OPERATION BARBAROSSA

OPERATION BARBAROSSATHE GERMAN INVASION OF SOVIET RUSSIA, JUNE, 1941 BACKGROUNDDEFINE: BARBAROSSA GENRALLY REFERS TO THE INITIAL INVASION OF RUSSIA, JUNE 1941- DEC. 1941AFTER THAT, THE NAZI-SOVIET WAR IS GENERALLY REFERRED TO ASTHE RUSSIAN FRONTTHE EASTERN FRONTHISTORICALLY, MOST RUSSIANS REFER TO THE WAR AS THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WARCAUSES / ORIGINS:HITLERS RACIAL THEORY - SEE MEIN KAMPFHITLERS DESIRE FOR LEBENSRAUMRUSSIAS SLAVIC POPULATION AS A SOURCE OF SLAVE LABORUKRAINES FARMLAND WOULD PROVIDE FOOD FOR THE GROWING GERMAN EMPIRESOVIET NATURAL RESOURCES, ESPECIALLY OIL (CENTRAL ASIA)SOVIET MILITARY WEAKNESSES ENCOURAGE AGGRESSIONYOU ONLY HAVE TO KICK IN THE DOOR AND THE WHOLE ROTTEN STRUCTURE WILL COME CRASHING DOWN.ADOLF HITLER, 1941 BACKGROUND (contd.)PRE-INVASION STATUS:GERMANY IS WINNING IN ALL AREAS OF WARRUSSIA:STILL SUFFERING FROM STALINS 1930s GREAT PURGERESULT? MILITARY IS UNPREPARED FOR MAJOR WARMILITARY IS LACKING IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS:LEADERSHIP QUALITY WHY?CREATIVITY / INNOVATION WHY?EX. LACK OF AIRBORNE TROOPSMILITARY TECHNOLOGY WHY?MILITARY MORALE WHY?EXAMPLE? RUSSO-FINNISH WAR, 1939MAJOR EMBARRASSMENT FOR SOVIETSHIGHLIGHTS POOR CONDITION OF RUSSIAS MILITARYWHEN BARBAROSSA COMMENCES, THE WHOLE WORLD WILL HOLD ITS BREATH AND MAKE NO COMMENT.ADOLF HITLER, 1941WAR DIRECTIVE NUMBER 21: DECEMBER 5, 1940

OFFICIAL ORDERS FOR OPERATION BARBAROSSA

THE GERMAN WERMACHTMUST BE PREPARED TO CRUSH SOVIET RUSSIA IN A QUICK CMAPAIGN.

OPPOSING FORCESGERMANS (& AXIS ALLIES):TROOPS: 4.3 MILLIONARTILLERY: 43,000TANKS: 4000AIRCRAFT: 4,400SOVIET UNION:TROOPS: 3.3 MILLIONARTILLERY: 60,000TANKS: 15,000AIRCRAFT: 11,500MUCH OF THE SOVIET EQUIPMENT, WHILE MORE NUMEROUS THAN GERMANYS, WAS OF INFERIOR / OUTDATED QUALITYEXAMPLES?TANKSAIRCRAFT

PRE-WAR SITUATION1939: MOLOTOV-RIBBENTROP PACT (Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Treaty) SIGNEDGUARANTEES PEACE BETWEEN TWO NATIONSARRANGES THE DIVISION OF POLAND IN SEPT.39EFFECT ON STALIN & RUSSIA?THE GREAT PURGE (1937-38): DEFINE:ORDERED BY STALINLIQUIDATION OF KEY INDIVIDUALS W/IN THE FOLLOWING GROUPS:THE COMMUNIST / BOLSHEVIK LEADERSHIPTHE MILITARYSCIENTIFIC COMMUNITYSO WHAT? EXAMPLE WHAT WAS THE EFFECT ON RUSSIAS MILITARY?TOP LEADERSHIP WIPED OUT*MOST CREATIVE LEADERS ARE GONE**RUSSIAN ARMY STAGNATES TECHNOLOGICALLY / STRATEGICALLY****GREAT PURGE DEATH TOLL AMONG ARMY OFFICERS:3 out of 5 Marshalls13 out of 15 Army commanders110 out of 195 Division commanders186 out of 406 Brigadier generals**STRATEGIC TOLL:OFFICERS WHO UNDERSTAND MODERN BATTLEFIELD TACTICS ARE HARD TO REPLACEWHAT IDEAS? EXAMPLE:DEEP BATTLE & ARMOR THRUSTSDEFENSE IN DEPTH***TECHNOLOGICAL / STRATEGIC TOLL:NO LARGE / EFFECTIVE AIRBORNE FORCE EVER DEVELOPEDQUALITY TANK PRODUCTION SLOWSSMALL ARMS-MACHINE GUNS PRODUCTION INSUFFICIENTAIRCRAFT DESIGN IS LACKING COMPARED TO GERMAN SOVIET DEEP BATTLE CONCEPT

EARLY WARNINGSLARGE-SCALE GERMAN TROOP / EQUIPMENT BUILD-UP BEGINS FOLLOWING BALKAN CAMPAIGNWHERE? POLISH-SOVIET FRONTIERARE RUSSIANS WARNED?YES-REPEATEDLYEVEN W/OUT WARNINGS, COULD THEY HAVE KNOW ABOUT GERMAN PLANS?BY WHOM?MARCH, 1941: U.S. GOVT. WARNS MOSCOW OF POSSIBLE GERMAN ATTACKAPRIL 1, 1941: SOVIET AGENT IN TOKYO WARNS MOSCOW BASED ON INTEL. UNCOVEREDAPRIL 3, 1941: CHURCHILL WARNS OF SAME THING BASED ON DECODED GERMAN MESSAGESJUNE 13: BRITISH AGAIN WARN MOSCOW BASED ON NEW INTEL.JUNE 15: COMMUNIST SPIES IN NEUTRAL SWITZERLAND WARN MOSCOW BASED ON INTEL.STALINS REACTION:BELIEVES THIS IS ALL DESIGNED BY GERMANS TO PROVOKE RUSSIAN AGGRESSIONSTALIN BELIEVED GERMANY COULD BE CONTROLLED BY BARGAININGDOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR?STALIN REFUSES TO BELIEVE GERMANS WILL INVADE

INVASIONJUNE 22, 1941GERMAN PLAN FOR CONQUEST:WERMACHT DIVIDED INTO 3 SEPARATE THRUSTS, OR ARMY GROUPSEACH ARMY GROUP HAS A SPECIFIC RUSSIAN CITY FOR ITS OBJECTIVEEACH OBJECTIVE IS TO BE TAKEN BY LATE OCTOBER (BEFORE WINTER).ARMY GROUPS:NORTH OBJECTIVE = LENINGRADCENTER OBJECTIVE = MOSCOWSOUTH OBJECTIVE = KIEV & THE OIL FIELDS OF ASIATIMETABLE REQUIRESMASSIVE LOGISTCAL MOVEMENTSQUICK ELIMINATION OF OPPOSITIONBLITZKRIEG ON A MASSIVE SCALEPROBLEM?INITIAL GERMANADVANCE, JUNE- SEPTEMBER, 1941

PHASES OF BATTLEINVASION HAS 3 PHASES:PHASE 1: June 22 July 3, 1941PHASE 2: July 3 October 2, 1941PHASE 3: October 2 - December 5, 1941ALL OBJECTIVES ARE TO BE REACHED QUICKLYWHY?GERMAN INVASION PLAN RELIES HEAVILY ON WHAT TWO ELEMENTS FOR SUCCESS?SURPRISESPEEDBY DEC. 2, 1941 ALL OBJECTIVES HAVE BEEN REACHED, BUTONLY ONE HAS BEEN CAPTUREDKIEV CAPTURED BY ARMY GROUP SOUTHMOSCOW SUBURBS REACHED LENINGRAD SUBURBS REACHED

PHASES OF BATTLE (contd.)RED ARMY LOSSES ARE EXTREMELY HIGH DURING ALL THREE PHASESWHY? SOVIETS HADNT CREATED DEFENSE IN DEPTH (define)SOVIETS TRIED TO DEFEND ENTIRE BORDERRESULT? BORDER IS THINLY DEFENDED AND EASILY PENETRATEDSO WHAT? RED ARMY UNITS ARE EASILY SURROUNDED AND DESTROYEDEXAMPLES?JUNE 22-25: 3900 SOVIET AIRCRAFT DESTROYEDLATE JUNE: BATTLE OF MINSK = 600,000 KIA, MIA, WIA, POWJULY: BATTLE OF SMOLENSK = 180,000 POWSEPTEMBER: BATTLE OF KIEV = 665,000 POW*** ***STATISTICS ARE DISPUTED

PHASES OF BATTLE (contd.)BOTH SIDES EXPERIENCE MAJOR PROBLEMS:SOVIETS:POOR EQUIPMENTLACK OF TRANSPORTATION/ MOBILITYGERMANS:SPEED OF ARMOUR OUTDISTANCES INFANTRYSUPPLY LINES BECOME OVEREXTENDEDNO WINTER GEAR / EQUIPMENT READYRED ARMY RESISTANCE IN ISOLATED POCKETS CAUSES PROBLEMSWHY? GERMAN ADVANCE IS DELAYEDWHY? TROOPS / ARMOUR USED TO WIPE OUT POCKETSRESULT? ADVANCE ON MOSCOW IS DELAYED OPERATION TYPHOONRUSSIANS HAD BEGUN USING A SCORCHED-EARTH POLICY (define)SUPPLY LINES BECOME EXTENDED & THINGERMAN DELAYS ALLOW SOVIETS TO...REINFORCE MOSCOW w/ RESERVE TROOPSBUILD DEFENSES AROUND MOSCOWOPERATION TYPHOON BEGINS WHEN? OCT. DEC., 1941GEN. GEORGI ZHUKOV = COMMANDS RED ARMY IN MOSCOWSOVIETS BRING SIBERIAN TROOPS TO REINFORCE MOSCOW WEATHER DETERIORATESLUFTWAFFE IS GROUNDEDFROSTBITE, EXPOSURE INCREASE GERMAN CASUALTIESEQUIPMENT PROBLEMS INCREASE IN COLD WEATHERDEC. 5, 1941: RED ARMY COUNTERATTACK PUSHES GERMANS BACK 200 mi.OPERATION BARBAROSSA IS OVERGENERAL GEORGI ZHUKOV

SOVIET I-16 MIG FIGHTER

GERMAN PIONEER SHOCK TROOPS, RUSSIA, 1941

GERMAN PIONEER TROOPER, RUSSIA, 1941

RED ARMY TROOPS UNDER SHELLFIRE, KIEV, 1941

RED ARMY KIA, JUNE 1941

MOSCOW WOMEN DIGGING ANTI-TANK DITCHES, 1941

RED ARMY PARADE, MOSCOW, NOVEMBER 1941

RED ARMY TROOPS ON PARADE, MOSCOW, NOVEMBER 1941

SOVIET MOSIN-NAGANT RIFLE

SOVIET PPsh MACHINE GUN, 1941

SIBERIAN TROOPS ON T-34 TOWED SLEDS PREPARE FOR ASSAULT, DEC. 1941

SOVIET T-34 BATTLE TANK

SIBERIAN TROOPS OUTSIDE MOSCOW, 1941

SIBERIAN TROOPS, MOSCOW 1941

SIBERIAN TROOPS WITH ANTI-TANK GUN, 1941

RED ARMY TROOPS DUCK INTO TRENCH UNDER ADVANCING T-43 TANK

THE WAR AGAINST RUSSIA WILL BE SUCH THAT IT CANNOT BE CONDUCTED IN A KNIGHTLY FASHION; THE STRUGGLE IS ONE OF IDEOLOGIES AND WILL HAVE TO BE CONDUCTED WITH UNPRECEDENTED, UNMERCIFUL AND UNRELENTING HARSHNESS.ADOLF HITLER, MARCH 30, 1941A CAPITUALTION OF MOSCOW OR LENINGRAD IS NOT TO BE ACCEPTED, EVEN IF OFFERED.ADOLF HITLER, SEPTEMBER 18, 1941

THE FUHRER HAS DECIDED TO HAVE ST. PETERSBURG (LENINGRAD) WIPED OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTHREQUESTS THAT THE CITY BE TAKEN OVER WILL BE TURNED DOWNIN THIS WAR FOR EXISTENCE, WE HAVE NO INTEREST IN KEEPING EVEN PART OF THIS GREAT CITYS POPULATION.ADOLF HITLER, SEPTEMBER 29, 1941 FINAL RESULTSMOSCOW IS SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDEDLENINGRAD IS SEIGED (define) BY GERMANS***SEIGE OF LENINGRAD LASTS FOR 300 DAYS (approximately)UKRAINE IS CONQUERED ARMY GROUP SOUTH HEADS TOWARDS CASPIAN / ASIAN OIL FIELDSSOVIETS DISMANTLE / MOVE MAJOR INDUSTRIES EAST OF THE URAL MTS.CASUALTIES (approximate #s)GERMANS:SOVIETS:250,000 KIA802,191 KIA500,000 WIA3,000,000 WIA25,000 MIA3,300,000 POWGERMANS ARE NOW IN A MAJOR 2-FRONT WAR

NEVSKY PROSPECT(STREET), LENINGRAD, UNDER ARTILLERY FIRE, 1941

LENINGRAD DEFENSE PROPAGANDA POSTER, 1941

LENINGRAD CITIZENS DURING SEIGE

LENINGRAD CITIZENS FORAGING / LOOKING FOR WATER, WINTER 1941-42

LAKE LADOGA ICE ROAD