WW2 Flashcards
When was WW2?
1939- 1945
When was The Great Patriotic War?
1941-1945
When did German armies invade the Soviet Union?
4:15am on Sunday 22 June 1941
Why did Hitler invade the Soviet Union in 1941?
- He directly opposed National Socialism + made no secret of his loathing of Bolshevism, considering it to be an ideology that had to be destroyed.
- He had no long term belief in Stalin’s good faith and since there was to be a war, Germany had to strike first.
- Invasion of the SU would bring about territorial expansion needed to gain Lebensraum.
- Regions of Western Russia would provide many raw materials needed for Germany to achieve autarky.
- The invasion was part of Hitler’s campaign against the Jews.
- He calculated the invasion of the SU would bring about the collapse of Britain.
Explain further how Hitler directly opposing national socialism was a reason why he invaded the SU
He directly opposed National Socialism and made no secret of his loathing of Bolshevism, considering it to be an ideology that had to be destroyed.
In Mein Kampf, he described Bolshevism as ‘an infamous crime against humanity’ and later in his speech told his audience- ‘Bolshevism is the doctrine of the people who are lowest in the scale of civilisation’.
In 1940 he showed his increasing impatience when he said- ‘Russia’s destruction must be made part of the struggle… the sooner Russia is crushed the better’.
What is Lebensraum?
Adequate living space
Explain in further detail about why the need for Lebensraum was a reason why Hitler invaded the SU
The invasion of the Soviet Union would bring about the territorial expansion needed to gain much needed Lebensraum- adequate living space for the Germans.
Hitler openly stated ‘if new territory is to be acquired, it must be mainly at Russia’s cost’.
The regions he sought to annex were White Russia (present day Byelorussia) and the Ukraine.
Explain in further detail why the need to achieve autarky was a reason why Hitler invaded the SU
Regions of western Russia would provide many of the raw materials needed for Germany to achieve autarky or self sufficiency. ⬇️
The grain growing Ukraine that Hitler described as ‘Germany’s bread basket’ while the oil of the Caucasus would be essential to the German armed forces in any future war.
The German Fuhrer put it bluntly saying ‘we will acquire soil for the German plough by use of the German sword and thus provide the nation with its daily bread’.
Explain in further detail why Hitlers campaign against the Jews was a reason why he invaded the SU
The invasion was part of Hitler’s campaign against the Jews. He regarded Marxism as being part of a Judaish plot to achieve world domination.
In a speech made in 1937, he claimed that as ‘a fact proved by irrefutable evidence, communism was part of a Jewish world conspiracy’.
He further claimed that ‘the Jews had established a brutal dictatorship over the Russian people’.
Earlier he had emphasised the need to oppose Marxism and the Jews and warned- ‘either they will pass over our bodies or we over theirs’.
Explain in further detail why the collapse of Britain was a reason why Hitler invaded the SU
Hitler calculated that the invasion of the SU would ultimately bring about the collapse of a Britain.
In 1939, he said- ‘Britain’s hope lies in Russia… if Russia drops out of the picture all is lost for Britain…’
What is autarky?
Self sufficiency
What happened in June in 1941?
Operation Barbarossa (invasion of the Soviet Union).
Finland declared war on the Soviet Union.
Katyn Forest atrocities.
What happened in July in 1941?
Stalin announces ‘scorched earth’ policy.
German cross R. Dnieper and advance into the Ukraine.
German advance on Leningrad.
What happened in September in 1941?
German offensive to capture Moscow.
Siege of Leningrad begins.
Start of Lend-Lease.
Babi Yar (mass murder of Soviet Jews).
What happened in September in 1942?
Failure of Russian spring offensive.
Germans reach the River Don
What happened in November in 1942?
Start of the Battle of Stalingrad.
Germans advance to within 30km of Moscow.
What happened in January 1943?
Germans surrender at Stalingrad.
Major Russian advances along front.
What happened in July 1943?
Battle of Kursk.
Russian offensive in the Ukraine.
Stalin recognises Russian Orthodox Church.
What happened in January 1944?
Red army enters Poland.
Siege of Leningrad finally lifted.
What happened in January 1945?
Red army captures Warsaw.
What happened in April 1945
Red army takes Vienna.
Russian troops in Berlin.
Soviet and US troops meet at Torgau.
What happened in May 1945?
Germany surrenders unconditionally to the Allies.
What does Operation Barbarossa mean and where did the name come from?
It was the code name that Hitler gave to his plans for the invasion of the Soviet Union.
He took the name from the former Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I, a legendary German hero who was known as Barbarossa, Italian for ‘red beard’
What did Hitler say operation Barbarossa?
‘When Operation Barbarossa is launched, the world will hold its breath’.
What led Hitler to be confident of an easy victory of Operation Barbarossa?
The ease with which his armies had won victories in the West and the poor performance of the Russians against the Finns led Hitler to be confident of a quick and easy victory.
What did Hitler boast about Operation Barbarossa?
‘We will only have to kick in the front door and the whole rotten edifice will come tumbling down’.
What’s a blitzrieg?
A lightening/ fast war.
When was operation Barbarossa?
22 June 1941
What happened on the morning of 22 June 1941?
Operation Barbarossa began.
More than 3 million German troops backed by Panzer units consisting of some 3350 tanks and massed formations of aircraft of the Luftwaffe began the invasion of the Soviet Union.
In a massive Blitzrieg offensive, the Germans advanced along a 2300km front that stretched from the Baltic Sea in the North to the Black Sea in the South.
What happened the same day that Operation Barbarossa began?
The Soviet foreign minister, Molotov spoke to the Russian people on the radio, giving a speech.
What did Molotov’s speech include?
He spoke about Germany’s betrayal despite the fact a treaty of non- aggression (Nazi- Soviet Pact) had been signed between the USSR and Germany.
He said the responsibility falls upon the ‘clique of bloodthirsty German fascist rulers’.
He told them they ‘must stand solid and United as ever before. The government calls upon you to rally closely around our glorious Bolshevik party, around our great leader and comrade, Stalin. Ours is a righteous cause. The enemy shall be defeated. Victory will be ours’.
How where the German land forces organised at the start of Operation Barbarossa?
They were organised into three army groups. Each was to be part of a three pronged drive deep into the Soviet Union.
Army group north
Army group centre
Army group south
Who was included in the German land forces?
Romanians, Hungarians and Italians
What was the aim of Army Group North?
To advance from east Prussia north- eastward through the Baltic States towards Leningrad
What was the aim of Army Group Centre?
To advance due East to take Minsk and Smolensk before moving towards Moscow
What was the aim of Army Group South?
To advance through the Ukraine, cross the River Dnieper and then move towards Kharkov
What happened despite the Russian troops fighting admirably?
The German advance was impressive and their panzers swept aside soviet resistance as they raced forward across the full length of the front.
What happened at the end of 3 weeks of Operation Barbarossa?
Army Group Centre alone had taken over 300,000 Russian prisoners, 2500 tanks and masses of vehicles and military equipment
What happened by early august in Operation Barbarossa?
All former polish territory occupied by the Russians had been taken.
Leningrad was encircled.
The people began the horrors of a 900 day siege.
Minsk and Smolensk were in German hands.
The river Dnieper crossed.
Odessa was besieged by the Romanians.
What happened by the end of September 1941 after Operation Barbarossa?
Hitler launched operation Typhoon
What was operation Typhoon?
An all out offensive to capture Moscow
What happened during Operation Typhoon?
Although units of the German army entered the suburbs of the city, they were driven back by ferocious Russian counter attacks and forces to retreat.
During this time, the Soviet government moved from Moscow to the safety of Kuybyshev in the East but Stalin chose to stay in his capital city.
What happened as German forces advanced through the Baltic states and the Ukraine in Operation Typhoon?
Many greeted the invaders as liberators from the oppressive rule of Stalin.
Thousands were soon to volunteer to collaborate with the Germans. However, the onset of winter meant that the impetus of German advance slowed.
How was it clear that Hitler’s plan to win a victory at the end of 1941 failed?
Leningrad and Moscow were still in Russian hands.
Who was at more of an advantage when before the end of 1941 the war lapsed into a stalemate?
More to the advantage of Russians than the Germans
What happened on 7th December 1941?
What did this cause Hitler to do?
The Japanese attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbour and without hesitation, Hitler declared war on the United States.
What would Hitler’s decision to declare war on the USA influence?
Greatly influenced the outcome of the war
What were the three main reasons to explain the German failure to win an outright victory against the Soviet Union in 1941?
- Hitler’s decision to embark on the invasion before he had defeated Britain meant he was committed to fighting on two fronts.
- The German army had been weakened by the need to divert units to other fronts - the Balkans and North Africa.
- The 5 week postponement of the invasion that meant that the German army had less time to achieve its objectives before the Russian winter set in.
What other 10 reasons explain the German failure?
- Hitler was overconfident and paid to little regard to the need to gather military intelligence about the deployment of the red army.
- He chose to ignore the information he received.
- The Russians fought with unexpected ferocity.
- Discipline in the Red Army was strictly enforced and behind the front line there were always units of NKVD ready to deal with deserters or those lacking morale.
- Shortage of munitions and food.
- German rolling stock couldn’t be used to bring supplies as the gauge of Russian railway lines was different
- Stalin ordered the Russians to carry out a ‘scorched earth policy’ in order to destroy everything that would help the survival of the Germans.
- Behind the front line, Russians formed groups called ‘Partisans’ to attack the invader from the rear.
- The morale of German soldiers was affected by rumours of what would happen if the Russians took them prisoner.
- The Russians were more used to the severe weather.
Why was the weather significant in the failure of the Germans
The Russians were more used to and better able to cope with the severity of the weather.
In the summer, the Germans had to contend with the scorching heat of the Ukraine.
In the winter came sub zero temperatures in which transport and weapons became useless and the men were liable to suffer frostbite and even freeze to death.
In the spring came the heavy rain that clogged machinery and made the already poor Russian roads impossible.
What did Stalin say when he ordered them to carry out a scorched earth policy
‘Do not leave a single house, a single animal or a single grain of food’
What did Hitler say about how the Russian soldiers fought
‘They fight with truly stupid fanaticism with the primitive brutality of an animal that sees itself trapped.’
When did the Germans and their Finnish allies complete the encirclement of Leningrad?
8 September 1941
What happened after the Germans and their Finnish allies completed the encirclement of Leningrad on 8 September 1941?
The city was to remain under siege until 27 January 1944
How many days was Leningrad under siege
872 days
How many leningraders and red army soldiers defended Leningrad
3 million leningraders together with 200,000 red army soldiers were determined to hold onto their city, considered to be ‘the birthplace of the Revolution,’ and there was never any question of surrender.
How did leningraders defend themselves in the early stages?
All able bodied men, women and children helped to dig anti tank ditches and reinforce the city’s defences.
What did the leningrad defenders withstand
With no heating, water supply, almost no electricity and very little food, the defenders withstood continuous German shelling and bombing
How did the leningraders get their supplies
The only means of contact with the outside world was across lake lagoda
In summer, limited supplies reached the beleaguered city by barge and in winter, the Doroga Zhizni, ‘the road of life’ across the frozen lake was used.
The city’s factories still managed to produce munitions
Explain the conditions that the leningraders experienced
Starvation level rations that included a mere 125g of bread a day
Exposure to sub zero temperatures
Disease
Enemy action
How many leningraders died between Jan - Feb 1942
What else happened during this time
200,000 Leningraders died of cold and starvation
It was during this time that Dmitry Shostakovich composed his Seventh ‘Leningrad’ symphony and it was first performed in the besieged city
How many people died by January 1944
800,000 people had died and were buried in mass graves
What was Leningrad awarded after the war
The city was awarded the Order of Lenin and had the title Hero City of the City of the Soviet Union bestowed on it
What happened in the spring of 1942
An early Russian offensive was unsuccessful
What happened during the Russian offensive of 1942
A German counter attack led to the encirclement and annihilation of a soviet army
The disgraced commander, general Efremov, took his own life
What was the aim of the German summer offensive that started late in June 1942
Aimed to make up for the failures of the previous year, take the city of Stalingrad on the River Volga and pass around the Sea of Azov and then advance south to the oilfields of the Caucasus
Explain the impact of the summer Russian offensive for Germany and Russia
The red army suffered over 4million dead, wounded or taken prisoner.
German losses were relatively modest 1,150,000.
When did the battle of Stalingrad begin
19 November 1942
What was the German battle plan for the battle of Stalingrad
It was on Hitler’s orders that, in June, a German army of 330,000 under General Friedrich Paulus was diverted to take Stalingrad, an industrial city on the bank of the River Volga
The German leader’s intention was to capture the city, cross the river and then sweep southwards towards the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea.
In the battle of Stalingrad, what happened by the end of august
German troops had reached the river Volga and begun fighting their way into the city.
What did the Red Army do in the battle of Stalingrad
In a battle that was to witness some of the fiercest hand to hand fighting of the war, the Red army under Marshal Georgi Zhukov contested every street and every house.
What happened despite what the Red Army has done in the battle of Stalingrad.
What else happened at this moment
The Germans succeeded in taking 80% of the city and there seemed the chance that the red army might be pushed to the Volga.
At this moment of crisis, Zhukov devised ‘operation Uranus’
Explain the plan of operation Uranus
Realising the German army formed the spearhead of the advance and that their extremities were protected by less fanatical troops drawn from Italy, Romania and Hungary, he secretly assembled a large army to attack what he considered to be the weaker flanks.
What happened in operation Uranus
The plan was successful and as the enemy’s line collapsed, he used a pincer movement from north and south to encircle von paulus’ army of 330,000 men
What happened during the months of December 1942 and January 1943 in operation Uranus
The Germans fought valiantly to hold their ground.
Paulus asked for permission to fight his way out but Hitler ordered the German armies to stay and fight till the bitter end- to the death
What did Paulus have no choice to do when operation typhoon was being carried out
In the knowledge that no rescue attempt was to be made and with food supplies and munitions running low, Paulus had no choice but to surrender
How many Germans were lost during the battle of Stalingrad
147,000 men
91,000 taken prisoner
What did Zhukov’s victory, which coincided with a British victory over the Germans at El Alamein in North Africa, prove?
Proved to be major turning points in the war
Proves that the germans were not invincible and gave the allies a new confidence
On the eastern front, it marked the beginning on a slow advance that would finally expel the German invaders from the Soviet Union
What were the German armies still able to do in spite of the humiliation at Stalingrad
They were still strong enough to launch an offensive in February 1943 which held the red army advancing towards the River Dnieper and then forced it to retreat
During the German offensive in February, what happened which was not in favour of the Germans
To the north, the German armies facing Moscow withdrew to a shortened and more easily defended links between Smolensk and Orel
To the south, between Orel and Kharkov, was a salient or bulge based on Kursk that extended 160km into the German lines
What did the Germans do in order to remove the salient and eliminate much of the red army strength in their offensive in 1943
They made plans for ‘operation Citadel’
What did the Germans get ready for the battle of Kursk
They massed 900,000 men and some 3,000 tanks, many of them formidable Tiger tanks
The offensive was to be supported by 1800 aircraft of the Luftwaffe
What did Hitler tell his commanders about the battle of Kursk
‘A victory at Kursk must shine like a beacon to the world’
Why did the Germans not get a victory at the battle of Kursk
The Russians knew of the Germans plans and though it best to wait for the enemy to attack first.
The red army under marshal rokossovsky, concentrated on building defensive positions on an unprecedented scale
Altogether over 400,000 mines were laid in front of the Russian positions which were 170km in depth
What did the Germans do despite being aware of the extent of the defences facing them at the battle of Kursk
They launched a massive tank led offensive on 5th July
In spite of suffering heavy losses they managed to force the Russians to retreat 30km.
During the battle of Kursk, what happened on 11 July
The Russians counter attacked and succeeded on destroying 40% of what remained of the German tanks.
Within three days, the German offensive had been brought to a standstill
What did the battle of Kursk come to be known as
‘The greatest tank battle in history’
How did the battle of Kursk end? What was the turning point?
The Germans lost 2900 tanks and 70,000 men were killed
From that point on, the initiative on the Eastern front firmly passed to the Russians
What happened after the battle of Kursk
The Soviet army continued to advance steadily.
Kharkov was taken and by the end of august, they had reached the river Dnieper and cut off the German forces trapped in the Crimea
How did the Russians know of the German plans for the battle of Kursk
The role of the NKVD
What are the 10 points to describe 1944
- During the early months of 1944, the Russian advance westward gathered pace and in April soviet forces captured the Black Sea port of Odessa.
- In the summer came a major Russian offensive along the whole front.
- In the west, the Allied invasion of Normandy on D-Day had opened a long awaited ‘second front’ against Germany and Allied troops were also fighting their way through Italy.
- Early in July, the Russians captured Minsk and by the middle of the month, their forces were again in Poland and advanced to the bank of the River Vistula.
- In the anticipation of liberation, polish resistance in Warsaw rose against the Germans and briefly took over sections of the city.
- The red army did not move and watched as the Germans put down the revolt.
- It was later claimed that Stalin decided to help the Warsaw uprising in order to allow the Germans to eliminate the poles that might have caused him difficulties during the post war period. The Warsaw uprising had occurred without first consulting the Russians and the speed of their advance, over 700km in 5 weeks, exhausted the red army
- The soviet forces remained on the river Vistula for 6 months
- In September, Finland surrendered abs Russian troops were able to sweep through Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
- Units of the red army entered Romania and Bulgaria in august and in October they crossed into Yugoslavia and with the aid of partisans led by marshal tito, liberated the country
