Having lost 400,000 troops, Khrushchev and Zhukov did not even have enough basic forces to build a new defensive line, let alone hold Smolensk.

Stalin's plan to use Minsk as a line of defense, in the face of Germany's rapid advance, was finally bankrupt.

Unfortunately, Stalin was not resigned to defeat, and he was determined to order Zhukov to counterattack the Germans, lift the encirclement of Minsk and regain the initiative in the war.

"Yes! Comrade Zhukov! I command you to fight back and start right away! Retake Minsk! This is a great victory for the Soviets! And a great victory for the Soviet people! Grabbing the phone, Stalin shouted to Zhukov with a frown.

Zhukov also looked helpless, the troops in his hands now are not enough to even stuff the teeth between the Germans, where is the ability to counterattack?

"Comrade Stalin, the great leader! I really don't have any troops to fight back, and now the troops in my hands don't even have 100,000 people when they are full, how can I fight back? Zhukov grabbed the phone and replied helplessly.

In fact, he is in a mood now that he really wants to smash the phone on the ground and yell loudly: "Lao Tzu is going to stop doing it!" ”

It's just that he doesn't have the guts, and he can't do anything to abandon his motherland now.

After hearing Zhukov's words, Stalin was silent for two seconds, and then continued: "The counterattack on the southern front will begin immediately, the flanks of the German army will be devastated, and you should seize the opportunity to counterattack." ”

Zhukov thought for a moment and promised Stalin: "I am trying to find a way to collect the rout, and if the reserves arrive, I can gather 300,000 troops and start a counterattack immediately!" ”

It is very easy to gather 100,000 defeated troops near the central defense line of the Soviet Union today.

Therefore, Zhukov's words directly mean that if 100,000 reserves arrive, he will have enough troops in his hands before he will consider counterattacking.

"I have personally urged the second-line troops to assemble near Smolensk! Minsk must be relieved! Block the way for the Germans to continue their offensive! "Stalin stressed again that he was very reluctant to abandon Minsk.

Because once Minsk is abandoned, it means that there will be many voices against the USSR in Belarus.

Belarusians will stand up and repel the rule of the USSR! By that time, there will be problems for all of Belarus.

If you lose the whole of Belarus, then Smolensk will become the front line, and the Germans will be too close to Moscow.

What's even worse is that if Belarus is lost, Ukraine will be almost surrounded on both sides, but it will be completely dangerous!

In a sense, Ukraine is a more unstable region than Belarus. And what to do with the Caucasus once Ukraine is also lost?

So, Stalin did not allow problems in Minsk, Belarus, not a little problem!

"Belarus must not be lost!" He pinched the phone and said, "I will immediately order Budyonny to fight back!" Just wait for the news! ”

After saying this, Stalin hung up the phone, and then he looked at the secretary beside him and commanded: "Send a telegram to Budyonny!" Order him to strike back immediately! Instantly! ”

At this time, Budyonny is sticking to his border direction! On three fronts, only his troops are now able to hold near the border.

This can be said to be the credit of Budyonny, or it can be said to be the result of the strategic mistakes of both sides.

Originally, the strategic deployment of the Soviet Union was to have the strongest Soviet army in front of Romania, to serve as the main attack, and to carry out the task of occupying Romania.

However, the Soviet troops in charge of the attack found that the direction of the other side was very strong, and in the end they were not able to enter Romanian territory.

So until now, they have been wandering around the border - they really tried to break into Romania, but they failed.

Why didn't the Germans fight back? Because the vast majority of the forces deployed by the German army on the southern front were slow-moving infantry.

And until now, the counterattack of the German Army Group South has not yet begun, so the Germans have no idea of stepping into Ukraine.

As a result, the troops of both sides were at peace in the border area. But now, it seems that the Germans are on the offensive, and they have a move to break the status quo.

Budyonny was sending troops to try to stop the German offensive, but Stalin gave the order for him to draw troops and counterattack north.

This is definitely not good news for him. Budyonny put down the telegram, looked at the battle map in front of him, and felt a chill welling up in his heart.

As soon as he began to counterattack the Germans on the flanks, the troops were exposed to the flanking attacks of the German Army Group South.

The situation was not favorable for him, and if Zhukov could not launch a counterattack at the same time and hold back Army Group Center of the Germans, the Soviet Southern Front in his hands would be finished......

As long as the enemy's follow-up forces entangled Budyonny's counterattack forces, and Army Group South stormed Lviv again, the withdrawal of his troops would be problematic.

At that time, all he can do is to retreat to Kyiv - lose half of Ukraine in a few days, and if Stalin is in a good mood, he will probably be able to leave him with a whole corpse......

For Budyonny, the crux of the matter is, how could Stalin be in a good mood after hearing the news of the loss of half of Ukraine?

"Draw 10 divisions of troops and find a way to attack from the north!" After weighing the pros and cons, Budyonny intends to play a game of yang and yin to survive this crisis.

He randomly drew some troops and launched a symbolic counterattack in the north. And their main forces stood still, keeping the original line of defense intact.

As for whether his counterattack will be effective or not, whether Zhukov will cooperate in launching a counterattack is not a question for him to consider.

"Send a telegram to the great leader, Comrade Stalin, telling him that our counterattack will be launched on time, and the time is set for April 4!" Budyonny made up his mind and sent a telegram to Moscow.

At the same moment, Zhukov was in his front command headquarters, looking at the somewhat embarrassed Khrushchev and did not know what to say.

If Khrushchev had been tougher, he should have accompanied Timoshenko to his death in Brest a long time ago! But he didn't, he retreated all the way and fled back to Smolensk.

"Comrade Stalin's instructions to you are to return to Moscow immediately and explain to him! Comrade Khrushchev! Zhukov handed Khrushchev a glass of water and spoke to him.

"I know! I know! Don't blame me! The Germans' attack was so terrible that no one could stop their attack! After drinking the water, Khrushchev recovered a little, and said with a glass of water in both hands.