The War

• Operation Barbarossa:

  Germany invaded the USSR on 22 June 1941 because Hitler believed that Blitzkrieg tactics could succeed in bringing a quick victory. At first, everything went well and thousands of prisoners were taken. By November 1941, German troops were only miles from Moscow and Leningrad.
• Despite Germany's successes, their military advance halted in December 1941. Hitler's gamble to break the USSR had failed and Germany was now faced with the prospect of a long war on two fronts.
• Economic factors leading to Germany's loss:

  • German economy not ready for a long war
  • Anglo-American bombing
  • Shortage of labour
  • Germany was deeply in debt (roughly 42 billion Reichsmarks
  • Power of the US economy
  • Soviet resources
• Nazi strategic mistakes:

  • Failure to neutralise Britain
  • Weak allies
  • Failure to defeat USSR before winter 1941
  • Hitler declared war on USA