The missing deployment leads to a broader problem in studying authoritarian military systems. Official figures may project preparedness that did not exist in deployable form, especially when propaganda is part of the state's legitimacy. Rejecting every number is still methodologically weak because some claims and records will be accurate. Accepting the full official picture is equally untenable, leaving historians to test readiness through operations, logistics, training, and independent evidence.
Notable Point · 43:20-44:15
Authoritarian readiness claims create a source dilemma
Official preparedness figures cannot simply be accepted, but blanket disbelief would discard evidence that may still be partly accurate.