Photos: The hell that was the Eastern Front of World War II

27th March 1944: Three German soldiers covered in snow and ice during winter on the Eastern front. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) 27th March 1944: Three German soldiers covered in snow and ice during winter on the Eastern front. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images, Getty Images Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images, Getty Images Image 1 of / 68 Caption Close Photos: The hell that was the Eastern Front of World War II 1 / 68 Back to Gallery

The Eastern Front of World War II was a brutal place.

Fighting officially began there June 22, 1941, 75 years ago Wednesday.

Central to the Holocaust, more than 30 million of the war’s 70 million deaths occurred in the Eastern Front, where most extermination camps were located, and many death marches took place.

It was also the scene of some of the most savage fighting during the war, where primarily Russian forces fought back Nazi German forces under sometimes extremely harsh conditions.

Fighting in central eastern and northern Europe often took place during torrential downpours, blinding snow, and deep freezes.

Ultimately, it was those harsh conditions that helped Soviet forces (with Allied support) defeat Germany in that theater, triggering the fall of Nazi power in Europe and leading to the end of WWII.

Russia’s victories on the Eastern Front also cemented it as a superpower and led to the growth of the Soviet Union and the beginning of the Cold War.

These images, taken during fighting between 1940 and 1945, document the hell that was the Eastern Front. Pounding mortar fire, grinding marches, ugly executions and more are captured in the cold black and white images (save for a few color photos). Prepare yourself before you click through as some images are graphic and could be disturbing.