could not rely upon any personal magnetism on his own part.
The initial success of the German military forces in the Soviet Union caused even more alarm. Stalin quickly discovered that his military forces could not drive the Germans from Soviet soil without assistance. In 1941, he even believed that the Soviet Union could not survive alone. Therefore, he concluded an agreement with Britain for military assistance in July 1941, asked that the British open a second front against the Germans in northern France, and told American emissary Harry Hopkins that American troops would be welcome on the Soviet front.
Stalin's desperation was eased somewhat by early 1942, when the German advance stalled in the severe winter. Not only were the Germans unable to take Moscow or Leningrad, they were unable to convince the Japanese to enter the war against the Soviet Union (although the Japanese did declare war against the United States and Britain). Moreover, the Germans neglected to take advantage of the anti-Soviet sentiment which existed in the Ukrainian and Belorussian populations. They then compounded this failure by implementing a campaign of terror against the indigenous populations in these areas. Consequently, the Soviet government benefited from growing partisan movements in the German-occupied territories.
However, the fact that the German advanced stalled did not mean that the Soviet Union won the campaign. Indeed, the Soviets were too weak to drive the German invaders from Soviet soil. Therefore, Stalin had to continue placating the Western Allies in order to maintain the stream of vital supplies from the United States. The German Spring and Summer offensives of 1942 again startled the Soviet leadership with its ferocity and Stalin renewed his calls for a second front in the West. The United States and Britain, however, were still too weak to do anything more than stage invasions of North Africa and, later, Sicily...