The Western Front: The First Russian Invasion
On June 22, 1941, the German Army poured across the borders of the Soviet Union, initiating nearly 4 years of the most savage and brutal warfare humanity ever experienced. Three Army Groups penetrated Russia on a front extending from the Baltic coast to the Black Sea. One and a half million soldiers of the Wehrmacht obeyed the Fuehrer's directive to destroy the Red Army and the Soviet Union.
"The World will hold it's breath!", Adolf Hitler told his Generals. And as the world watched in amazement, the Wehrmacht rolled triumphantly across the Russian steppe, seemingly invincible. Caught by surprise, the bulk of the Russian Air Forces were destroyed on the ground. Under orders not to provoke the Germans, the Russian frontier armies were not …show more content…
Battered by one defeat after another, the poor performance of the Red Army gave no one reason to believe otherwise. With their officer corps decimated by Stalin's purges, the badly equipped , poorly trained and demoralized Red Army sustained losses and gave ground which would have defeated any other country in a matter of days.
For the invasion, Hitler chose the same armies and commanders which had swept through the Low Countries and France in a little over a month. Army Group North, commanded by Generalfeldmarshall Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb, launched their attack from East Prussia, driving for the Baltic port of Leningrad. Army Group Center, under Gfm. Fedor von Bock, erupted out of Poland, with Moscow as it's objective. Under the command of one of Germany's "Black Knights", Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, Army Group South headed for the Ukraine, and the oil fields of the Caucasus.
Facing them in the field were their Soviet counterparts, Soviet Marshals Klimenti Voroshilov, an old Bolshevik, drinking partner, and crony of Stalin; Semyon Buddeny, a cavalry officer of indifferent ability in modern warfare, and Semyon Timoshenko, one of the few capable high ranking officers to survive Stalin's …show more content…
After standing alone against the Nazis for an entire year, Winston Churchill stated that, "All who resist Nazi domination shall have our aid". Derided by opposition members of Parliament about his long-standing position against Communism, Churchill retorted, "If Hitler were to invade Hell, I should at least stand in the Commons and say a few words on behalf of the Devil". Rhetoric aside, there was little that Britain could offer of immediate assistance, and Russia faced the German onslaught alone.
One disaster after another plagued the Red Army as the Germans drove deeper into the Russian heartland. By July 16, 1941, Army Group Center had captured over 600,000 prisoners alone. An ill-conceived and executed counter-attack at Kharkov cost the Red Army over 300,000 men. The Wehrmacht had captured the city of Smolensk, and the road to Moscow appeared to be
"The World will hold it's breath!", Adolf Hitler told his Generals. And as the world watched in amazement, the Wehrmacht rolled triumphantly across the Russian steppe, seemingly invincible. Caught by surprise, the bulk of the Russian Air Forces were destroyed on the ground. Under orders not to provoke the Germans, the Russian frontier armies were not …show more content…
Battered by one defeat after another, the poor performance of the Red Army gave no one reason to believe otherwise. With their officer corps decimated by Stalin's purges, the badly equipped , poorly trained and demoralized Red Army sustained losses and gave ground which would have defeated any other country in a matter of days.
For the invasion, Hitler chose the same armies and commanders which had swept through the Low Countries and France in a little over a month. Army Group North, commanded by Generalfeldmarshall Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb, launched their attack from East Prussia, driving for the Baltic port of Leningrad. Army Group Center, under Gfm. Fedor von Bock, erupted out of Poland, with Moscow as it's objective. Under the command of one of Germany's "Black Knights", Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, Army Group South headed for the Ukraine, and the oil fields of the Caucasus.
Facing them in the field were their Soviet counterparts, Soviet Marshals Klimenti Voroshilov, an old Bolshevik, drinking partner, and crony of Stalin; Semyon Buddeny, a cavalry officer of indifferent ability in modern warfare, and Semyon Timoshenko, one of the few capable high ranking officers to survive Stalin's …show more content…
After standing alone against the Nazis for an entire year, Winston Churchill stated that, "All who resist Nazi domination shall have our aid". Derided by opposition members of Parliament about his long-standing position against Communism, Churchill retorted, "If Hitler were to invade Hell, I should at least stand in the Commons and say a few words on behalf of the Devil". Rhetoric aside, there was little that Britain could offer of immediate assistance, and Russia faced the German onslaught alone.
One disaster after another plagued the Red Army as the Germans drove deeper into the Russian heartland. By July 16, 1941, Army Group Center had captured over 600,000 prisoners alone. An ill-conceived and executed counter-attack at Kharkov cost the Red Army over 300,000 men. The Wehrmacht had captured the city of Smolensk, and the road to Moscow appeared to be