1. The
European
Theater

2. The Eastern Front

3. Operation Barbarossa: Hitler’s Biggest Mistake

4. Operation Barbarossa

5. Why Attack Russia? Hitler’s beliefs Practical Reasons
Defeat Russia, eliminate Britain’s last hope
Nazis could defeat Russia quickly
Jewish-Bolshevik leadership & pitiful army
Practical Reasons
Oil
Warm sea water port
Caspian Sea

6. Invasion of Russia June 22, 1941 was suppose to happen in April
Mussolini needed help in Greece – Hitler sent help

7. German Attack of Russia
largest army attack in world history
(1800 mile frontier)
3 German Army groups
(180 divisions) – Wehrmacht
north to Leningrad
central to Moscow
south to Caucus Mountains (Stalingrad)
4 mil. Axis soldiers (3 mil. Germans)
7,000 artillery pieces, 3200 aircraft

9. Operation Barbarossa: June 22, 1941
3,000,000 German soldiers.
3,400 tanks.

10. Germany’s Over-confidence
Hitler underestimated Soviets
military-industry capability
its geography
its environment
Soviet Forces
160 divisions
300 reserve divisions
60% were peasants

11. Germany’s Demise Germany was successful but,
Did not eliminate Soviet army
Soviet state did not collapse
Germany not ready for Russian winter
- 40 degrees
weapons, vehicles, and equipment were useless
fuel coagulated
most faces frost-bite, repository diseases, or froze to death
erratic deliveries of food, fuel, and ammo b/c of out-stretched supply lines

12. Siege of Leningrad Sept. 1941-Jan 1944

13. Why Leningrad Ideology former capital
Main base for Soviet Baltic Fleet
Economic potential
Siege of Leningrad

15. September 8, 1941 Leningrad under a state of siege by Germans
Stalin exiles 600,000 Volga area ethnic Germans to Siberia
Possible Nazi-sympathizers

16. Survival of Leningrad Lake Ladoga Dmitri Shostakovich
Resupplied Leningrad across frozen lake
Dmitri Shostakovich
Leningrad Symphony
Symphony No. 7 in
C Major

17. March on Moscow Sept 1941 – Jan 1942

18. Massive Evacuation Industry and people were moved eastward
Ural Mountains
Stop the Germans in the summer of 1941
T34 Tank
Peasants built a huge moat around Moscow
Tank traps

19. Battle of Stalingrad July 1942 – Feb. 1943

20. Why? Did not need to but… Industrial city on Volga River
Named after Stalin
Type of Warfare?
Sniper warfare

21. Importance Soviet’s surround Germany Significance
General Friedrich Von Paulus & 6th Army surrender
300,000 Germans
Significance
Turning Point of War in Europe

22. Battle of Stalingrad: Winter of 1942-1943
German Army
Russian Army
1,011,500 men
1,000,500 men
10,290 artillery guns
13,541 artillery guns
675 tanks
894 tanks
1,216 planes
1,115 planes

23. Battle of Kursk July

24. Greatest tank battle in WWII
Germany lost 18 panzer divisions
Soviet’s defeat the Germans

25. Battle of Kiev Aug. – Sept. 1941

26. Importance Germans capture Kiev Led to the resistance movement
Largest encirclement of troops in history (665,000)
Killed civilians
Led to the resistance movement
partisans