WWII Flashcards
What was the name of the German invasion of Russia and when was it
Operation Barbarossa
June 22 1941
How long did the German advance last
Until December 1941
When did the USSR start pushing the Germans out
Feb 1943
What was Order 270 delivered in August 1941
“Fight to the last”
What was the Moscow panic
Chaos in Moscow as the Germans approach leading to the relocation of the majority of the government (but Stalin stayed)
What is commonly sighted as the Russian low point in the war
Battle of Rostov (July 1942)
What was Order 227 given in July 1942
“Not a step back”
When was the Leningrad blockade lifted
27 Jan 1944
What was Operation Bagration
June 1944 offensive where in just 68 days the 1.2 million strong German army was destroyed and pushed out of Soviet territory
What is the ratio of German to Russian deaths in Operation Bagration
4:1
How long was the siege of Leningrad
900 days
How was Stalin a weak leader in the war
Ignored people saying Hitler would invade
His purges of the Army had weakened it
Commitment to not retreating causing increased loss of life
No remorse
How was Stalin a strong leader in the war
Rallying force - Personal address, something he had never done before
Strong orders
Eventually listened to advisers
How many men had the Red army lost by December 1941
6 million
What was the name of the non-aggression pact between Germany and Russia (1939-41)
Molotov–Ribbentrop pact
What percentage of GDP was going towards the war
50%
When did Stalin become Commander in Chief
10 July 1941
What was the GKO
Supervisor of military, economic and political life within Russia
What was the Stavka
Body in charge of all land, air and sea opperations
How was Stalin portrayed in propaganda
All seeing, brave leader
Generalissimo
How many Poles were executed in April 1940
20,000
How many were deported to the Gulags in the new territories (1939-40)
1.5 million
How many Volga Germans were deported in 1941
600,000
What percentage of those deported died within 5 years
25%
What were the Blocking Detachments
NKVD officers who would follow regiments and shoot cowards/deserters
How many people were involved in the Punishment Companies
430,000
Who were considered Deserters and Traitors
Deserters surrendered
Traitors retreated
How many Soviet citizens were deserted in other areas of Europe
5 million
How many died in Russian labour camps (1941-45)
622,000
What percentage of Russian industry was relocated to the east
8-10%
How many new factories were opened
3,500
What was the name of the Russia Tanks
T-34 & KV
What percentage of farmers in the war were women
80%
What was the state of the agricultural sector
People overworked, malnourished, poor living conditions. No horses to pull ploughs
What was the Lend-Lease
US loan of supplies (Food, trucks, rail) that would be repaid after the war
What did Khrushchev say about the Lend-Lease
without it “out losses would have been colossal”
“without spam we wouldn’t have been able to feed our army”
How many women where serving in the armed forces
A million
What percentage of the workforce were women
53%
What was the biggest impact of women on the front
Nurses & Doctors
Night Witches
Snipers (12,000 killed)
What was the death-toll of the war
27,000,000
What was the population of men and women in Russia after the war
96m women
74m men
How many were effectively homeless after the war
25 million
How many towns and villages were destroyed
1,700 towns
70,000 villages
What percentage of agricultural output was lost
40%
