Defeat of the Germans Flashcards
Why was victory delayed?
due to the German insistence of unconditional surrender
What was the ‘race for Berlin’?
this was the push westwards to Berlin for the glory of destroying the Nazi empire
Which Soviet general used tactics which meant exceptionally severe losses of men before the taking over of Berlin in April 1945?
Zhukov
Why did Stalin want as much control over Central Europe and Germany as possible>
In order to have a buffer zone against any future threats to the USSR
Why were the Germans unable to strike a knock-out blow against Soviet Russia?
due to the Soviet’s vast geographical size which had enabled them to build whole new armes and a whole new industrial base to be built up in the East, beyond Germany’s reach.
What was the population of the USSR in 1941?
171 million (3 x Germany)
Why was the Soviet able to replace losses in a way that was impossible for the Germans?
because of the sheer size of the population (171 million 3 x Germany)
The longer the war went on, the stronger the Soviet military industrial power became. In what year especially did the USSR simply out produce German war industries?
1943
When was the Soviet command economy established which was well suited to the needs of total war and the emergency mobilisation of workers and resources?
before the war had began during the FYP’s
What motivated the armed forces of the USSR?
propaganda which inspired Patriotism
From when did Germany have to fight a two front war?
from december 1941
What was an issue with German production?
as germany was not self sufficient
What was a strategic mistake of Hitler in regards to the military?
he replaced his best military commanders with loyal yes men which was not advantageous
How did the Western fight aid Stalin indirectly?
British and America airstrikes from 1943 inflicted huge damage on germany’s war effort, weakening the resources available to fight on the war front
When was the uSSR establish as a superpower?
after the war victory
Who became the most dominant military power on the continent ?
Russia
How was the Russian victory good for Stalin ideologically?
as the victory seemed to vindicate communist ideology and offer a war to socialism as a replacement for facsism as an alternative to capitalism
The war brought out massive territorial expansion of the Soviet Union, what states are examples of those which were incorporated into the USSR?
Latvia, Baltic States, Lithuania (etc)
What was an issue upon victory in Berlin in april 1945?
the four power occupation of Berlin already caused disagreements
What were the 4 powers in Berlin?
USSR, Britain, America and France
How by the end of the war did Soviet Russia become a soviet superpower from being militarily weak in 1941?
the war had forced the USSR to build up high military industrial stench and to maximise its economic potential
c how many soviet citizens and civilians died throughout the war?
20 million
12 million
How many soviet soldiers died throughtout the war?
7.5 million