June 22: The Nazi (surprise) invasion of Russia.
(Note: June 24 was the anniversary of Napoleon’s ill–fated invasion of Russia in 1812)
Over 4.5 million troops of the Nazi–led Axis powers invaded the USSR eastward along an 1800–mile front.
The primary operational objective was the rapid conquest of the European part of the Soviet Union, which included the Ukraine. The ultimate objective was to enslave the entire Soviet Union.
Of the compound, inter–related objectives, only the initial conquest of the economically important Ukraine was achieved. It was primarily in the Ukraine that the Nazis murdered a million+ Jews, as noted above in the section Einsatzgruppen (1940s).
A separate 1,000–page book would probably be necessary to properly cover this invasion. However, in short: the Nazis lost; the Russian army and the Russian winter won.
The epic “battle to the death,” poised the two megalomaniac mass–murderers, Hitler and Stalin against each other, with the Russian winter tipping–the–balance to the defenders of their erstwhile motherland.
Operation Barbarossa remains the largest military operation, in terms of manpower, area traversed, and casualties (over 4.5 million, at a bare minimum), in human history.
Operation Barbarossa’s failure, opened the door for the momentum of a Soviet counter–offensive westward across Russia, then through Eastern Europe, and ultimately into Germany and then Berlin itself (May, 1945).
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The debacle which unfolded for the Nazis as a direct consequence of their invasion of the Soviet Union, leaves one pause, because on multiple levels Hitler’s Nazi forces aped the precise mistakes made by Napoleon’s French forces who had attempted a similar grand gambit eastward against Russia c. 1812.
1) They both attacked much too late in the Spring/Summer; indeed they both attacked within two June days of each other (instead of say 60 days earlier mid–April).
2) They both had fatally over–extended supply lines
3) They both fatally had the wrong mix of military equipment supplies for the harsh Soviet winter
4) They both had the wrong (substandard) winter clothing for their troops for the harsh Soviet winter
5) They both under–estimated the resolve of the Russian people defending their key cities.
Now, considering that a random 10–year–old in Europe/Russia in 1941 probably knew the core causes of Napoleon’s defeat, one is left to ponder the calculations of the Nazi General Staff.
But –
• Perhaps the Nazi killing techniques only really worked ‘well’ against unarmed civilians, or hopelessly outgunned armies.
• Perhaps the Nazis were just simply better at their historic forté of “following orders” than at truly sophisticated strategy…
• Perhaps they were so busy deciding that everyone but them was “sub–human,” Slavs and Russians included, and that they didn’t deal objectively with reality…
• Perhaps they were too busy kissing–up to Hitler, to plan truly intelligently…..
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Note to the Wehrmacht: If planning on world conquest, best to be smart,
Respectfully
• Do not attack with 27% of the tanks and 38% of the aircraft which your enemy can potentially bring–to–bear.
• If you can’t win before winter sets in, try another plan.
• Try to “think things through a bit” before attacking.
• Dress warmly, if playing–in–the–snow.
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(more below in 1942 [July] entry, the Battle of Stalingrad)
(more above 1940s entry, Einsatzgruppen)