Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Though contradicting opinions within the military asserted that opening an additional front would spread German forces thin, Hitler believed the benefits gained from the new sources of production and forced labor would balance this out. Thus, on March 30th, 1941, Hitler issued the Barbarossa Decree- officially declaring war on the Soviet Union. The invasion came quickly, as Hitler had amassed millions of troops along the Russian-Romanian border in anticipation of an invasion. The Soviets were grossly unprepared due to Stalin’s belief that the USSR could continue its neutrality, and the deployment of troops in the west to fight the Japanese Empire. Additionally, Stalin ignored secret intel given to him by the British in 1940 warning of a future invasion due to a fundamental distrust of the British. By 1941, however, an invasion seemed certain, and Stalin began mobilizing millions of troops and heavy armor in anticipation of an attack. These moves were not as sweeping as would have been needed, however, since Stalin sought to avoid provoking Hitler(Nik 2016).
Execution and Failure
The initial invasion was highly successful due to a lack of training in Soviet soldiers and severe under equipment, but as German forces moved further through the Eastern front, progress began to slow. Despite the destruction of eastern Soviet factories, Stalin was able to relocate military factories to behind Moscow, meaning that production actually increased, and more tanks and rifles were rolled out the front lines. Additionally, the longer than expected duration of the operation meant that German forces were now caught in a brutal Russian winter, significantly impeding the ability for troops and armor to move forward. As progress stalled, it became clear that momentum was shifting in favor of the Soviets, accentuated by two crucial battles that changed the tide of the entire war - The Battle of Stalingrad and the Battle of Moscow(Nik 2016).
Video
This video provides a great breakdown of both the planning and execution undertaken by the Germans, and details exactly why the invasion failed.