Operation Barbarossa and the Battle of Stalingrad L6 Flashcards
1) Which part of Poland did Hitler control under the Nazi-Soviet Pact?
2) Which part of Poland did Stalin control under the Nazi-Soviet Pact?
1) The west
2) The east
When did World War II break out?
September 1939
What was the Nazi-Soviet Pact?
An agreement between Hitler and Stalin not to attack each other and to split Poland in half.
When did Germany invade the USSR?
22nd June 1941
What was the name of the German invasion of the USSR?
Operation Barbarossa
What were Hitler’s goals in invading the USSR?
Defeat Communism, take land for Germans, and use Soviets as slave labor
What strategy did the Red Army use while retreating?
Scorched earth policy (destroying railways, buildings, and crops to prevent German use)
When did the Germans reach Leningrad and Moscow?
September 1941
How did the Red Army respond to the attack on Leningrad?
They fought fiercely and held off the German attack
When did the Russian winter begin?
November 1941
How did the winter of 1941 affect the German army?
Temperatures dropped to -40°C, German soldiers lacked proper winter gear, and many froze to death
What major decision did Hitler make after the winter of 1941?
He took control of the army and focused on capturing Stalingrad
When did the Russian counter-attack at Stalingrad begin?
November 1942
How did the Russians defeat the Germans at Stalingrad?
They surrounded the German army, cutting off its supplies
How many German soldiers were trapped at Stalingrad?
Over 300,000
What happened to German soldiers during the winter of 1942?
Many froze and starved to death
When did the Germans surrender at Stalingrad?
January 1943
How many German soldiers surrendered at Stalingrad?
Only 90,000
What was the impact of the Battle of Stalingrad?
The Russians began pushing the Germans back toward Germany
