Dictators tend to be a lot more willing to sacrifice masses of their people to preserve their rule than the subjects are to take that particular path, even if s

Dictators tend to be a lot more willing to sacrifice masses of their people to preserve their rule than the subjects are to take that particular path, even if surrendering to the Nazis did sometimes lead to an equally-bad outcome as fighting. But Stalin had just recently purged all potential rivals and opposition so there was no one to stop him internally.