History Bites Ep 1- Operation Barbarossa

Hey all the long awaited History Bites is here!!!! I hope you enjoy !!!

Note: The pictures are broken for some reason so i have removed them. Im too tired at the moment so I will fix them tomorrow at some point.

It was a chilly morning in western Russia, the Planes are quiet in neat rows on the airfield and the sun is just coming over the horizon. A peaceful day. Then the roar of Stukas filled the air, covering the sky like a thick smoke. Then the siren started, the call of death, the dive of the stuka, the start of Operation Barbarossa.

Intro

Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the USSR by Germany on June 22nd 1941 , it is the largest invasion in history. 3.8 million German troops poured into Russia with the support of 3,350 tanks, 2,770 planes and 7,200 artillery pieces. But to find and understand the roots of this Operation we have to go back to 23rd of August 1939.

Background

Its the 23rd of August 1939 and the world is in shock. Germany and the Soviet Union sign a non-aggression pact. Despite their diametrically opposed ideologies they both made a deal to not fight each other.

This stunned Britain and France who hoped to USSR will help them against German aggression on Poland. But this was a pact of convenience, Germany did not have to fight a war on two fronts and so could focus its efforts to the west and the USSR had the desperately needed time to modernise its Army.There was also a secret clause in the Pact was to split Poland between the two Nations. Fast forward to December 1940, Poland had been split between the two Nations, Britain and France jump to Poland's side declaring war on Germany, kicking off ww2 on September 1939 then months later France fell to Germany and Britain stood alone. Germany was at the height of its power, its seemed invincible. After months of planning the final version of Operation Barbarossa was being reviewed by Hitler.

Preparations

Operation Barbarossa was the planned invasion of the USSR. The plan was having three thrusts, Army Group North, Army Group Centre and Army Group South. Army Group Centre was to push to Moscow, Army Group South was to push on to Kiev then move on to attack on Leningrad. After taking Moscow and Leningrad, Army Group Centre were to move north to Archangel. While Army Group North was to push to Leningrad.

Germany had massed 150 divisions for the Operation,made up of 3.8 million German troops with 3,350 tanks, 2,770 planes and 7,200 artillery pieces, highly trained and equipped and with high moral after the victory over France. Hitler and his Generals said that the war would be over in Months, the Germans picture the russian army to be made up of poorly trained conscripts with barely any equipment and Tanks that would look good in ww1, and Hitler made the remark "We have only to kick in the front door and the whole rotten Russian edifice will come tumbling down" But this build up did not go unnoticed, for months leading up to July 1941 the roar of engines could be heard by Russian troops over the Border and so Stalin's Generals warned Stalin that Germany is preparing for an invasion, but Stalin did

not believe them and dismissed them, Stalin believed that Hitler was conducting military exercises and that he wouldn't break their pact. How wrong he was.

Part 2