Malenkov reinforced Guvuruv+s position. The latter now receives equal honors
with Zhukov, Vasilevski, Sokolovslci an( Budenny,.and is well ahead of Konev, Timoshenko
or Malinovski. In his private life Govu,uv .1.s uunsidered as a steady, calm man, but
he is also a heavy drinker and brutal. Because of his sincerity, several liaisons
have been pardoned him--a rare thing it the USSR -particularly one with the
dancer, Skiritova.
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