Download - Operation Barbarossa
June 22, 1941 – December 1941
• Hitler talks about invasion of USSR in 1924 in his book Mein Kempf
• Nazi-Soviet Pact- August 1939• German Army stockpiles weapons&troops
in front of Russia• Communist spy warns Stalin of attack
• Blitzkreg- Lightning warfare• Plan constructed in December 1940• Germany sends out 3 groups: North, South,
and Center• North- Led by Wilhem Ritter von Leeb• march through northern Baltics
into northern Russia and captureLenningrad. • Center- Led by Feodor Von Bock • take Moscow.
• South- Led by Gerd von Runstedt• take Kiev and continue to Volga River.
• Operation Barbarossa was the overall plan for invasion•Many battles were part of the operation
• Invasion started on June 22, 1941• By day 17 many thought Russian Army
would collapse• Hitler made mistakes• The winter set in and German Army was
not equipped
• Stops divisons to give them orders and redirect, loses vital time
• Poor planning•misjudges Russian winter • timing of war
• Advised against two-front war, did not listen
• Russia wins
• German army suffered which eventually led to a Soviet victory