Summary.
The German invasion of Russia turned out to be a failure for the Germans, with the attack taking place in winter they were unprepared to fight in the cold conditions. Although the Germans had gained a lot of ground they were forced to move out not being able to fight any longer.
Operation Barbarossa
- Germanys invasion of Soviet Union
- Began on June 22, 1941
- Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR
- Resulted in 95% of all German casualties from 1941 to 1944
- Operation Barbarossas failure marked a turning point in the Third Reichs fortunes
- Scorched earth policy
- Differences in rail width made transport of tanks difficult
- The German forces captured 3 million Soviet POWs
- They were deliberately starved to death in German camps as part of a Hunger Plan
- The Germans were pushed back due to cold weather
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