The Great Patriotic War Flashcards
Since when had Hitler been planning his invasion of the USSR?
October 1940
Why was the invasion delayed?
It was initially scheduled for 1st June, but was delayed for 3 weeks because Italian policies had caused crisis in Yugoslavia.
This compelled Hitler to invade Yugoslavia in a blitzkrieg campaign
How was the German army organised?
Three huge army groups lead the invasion; one group marched north through the Baltic States towards Leningrad, another group marched south and east into Ukraine and the other group marched in a central thrust towards Moscow
Some of Hitler’s advisors wanted all of the forces to be concentrated in the central drive on Moscow, but Hitler overruled them
Evidence that Stalin was shocked by the invasion
He would not make a radio broadcast to the people (that task was delegated to Molotov), probably because he feared that the people and the Party would blame him and turn against him
When Stalin did eventually make a speech, what was striking about it?
Appealed to patriotism, religion and unity among nationalities (a stark change of tone from the terror)
Called the fightback ‘a great war of the whole Soviet people’
Why was the Soviet military so unprepared for war?
Purges had weakened the Red Army (some of its best commanders, like Tukhachevsky were killed)
The USSR’s weakness can be shown by its lacklustre campaign in Finland
Soviet resources were also stretched by the need to keep substantial forces in the Far East
Significant quotes from Molotov’s speech
‘The government calls upon you to once again close ranks around our glorious Bolshevik Party, around our Soviet government, and around our great leader, Comrade Stalin’
Compared the Nazi invasion with the failed invasion of Russia by Napoleon in 1812
Examples of Stalin’s poor leadership in the early stages of the war
He had a panic attack after the invasion and failed to give any leadership in the first few weeks (e.g. prepared to move the government away from Moscow to Samara on the Volga, but changed his mind at the last moment)
Relied for too long on unskilled commanders who had been promoted after the purges
In September 1941, he caused the massive defeat of his southern armies at Kiev by refusing to allow them to retreat until it was too late
What saved Stalin from defeat in the early stages of the war?
The sheer size of Russia with its huge population and distances, the severity of the Russian winter and the patriotism of the Soviet people
He also learned from his mistakes and was helped by his ‘master spy’ Richard Sorge, who revealed to Stalin Japan’s intentions for the US.
3 phases of the GPW
June 1941 - summer of 1942: Soviet Russia struggled to survive against successive German offences, suffering massive losses of people and territory
1942 - summer of 1943: Soviet Russia stabilised its war effort, built a powerhouse war economy and halted German advances
1943 - summer of 1945: Soviet armies began offensive attacks, recapturing lost territory and achieving total victory
Example of a huge Soviet defeat in the early stages of the war
At Minsk and Smolensk, Soviet armies were encircled and defeated
At Kiev, 665,000 Soviet troops were captured
How can we see that the USSR struggled for its survival in the early stages of the war
After two weeks, German generals believed the war was virtually won and that Moscow would be captured before the end of August.
Further big defeats for the USSR
Leningrad was encircled early in September
Forces were in place for a final advance on Moscow
Half a million Soviet troops surrendered after the fall of Kiev on the 19th of September
What did the Soviet leadership offer in October 1941?
15th October 1941 - offered negotiations for a compromise peace, which was rejected by Hitler
How did the course of the war begin to change towards the end of 1941?
In November, the weather worsened and Soviet defences hardened, with some counter-attacks pushing German forces back from the outskirts of Moscow
On December 5th, the advance on Moscow was halted
What did German victory depend on?
Speed was vital in securing a German victory, and Hitler knew he could not win a long war of attrition.
Weaknesses of Operation Barbarossa
The German military had very few troops in reserve.
Hitler’s generals underestimated the number of Soviet divisions - they initially believed they faced 200, but by August they had identified at least 360
What did German forces do in May 1942?
Launched an offensive aiming towards the Caucasus to knock Russia out of the war
Case Blue, as it was called, achieved massive victories in eastern Ukraine and brought about the fall of Rostov on the Don in July (one of the lowest moments for the USSR in the whole war)
What strategic mistake did Hitler make with Case Blue?
Decided to divert forces to the capture of Stalingrad. This became a symbolic battle, with Stalin desperate to defend it and Hitler obsessed with taking it.
In October, the balance changed - the German Sixth Army at Stalingrad was cut off and encircled
Why was the defence of Stalingrad significant?
Huge Soviet victory which changed the balance of power in the war.
In the summer of 1942, nine tenths of the city was in Nazi hands, and yet the Soviet forces were able to build up new armies and new weapons to defend their city.
Example of consequence of the victory of Stalingrad?
Rostov regained only 3 weeks later
When and what was Operation Citadel?
Launched (delayed) on the 4th of July 1943
It was a great offensive near Kursk
Why did Operation Citadel fail?
The German offensive was halted by massive Soviet firepower at the Battle of Prokhorovka, the biggest tank battle in history
Hitler called off the Kursk offensive on the 13th of July, but Prokhorovka invigorated the Soviet appetite to counter-attack and regain their lost territories
What was the foundation of Soviet victory at Prokhorovka?
Mass production of the T-34 tank, which was immensely durable and easy to repair.
