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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| 80 years ago -- The invasion of Russia by Germany |
| 2021-06-22 |
| On June 22, 1941, Germany launched its invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II, codenamed Operation Barbarossa. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler predicted a quick victory, but after initial success, the brutal campaign dragged on and eventually failed due to strategic blunders and harsh winter weather, as well as a determined Soviet resistance and attrition suffered by German forces. More at the link |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #6 Barbarossa was supposed to begin in the spring of '41. The Greek defeat of the Italians in the Balkans forced the Germans to divert 700,000 men and materiel to the Balkan/Greek Invasion and delay Barbarossa. Otherwise, the Germans would have had additional time, men and materiel to take Moscow. |
| Posted by: Lemuel Black3983 2021-06-22 22:48 |
| #5 Nah, that "Siberian army" myth has been debunked. The divisions were raised from around the Moscow area and sent into combat. The real reason is that the Germans identifed 10 Soviet armies in front of Moscow. Destroy them and the war is won. They destroyed nine of them. The Soviets hid their strength so well nobody knew they were so hideously well armed. The Germans had identified over 300 divisions and they just kept coming. That plus the inadequate German logistics sealed the deal. The lend lease didn't get going until 1942 didn't hit stride until 43. By that time the Germans were out of oil and had failed to seize more in the Caucasus (stopped at Stalingrad along the way). |
| Posted by: Knuckles Slererong5344 2021-06-22 22:25 |
| #4 ^ Don't forget that Zhukov and his Siberian Army were lurking just east of Moscow waiting for Stalin's order to join the fight. |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2021-06-22 15:40 |
| #3 #2 ..read an analysis that figured that the Soviets had burned through their armor assets by early winter and the only tracks between them and the Germans before Moscow were the ones that had arrived from the UK via the Murmansk runs. Interesting. Valid? Posted by: Procopius2k 2021-06-22 10:08 P2k, I think that might be an echo of German accounts/reports that showed the German General Staff so badly underestimated actual Soviet strength that by their own reckoning they had 'destroyed' the Red Army by late fall....but they kept coming. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2021-06-22 10:29 |
| #2 ..read an analysis that figured that the Soviets had burned through their armor assets by early winter and the only tracks between them and the Germans before Moscow were the ones that had arrived from the UK via the Murmansk runs. Interesting. Valid? |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2021-06-22 10:08 |
| #1 brutal campaign dragged on and eventually failed due to.... And to material ferried into Murmansk at great cost, as well as convoyed overland through Iran. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2021-06-22 01:03 |