The Great Patriotic War and its impact on the Soviet Union, 1941-1945 Flashcards
What did Stalin sign the Nazi-Soviet pact in 1939 thinking?
it would buy him time to prepare for the Nazi invasion of USSR
When did Germany begin their invasion?
June 1941
When did they reach Moscow and get pushed back?
Dec 1941
Where did the Germans launch towards after Moscow June 1924?
the Caucasus oilfields
Who surrended at Petrograd 1943
Nazis
Where was the new German offensive defeated in July 1943?
Kursk
When was Kiev ‘liberated’ by the Red Army?
November 1944
When did the Siege of Leningrad end?
Jan 1944
What was the summit meeting held in Feb 1945?
Yalta summit
When was the final defeat of Germany?
May 1945
What was the German codename for USSR invasion?
Operation Barbarossa - launched 22 June 1941
How was the Nazis invasion force split?
into three groups
Leningrad, Ukraine. Moscow
What direct action did Stalin take after the invasion?
absolutely none he didn’t believe it
How many weeks until Stalin talked poublically about the invasion?
2 weeks
Who made a radio broadcast in Stalins place on 22nd June?
Molotov, foreign minister
When did Stalin hold his speech calling on the USSR to join a patriotic war against fascism?
3 July
why did the Soviet Army have inexperienced commanders?
Stalin removed them during the military purges of 1937
What brought on a massive defeat in the south in September 1941?
Stalin refused to allow armies to retreat from Kiev.
When was Stage 1 of the war?
June 1941 to Summer 1942
What is a summary on stage one of the war?
Soviet Russia struggled to survive, massive losses
When did the siege of Leningrad begin?
8 Sept 1941
What was the first sign of German hesitation?
advance on Moscow halts - 5 dec
When did Stalingrad’s bombardment begin?
23 Aug 1942
How many troops invaded USSR in June 1941?
3 million
How many Soviet troops captured at Kiev?
665,000
What was refused on 15 October?
Soviet attempted peace treaty
What was a turning point of Stage 1 of WW2?
Intelligence from Japan - Stalin could use troops from Siberia to defend Moscow
When was the second Stage of WW2?
1942 to summer 1943
What is a summary of the second WW2 stage?
Russia stabilised war effort, built a powerhouse economy
When did the Germans surrender at Stalingrad?
2nd Feb 1943
What could be said about the second stage of the war?
The war was mostly about stamina, Hitler couldnt keep up
What was central to Soviet successes at Prokhorovka in 12 July?
Mass production of T-34 tank
What was a big mistake Hitler made in Feb 1943?
refusing to pull troops out of Stalingrad.
When was Stage 3 of WW2?
1943 to 1945
What is a summary of Stage 3?
Soviet armies on offensive, recapturing areas and pushing into Germany.
When was the liberation of Kiev?
6 Nov 1943
When did Soviet troops enter Poland?
4 Jan 1944
From when was there a chain of Soviet victories?
August 1943
When did the Soviets reach Berlin?
April 1945
How was the Soviet Union ravaged by the war?
huge destruction by German advance, plus Soviet scorched earth tactics
What was life like for civilians on the Home Front?
unrelentlessly harsh - food, shelter, fuelHow many
How many civillians died in the war?
12 millions
What stat shows the devastation on the Civillians?
1 in 8 died by 1945
How many towns and cities/villages destroyed?
1700 towns,
70,000 villages
What is an example of Brutality and repression from Germans?
Thousands of soldiers held as POW,
thousands of workers conscripted in German factories,
Soviet commissars executed
How many Jews were shot in September 1941?
34,000 - Babi Yar graves
What is an example of Brutality and repression from Soviets
Thousands arrested or executed as deserters,
170,000 executed for treason,
How many people were deported by the russians in May 1944?
Tartar population - 240,000
Who were the Soviets harsh towards?
people from liberated western areas,
returned Prisoners of war
What did the experience of war achieve?
brought Soviet people together - huge sacrifices made by manyh
How were the Soviet people united?
fear and hatred of Nazis,
deep patriotism,
underlying faith in Stalin
How many were in the Red Army in 1941 compared to after conscription?
4.8 million in Red Army - added 29.5 million
What was destroyed by the German occupation of western regions?
the basis of Soviet economy, for industry and agriculture
How many trains took Soviet industry beyond the Urals?
20,000
How many factories were moved from Moscow?
500
What proved to be effective during wartime?
the Centrally controlled command economy
What made huge improvements for Soviet Army?
T-34 Tank, quick and easy to repair.
military tactics
How many American trucks of supplies were supplied to the US under the US Lend-Lease scheme?
300,000
What was the US Lend-Lease scheme?
Us Policty to supply allies with food, oil and military equipment
What did the USSR downplay, which was an important factor in Army mobilisation?
Foreign aid, especially in Winter 1942/43 - USSR recovering from heavy losses
