1. Operation Barbarossa

2. The Invasion The invasion of Soviet Russia by Germany The invasion started on June 22, 1941 Operation Barbarossa was the largest and most powerful invasion force in human history. invaded across a 2,900 km front Germans initialized blitzkrieg with 600,000 motor vehicles and 625,000 horses for a quick victory The key objectives of these army groups was to capture the Baltic states and Leningrad, Moscow, and the Ukraine and Caucasus (“Barbarossa.")

3. Major players Stalin was a major factor in the victory aginst the Germans He even decided to stay in Moscow with the german army approaching rapidly and in numbers Hitler was a major player because he wanted to wipe the soviets (his most hated enemy) off the map, he also wanted the land and resources Many other countries such as Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary also fought alongside the Germans

4. Secondary Visual Source http://sembury.weebly.com/uploads/8/8/1/1/8811308/892074971_orig.jpg

5. Hitler’s Reasons to Attack Hitler had wanted to destroy communism for a long time Living space for the German people would provide the German military machine with unlimited new natural resources (oil, coal, agriculture) Soviet industries would be taken over by German companies and used to manufacture goods for the German Reich more land to occupy and use to expand Germany’s reign

6. Russia’s First Response At first Stalin trus ted Hitler and did not expect the attack Hitler signed a non-agression pact Stalin in August 23, 1939 Stalin trusted Hitler because they were allies in the beginning of the war and they invaded Poland together Stalin was concerned that the attack might have been conducted on the initiative of the German officers he was worried that ordering units to counter attack would cause a war. He was hopeful that the Germans would soon receive orders to halt their attack and pull back to the border.

7. How long would the war last? Hitler believed 3 months While many German army commanders feared a war on two fronts, Hitler maintained that the blitzkrieg in the east would last only three months Hitler believed the Russians were an inferior race and incapable of resisting superior German military might

8. What Stopped the German Advance? While Hitler planned for a three month war, the German army was not prepared to fight a war in the winter By November, the snow had begun to fall and the temperatures plummeted (-20 and -30 degrees Celsius) Weapons jammed, gas lines in tanks and vehicles froze, men began to freeze to death German air force was grounded, and supplies were cut off from the front

9. Operation Barbarosa Winter. 1941. National WWII Museum, n.p.

10. Living conditions Frostbite, men wouldn’t be able to feel their fingers If when changing location some soldiers were too slow they would get shot by their own generals Foxholes were often dug up for protection against the slashing wind, and often the ground was to hard to dig into, so they would light fires over it

11. Retreat and Defeat (August 1943-45) After Stalingrad and Kursk, the German forces in the East began a withdraw that would last until the capture of Berlin in 1945 Overall, over 16 million Soviet citizens were killed during the German occupation and fighting on the Eastern front German forces suffered over 5 million dead and wounded Soviet forces suffered over 11 million dead and wounded More than any nation, the Soviet Union suffered the most of all as a result of Hitler’s quest for Lebensraum (Operation Barbarossa history learning cite)

12. How did Operation Barbarosa Affect World War II? Hitler's attack on Russia allowed the Western Allies to have time to plan and execute the campaigns that would lead to the defeat of Germany. (The Beginning of the End for Hitler)

13. Primary Written Source “The war against Russia will be such that it cannot be conducted in a knightly fashion. This struggle is one of ideologies and racial differences and will have to be conducted with unprecedented, unmerciful, and unrelenting harshness. All officers will have to rid themselves of obsolete ideologies. I know that the necessity for such means of waging war is beyond the comprehension of you generals but... I insist absolutely that my orders be executed without contradiction.” -Hitler ordered his generals to crush resistance with utmost brutality. In a secret speech on March 30, 1941

14. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RePOWFtsInw

15. Works Cited "Barbarossa." HISTORY. N.p., 08 Apr. 2014. Web. 21 Jan. 2015.. Dole, Bob. World War II. Birmingham, Alabama: Oxmoor House, 2001, print "Operation Barbarossa." Operation Barbarossa. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2015. "Operation Barbarossa: The Beginning of the End for Hitler | Britannica Blog." Britannica Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2015.. Operation Barbarosa Winter. 1941. National WWII Museum, n.p. Willmott, H.P. et all. World War II, New York: DK Publishing, 2007, print