The cause and course of WW2 in Russia Flashcards
How did Hitler’s ideology play a role in causing Germany to invade the Soviet Union
- Hitler made no secret of his loathing of Bolshevism and considers it to be an ideology that had to be destroyed
- In Mein Kampf described Bolshevism as and infamous crime against humanity’ and he later claimed ‘Bolshevism is the doctrine of the people who are the lowest in the scale of civilisation’
- By 1940 Hitler showed his increasing impatience when he said ‘Russia’s destruction must be made part of the struggle …The sooner Russia is crushed the better’
How did the lack of trust between Hitler and Stalin play a role in causing Germany to invade the Soviet Union
Hitler had no long-term belief in Stalin’s good faith. He believed that ‘since there was to be a war, it was essential that Germany struck first
How did the Nazi idea of Lebensraum (living space) play a role in causing Germany to invade the Soviet Union
Invasion of the Soviet Union would provide the territorial expansion needed to gain the much need Lebensraum- adequate living space for the increasing German population. Hitler stated that ‘if new territory is to be acquired, it must be mainly at Russia’s cost’
Hitler’s aggressive Nationalism is shown by his desire to annex White Russia and the Ukraine.
How did Hitler’s desire for Autarky (self-sufficiency) play a role in causing Germany to invade the Soviet Union
- Regions of western Russia would provide many of the raw materials needed for Germany to achieve autarky or self- sufficiency
- The grain-growing Ukraine would feed Germans and was described by Hitler as ‘Germany’s bread basket’
- The oil of the Caucasus would be essential to German armed forces in any future war.
How did Hitler’s racial ideology play a role in causing Germany to invade the Soviet Union
- The invasion was a part of Hitler’s campaign vs the Jews
- He regarded Marxism as being a part of a Judaish plot to achieve the world domination.
- In a 1937 speech he claimed that ‘the Jews had established a brutal dictatorship over the Russian people’.
- Earlier, he has emphasised the need to oppose Marxism and the Jews and warned- ‘Either they will pass over our bodies or we over theirs’
How did the Hitler’s desire for total victory in WW2 play a role in causing Germany to invade the Soviet Union
Hitler calculated that the invasion of the Soviet Union would ultimately bring about the collapse of Britain. In 1939 he stated that ‘Britain’s hope lies in Russia… If Russia drops out if the picture, all is lost for Britain’
What happened on the morning of 22 June 1941
More than 3 million German troops backed by Panzer units consisting of some 3350 tanks and massed formations of aircraft of the Luftwaffe began the invasion of the Soviet Union.
How was the offensive of Operation Barbarossa described
A massive blitzkrieg (lighting war) offensive
What’s code name did Hitler give to the plans for the invasion of the Soviet Union
Operation Barbarossa
Why was Hitler overly confident approaching his invasion of the Soviet Union
The ease with which his army had won victories in the West and the poor performances of Russians against the Finns led Hitler to be confident of a quick and easy victory
How far were the Germans able to advance in their invasion
The Germans advanced along a 2300km front which stretched from the Baltic Sea in the North to the Black Sea in the South
What happened on 26 June and 27 June 1941
On 26 June, Finland declared war on the Soviet Union and the following day, Hungary followed.
What happened in July 1941 between Britain and the Soviet Union
July 1941 saw an agreement being signed between Britain and the Soviet Union. The 2 agreed on mutual aid and both countries agreed not to make a separate peace with Germany.
What is the name of the 3 Army Groups of the Germans and why was this important
Army Group North
Army Group Centre
Army Group North
Each was to be part of a three-pronged drive deep into the Soviet Union.
Which countries had men included in the German land forces in 1941
The German land forces included Romanians, Hungarians and Italians.
What was the role of Army Group North
Army Group North was to advance from East Prussia north-eastward through the Baltic States towards Leningrad
What was the role of Army Group South
Army Groups South was to advance through the Ukraine, crops the River Dnieper and then move towards Kharkov.
What was the role of Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre was to advance due East to take Minsk and Smolensk before moving towards Moscow.
What was the situation after the first 3 weeks of Operation Barbarossa
At the end of the first 3 weeks, Army Group Centre alone had taken over 300,000 Russian prisoners, 2500 tanks and masses of vehicles and military equipment.
How had the war progressed by early August 1941
By early August 1941 all former Polish territory occupied by the Russians had been taken, Leningrad was encircled and the people began the horrors of a 900 day siege, Minsk and Smolensk were in German hands, the River Dnieper crossed, and Odessa was besieged by the Romanians.
How had the war developed by the end of September 1941.
By the end of September 1941, Hitler had launched Operation Typhoon, an all out offensive to capture Moscow. Although units of the German army entered the suburbs of the city, they were driven back by ferocious Russian counter-attacks and forced to retreat.
During this time the Soviet gov moved from Moscow to the safety of Kuybyshev in the Easy but Stalin chose to stay in the capital city.
What’s has changed with regard to the Soviet gov’s location by Spet 1941 as a result of WW2
During this time the Soviet gov moved from Moscow to the safety of Kuybyshev in the East
How did Russians INITIALLY react to the German troops as they advanced through the Baltic’s states and the Ukraine
Many greeted the German invaders as liberators from the oppressive rule of Stalin. Thousands volunteered to collaborate with the Germans
What’s was the situation go the war by the end of 1941 and what did this show Hitler
By the end of 1941, Russia still held Moscow and Leningrad, making it clear that Hitler’s plan to win an outright victory by the end of 1941 had failed.
Before the end of the year, the war lapses into a stalemate, which was more of an advantage to the Russians than the Germans.
What’s caused the German advance to slow
The onset of winter
What’s happened on December 7 and how did this effect the war
On 7 December, the Japanese attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbour and, without hesitation, Hitler declared war on the US. It was a decision that was to greatly influence the outcome of the war.
How did Hitler’s the timing of Hitler’s invasion lead to the failure of Operation Barbarossa
Hitler decided to embark on the invasion of the Soviet Union before he had defeated Britain, meaning he was committed to fighting on 2 fronts, placing strain on men and resources.
How did the Germany army’s fighting on other fronts lead to the failure of Operation Barbarossa
The German Army has already been weakened by the need to divert units to other fronts- the Balkans and North Africa.
How did the 5-week postponement of the invasion of the Soviet Union lead to the failure of Operation Barbarossa
The 5-week postponement of the invasion meant that the German army had less time to achieve its objectives before the Russian winter set in
How did Hitler’s attitude contribute to the failure of Operation Barbarossa
Hitler was over confident and therefore paid too little regard to the need to gather military intelligence about the deployment of the Red Army, which would have greatly strengthened his invasion. The info that he did recieve, he chose to ignore.
How did the Russian soldiers attitudes contribute to the failure of Operation Barbarossa
The Russian soldier’s fought with unexpected ferocity and their bravery and tenacity surprised the German Army
How did the discipline of the Red Army contribute to the failure of Operation Barbarossa
Russian army was strengthened by its discipline. Discipline was strictly enforced and behind the line there were units of NVKD ready to deal with deserters and those whose moral was flagging.
How did German’s supplies contribute to the failure of Operation Barbarossa
German armies faced shortages of food and munitions as they advanced further into the Soviet Union, due to lengthening supply lines.
How did the Russian railway lines contribute to the failure of Operation Barbarossa
The gauge of Russian railway lines was different to that of Germany and this meant that German rolling sticks could not be used to bring supplies to the front.
How did Stalin’s ‘scorched earth policy’ contribute to the failure of Operation Barbarossa
Stalin ordered the destroying of everything that might help the Germans to survive.
Stalin ordered the Russians ‘do not leave a single house, a single animal or a single grain of food’.
How did German moral contribute to the failure of Operation Barbarossa
German moral was affected by rumours of the harsh treatment awaiting them if they were to be taken prisoner by the Russians (who had formed groups called ‘partisans’ to attack invaders from the rear and often imprison them).
