Eastern and Western Front Western Germany vs. France, Great Britain and eventually the United States Eastern Germany vs. the Soviet Union

3 Important facts about the Eastern Front: 1.The war fought on the Eastern Front was one of the largest and most ferocious conflicts ever fought. 2.Overtaking Russia was always Hitler’s ultimate plan for victory in World War II. 3.The Eastern Front was Hitler’s ultimate downfall in World War II, NOT the Western Front.

By 1943 the fighting force exceeded 11 Million Casualty Rates –Germany = 80% of Germany casualties happened on the Eastern Front –Red Army- Red Army deaths were over 8 million. The total number of Soviet deaths numbered between million soldiers and civilians.

Stalingrad The Germans attacked the city of Stalingrad in order to stop the transportation of oil. After months of fighting, the German troops were eventually surrounded.

Stalingrad All attempts to breakout or break through failed and on Feb 2 the Germans surrendered –Out of 250,000 soldiers trapped in the Stalingrad pocket, approximately 90,000 became prisoners –Barely 5,000 survived the war German POWs

Stalingrad

The Eastern Front Ultimately, the Soviets defeated the Germans In the total four years of fighting on the Eastern Front, an estimated 4 million Axis and 9 million Russians were killed in battle 20 million Soviet civilians were killed as a result of extermination campaigns against Jews, communists and partisans, casual massacres, reprisal killings, diseases, and (sometimes planned) starvation.

The Fall of the Third Reich

Choose 1 Draw a picture from anything you learned today Write a diary entry as a German or Russian soldier describing war in the Eastern Front (At least 5 sentences) Write a newspaper article from something you learned today (Example- Nazis fail in the takeover of Stalingrad) (At least 5 sentences)