History of Operation Barbarossa

The German Army in fighting Russia is like an elephant attacking a host of ants. The elephant will kill thousands, perhaps even millions, of ants, but in the end their numbers will overcome him, and he will be eaten to the bone.

--Colonel Bernd Von Kielst



Chapter 1 - Background.

Shortly after Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany in 1933, he signed a non-aggression pact with Poland. It was followed by another �pact of steel' with the USSR in 1937. He then allied Germany with Italy in what was called the Rome-Berlin Axis. After annexing Austria and Czechoslovakia a year later by merely threatening invasion, he invaded Poland, thus breaking his friendship treaty. Three days later, on 3 rd September 1939, Britain and France declared war on Nazi Germany for breaking it. However, it was an empty declaration and Poland succumbed in one month. However, just before Poland surrendered, the Soviet Union attacked Poland and after negotiations, the German�Soviet border was drawn at the River Bug with Germany occupying two-thirds and the Russians annexing the rest of the spoils.

Meanwhile, the Soviet Union annexed the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania). Moscow then persuaded Finland to �exchange' some strategic strips of territory for some nearly useless ones. Finland refused. The Soviet Union invaded Finland (Dec.) in what was called the �Winter War'. The Soviets, although massively outnumbering the Finns, failed to apply basic military strategy. The result? The battle stalled, to the embarrassment of the Soviets. However, they threw in crack troops, and despite the resourcefulness of the Finns, they could not avoid ceding territory.

In May 1940, the Germans easily captured Denmark, Norway, Holland, Luxembourg, and Belgium. All of them capitulated within one day, with the exception of Belgium and Holland (which surrendered after eight) France, its rival, surrendered on June 22 that year after barely a month of resistance. The Germans occupied the northern two-thirds of France, while the rest of France and her Empire was under a puppet state, nominally independent. Shortly after the capitulation of France, Hitler made plans for the invasion of Great Britain. He intended to do so by first crushing the will of the British people by bombing raids, named �Operation Sea Lion'. However, after staggering losses by the Luftwaffe, the German air force, he called the entire operation off.

In December 18, 1940, Hitler ordered his generals to plan an invasion of the Soviet Union. In March 1941, that plan was finalised (see OKH & Marcks plan). German forces would invade Russia on mid-May. Allies Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia would assist it. However, all these were not allied to Germany except for Slovakia yet. Hitler wanted the Balkans to be his.

Formal demand was made of Bulgaria and Yugoslavia to permit German forces to base on their soil. Bulgaria agreed fairly heartily on March 1. When the Yugoslav government pursued the same course, their people revolted. The military took over the government in a spectacular coup. On April 6, Hitler moved his troops into Yugoslavia. The Federation succumbed in a month. Only 135 German soldiers were killed in the campaign, which was conducted literally at marching pace.

Another disaster happened. Italy, its ally, invaded Greece with a force incapable of doing anything much. Hitler was forced to intervene in early May. British-aided Greece surrendered later that month.

The plan was therefore called off until a symbolic date�June 22. France had surrendered the previous year. Many years back Napoleon had invaded Imperial Russia on the day before. Just for luck, the plan was named after a Teutonic who carved out an empire in the east�Operation Barbarossa.

A few weeks before the invasion, both Goering, the head of the air force, and Ribbentrop, the Foreign Minister, both dissuaded Hitler in vain. Goering knew that his Luftwaffe , no matter how excellent (as could be seen in the French and Polish campaigns), was not big enough for the 2000-mile front and Ribbentrop thought that the Nazi-Soviet Pact of 1939 was his greatest achievement and he did not want it to be broken.

Although Stalin, the premier of the Soviet Union, had received several warnings that Hitler was planning an invasion, some which came from German deserters, he did not believe them. Three hours before the battle, Soviet grain trade carts were still moving into Germany.

It was 4 a.m. in the morning, June 22 1941. The first shots were fired across the river Bug. 3,400,000 Germans and 4,700,000 Soviets on the front were instantaneously thrown into battle. The largest conflict in human history had begun.

The invasion of Russia was lead to the German Reich's downfall. Hitler, master of eight capitals, Paris, Vienna, Copenhagen, Oslo, Warsaw, Brussels, The Hague, Athens, armies unbeaten further south, now set his sights on the easterly capital of Moscow. But although the day would come when the tall spires of the Kremlin would be visible through the binoculars of his front-line commanders, Moscow was never to be his, and the first shot fired across the border would lead eventually to the downfall of his Reich, now ruler of Europe from the Arctic to the warm beaches of Crete.

Chapter 2�The Germany which struck

Military Balance.

3 400 000 Germans versus 4 700 000 Russians.

Germany and her allies.

The Germans threw 3.4 million soldiers, roughly 80% of their total strength, into the operation. Divided into 148 divisions, they are organised into three fronts.

Army Group North, led by Leeb, was to capture Leningrad. Army Group Centre, led by Bock, was to capture Moscow Army Group South, led by Rundstedt, was to capture Kiev and overrun the Ukraine and the Caucasus with the aid of its Balkan allies.

There was also the Finnish front, to aid in the capture of Leningrad and Karelia.

These troops were aided by 7100 guns, 3350 tanks (500 more than the French campaign), and 2800 aircraft. One cavalry division was used in the first year. There were, however 625,000 horses, mainly used for transport over the vast expanses of the occupied territory.

The strength of the Soviet forces remains a secret until this day despite glasnost, and the following figures are estimates.

The Soviets outnumbered the Germans substantially in every aspect, but most of their forces were antiquated and obsolete. The army itself came under poor leadership because Stalin had executed most of his generals between 1938 to 1940.

Anyway, the USSR's force in the western country consisted of 4.7 million infantry. It also had 13 motorised and 34 tank divisions. 1475 T-34 and KV-1's, (both roughly equal in capabilities to the German's Pzkw IV's) were accompanied by two more superior types of tank, the KV-2 and T-35. The strength of these two models was around 50 each. It must be noted that only 29% of these tanks were serviceable.

The Soviet air force had around 10,000 planes, much more than the German's estimate of 7,300. Four fifths of the air force planes were obsolete.

In the north and south, the Soviet Union had a substantial numerical advantage, but in the centre the Germans had more troops. The Soviet Union in general far had a numerical superiority over the Third Reich, but as it was noted, the Soviets were far lagging in technology and communications. This inadequacy cancelled the inherent advantage, and perhaps made the Red Army inferior to, its German counterpart, the Wehrmacht.

Economic Balance.

The German economy was recovering from its economic collapse in 1923. (During that period the cheapest stamp sold for billions of marks, the mark was almost worthless at 4,200,000,000,000 marks to the dollar) It was highly dependent on imported raw materials until the occupation of France, the Low Countries, Norway, and especially the Balkans. From France, Norway and the Low Countries came wheat, cattle and other foodstuff. The Balkans gave Germany all-important oil. It must also be noted that the Soviet Union supplied Hitler with foodstuff until Barbarossa. The Germans also charged unoccupied France for �occupational expenses' at 300 million francs a day. This was raised to 700 million francs in June 1944 after the Allied invasion at Normandy. But hardly any was used for the occupation. The rest of the money was shipped back to Germany.

In short, the German economy was dependent on its occupied territories for raw materials, but they were converted to consumer goods in the Reich.

(After the invasion of Russia, the Germans used the vast resources of the Ukraine and the Baltic states for their use. The Baltic States mainly supplied cattle and wheat while the Ukraine gave oil and gas.)

The USSR's economy was enormous but backward. Its major economic zones were in Moscow, Leningrad, southern Kazakhstan, Irkutsk, and the rest of the major cities of Siberia. When the Germans invaded, the Russians evacuated the industrial area in Kiev and transported it by rail to the Ural Mountains, far away from the reach of the Germans. The industrial areas in Siberia and central Asia were also greatly expanded.

Coal, gas, iron ore, gold came from resource rich eastern Siberia, while western and central Asia provided Russia with wheat, manganese, copper, coal and gas. Some nickel was mined also. European Russia was rich in cattle, wheat, oil and gas; however, most of it was occupied by Germany during Barbarossa. (What the Soviet Union lacked was supplied by Britain and the USA)

The German economy itself was small but fairly developed; the USSR's large but backward. At the time of invasion, the Germans produced more war materials than the Soviets did. It must be noted that it was correct that Hitler had intended Barbarossa to be a six-month war, as once the war dragged on the USSR would be able to develop the state of the economy, and the war would be lost for Germany even if the USA did not join the war.

Chapter 3�22 June 1941�First Day

In Germany

At 0700 hours on that fateful day, Hitler addressed his Reich by radio in a grand proclamation read by his Propaganda Minister Goebbels: �Weighed down by heavy cares, condemned to months of silence, I can at last speak freely�German people! At this moment a march is taking place that, for its extent compares with the greatest the world has ever seen. I have decided again today to place the fate and future of the Reich and our people in the hands of our soldiers. May God aid us, especially in this fight.� Meanwhile, the German ambassador in Moscow met with the Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov to announce a state of war due to �gross and repeated violations of the Nazi-Soviet Pact'. (The general mood in the population was one of flabbergast. 'We are thunderstruck!' records Marie 'Missie' V., a citizen of Berlin, later to become actively involved in an assassination attempt on Hitler)

Soviet Reaction

As confused frontline commanders reported to their headquarters, �We are be fired on. What do we do?� Stalin refused to believe that Hitler was invading. In the first few hours, he issued an order as he felt that �we must not overreact against a few ill-trained German units attacking without official permission'. According to unconfirmed reports, Soviet troops who resisted the Germans were shot. Only at noon, when 1250 Soviet planes had been destroyed on the ground and when thousands of Soviet troops had been either killed or captured, did Stalin permit resistance. It was too late. German troops were 75.6 km into Russia. Some units had penetrated 96km deep into enemy lines at nightfall. The Soviet Air Force had lost 1489 planes on the ground, not mentioning 322, which took off and were shot down.

British and American Reaction

Churchill's subordinates told him immediately about the invasion when he woke up. (He gave his staff instructions not to wake him up except for Invasion [of England]) He then spent a day preparing a speech. In the national broadcast, he said, �No one has been a more consistent opponent of Communism than I have, but all this fades away before the spectacle that is now unfolding, � any man or state who fights against Nazism will have our aid .� Churchill obviously feared Nazism more than Communism.

America, still neutral in all theatres of war, ordered aid to the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease Act. Military equipment would be supplied via the Far East, the Persian overland route, and via the Arctic port of Murmansk. Even though the aid could not compensate for losses, it was a great help to the hard-pressed Russians.

Stalin requested the Western Allies to open a second front by invading France immediately. This action would greatly relieve Russia. However, the democracies claimed that it was suicidal. (The second front, however, became a reality in 1944.)

The grand plan.

Hitler had originally intended Operation Barbarossa (in his 1940 directive) to have two main army groups, North and South, to capture Moscow and Kiev respectively with a secondary attack on Leningrad. However, Hitler later changed his mind and the plan was finalised

Hitler had intended Operation Barbarossa to annihilate its eastern neighbour for once and for all. The plan was as follows:

Germany, with the aid of its Balkan allies, would invade the Soviet Union with full force. The three main targets, Leningrad, Kiev, Moscow, together with the Ukraine, must be captured. After these fall by force, the domestic support within the Soviet Union must collapse. The remaining parts of Soviet-held European Russia will be easily captured by end 1941 After all of European Russia has been captured, Germany will proceed to destroy the last Soviet stronghold�the Urals by use of the air force if necessary. After this will Germany be able to turn against England.

To capture the whole of European Russia before winter set in, German troops would have to advance more than 15 km a day. (The distance between the summer front line and winter front is 1800 km)

Hitler was optimistic about the invasion, predicting that Russia would collapse within six months. As such, he had only prepared for a short battle and his troops only came with their summer kit. The response from his generals and staff, however, were lukewarm. �We only have to kick the front door', he said to his staff, �and the whole rotten structure will come crashing down.' Hours later, on the other hand, he told them, �In the beginning of every campaign one pushes a door into a deep, dark room. One does not know what is lurking inside. The door had been opened, but would the �whole rotten structure' come crashing down as Hitler had predicted?

Chapter 4�The Invasion Continues.

The Germans continued to sweep forward at an amazing pace. On the second day, Brest-Litovsk was falling and by a week the Germans had captured 100,000 soldiers and 1000 tanks. However, the Russians were not without counterattack, bombing Finland, which joined Germany on the fourth day. The Germans took Dvina on the same day. On June 27, the Germans completed an encircling manoeuvre around Minsk, the present capital of Belarus. Even though a large part of the Soviet garrison managed to flee eastwards, 300,000 prisoners were taken.

Throughout 1941, the same pattern would occur: Soviet troops would be massed in a city; the Germans would then encircle it instead of attacking it, yielding large numbers of prisoners. This was due to the poor management of the Red Army. As has been mentioned, Stalin had murdered many of his generals. However, some who were in prisoner camps in Siberia were brought back, yet the Germans strangely continued to take more (and more) prisoners.

On June 29th , Stalin, perhaps panicky, formed a defence committee of Motherland Russia comprising of himself, General Georgi K. Zhukov, and his Foreign Minister Molotov.

On the first of July, the Germans captured Riga, the capital of Latvia, with the aid of the local population who did not like living under Soviet rule. Two days later, Stalin makes his first radio address (since June 22) to his terrified nation. He ordered a �scorched earth' policy, to destroy anything which would fall to the Germans. �The enemy must not capture a glass of petrol, not a wagon, not a slice of bread, not a gun.' He also ordered partisan (resistance) groups, similar to those in occupied Yugoslavia, to form in German-captured territory. They would conduct sabotage operations.

As the Germans continued their advance in the vast expanses of Russia, they experienced several problems. Firstly, German trains could not fit on Soviet tracks. Thus, they had to be converted. Second, partisans would often sabotage the German railway lines. If they were unlucky, they would even blow up entire brigades of troops being transported. Also, the Germans were hampered by the Russian scorched earth policy. Soviet troops would blow up everything in their retreat.

However, Stalin's efforts seemed futile. Though Soviet soldiers were resisting with whatever strength they could (this will surprised even the Germans), Minsk was encircled and falling quickly, tens of thousand Russian soldiers trapped inside. The Germans had also captured a substantial part of the Ukraine.

On July 12th , the British signed a treaty, promising mutually �to render each other assistance and support of all kinds in the present war against Hitler's Germany' and for neither power to conclude a separate peace with the Nazis. Stafford Cripps, the British ambassador to the USSR, was in Moscow. Molotov signed for the Russians.

On July 20th , Guderian captured Smolensk, capturing 300,000 prisoners along with it. The capture of the city was a strategic success for the Germans. They were already two-thirds of the distance to Moscow and halfway to Asia.

The race to Moscow was halted two days later when Hitler halted the advance of his well-equipped Army Group Centre, diverting tanks from it to aid Army Groups North and South. This is viewed as a major blunder in the eyes of many historians, reasons of which we will explore in the next chapters. Here, fortunately for the Russians, Hitler spent late July to early August arguing over the plan that was to be taken. His generals wanted Leningrad and Moscow to be taken, while Hitler eyed the fertile Ukraine and the Caucasus. Hitler made no less than four proposals over the plan. While the relationship between Hitler and his generals deteriorated, Stalin got along better with his generals. On August 12, Hitler issued his Directive No. 34: Army Group Centre, which was by far the best equipped, would go over to the defensive temporarily. Army Group North would capture Leningrad and link with the Finns, while Army Group South would take the Ukraine and the Donets Basin of the Caucasus. In short, Army Group Centre would start moving once again, capturing Moscow and establishing a front 200 miles beyond it before winter only after Army Groups South and Centre had achieved their objectives. Guderian protested, as he could not see any reason why he had to make a detour of almost 1000 km when he was less than 350 km from Red Square.

Meanwhile, the Russian garrison at the border town of Brest-Litovsk, who had been resisted the Germans for 38 days, finally surrendered to the Germans on July 30. Isolated hundreds of miles away from the main force, they were an inspiration to their comrades.

On August 25, a joint Anglo-Soviet force invaded Iran for the purpose of establishing a communications and supply route for aid from Britain and USA to Russia. They were worried about reports of German �tourists' being in the country and demand that the Iranian Government accept their protection. The government refused and the British then seized the oil facilities in conjunction with the Soviets. Two days later the Government resigned and a government friendly to the Allies was installed. This supply route was not used frequently until 1942. In 1943 most supplies were passing through the route and not by Vladivostok or Murmansk.

Next - The Encirclement of Leningrad, Kiev falls

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