The Defeat of the Germans Flashcards
What was apparent by late 1944
the german defeat was imminent
what was happening to the German forces by late 1944
they were retreating on all fronts
why was victory delayed
the allies’ insistence on Germany’s unconditional surrender
what did Stalin want the Red Army to win
the race for berlin
What capital cities were liberated as the Red Army pushed to Berlin
Warsaw, Budapest, Prague and Vienna
what did Stalin expensively repeatedly order
all-out frontal assaults, regardless of the very high casualties
what had weakened the German war effort
mass bombing
what was destroyed in February 1945
Dresden
what happened in April 1945
the red army reached the outskirts of Berlin; a few days later, Soviet forces met up with American forces, at Torgau on the Elbe
what drove Stalins to want the final defeat of the Germans
it was driven by political as well as military motives. He wished to control as much as possible of Central Europe and Germany, as to provide a buffer zone against any future threats to the USSR
what was the symbol of Soviet Victory in the Great Patriotic War
the storming of the Reichstag on 2 May 1945
how did Geography assist the Soviet Union
their vast geographical size made it almost impossible for Germany to strike a decisive, knockout blow against them. German forces constantly faced problems of dangerously overstretched lines of communication.
how did the size of Russia benefit the army
it enabled whole new armies and a whole new industrial base, to be built up in the East, beyond Germany’s reach
what was the Russian population in 1941
171 million
how was the population compared to the Germans
it was nearly three times greater than Germany’s
how did the USSR benefit from its large population
they could replace their losses in a way that was impossible for the Germans
What did the USSR have vast access ti
natural resources (such as oil) that were unleashed by the war. The longer the war went on, the stronger Soviet military-industrial power became
what was output like in 1943
the USSR simply outproduced German war industries
what had been established before the war
the command economy
what did the command economy enable
it was well suited to the needs of total war and the emergency mobilisation of workers and resources
what is a command economy
the Marxist theory demanded that the state should control the commanding heights of the economy to enforce socialism on business and eliminate capitalism
what did the military leadership of the USSR become
ruthlessly effective
What did Stalin prove himself as
a very capable war leader. His generals became highly competent. Propaganda and patriotism motivated the armed forces and civilians to fight and endure
what did the USSR do during their war to a greater extent than any other country
the enlisting of women
