ALTERATION IN SOVIET GRAND STRATEGY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81-01036R000100090027-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 27, 2000
• Sequence Number: 27
• Publication Date: December 28, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

DEC 1951 51-4B
Approved For Release 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP81-01036R000100090027-3
U.S. Officials Only
SECRET
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY USSR REPORT NO.
Alteration in Soviet Grand Strategy
DATE (OF INFO.) Nov 1953
H11 OCUM?NT CONTAINS INFORMATION ACFECTINO THE NATIONAL DEFENI1
F THE UNIT90 STATER, WITHIN THE MEANING CF TITLE 16, SECTIONS 76,
NO 791, OF THE U.S. CODE, AN AMENDED, ITS TRANSMISSION OR REVE-
ATION OF ITS CONTENTS TO ON RECEIPT BY AN UNAUTHDRI 2ED PERSON 19
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
DATE D I STR . ..' Dec 1953
NO. OF PAGES 1
NO. OF ENCLS.
SUPP. TO
REPORT NO.
1. Marshal L.A.Govorov has at present no specific command, but is directing the office
for strategic coordination on the Soviet General Staff. In this capacity Govorov
presides over the Committee for Strategic Coordination of 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 gas 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 rende~_:the USSR'S task very
exhausting everywhere, and would not permit the defense of the Europe South Asia
zone, where the USSR is 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.
5. Govorov, who belongs to the Zhukov group and up to now has not occupied too brilliant
a political position in the tarty. is drawing nearer Malenkov. Soon after Stalin's
death Nalenkov reinforced Govorovts position. The latter now receives equal honors
with Zhukov, Vasilevski, Sokolovski anO.Budenny, ?and is well ahead of Konev, Tirnoshenko
or Malinovski. In his private life Govoilov is c:onsidered 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 in the USSR --particularly one with the
dancer, Skiritova.
- end
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Approved For Release 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP81-01036R000100090027-3