Operation Barbarossa

Setting the scene

Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, began on June 22, 1941, at 3:15 a.m., breaking the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. It was the largest military invasion in history—3.8 million Axis troops, 3,350 tanks, and 2,700 aircraft attacked along a 1,800-mile front from the Baltic to the Black Sea. Hitler sought Lebensraum (living space) for Germans, destruction of communism, and seizure of Soviet resources, particularly oil and grain. He expected a quick victory in 8-12 weeks.

What happened

The invasion achieved stunning initial success. German forces encircled and destroyed Soviet armies at Minsk, Smolensk, and Kiev, capturing 3 million prisoners by December 1941. The Luftwaffe destroyed 1,200 Soviet planes on the first day. German troops reached the outskirts of Moscow by early December. However, the invasion ultimately failed. The Soviets, despite catastrophic losses, mobilized reserves and moved industry east of the Urals. The Germans were unprepared for winter, and Soviet counterattacks in December 1941 pushed them back from Moscow.

Why it still matters

Barbarossa was a turning point in World War II and history. It created a two-front war that Germany could not win and led to the deaths of 26 million Soviets and 4 million Axis soldiers. The invasion was also a war of extermination—Einsatzgruppen followed the army, massacring Jews, and the Hunger Plan aimed to starve 30 million Slavs. Barbarossa's failure ensured Nazi defeat and Soviet domination of Eastern Europe for 45 years. It remains the largest and deadliest military operation ever undertaken.

Background

Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and several of its European Axis allies starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during World War II. More than 3.8 million Axis troops invaded the western Soviet Union along a 2,900-kilometer (1,800 mi) front, with the main goal of capturing territory up to a line between Arkhangelsk and Astrakhan, known as the A–A line. The attack became the largest and costliest military offensive in human history, with around 10 million combatants taking part in the opening phase and over 8 million casualties by the end of the operation on 5 December 1941. It marked a major escalation of World War II, opened the Eastern Front—the largest and deadliest land war in history—and brought the Soviet Union into the Allied powers. The eastern front consumed millions of lives.