Hitler Invades Russia By Anastasia Martyts Sofiya Bobryk

Hitler Invades Russia By: Anastasia Martyts, Sofiya Bobryk

Prior Political Affairs Germany and Russia maintain fairly good relations Still, they are “enemies” because Communists hate Fascists and vice versa

Who? Russia: Joseph Stalin, leader of the Communist Party Germany: Adolf Hitler, Fascist dictator

Nazi-Soviet Pact Joachim von Ribbentrop (German minister of foreign affairs) meets Russian authorities A non-aggression pact, also called the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact Between Russia and Germany Signed on 23 August, 1939 Each country promised not to attack the other Neither country would get involved in a conflict the other country might have with a third country Neither country could become allied with a country that promised to threaten the other

Nazi-Soviet Pact (continued) Hitler also promised Stalin to secretly divide up Poland the rest of Europe Why? Hitler was fighting Poland at this time and didn’t want Russia's interference Both Hitler and Stalin knew this agreement would not prevent war between Russia and Germany It was simply a means of postponing the war

Plans Hitler was already planning to invade Russia Scheduled for May 15, 1941 Postponed until June 22 The attack was supposed to take about six weeks Hitler planned to conquer Russia by autumn Stalin got reports regarding the plan from various sources

Stalin’s Reaction? Stalin did not take the reports seriously Some gave him the exact date: June 22 Stalin believed the invasion would not start until the following year

Hitler’s Aims Why did Hitler want Russia? Lebensraum (living space) Natural resources (good land, oil resources ) To isolate the Allies (especially Britain) To exterminate Bolshevism Extermination of the racially inferior Russians

Invasion (Operation Barbarossa) June 22, 1941 Hitler’s army invades Russia Disregards the German-soviet nonaggression pact (August 23, 1939) Focus: Kiev, Leningrad, Moscow Russian army caught off guard Red Army vs. Wehrmacht

Invasion (continued) Hitler attacks the USSR during the Battle of Britain hoping for a quick victory Finland, Romania, Italy, Croatia, Slovakia and Hungary also help Germany Blitzkrieg used Blitzkrieg - a swift and violent offensive with intensive aerial bombardment 1 st day: the Red Army suffers great losses, as well as loses nearly ¼ of its air forces (important for Germans because Russia had a larger air force)

Invasion (continued) Major targets: Moscow, Kiev, Leningrad

Summer In June, Germans capture 300, 000 Soviet troops, 2500 tanks, and 1500 artillery pieces at the battle of Minsk In early August, 103, 000 more men, 300 tanks, and 800 guns in Uman Plus 100, 000 men, 2000 tanks, 1900 artillery pieces in Smolensk In late August, Germans capture 650, 000 men, 900 tanks, and 4000 artillery pieces while fighting for Kiev

A map view. . .

Germans Make Progress. . . For now, it looks like Germans are winning this war Russian troops are unprepared and poorly trained Russians have little new equipment “We have only to kick the door and the whole rotten structure will come crashing down” - Hitler

July 3, 1941 scorched-earth policy Russian soldiers need to destroy everything before they retreat This included burning crops, destroying buildings, wrecking artillery/equipment, burning bridges and roads etc. This REALLY slowed down the German army Early July: the Allies start trying to help Russia (intensified bombings of Berlin, sending supplies) Even though the Allies were opposed to Bolshevism, it was too dangerous to let Hitler win

Russian Strategy Russian troops had little manoeuvres They ran straight into German gunfire and attempted to shoot their way through the German army Soon enough, Russia was desperate for weapons Dogs were trained to go under enemy machinery with attached bombs As soon as the bombs touched something, they exploded Stalin also turns to the Allies for support

Autumn Fighting continues Roads become muddy Early September: Hitler comes very close to Kiev and Leningrad Hitler decides to concentrate on southern Russia Some troops ordered away from the surrounded Leningrad surrounded and doomed for starvation The 900 -day siege of Leningrad begins

September 19: Kiev falls Still Autumn. . . November: Germans come within 10 miles of Moscow’s limits The advancing German troops were stopped by the trenches dug around Moscow Stalin orders a counterattack Germans don’t retreat, but the troops are ordered to switch to defensive actions

Winter Russia’s saviour Germans unprepared for the extremely low temperatures Hitler planned to finish the operation before winter Attack slows down Equipment fails Russians push Germans back from Moscow German troop are nicknamed “Winter Fritzes” by the Russian press A Russian soldier in proper winter uniform clothing

Still Winter. . . German soldiers only have summer uniforms, forced to wrap themselves into towels and tablecloths Many succumbed to hypothermia and frostbite Example: a German soldier recalls getting hot food for the first time in weeks. After moving away from the line with a bowl of nearly boiling hot soup, the soldier lost his spoon. After 30 seconds of looking for the spoon, the soup was lukewarm.

Russians Have a Plan Jan. 5, 1942 (Kremlin): Stalin meets other authorities Come up with a plan of 5 large-scale offensives at once Purpose: to relieve Leningrad and Moscow, recapture the Donets basin, and drive the German army out of the Crimean Peninsula Scheduled for Jan. 10 If Germans were allowed to attack in spring, Russia would fail However, Russia might not have enough supplies Stalin ignores this fact

Germans Have a Plan Germany suffered greatly during the winter The Luftwaffe could only deliver a small fraction of the needed supplies Hitler plans Operation Blau: attack the Caucasus in the summer BUT there’s a shortage of troops and resources Hitler made another mistake Planned to win Russia fast, so started producing Uboats and planes to attack Britain Too late to start making guns for this operation Operation fails

Summer 1942 Hitler switched to southern parts of Russia (Caucasus in particular) Thought that once Russia loses Caucasus, it’ll stop fighting (Caucasus had rich oil fields) August 23, 1942 Germans reach the Volga River (north of Stalingrad) Prepare and attack Stalingrad bombed battle was supposed to be quick, but lasted 6 months

STALINGRAD The major battle Both Hitler and Stalin ordered their troops to keep fighting “to the last man” Stalingrad was bombed by the Luftwaffe, tanks rode through the streets, house-to-house fighting never ceased Germans surround the city from the west, but Russians still got food sent via Volga River Stalin sends additional troops to Stalingrad

Stalingrad Aftermath The battle was nicknamed “the Verdun on Volga” Churchill calls the battle “the hinge of fate” Germans lost 800, 000 men in the battle Russians – 1. 1 million The city in ruins

Aerial view of Stalingrad after the battle

Germans fail to prepare Winter 19421943 again Troops commander Friedrich Paulus asks Hitler for permission to flee Hitler refuses Troops suffer another winter In January, Paulus defies Hitler’s orders and surrenders to Russians February 2, 1943 Germans lose absolutely Russians win the war

Canada’s Role Provided the Allies with food and other supplies for shipment to Russia Canadians were not involved in the battle directly Canada was not affected by this invasion (except for loss of some supplies that were shipped to Russia) William Lyon Mackenzie King (Canadian PM) Both Canada and US were satisfied with the outcome of the war. Franklin D. Roosevelt, US president

Significance Largest offensive in WW 2 Weakened the German Army Some argue that this was the reason for Hitler’s defeat in World War Two

The End