Operation Barbarossa Flashcards
From when had Allied intelligence found evidence that Hitler had been plotting to invade Russia?
October 1940
When was the siege of Leningrad?
sep 1941
When was the Battle of Moscow?
Dec 1941
When was Operation Barabarossa?
22nd June 1941
When did the German army surround Stalingrad?
November 1942
When did the German army surrender at Stalingrad?
Feb 1943
When did the Leningrad siege end?
1944 Jan
When was the Soviet victory in the Battle of Berlin?
may 1945
Hitler had intended the invasion of the USSR to be another blitzkrieg campaign. What is this?
this was the term used to define the rapid victories achieved by German armies in conquering poland in 1939 and France in 1940 using fast moving amorured units followed by air support
Why was it bad for Operation Barbarossa that it was cut to 22nd June rather than the intended 1st of June?
as it shortened the window for completion of the operation before winter weather conditions intervened
3 huge army groups spearheaded the German invasion of the USSR. Where did they go?
- North through Baltic States towards Leningrad
- East to Ukraine
- Central thrust towards Moscow
What was the aims behind Operation Barabarossa? (3)
military victory, seize control over Soviet economy and eradicate communism
How did Hitler believe many Soviet citizens would welcome the German invaders?
as liberators
What was a reason why Stalin preferred not to believe allied forces that Hitler was planning an invasion?
as he did not want to provoke Hitler into launching an attack
How can the weakness of the Soviet position in June 1941 be reflected in Stalin’s reaction to the German invasion?
he shrank away from making a radio broadcast to the people- he left this task to Molotov
How much time had Stalin spent away from public after the German invasion?
almost 2 weeks
When did Stalin make a radio speech to the nation following the German invasion?
3rd July
What did Stalin appeal to in his radio speech on the 3rd July 1941 following th German invasion which was a change fro the startling terror tone of the 1930s?
he appealed to religion and patriotism, and unity amongst the nationalisties
Why was it significant that the new tone of Stalin’s propaganda was for a Great Patriotic War?a
s this linked to the national struggles of Russia’s past during Napoleons campaign
How did the Communist Party refer to Russia during the war?
as the mother land
How long did the army purges last?
from 1937-1939
Where can the weakness of the red army be demonstrated?
in the Winter War against Finland 1939-40
Why did Soviet resources have to be stretched as far as the Far East?
due to the 1939 war against Japan which was a major threat to Stalin
Although the total size of the army greatly increased between 1939-1941, how did this compare to the Germans?
the Germans had efficiency, equipment and leadership
What happened to the extensive territories in eastern Poland and the Baltic States that had been seized in 1939-40?
this did not provide a buffer zone and were taken over by Germany within a matter of weeks
Stalin’s leadership was poor in the first year of war. He was even prepared to move the government away from Moscow to where until the last second?
to Samara on the Volga
What was an issue with the commanders of the Red Army?
They were inferior and had only been promoted due to the purge of the army from 1937-39
How did Stalin cause a massive defeat of his southern armies at Kiev in Sep 1941?
by refusing to allow them to retreat until it was too late
What was the Stavka?
this was the top-level military command of the USSR formed on the 23rd June 1941 compromising of key generals and politicians- subordinate only to the GKO which was the supreme political war cabinet
What was the GKO?
this was the supreme political war cabinet
What was Stalin saved by in the war? (3)
the size of Russia, the enormity of its population and the intensity of its weather
Who gave Stalin advance information about the intentions of Japan?
by master spy, Sorge
Who were the Axis powers?
Germany, Italy and Japan
By 1943, more than how many in Leningrad died of hunger and cold in three successive winters of terrifying siege?
1.3 million
In what year had the USSR fought a major war against Japan?
1939
Why was it advanatagous to Soviet victory that master spy Sorge in Japan tipped of Stalin that Japanese aggression would be targetted at America?a
as this allowed Stalin to redirect the high quality troops in the Far East to strengthen the defence of Moscow
