Operation Barbarossa, the battle at Leningrad, and America enters the war in Europe
Operation Barbarossa Hitler unleashed a new blitzkrieg into the Soviet Union in 1941. 3 million Nazi soldiers poured into Russia Russians lost 2.5 million soldiers trying to fend off the Germans The Russians knew they could not stop the Nazis by sheer military power, but tried another tactic. Burned factories and crops as they retreated.
Breaking the Nazi-Soviet Non-Agression Pact Reasons why Hitler broke the Nazi-Soviet Pact Still wanted to conquer communism. Knew he would need natural resources to obtain his eventual goals. Minerals from the Ural Mountains Timber from the forests of Siberia Wheat from the fields of Ukraine
Siege of Leningrad By December 1941, Germans had stalled in their attempt to take the city of Leningrad. Due to the tactics of the Russians, destroying assets as they retreated, many German troops froze and starved to death in the harsh Russian winter.
Impact on Russians However, there was a similar effect on the Russians. During the 2 and a half year siege, Russian food was limited to 2 pieces of bread a day. Desperate soldiers ate almost anything, including boiling leather briefcases and calling it “jellied meat”
Stalin Pleads for Help In an attempt to gain some relief, Stalin pleaded for the English to begin to open a second front in the West. Churchill, at the time, had no power to do so, but the 2 did agree to work together.
Growing American Involvement When the war began, America declared neutrality, not taking sides Franklin Roosevelt, however, knew the U.S. would not be able to avoid becoming involved in this war. Got Congress to pass the Lend-Lease Act, which allowed the US to sell or lend war materials to the allies.
Atlantic Charter Atlantic Charter: August 1941, Roosevelt and Churchill meet secretly on a warship in the Atlantic Issued the Atlantic Charter in which they organized the goals for the war and after it. End Nazi tyranny Fight for the right of people to choose their own system of government.