Topic 5: The Great Patriotic Struggle (WW2) Flashcards
when was the German invasion of the USSR?
- 22nd June 1941
when was Stalin’s first wartime broadcast to the Soviet people?
3 July 1941
when did the Siege of Leningrad begin?
8 September 1941
what were the impacts of the siege of Leningrad?
- 600,000 people died of hunger and cold during the 900 day siege
- 100,000 German bombs fell on the city
- police arrested 226 people for cannibalism
when was Stalin’s order 227 issued?
28 July 1942
when did the German sixth army surrender at Petrograd?
2 February 1943
when did the siege of Leningrad end?
27 January 1944
when did the Red army reach Berlin?
23 April 1945
what were the losses at the final battle for Berlin?
- 80,000 Soviets
- 150k Germans
when did Berlin surrender unconditionally to the USSR?
9 May 1945
when was operation Barbarossa launched?
22 June 1941
where did the forces of operation Barbarossa split?
- one group headed towards Leningrad
- one into Ukraine
- one towards Moscow
what forces did Germany have when they invaded the USSR in June 1941?
- 3 million troops
- 3000 aircraft
- 500k motorised vehicles
- 4000 tanks
what were Soviet losses as a result of German invasion?
- between June and December 1941 Red Army lost 2,663,000 and 3,350,000 taken prisoner of which 2 million died
why is Stalin criticised for the German invasion?
- because there were 80 warnings in 8 months of German intentions and build up of troops
- repeated reconnaissance flights over Soviet territory were ignored
- when the German attack came Stalin did nothing- it was nearly 2 months before he spoke publicly about the invasion
why was poor leadership an issue in the early stages of the war?
- Stalin was indecisive
- the army had inexperienced commanders as Stalin removed the most experienced officers in his military purges of 1937 (35k officers arrested)
- he refused to allow his southern armies to retreat from Kiev until it was too late which brought a massive defeat
how did industrial production suffer at the start of the war?
In November 1941, industrial production was only 51.7% the output of November 1940
what did the USSR lose in the areas occupied by the Germans?
- 85% of pre-war grain harvests
- 60% of the capacity for pig iron
- armament factories
- coal and aluminium
- 40% pre-war grain harvests and cattle
- 60% of pre-war pig herds
how many convictions were there for lateness and absenteeism?
7.5 million
when was the battle of Stalingrad?
September to November 1942
what happened at the battle of Stalingrad?
- a few thousand courageous Soviet men and women held up the Germans in spite of 75% casualties
- the railway station changed hands 15 times and a giant grain elevator was besieged for 58 days
- the German 6th army surrendered on January 31 1943
- 800k German troops lost
what did the victory at Stalingrad do for the Stalin cult?
Stalin’s cult grew even stronger. Praise for him was not confined to the Soviet Union: in the USA he was made Man of the Year 1942 by Time magazine