The German invasion of the USSR, which began on June 22, 1941, went down in history under the code name "Barbaros Plan". This military operation still remains the largest in the history of mankind.
Preparing for war
From the very beginning, Adolf Hitler considered the non-aggression pact signed between Germany and the Soviet Union to be only a temporary measure delaying the start of a war between states. The German command prepared for the war in advance. As early as December 18, 1940, the top leadership of Germany signed Directive No. 21, better known as the "Barbaros Plan" - a large-scale tactical operation to attack the USSR. Since the entry into force of this military plan, it envisioned waging a war to destroy the communists, as well as the Jews, who, in the opinion of the German fascists, constituted the "racial basis" of the hostile regime.
Gremania's attack on the USSR
On June 22, 1941, Germany attacked the USSR. This happened less than two years after the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact - a non-aggression pact between countries. European powers and Soviet intelligence have repeatedly warned the ruling elite about building up Germany's military potential at the borders. Ignoring these warnings, for one reason or another, led to an almost instant invasion of three million German troops, as well as half a million troops of the German allies. Thanks to this tactical advantage and surprise, the Soviet army at the beginning of the war was demoralized, almost defeated and cut off from supplies.
Following the German army, which was advancing at a colossal pace deep into the territory of the Soviet Union, followed by operational punitive detachments, which carried out operations for the mass extermination of local residents.
Military successes of Germany at the end of 1941
By early September 1941, German troops were able to approach Leningrad on the northern front, capture Smolensk on the central and Dnepropetrovsk on the southern front. By the end of the year, the Nazi army approached Moscow.
At this moment, the forces of the Germans began to rapidly deplete. The command counted on a quick end to the war and the surrender of the USSR, so it did not equip its army for the winter military campaign. In addition, the troops advanced deep into the enemy state, thereby leaving their forward detachments without supplies.
USSR counteroffensive
Taking advantage of this situation, the Soviet Union launched a large-scale counteroffensive in December 1941, forcing German troops to retreat from Moscow. Only a few weeks later, at the beginning of 1942, the German army managed to halt the advance of Soviet troops near Smolensk.
