1. Invasion of the Soviet Union
Operation Barbarossa
Invasion of the Soviet Union

2. Reasons for the Invasion
More land for Germany
lebensraum
Control oil fields of Azerbaijan
Destroy Communism
a Nazi policy since the 1920’s
Get rid of “racially inferior” people
Jews making up the “racial basis” of the Soviet Union

4. Invasion Plans
Hitler had decided to invade the Soviet Union just one year after the signing of the NA Treaty and the fall of France
Less than two years after signing the NA Pact
Hitler organizes an invasion force of 4 million (3 million Germans)
Hitler would attack along a 1000 mile long front
Invasion begins June 22nd 1941

5. Invasion Germans invade deep into Soviet territory
German soldiers walk by destroyed building in Zhitomir
Germans invade deep into Soviet territory
Stalin had killed many of his generals
Great purge
Stalin orders a scorched-earth policy July 3rd
Stalin moves the government & industry to the east
Column of Soviet refugees following German invasion

6. Soviet Soldiers Outside Moscow

7. Invasion The German advance is brought to a halt in October
The Germans falls short of Moscow by about 10 miles
Germans surround Leningrad and this will turn into a 900 day siege
No supplies would get in or out of the city
A German army column struggles through the mud, past a destroyed Soviet tank. Nevel, Soviet Union, fall 1943.

9. Stalingrad Hitler reaches the Volga River August 23rd, 1942
Germany opens an all-out assault
Stalin announces Order 227
any kind of retreat can result in military tribunal

11. Stalingrad Stalingrad is bombed by 1,000 planes at a time
Germany Army will eventually run low on all supplies and be surrounded
By February 2nd, 1943, Germans surrender at Stalingrad

12. Results of Barbarossa About 800,000 German casualties
About 1.1 million Soviet casualties
After the German defeat at Stalingrad, the Soviets will go on the offensive and push the Germans back to the west

14. Enemy at the Gates
Hollywood film “based” on events surrounding the battle
A Russian sniper and a German sniper play a game of cat-and-mouse during the Battle of Stalingrad. (IMDB)