27.4 Invasion of USSR and Battle of Stalingrad Flashcards
What was Operation Barbarossa and whne did it begin
The invasion of USSR
22 June 1941
Why did HItler want to invade the USSR?
-Resources (oil) - Caucasus
-Destroy communism
-Saw Slavic people as an inferior race.
How did Germany invade the Soviet Union
A three pronged attack to Moscow, Leningrad and Kiev
-Blitzkrieg tactics.
What did Stalin call on his people to fight in?
The great Patriotic war- using propaganda.
What tactic did the red army use? explain please thanks
Scorched earth tactic
- as the red army retreated they destroyed anything useful to the enemy (crops, bridges, railways, communication lines)
- Stalin also moved factories east so production of weaponry could continue.
What advamtage did the red army have over the german army?
The germans were not used to the extremely cold temps.( - 40) and heavy rain.
- Transport was difficult
- Petrol froze, engines didnt start
- Many froze to death
This stopped germany short of moscow
When did german forces from kiev advance to oilfields and stalingrad? led by who?
Led by General Paulus
late summer 1942
How did Russians get their supplies during the battle of Stalingrad?
Ferried across the river volga
How did Germans get supplies? Was this good?
Airdropped by luftwaffe
not enough reached soldiers, germans began to starve as russians encircled them and cut them off from supplies.
What was fighting in Stalingrad like?
-city in ruins
-red army told to defend at all costs
-sixth army vs red army fought for each building sometimes hand-to-hand.
What did General Paulus request? reaction?
to retreat
-Denied by Hitler, insisting they fight “to the last soldier and the last bullet”
When did the sixth army surrendered?
February 1943,
-91,000 soldiers surrendered.
What were the casualties of the battle of Stalingrad?
not known.
- estimated 800,000 axis soldiers and 1.1 million russian were killed, wounded, missing or captured.
Why is the Battle of Stalingrad regarded as the main turning point of WW2?
The first time Hitler was on the defense rather than the offense.
