Operation Barbarosa

1636 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Operation barbarossa consquences

Operation Barbarosa

Given Germany’s military situation in 1941, was Hitler’s decision to invade the Soviet Union based on sound strategic judgment?

History tends to discolor events based on the outcome of a decision or battle. Examining Germany's (Hitler’s) decision to invade the Soviet Union can easily be critiqued by the flaws that resulted in his defeat, but is this an accurate way of looking at Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union. Wars are won and lost by the decisions made and the decision to proceed with the attack named 'Operation Barbarossa' in the early summer of 1941 was not based on sound strategic judgment.

Beginning early on in his life and exemplified in his book Mein Kampf, Hitler had a hatred of Russia and her people.

We terminate the endless German drive to the south and the west of Europe, and direct our gaze towards the lands in the east…If we talk about new soil and territory in Europe today, we can think primarily only of Russia and its vassal border states.

With his mind already set on exterminating the Slavs and Jews long before becoming the fuehrer of Germany, his rise to power gave him a reason to carry out his plan. Hitler foresaw Barbarossa as the key to accomplish many of his vital strategic objectives. Due to bad strategic decisions, limited resources, no intelligence and clouded vision, Germany should not have invaded Russia (Operation Barbarossa).

The invasion on the Soviet Union was not a good strategic decision. While Hitler had secured quick and decisive victories against France, Czechoslovakia, Holland and Belgium, he did not take into account the importance of the British and never believed the United States would play a role in the war. These two serious underestimat...

... middle of paper ...

...one circumstance caused the failure in Russia. Hitler’s strategy to invade the Soviet Union could have been successful had he taken the war one step at a time. Instead he spread his troops too thin and did not reevaluate the strategy once problems started to arise. Had he continually updated his strategy and listened to his advisers, Operation Barbarossa could have had an alternate outcome.

Bibliography:

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Gonalski, Robert and Freeburg, Russell W., Oil and War.

William Morrow and Co. Inc, New York, New York. 1987

http://www.johmann.net/commentary/barbarossa.html

http//cobweb.washcoll.edu/student.pages/Karen.sieger/war.htm

http://www.history.com/history-WWII/133.htm

Lecture and discussion NW 3023, Professor Hal Blanton

Mein Kampf, Hitler. 1924

Weinberg, A World At Arms, Cambridge University Press. New

York, New York. 1994

Show More
Related

  • OPERATION ANACONDA

    2014 Words  | 5 Pages

    Introduction Operation Anaconda was the first major joint combat operation against the war on terror that the US was committed to winning. This operation would test our military’s readiness for joint operations against a hardened and willing adversary. The primary mission was to kill/capture Taliban/Al Qaeda forces occupying towns and villages in the vicinity of Shahi Khot in order to gain control of the valley.1 The US needed the towns, villages, mountains, and more importantly, the intricate and hard to access caves cleared of enemy fighters. Units participating in the operation included elements of the 101st Airborne Division, 10th Mountain Division, Special Operations Forces (SOF), and Coalition forces from seven nations including Afghanistan.2 With so many different nations fighting along with our own branches of military, it would test our ability to conduct joint operations on multiple levels. History On September 11, 2001, Osama Bin Laden decided to “wake the sleeping giant.”

    Read More

  • Operation Babarossa: Nazi Invasion of the Soviet Union

    931 Words  | 2 Pages

    Overall, Operation Barbarossa was a complete failure, ending with tens of millions dead and a country in complete dismay. At first, it seemed as though Hitler was right, but the Soviets were able to keep them from taking command of their country. Hitter had made a huge mistake when he enacted this plan, and paid the price; he lost WWII. If he had not chosen to invade Russia, than the war may have ended differently, but if Operation Barbarossa would have been successful, he may have been able to take over more of Europe.

    Read More

  • The Battle Of The Bulge: The Ultimate Downfall Of Nazi Germany

    1068 Words  | 3 Pages

    The battle of Stalingrad is argued to be one of the most significant strategizing battle for the Germans. If Germany had won Stalingrad there would have been no fight left for the Russians to have. Instead, Germany made a hasty decision to attack in order to prevent Russia from coming up with a strategy which put Germany at a disadvantage. By the end of Stalingrad the Russians had managed to push back the Germans and put them on the defensive. If Russia had lost in their battle against Nazi Germany the United States and Great Britain would have faced a much harsher fight against Nazi Germany. Some would even argue that it would have been next to impossible for America to win against Nazi

    Read More

  • Who Should Be Blamed for the Holocaust?

    756 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hitler used propaganda and manufacturing enemies such as Jews and five million other people, to prepare the country for war. This shows Hitler’s attempt of genocide toward the Jewish race and other races.

    Read More

  • Germany and the Soviet Union's Non-Aggression Treaty

    2409 Words  | 5 Pages

    It is the inquisitive nature of man that is primary driving force behind the Five W’s: Who, What, When, Where and Why. Though these are all meaningful pursuits in their own right, it is the purpose of this piece to shed light on the Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Soviet Union’s purpose, as well as the most likely causes for its manifestation. Also in question, but not out of the scope of discussion, is whether or not non-aggression pacts truly work to preserve peace, or whether they are unintentionally one of the primary fuel sources that combust to cause war amongst the nations involved. The realist holds the key to this argument. The realist perspective sits alone as being the most concise angle from which to view the events transpired. However, without understanding a bulk of the history, a moderately concise answer cannot be delivered to the reader.

    Read More

  • The Rise and Subsequent Fall of the Third Reich

    4619 Words  | 10 Pages

    Living in the crumbled remains of Germany, or the Weimar Republic, in the 1920’s was a dismal existence. Hyperinflation was rampant and the national debt skyrocketed as a result of the punishing features of the Treaty of Versailles. During the depression, however, a mysterious Austrian emerged from the depths of the German penal system and gave the desperate German people a glimpse of hope in very dark times. He called for a return to “Fatherland” principles where greater Germany was seen as the center of their universe with zealous pride. Under Hitler’s leadership, Nazi Germany rapidly grew and expanded, continually approaching the goal of world domination and the “Thousand-Year Reich” that Hitler promised the German people. Only a few years later, Nazi Wehrmacht soldiers could be seen marching the streets from Paris to Leningrad (St. Petersburg, Russia). The German Empire, however, like all other expansive empires, had its limits and integral components such as resources, manpower, and industrial capacity began to fall in short supply further crippling the Nazi war machine. Basically, by 1944, “Nazi Germany’s fundamental problem was that she has conquered more territory than she could defend” (Ambrose, 27). Hitler conquered a vast area and vowed to defend every single inch of his empire with every last drop of blood at his disposal. As Frederick the Great warned, “He who defends everything, defends nothing” (Ambrose, 33). It is interesting to study any empire’s rise and fall because similarities are always present, even with some nations today promising to fight the evil, when it reality, it might be becoming what it vows to fight.

    Read More

  • History Of The Battle Of Stalingrad

    655 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...itler was very methodical in planning and execution his war plans, he didn’t stay humble and got to ambition and overshot his execution and logistics which lead to the end of the Nazi empire. I believe if he concentrated his force, didnt stretch his supply line, attacked not in the winter, and surrender or pulled out sooner he could have possibly won the war or lasted longer. The battle of Stalingrad was one of the bloodiest battles with both sides loosing enormous amounts of casualties. This attempt by Hitler to capture three major cities changed the course of history and helped it for the better so we think. "Surrender is forbidden. 6 Army will hold their positions to the last man and the last round and by their heroic endurance will make an unforgettable contribution towards the establishment of a defensive front and the salvation of the Western world." –Hitler.

    Read More

  • The Duel

    1039 Words  | 3 Pages

    The next day, Hitler said that the English response meant that the German attack would commenec on Britain in a few days. Looking back at how these events unfolded, everyone should be glad that Hitler made such a mistake. I, for one couldn't believe that Hitler made this mistake. Throughout reading this entire book Hitler usually makes swift, decisive actions that get results and that is why Lukacs stresses this string of events in the book.Overall, this book is wonderfully written on a very interesting topic. The reader is put in the middle of a war of nerves and will between two men, one of which we have grown up to learn to hate. This only makes us even more emotional about the topic at hand. For a history book, it was surprisingly understandable and hard to put down. It enlightened me to the complex problems that existed in the most memorable three months this century.

    Read More

  • Tactics In Hitler And Stali

    1012 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...t the U.S would continue there fight with Japan and not focus on the Germans, but what Hitler didn’t know was that The U.S would join forces with the Russians and the British. When they did this they helped the Russians beat Germany and gain back control of The USSR (“BBC History”).

    Read More

  • The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler

    690 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...ief that the Germans were superior to all other nations, religions and ethnic groups. He created concentrations camps in various locations in Europe that he used to exterminate others, especially the JYDS. Hitler’s hate and his belief that the Jews were an enemy of the Germans lead to a terrible tragedy that has never been forgotten. Europeans have never quite recovered up to this day from the terrible tragedy. This however has in many ways lead to a united Europe and organizations such as the European Union in the hope to prevent something like this ever reoccurring.

    Read More

  • Battle of Kursk

    443 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Germans took an unrealistic approach in the decision making process for the battle. During the debate in the German High Command about what to do in the summer of 1943, two options were introduced. The realistic option, which was supported by the best German field commanders and many soldiers, was to compensate for the large Russian numerical advantage by fully utilizing the superiority of the German commander and soldiers in tactics, command and fighting, by a strategy of dynamic mobile defense that would cause great losses to the Russians in a series of local clashes. This would delay the Russians and was a realistic goal as it was easily achievable. However, Adolf Hitler wanted to follow the enthusiast-optimistic option of having a major decisive battle against a large portion of the Russian armour in order to destroy them. He thought that the best suited place for such a battle was the Kursk salient, where the Russians had already established battle grounds. In fact, aerial photos taken by German airplanes clearly revealed that the Russians had already built dense and deep fortifications at the Kursk salient in order to counter an attack. Also, it was evident that many Russian tanks were moved deeper behind the front line. Finally, the Blitzkrieg tactic that was often used by the Germans would have to be changed.

    Read More

  • Analysis of The Origins of Second World War by A.J.P. Taylor

    960 Words  | 2 Pages

    However, when confronted with a strict policy of appeasement, by both the French and the English, the stage was set for a second World War. Taylor constructs a powerful and effective argument by expelling certain dogmas that painted Hitler as a madman, and by evaluating historical events as a body of actions and reactions, disagreeing with the common idea that the Axis had a specific program from the start. The book begins with the conclusion of the First World War, by exploring the idea that critical mistakes made then made a second war likely, yet not inevitable. Taylor points out that although Germany was defeated on the Western front, “Russia fell out of Europe and ceased to exist, for the time being, as a Great Power. The constellation of Europe was profoundly changed—and to Germany’s advantage.”

    Read More

  • The Battle of Stalingrad

    1474 Words  | 3 Pages

    The time would soon come for Hitler to seek out his revenge on the nation that delayed his imminent world domination. One year after the siege at Leningrad, Hitler’s once indestructible Axis power had begun to weaken. Hitler began to see his dream fading away. He realized that to maintain hope, he and his army must remain on the offensive, so he decided to go after his most glaring defeat, which was Russia.

    Read More

  • Adolf Hitler And The Holocaust

    683 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hitler’s plans for Germany were both meaningless and cruel. His first goal was to establish what he thought was the ‘supreme’ race, Aryan. Aryan people are tall and skinny, with blonde hair, blue eyes, and light skin (FYI: Hitler had none of these characteristics, and rumor has it that his grandmother was Jewish.). Every other person was not considered human to him, especially Jewish people. Hitler hated Jewish people the most because he thought that because of their beliefs and living style they lost World War I. Also according to Hitler, Jews were maggots, parasites, vampire spiders sucking blood, and vermin. Hitler thought it was not enough to only eliminate the ‘enemies’ of the Aryan race, but they also needed space to live. This is when his second goal came into play. He started relocating them, starving them, shutting down their shops and many more things. The worst part was that he lied to them when he said they were relocating them, he was really taking them to concentration camps.

    Read More

  • Holocaust

    709 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hitler had thought that the Jews did not believe in the “right” thing so he tried to eliminate the race. He did not want them to believe in what they did and still do. He thought that the Jewish race was inferior and did not mean anything. The way that Hitler treated the Jews were crimes against humanity and I know that many non Jews saw that but did...

    Read More

More about Operation Barbarosa

Open Document