Operation Barbarossa

Invasion of the Soviet Union

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

Reasons for the Invasion

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

Invasion Plans

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

Invasion

German soldiers walk by destroyed building in Zhitomir

Column of Soviet refugees following German invasion

Soviet Soldiers Outside Moscow

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

Invasion

A German army column struggles through the mud, past a

destroyed Soviet tank. Nevel, Soviet Union, fall 1943.

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

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

Stalingrad

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

Results of Barbarossa

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=C47lHAO6Tfuh0M&tbnid=dZSVN5vxd4kN2M:&ved=0CAgQjRwwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ushmm.org%2Fwlc%2Fen%2Fmedia_nm.php%3FModuleId%3D10005437%26MediaId%3D344&ei=T92IUYDZPOL94AO6koCYCg&psig=AFQjCNGav2VY19OQp-DRmN6xHTdGuZEymw&ust=1368010448026326

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)

Enemy at the Gates