barbarossa, the nazi crusade. why russia? integral part of nazi ideology – mein kampf: “war of...
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BARBAROSSA,BARBAROSSA,thetheNazi CrusadeNazi Crusade
Why Russia?
• Integral part of Nazi ideology– Mein Kampf: “war of annihilation”– ‘lebensraum’– Communism-v-Fascism– a ’holy war’ against the ‘Bolshevik Hordes’– seen as an inevitable clash– ripe for the picking: “We have only to
kick in the door and the whole rotten structure will come crashing down…”
• Practical reasons not as important– resources– labour– Red Army still re-organising after
purges of the early/mid 30s
The Plan• Russia- since Jan 1941, Stalin had received warnings about a German invasion but chose to ignore them.- still believed in the Nazi-Soviet Pact of 1939.
• Germany- invasion plans delayed by about
5 weeks by the Balkan invasion.- triple axis of advance- aim was to use Blitzkrieg tactics
again.- had built up armed forces on the
border with Russia steadily sinceMarch 1941.
- had covertly supported the Finnsafter the Russo-Finnish War of1939-40.
- new allies: Hungary, Rumania,Bulgaria & Finland.
Initial Success• Once again, Blitzkreig worked…- Russians were completely surprised although orders were given to
increase readiness.- Russian command & control systems thrown into chaos.- initial German objectives achieved.- Churchill: “Any state which fights Nazism will have our aid.”
• Directive No 33 (July 19)…- Hitler had become more involved in the running of the campaign, leading to some confusion as to the Wehrmacht’s goals.- Army Group Centre had easily (relatively) advanced 2/3 of the distance to Moscow but was ordered to destroy Soviet ‘pocket’ (trapped units) around Smolensk and transfer its panzer divisions to Army Groups North & South. - Russian resistance in the north & south was stronger and Axis troops were tired
(they had fewer panzers in proportion).
• By Sept 4…- Leningrad was under siege (AG North).- much of the Ukraine & Crimea was threatened (AG South).- Axis had taken 1 million + POWs, thousands of artillery pieces & AFVs.
• On Sept 5…- Hitler makes Moscow the primary target again.
• On Sept 19…- Kiev falls to the Germans (600,000 POWs, 2500 tanks, 1000 guns captured).
• On Sept 27…- the ‘rasputitza’
begins: autumn rain turns the roads
to mud.- within a month the
advance has stalled.
• On Nov 7…- the ground begins to
freeze & the advance can speed up again..
Initial Success
The Survival of Moscow: Dec 1941• Operation Typhoon – the attack on Moscow
• Success of blitzkrieg– staggering Soviet losses– ‘unstoppable’ Wehrmacht
• Sept: Kiev & the Ukraine– impressive victory, but…
• Dec: Moscow, so close, but…– climate– logistics & communication– Stalin & Soviet morale– Zhukov’s tactics– effect on German morale
Significance of theSurvival of Moscow (1)
• Russell Stolfi’s argument:– Hitler so close in 1941– Britain no real threat– result: German control of Europe
• Rodric Braithwaite’s argument:– chaos of Moscow– impact of Moscow’s fall/survival
• Significance of Moscow:– communications hub– industrial centre– issue of morale– military & political collapse
Significance of theSurvival of Moscow (2)
• Moscow’s survival meant the Soviet Union’s survival
– economically, politically & psychologically
• Strategic significance– meaningful two-front war– economics an issue– the USA
• Why not Stalingrad?– symptom not cause of Nazi failure
Why not Stalingrad?• July 1942…– AG South attacks in two directions: Caucasian oilfields & Stalingrad.
• Aug - Nov 1942…– von Paulus 6th Army attacks Stalingrad– fierce street fighting– Nov 19: Russian counter-offensive shatters Axis Minor Ally troops, traps 330,000 Axis troops in Stalingrad Pocket.
• Feb 1943…– final German surrender: 250,000 POWs.
• Hitler could have saved the situation by allowing a withdrawal.
• Germans still able to attack - eg. Kursk.
• Significant defeat yes, anything more is debatable.
The Battle of Kursk: July 1943
• Operation Citadel– Hitler’s view of Kursk– Stalin’s view of Kursk
• The battle:– greatest tank battle in history– Hitler ‘tantalisingly close’?– had to partially disengage to reinforce Sicily
• By Nov ‘43…– Germans had lost Kharkov, Smolensk, Kiev, etc
Significance of the outcome of the Battle of Kursk (1)
• Paul Carrell’s argument:– in ’43, Nazi victory still a possibility– victory by the Germans would allow them to regain the strategic initiative
• General view of Kursk:– decisive defeat for Germany– strategic initiative passed to Red Army– inexorable process of weakening of the Wehrmacht
Significance of the outcome of the Battle of Kursk (2)• Richard Overy’s argument:
– impact of German losses– balance of armoured vehicles now completely in favour of the Red Army– initiative passed to Red Army
• Teheran Conference in Nov ‘43:– dominated by the ‘Big Three’– discussed setting up post-war Europe– gave Stalin leverage
After KurskAfter Kursk• Aug 1943 - Jan 1944…
– Russian autumn & winter offensives relieve Leningrad, liberate the Ukraine & isolate the Crimea.
• March - May 1944…– Spring Offensive drives Germans back into
Baltic States & Poland.
• June - Aug 1944…– Summer Offensive advances to Warsaw &
captures Rumanian oilfields (Germany’s only major supply!).
• Sept - Dec 1944…– Autumn Offensive concentrates on Germany’s
Balkan allies.
• Jan - April 1945…– as the Western Allies advance, so to do the
Russians.– Eastern Germany, Baltic States, Czech., etc
Trivia Trivia Time!Time!CASUALTIES…
Soviet: 10,651,000 military + 14,500,000 civilians + 5,000,000 Jews in Holocaust (?)Axis: 5,178,000 military + unknown civilians
Pz III – 5774 Pz IV – 8870 Pz V – 6000 Pz VI - 1355
T34/76 & T34/85 – 28952 KV1 - 6500
Axis defeat: isn’t it obvious?
Axis defeat has an air of inevitability
about it
Allies had:more men,
more weapons, more everything
Superior Allied
economic strength
Germany had ‘bitten off more
than it could chew’
Axis Defeat
Soviet Union’s superhuman efforts
• Fight for survival
• Single-mindedness of the Soviet state & people
• Economic relocation
• Rationalisation
• Soviet morale
• Some amazing production stats
• Lend-lease
+ sheer size of Russia!
Reasons for Allied Victory
Reasonsfor
AlliedVictory
USA’s‘economicmiracle’ Soviet Union’s
superhumanefforts
Situationinside
Nazi Germany
Allied controlof theseas
Alliedleadership
Alliedair
supremacy
Allied victoryin the
‘war of morale’