The Making of a Superpower - impact of WW2 Flashcards
1
Q
What was the Nazi-Soviet pact 1939?
A
- Stalin attempted to make pacts with number of European nations - knew war was coming
- Signed in 1939 with Germany - Germany eager for non-aggression deal with Russia
- allowed Hitler to expand territory in Eastern Europe
- Allowed Stalin to expand territory in Baltic States
- both sides knew there would eventually be war between each-other - just allowed both sides time to prepare
2
Q
When did Germany invade Russia?
A
June 1941
3
Q
What was Operation Barbarossa?
A
- June 1941
- Germany launched rapid attack against Russia
- attack targeted Moskva
4
Q
What was Operation Typhoon?
A
- September 1941
- German troops reached outskirts of Moskva & Leningrad
- attempts to claim city repelled by General Khukov
- German troops seige cities
5
Q
What was the Battle of Stalingrad?
A
- August 42-Feb 43
- fight for Industrial city of Stalingrad
- over 1.9m dead
- Russians win
6
Q
What was Operation Uranus?
A
- September 1942
- Massive Russian Counter-attack
- end of 43 - Russians forced Germans out of territory
7
Q
What were the Ten Great Victories?
A
- January 1944
- Russia captured significant territory in Eastern Europe
8
Q
What was the Battle for Berlin?
A
- April 1945
- May 1945 Russia captures Berlin
9
Q
How far was the Red Army prepared for War?
A
- Red Army purged between 36-38 - all senior officers gone
- significantly weakened strength of army
10
Q
How far was the Russian Economy prepared for War?
A
- chaos of 3rd5YP made economic preparation difficult
- between 38-41 Russian spending on rearmament rose from 27.5bn roubles to 70.9bn roubles
11
Q
How far was Russia’s spying network prepared for War?
A
- best network in the world
- Moscow received accurate information on enemies - e.g. size and strength of German army
- Stalin did not trust reports - valuable information ignored
