Operation Barbarossa Germany’s attempt to take Russia out of the war in a single campaign. Break in the non-aggression pact between Russia and Germany. Germany was easily pushing through Soviet defenses using panzer tank divisions. Stalin ordered troops to dig in and never retreat. When retreat was completely unavoidable it was ordered to do so fighting for every inch of ground.

Operation Blue Germany would split their troops into two major groups and perform a staggered assault allowing air support during both battles. Group A was to take control of Russia’s oil fields. Group B was to take control of the ground leading up to the Volga River. Group B contained two of Hitler’s most powerful forces, the 4 th Panzer army and the German 6 th army. (The army that could conquer the heavens) Because Stalin did not order retreats when needed, he lost nearly soldiers during Operation Barbarossa and were poorly prepared to defend against the German army’s further assaults.

Order 227 Stalin’s army was losing morale and starting to fall apart so he executed order 227. Order 227 decreed that no soldier was to take a single step back. There would be no more running and surrendering Russia’s land. This was enforced by groups of officers positioned behind the lines with orders to shoot anyone who attempted desertion.

Stalingrad grad = land / Stalingrad = Stalin’s land The success of the German army up until this point made Hitler cocky and he spread his forces thinner aiming to take control of both Stalingrad and Leningrad. Hitler sent mechanical support from group A towards Leningrad and mover the 4 th Panzer army to group A, leaving the German 6 th army vulnerable. Stalin sets up a counter assault in the curve of the dawn river and deployed his secret weapon, the Soviet 5 th tank army using the brand new T-34 Russian tank. This took upward of soldiers from the German sixth out of the fight and stalled Operation Blue 3 weeks.

Stalingrad (Continued) An enraged Hitler calls the 4 th Panzer army back to the aid of the German sixth army in an attempt to cross the Don River and get to Stalingrad. German aircrafts bomb the city killing over civilians. The German 4 th Panzer division was tied up elsewhere at this point so the German 6 th pushed into Stalingrad alone. Stalin issues one final counter offensive sending reinforcements in to make a massive pincer movement around the city, trapping the remains of the German 6 th arm. Hitler sent an order for the troops on their way to Leningrad to circle back and attempt a rescue that would also be unsuccessful. Germany was forced to stop their assault.