the war on the eastern front

1. Lesson 13
WW II – Germany Turns East

2. Lesson Objectives
• Describe and analyze the German decision process to
attack the Soviet Union in June 1941.
• Describe and analyze the operational and logistic
implications of Operation Barbarossa.
• Understand and be able to discuss the impact of total war
within the Soviet Union.
• Understand how the initial successes of the German
invasion of the USSR turned into such a total disaster.
• Be able to describe the magnitude of the Soviet-German
War and its impact on the outcome of World War II.

3. Battle of Britain
Operation Sealion
September 17, 1940 Operation Sealion postponed indefinitely
Unable to gain air superiority
Approach of winter
Review

4. Hitler Turns East
Germany, USSR signed nonaggression pact (August 23, 1939)
After German defeat of Poland, Germany and USSR divided Poland
USSR invaded Finland November 30, 1939 (“The Winter War”)
• 250,000 Finnish troops vs. 1,000,000 Soviets
• By March 1940: 26,000 Finnish dead vs. 126,000 Soviets
• Soviet military weakness from 1930’s purges noted by Hitler
Background
• British, French considered support via Norway and Sweden
In July 1940 Hitler told his generals to prepare for war with USSR within a year

5. Hitler Turns East
Hitler regarded the Soviet Union and Bolshevism as the
greatest threat to Germany
He felt that the weakness of the Red Army created
the best possible opportunity to eliminate this threat
• Rejected (or ignored) the possibility of two-front war

6. Operation Barbarossa
German Invasion of the Soviet Union
The classic example of the cost of
not learning the lessons of history

7. The Impact of Logistics on War
Go To

8. Why Do We Study War?
History doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes.
Attributed to Samuel Clements (1835-1910)

9. Operation Barbarossa
June 22, 1941

10. Operation Barbarossa
Note conquered nation participation

11. Conquered Nation Support

12. Operation Barbarossa

13. Barbarossa
Click for Video

14. Operation Barbarossa
Siege of Leningrad
September 1941 - January 1944
872 days Soviet Dead: Red Army: 330,000+ Civilian: 1,000,000+

15. Siege of Leningrad
Battle of Moscow
October 1941 - January 1942
Germans: 1,000,000 men, 1,700 tanks Soviets: 1,250,000 men, 1,000 tanks

16. Battle of Moscow
Battle of Stalingrad
August 1942 - February 1943

17. Battle of Stalingrad
August 1942 - February 1943

18. Battle of Stalingrad
Video (8:24)
German Grand Strategy-Russia,
N Africa & Oil-12.05

19. Battle of Stalingrad
August 1942 - February 1943
Fatal Distraction?

20. German Grand Strategy
German Grand Strategy

21. Battle of Kursk
July - August 1943

22. Eastern Front
December 1944

23. German-Soviet War
Until June 1944
• Soviet Union bore main thrust of German army
• Stalin pressed for Second Front

24. Soviet Losses

25. Soviet Losses
The Soviet war effort was so overwhelming that
impartial historians of the future are unlikely to rate
the British and American contribution to the European
theatre as much more than a sound supporting role.
Norman Davies
Europe at War, 1939-1945
Quoted by Benjamin Schwarz
“Stalin's Gift”
The Atlantic, May 2007
Significance

26. Lesson 14
WW II -- Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
and the Second Battle of the Atlantic

27. Lesson Objectives
• Understand the magnitude and significance of the Battle of the
Atlantic during World War II.
• Understand the degree of British dependence on maritime lines
of communication.
• Describe U.S. participation in the Battle of the Atlantic prior to
December 1941.
• Describe and analyze the tactics and technology used by both
sides in the Battle of the Atlantic.
• Understand the importance of code breaking in the Atlantic war.

28. End