Great patriotic war

• Operation Barbarossa

  The codename for the German invasion of the USSR
• Operation Barbarossa was launched on 22 June 1941
• Operation Barbarossa was intended to win a decisive victory in a matter of weeks, well before the onset of winter
• The invasion was originally planned for 1 June, but was delayed until 22 June following the Nazi invasion of Yugoslavia
• Operation Barbarossa


  • The invasion forces were split between three huge army groups, one heading towards Leningrad, one into Ukraine, and one towards Moscow
• Stalin's immediate reaction


  Stalin had taken no direct action in the spring to prepare for a German invasion, either because he did not believe it would happen or because he worried that if he increased Soviet defences, this would provoke attack
• When the German attack came on 22 June 1941, Stalin did nothing. It was nearly two weeks before he spoke publicly about the invasion
• Molotov, Stalin's foreign minister, made a radio broadcast in his place on 22 June
• Stalin's speech on 3 July stressed themes of patriotism, religion and unity. He called on all the peoples of the USSR to join a patriotic war against fascism
• Poor leadership in the early stages of the war

  • Stalin was indecisive (for example, preparations to move the capital from Moscow to Kuybyshev (Samara) were cancelled at the last minute on Stalin's orders)
  • The Soviet army had inexperienced commanders (Stalin had removed the most experienced officers in his military purges of 1937)
  • Stalin refused to allow his southern armies to retreat from Kiev until it was too late. This brought a massive defeat in the south in September 1941
• The course of the Great Patriotic War

  1. Stage 1: June 1941 to summer of 1942

  2. Stage 2: 1942 to summer of 1943

  3. Stage 3: 1943 to summer of 1945
• Stage 1: Soviet Russia struggled to survive against successive German offensives, suffering massive losses of people and territory
• Stage 1


  • 3 million German troops invaded the USSR in June 1941
  • The German advance was swift and there were huge losses for the Soviets (e.g. 665,000 troops were captured at Kiev)
  • On 15 October the Soviets attempted peace negotiations but Hitler ignored their offer
  • 18 October 1941: Intelligence reports from Japan allowed Stalin to bring troops back from Siberia to defend Moscow. This, plus bad weather conditions, meant German capture of Moscow was avoided
• Stage 2: Soviet Russia stabilised its war effort, built a powerhouse war economy, and halted German advances
• Stage 2


  • The war was turning into a war of attrition and Hitler did not have the resources to compete
  • Mass production of the T-34 tank was central to Soviet success in the Battle of Prokhorovka
• Stage 3: Soviet armies moved on to the offensive, recapturing vast areas that had been occupied, and finally defeating the Germans
• Stage 3

  • From August 1943 onwards there was a chain of Soviet victories across Eastern Europe, but the Germans were resilient defenders and it took until April 1945 for the Red Army to reach Berlin
  • 12th July 1943 - The Soviet victory at Prokhorovka was a springboard for Soviet counter attacks. This was the start of the Soviet offensive that eventually won the war
• The USSR under occupation and the fight back was a deep patriotic experience for millions of Soviets, involving fear and hatred of the invaders, but also an underlying sense of national pride and determination
• USSR under occupation:

  • Shortages of food, fuel and shelter
  • 12 million civilians died
  • 70,000 villages destroyed by war
• German repression:

  • Thousands of soviet soldiers held as prisoners of war
  • Soviet workers conscripted to work in German factories
  • Massacres and deportations of Jews
• Soviet repression:

  • 170,000 military personnel executed for treason
  • harsh treatment of returned prisoners of war
  • Thousands arrested or executed for being ‘defeatists‘
  • Mass deportations of ethnic minorities - may 1944 entire tartar population of 240,000 people deported to Uzbekistan
• Mobilisation:

  • early stages of war Stalins errors lost millions of men and equipment
  • in 1941 the red army had 4.8 million soldiers - conscription added 29.5 million
• Industry:

  • Relocated to urals mountains
  • 20,000 trains used
  • 500 factories were moved to Moscow
• Foreign aid:

  • armaments, industrial goods and food were sent from USA - 300,000 American trucks
  • vital in winter of 1942-43