USSR during World War 2

Learning Intentions: What do we want to know? How and when did the USSR become involved in World War 2? What were the main battles during that time? What was the outcome for the USSR?

The growing threat from Germany. As the 1930s progressed, Stalin was becoming more fearful of a possible German attack. Other European nations appeared unwilling to enter into an alliance with Stalin to prevent this. Hitler took advantage of this and offered Stalin a Pact (agreement), which was signed in August 1939. This was the NAZI-SOVIET NON AGGRESSION PACT. The deal stated that neither country would attack the other for 10 years. It also secretly agreed that Poland would be divided up between them. Many were shocked that Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia would sign a deal, given that the Nazis were the sworn enemies of Communism! It simply suited both men at that time to make a deal. (WHY?) However, Hitler had no intention of keeping it, and invaded the USSR just two years later in 1941.

Operation Barbarossa By Sept 1940, Hitler’s attack on Britain was not succeeding so he decided to call that off and turn east and invade the USSR. This would prove to be his downfall as Germany would now be fighting a war on two fronts, something Hitler had always wanted to avoid. On 22nd June 1941 Hitler sent 2000 planes, 3500 tanks and 3.5 million soldiers into the USSR. They had THREE TARGETS: LENINGRAD MOSCOW THE OIL FIELDS OF THE CAUCASUS REGION.

1941-1945 The Germans initially advanced quickly and the Soviet Army Commander General Zhukov told his men to retreat. They were ordered to destroy air fields, railways, animals, crops and factories- anything which might be of use to the Germans. The Russians also moved thousands of factories and millions of workers further east, out of the range of German bombers. The savage Russian winter set in early in 1941 and this devastated the German troops, who were not prepared for such conditions. Thousands of German soldiers froze to death.

Siege of Leningrad (Sept 1941-Jan 1944) On 8th Sept 1941 The German army surrounded Leningrad, Russia's second city, but the people of the city refused to surrender. The siege of the city lasted for 900 days during which time its citizens endured constant bombing and shelling as well as hunger, cold and disease. It is believed that over 600,000 people, approximately one third of the city's population, died during that time. Finally, on January 27, 1944 the Germans finally acknowledged defeat.

Battle of Stalingrad, 1942 By 1942 the German army was running short of fuel. Hitler decided to concentrate on conquering the oil rich caucus region. He also sent part of his army to take the nearby city of Stalingrad. Stalin ordered the Red Army to defend the city to the last man. Fighting fiercely, street by street and house by house, the Russians resisted the Germans. In November Soviet general Zhukov sent fresh Russian troops to encircle the exhausted Germans, trapping them in Stalingrad. The German general Von Paulus wanted to retreat, but Hitler ordered him to fight on. In February 1943 he was forced to surrender with 250,000 men. It was the greatest defeat in German history. Why did the Soviet Army resist so fiercely? Part of the answer lies in their hatred of Nazi Germany, however a major part of their motivation to fight was based on the fact of their fear of the consequences if they did not. They would find themselves executed or sent to labour camps by Stalin.

The Battle of Kursk, July 1943 This became the biggest tank battle in history. The Germans attempted to recover from their defeat at Stalingrad by launching an attack in July 1943 against the Russians at Kursk. The Germans sent 2700 tanks to attack the city. While Russian tanks were not as good as the German Panzer tanks, the Russians had an endless supply arriving from factories in Eastern Russia. The Soviets counter-attacked for seven days. The Germans had to retreat. After that the red Army drove the Germans out of Russia and out of Eastern Europe back into Germany. By spring 1945 the Soviets were approaching Berlin.

Why did the Soviet Union defeat Nazi Germany? Hitler thought the red Army was weak and had expected a quick victory. When that did not happen, the Germans were unable to cope with the extreme Russian weather and did not have the manpower or raw materials like oil to fight a long war. Stalin's industrialisation in the 1930s gave the Red Army the guns, tanks and aircraft to fight the Germans and the arms factories were located where the Germans could not reach them. The USA also poured equipment into the Soviet Union to help withstand the Nazis. Stalin's wartime propaganda played down communism and emphasised Russian patriotism and religion to encourage Russians to resist the invaders. In Russia the Second World War was called “the great patriotic war”.