Because of Stalin's suspicions about the intentions of the Western Allies to hand over territory occupied by them in the post-war Soviet sphere of influence, the offensive was to be on a broad front and was to move as rapidly as possible to the west, to meet the Western Allies as far west as possible.
På grund af Stalins mistro til de Vestallieredes hensigter med hensyn til at aflevere områder de havde erobret i den kommende sovjetiske besættelseszone skulle offensiven foregå over en bred front og så hurtigt som muligt rykke vestpå og møde de vestallierede så langt mod vest som muligt.