Posted on Jun 22, 2021
Germany launches Operation Barbarossa—the invasion of Russia
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On June 22, 1941, over 3 million German troops invade Russia in three parallel offensives, in what is the most powerful invasion force in history. Nineteen panzer divisions, 3,000 tanks, 2,500 aircraft, and 7,000 artillery pieces pour across a thousand-mile front as Hitler goes to war on a second front.
Despite the fact that Germany and Russia had signed a “pact” in 1939, each guaranteeing the other a specific region of influence without interference from the other, suspicion remained high. When the Soviet Union invaded Rumania in 1940, Hitler saw a threat to his Balkan oil supply. He immediately responded by moving two armored and 10 infantry divisions into Poland, posing a counterthreat to Russia. But what began as a defensive move turned into a plan for a German first-strike. Despite warnings from his advisers that Germany could not fight the war on two fronts (as Germany’s experience in World War I proved), Hitler became convinced that England was holding out against German assaults, refusing to surrender, because it had struck a secret deal with Russia. Fearing he would be “strangled” from the East and the West, he created, in December 1940, “Directive No. 21: Case Barbarossa”—the plan to invade and occupy the very nation he had actually asked to join the Axis only a month before.
On June 22, 1941, over 3 million German troops invade Russia in three parallel offensives, in what is the most powerful invasion force in history. Nineteen panzer divisions, 3,000 tanks, 2,500 aircraft, and 7,000 artillery pieces pour across a thousand-mile front as Hitler goes to war on a second front.
Despite the fact that Germany and Russia had signed a “pact” in 1939, each guaranteeing the other a specific region of influence without interference from the other, suspicion remained high. When the Soviet Union invaded Rumania in 1940, Hitler saw a threat to his Balkan oil supply. He immediately responded by moving two armored and 10 infantry divisions into Poland, posing a counterthreat to Russia. But what began as a defensive move turned into a plan for a German first-strike. Despite warnings from his advisers that Germany could not fight the war on two fronts (as Germany’s experience in World War I proved), Hitler became convinced that England was holding out against German assaults, refusing to surrender, because it had struck a secret deal with Russia. Fearing he would be “strangled” from the East and the West, he created, in December 1940, “Directive No. 21: Case Barbarossa”—the plan to invade and occupy the very nation he had actually asked to join the Axis only a month before.
Germany launches Operation Barbarossa—the invasion of Russia
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Edited 3 y ago
Posted 3 y ago
Responses: 8
Posted 3 y ago
A Soviet NCO tries to rally his men as Hungarian 1st Armd. Cav. Bn. vehicles hit a Soviet truck convoy that broke through axis lines, 6 Aug. 1941
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MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D.
3 y
CPT Gurinder (Gene) Rana Thanks. I've collected thousands of online copies of images of warfare sing
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MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D.
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MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D. . . . from the bronze age to the 21st century.
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Posted 3 y ago
Not the best of decisions as Stalingrad proved. Germans were not really for the Russian winter.
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Lt Col Charlie Brown
3 y
Attacking Russia is what helped to bring the Nazis down so I am glad they did it LTC John Griscom
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Lt Col Charlie Brown
3 y
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel - sure did. Hitler didn't learn from history. He thought they were tougher than the Russian winter...
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MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D.
3 y
It was a HUGE operation, Br'er Mark, but I think you meant it was a big OOPS! . . .
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