Operation Barbarossa & The Invasion of the Soviet Union Arden Renard

Operation Barbarossa Adolf Hitler always viewed the ten-year German-Soviet nonaggression pact of 1939 as a temporary thing. His intention was always to invade the Soviet Union. Hitler began planning an attack on Russia since approx. July 1940. Operation Barbarossa was originally called Operation Fritz. Hitler was warned about invading the Soviet Union before finishing of Great Britain. Stalin was warned about the invasion.

The Invasion Pt. 1 Operation Barbarossa was launched June 22, 1941. It was the largest invasion force to this date. The German forces were split into three army groups, each with a specific objective. Army Group North Army Group South Army Group Center The Soviets had gained large forces on their western frontier. Weary German troops of Army Group North

The Invasion Pt. 2 The German army was to engage the main Soviet force as close to the Russian border as possible and destroy it before the Red Army could withdraw to the vast interior and establish a defensive position. At 4:15 a.m. on June 22, 1941, the Luftwaffe began to bomb Soviet naval and air bases, destroying roughly one-quarter of the Russian air force. On the first day alone 1,800 Soviet aircraft were destroyed.

The Invasion Pt. 3 Within a week Hitler’s allies had also declared war, leaving the Soviet Union alone to fight Germany, Romania, Italy, Finland, Hungary, and Albania. Hitler underestimated Stalin. By the end of October, Moscow was only 65 miles away.

The Invasion Pt. 4 Hitler believed the Russians had been fatally weakened and lacked the strength to defend their capital – one more attack and victory would be his. Red Army had been reinforced. The initial assault in Moscow was a success. As the invasion lingered into the colder months, the German soldiers had to face the Russian winter in summer uniforms. In mid-November, with the temperature dropping and the ground now frozen, the German forces attempted a final attack around Moscow itself.

The Invasion Pt. 5 On December 2, a reconnaissance unit got within 5 miles of Moscow. On December 5/6, the Soviet launched a surprise counter- offensive. The Germans were forced to retreat, despite Hitler’s call to defend every foot of ground. The graves of German dead are marked with a simple cross and their steel helmets.

Why Operation Barbarossa Failed Poor Strategic Planning German Intelligence Failures Soviet Tank Superiority German Logistical Problems Success of Soviet Resistance

Impact of Operation Barbarossa Turning Point in the War

Works Cited https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005164 www.historyinanhour.com/2011/06/22/operation-barbarossa- summary/ https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/operation-barbarossa-and- germanys-failure-in-the-soviet-union www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/operation-barbarossa https://www.britannica.com/event/Operation-Barbarossa