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Assess the importance of the CPSU's internal policies in the defeat of Germany in the Great Patriotic War. Concepts that should be considered include Industrialisation, Modernisation, Nationalism and Leadership. The Soviet-German War is the most brutal episode of the most vicious war that mankind has ever seen. During the 'Great Patriotic War', the CPSU under Joseph Stalin were forced to adapt their internal policies to defeat the Germans. It is argued that these internal were …

…policies of 'Scorched Earth' hampered the Germans as supplies had to be shipped in rather than salvaged from their captured territory. Behind the Eastern front, the patriotic Russian partisans also frustrated the Germans. However as significant as these internal policies were, they would not have been decisive without the combination of other factors such as American "Lend-Lease" aid, the sheer weight of Russian numbers and the terrible conditions the Germans faced during the Russian winter.