Operation Barbarossa

By Camilla and Sonia

On December 18, 1940, Hitler signed Directive Number 21, better known as Operation Barbarossa. The first sentence of the plan was explicit: "The German armed forces must be ready before the end of the war

against Great Britain to defeat the Soviet Union by means of Blitzkrieg.

Assess the reasons for the German defeat in Operation Barbarossa.

Vocab

-Operation Barbarossa

-Blitzkrieg

Break it downAssess the reasons for the German defeat in

Operation Barbarossa.

What was Operation Barbarossa?

What were the reasons for the defeat of the Germans in Operation Barbarossa?

Which reason is the most significant,why?

An Sd.Kfz-250 half-track in front of German tank units, as they prepare for an attack, on July 21, 1941, somewhere along the Russian war front, during the German invasion of the Soviet Union.

Germans invaded the USSR on the 22nd June 1941

Biggest operation of WW2-3 million Axis troops and 3,500 tanks-Blitzkrieg (“lightning war”) strategy

attack

When the attack happened, the Russian forces were annihilated since Stalin killed off most of his army generals during the Purges

-Stalin refused to believe that the attack did indeed happen

-He locked himself in his house for three days

What Happened?

Hitler and his advisers discussing the attack plans

on the USSR

Objectives:

-The Baltic states and Leningrad in the north-Moscow in the centre-The economic resources of the Ukraine and southern Russia in the south

Over 800,000 losses from the Russian part-Russia didn’t care-Stalin refused to let his army retreat.. Ex.

General Demitry Pavlov was forced to retreat and within six days, the German Army had captured the city. When he heard the news Stalin told Lavrenty Beria: "This is a monstrous crime. Those responsible must lose their heads."All of this, and Germany still lost. Why?

What Happened?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RePOWFtsInw

Reasons Germany Lost1. Soviet war strategy2. Germany overstretched. 3. Hitler’s fault.● Despite the enormous losses of the Soviet (250,000 were lost in a big encirclement around Minsk at

the end of June, 180,000 were taken prisoner at Smolensk), the Germans didn’t have an enormous impact on the Soviets. They had underestimated the Soviet Union’s resources and didn’t expect them to fight back. ○ “The resistance also became stiffer, and the Russians began to cover their front with

minefields. It was easier for them to block the way because there were so few roads.” In 1948 General Guenther Blumentritt told Basil Liddell Hart (english historian) about the problems that the German Army had during the invasion of the Soviet Union.

○ “We have seriously underestimated the Russians, the extent of their country and the treachery of their climate. This is the revenge of reality.” Colonel-General Guderian, November 9 1941, in a letter to his wife.

● The Germans ran out of resources and had to temporarily stop for supplies, giving time to the Soviet Union. Also a lot of their tanks were difficult to bring around with them. “It was appallingly difficult country for tank movement - great virgin forests, widespread swamps, terrible roads, and bridges not strong enough to bear the weight of tanks.”In 1948 General Guenther Blumentritt told Basil Liddell Hart about the problems that the German Army had during the invasion of the Soviet Union.

Russian soldiers, left, marched back to the rear of the German lines on July 2, 1941, as a column of Nazi troops

move up to the front

● Hitler insisted that the divisions of Army Group Centre, which were advancing on Moscow, ○ Diverted to overcome resistance in the north and south, ○ Took more time and the operation didn’t resume until October,○ Renamed operation Typhoon.

● Germans were only 90 miles from Moscow,○ Germans were forced to stop

■ heavy Russian resistance, mud and rain, and German casualties. ● By the start of December, the Germans were close to Moscow,

○ German army to retreat○ Heavy Soviet counterattack, supported by T-34 tanks,

● Russian winter set in ○ It was impossible for the Germans to continue fighting, ○ Didn’t have the protection necessary, and were forced to abandon.

“The Intelligence had information that 600 to 700 tanks a month were coming out of the Russian factories, in the Ural Mountains and elsewhere. When Halder told him of this, Hitler slammed the table and said it was impossible. He would not believe what he did not want to believe.” In 1948 General Guenther Blumentritt told Basil Liddell Hart about the problems that the German Army had during the invasion of the Soviet Union

Reasons Germany Lost

German losses over 775,000

Russian losses over 800,00

The Soviet army was not swayed by the enormous losses and were still relentless in their defenses

Showed the world the strength and carelessness of the Soviet military strategy. They were the first to defeat the Germans.

When Germany turned their attention from the Battle of Britain to invading the USSR, it guaranteed their loss of the war. Also it gave hope to Britain for a two front war.

Not the most significant because it had no impact on the west.

Significance of the Battle

Answer the QuestionAssess the reasons for the German defeat in Operation Barbarossa.

Germany overstretched → Germany wanted to conquer not only Russia, but also the Ukraine, thus the army wasn’t concentrated and strong in one point, didn’t have enough resources, and attacked in different places with weaker armies.

Even though these two reasons were important the most significant reason is:

Hitler is the most significant reason from the German defeat → A lot of sources assured Hitler that the Russian army was stronger than he thought, but he didn’t listen, and this caused the war to extend, going into the winter, and the winter caused the German army to retreat.

“The last German military attack in Moscow, General Kostring - a very able man-had kept us well informed about the state of the Russian Army. But Hitler refused to credit his information.”General Paul von Kliest was interviewed by Basil Liddell Hart about Operation Barbarossa in his book The Other Side of the Hill (1948)

● Operation Barbarossa was an attack led by Hitler on the USSR on June 22nd 1941

● Soviet war strategy → Stalin refused to let the army retreat and refused to give up. The Germans had underestimated their resources and didn’t expect them to fight back so soon.

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Operation Barbarossa. Youtube. World War Initiative, 3 Mar. 2013. Web. 6 Dec. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RePOWFtsInw>.

Royde-Smith, John Graham. "Operation Barbarossa." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 July 2016. Web. 06 Dec. 2016. <https://www.britannica.com/event/Operation-Barbarossa>.

Taylor, Alan. "World War II: Operation Barbarossa." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 24 July 2011. Web. 06 Dec. 2016. <http://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2011/07/world-war-ii-operation-barbarossa/100112/>.

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Bibliography