European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 26, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday. May 26. 1987 the stars and stripes Page 9 soviet historian downgrades Stalin says he made big blunders in Wii role Moscow up a soviet historian said Sun Day thai dictator Josef Stalin was 1101 a great Mili tary Leader and committed major blunders in world War ii. Alexander Samsonov a historian and Veteran of world War ii also condemned he cull of personality that formed around Stalin after he too Power in 92 1 and continued until his death in i9jj. La is wrong to associate ail successes achieved by the party and the people with the name of Stalin ascribing to him the Quality of a people s Leader of Genius and a great military commander " Samso nov wrote in the  Industry newspaper. The soviet news Agency Tass reported that san so nov s negative assessment of certain aspects of Stalin s wartime role was the latest of several thai have emerged under soviet Leader Mikhail Gorba Chev s glasnost or openness policies. Fateful a Tsiakos made shortly before the War spelled the tragedy of encircled soviet  Samsonov said. Historians have Only mentioned his  he whole Alfil had t been for Stalin s miscalculations the wehrmacht troops even if penetrating soviet territory would not have been Able to reach is far As Leningrad and  in answering a worker s letter about Stalin in the newspaper Samsonov wrote that it was nol easy to judge Stalin s role in inc War Bui he was not a great military Leader find recommitted major blunders in directing the armed struggle from the Start of the War tilt the fall of 1942." Samsonov said but later relying on the professional knowledge of the military he successfully mastered the experience of modern warfare and played an important part in the soviet people s Victory he said. Rejecting an Uli Cocom passing role for Stalin inthe War. Samsonov said his experience As a front line Soldier showed that the soviet people were fighting for their fatherland rather than for a single  Samsonov reiterated that Vladimir Lenin the founder of the Sovil slate and its first Leader recommended in a Well known letter in 1922 that Stalin be removed from the Post of Secretary Gener Al on account of personal qualities. Samsonov also no cd that soviet Leader Nikita Khrushchev and the communist party As a whole condemned Stalin s personality Cul on june 30,1956. The very principle of a personality cull is alien to the society created by the great october revolution Samsonov said. The people set free by there Lulion arc for the authority of their leaders but against deifying  Josef Stalin Fito photo blowing tremendous bubbles is Emma Mccluren s favorite past Roe sri