On the morning of June 22, 1941, three German army groups, consisting of over three million soldiers, 150 divisions, and three thousand tanks, attacked across the frontier into Soviet territory. The front covered nearly two thousand miles and took the Red Army almost entirely by surprise. Adolf Hitler titled the invasion “Operation Barbarossa”, and it was the critical turning point of the Second World War. The goal of Hitler’s Directive Number 21 was to destroy the Red Army’s fighting capabilities in the West, create a buffer that denied the Russian Airforce the ability to attack territory of the German Reich, establish a general line along the Volga River to Archangel, and ultimately destroy the Soviet Union. For many people it’s not surprising that Operation Barbarossa failed and forced Germany to fight a two front war against a coalition possessing superior resources, leading to the eventual defeat and destruction of Hitler’s “Third Reich”.
The “Third Reich” wasn’t the first Empire to be defeated in the vastness of Russia, barely 120 years earlier, Napoleon suffered a staggering defeat that led to the dissolution of the First French Empire. With what history has taught us it seems like common knowledge that a land invasion of Russia is doomed to failure, but in 1941 it wasn’t too farfetched of an idea to think that the German Army would be able to defeat Russia. Hitler felt that Operation Barbarossa would be successful and ultimately launched the invasion because
The invasion of Russia was further enticing to Hitler as both a strategic and economic maneuver, allowing for a gain in land and resources. Russia’s rich land provided Hitler with oil and grain to help sustain the Reich and future Aryan race. Furthermore, the proposed existing state of the Soviet Union presented Russia as unsuspecting and unprepared for attack, with a weakened army that possessed a false sense of security towards Hitler’s intentions. Weakened by
<br>As the war progressed, Hitler became more risky in his decision making, and made the crucial error of invading Russia in June 1941. This opened Germany up to communist attack by breaking the Soviet-German non-agression pact of August 1939, and also a two front war, and Hitler was forced to divert forces to Russia, which could have been spent on defeating Britain. Hitler's aim of invading Russia had been postponed due to the distractions in both North Africa, and also south eastern Europe. Hitler felt an urgency to begin the move to the east, even though the British remained undefeated in the west. The invasion of Russia was the largest military campaign of the war.
“While the German army had success the first day, it was Hitler’s desire to occupy the entire city that cost him the battle” (Background). Despite being in a favorable position early on, Hitler decide to continue to push on and quickly take over the city of Stalingrad. Logically, Hitler would have been content with the position he had, and held it for some time. Despite throwing large amounts of men into the fighting the Germans only made small amounts of progress, losing absurd amounts of men and supplies to take over a single building. Once Hitler had started this push, however, he could not pull out of it. It would be a defeat in his eyes, and avoiding defeat was more important to him than the lives of his men. “Fresh divisions were thrown in and were soon ground to pieces in the inferno (a fiery hell). To Hitler [Stalingrad’s] capture was now a question of personal prestige” (Document 1). After a certain point, a victory under his name became won important to Hitler than the territory won in the battle. Especially due to the city's importance to Stalin himself, it was more of a personal battle for Hitler than a battle between nations. The Battle of Stalingrad became a test of Hitler’s prestige and what he was willing to do to protect it. The answer to that question would turn out to be too much, as the Soviets would be on the front foot for the
Germany’s fate was changed on April 20, 1889, the day I, Adolf Hitler was born to German official, Alois and my dear, Klara Hitler. Little did they know of what a miracle that had blessed them that day. My destiny was decided for me every time my father lectured me about the abhor Jews, taking up our German property, and beat me for the childish mistakes I made. I realized my destiny was to punish the faults in our once perfect nation. My father’s strict upper hand was not the only contribution to my great plan. At the age of sixteen, I left my home to pursue my dream of becoming an artist. I enrolled myself into the Viennese Academy of Fine Arts. The vile Jews in charge of the school denied me acceptance into the school. I spent
Other than causing the liberation of France and the establishment of a new battlefront, the invasion also relieved the Soviet Union’s pressure. Before the Invasion, Germany had over two million troops fighting against the Red Army in the Eastern Front, and many of Soviet’s cities were captured. The Russians fought desperately to protect their cities. However, after the invasion, with the launch of a new major battlefront in the West, Hitler had to transport many of his forces to the West in order to defend his own country. Without as many troops to fight against, the Soviet army was able to push through Czechoslovakia, Poland and eventually penetrate into Germany; the Soviet Union’s progress greatly sped up the endof the war. (Naval History and Heritage- D-Day, the Normandy Invasion, 6 - 25 June 1944)
In the first stages of the Russian counter attack against the German army, led by General Friedrich Paulus, the German plan for strategic retreat was stopped by Hitler himself who, in a radio message to Paulus, would say that surrender is not an option and to continue fighting until the German’s were unable to continue. This evidently selfish and stubborn behavior from the leader of Nazi Germany forced the German army to brave the Russian winter and later force their surrender in 1943 by restricting the power of his generals on the front lines. The loss of manpower from this defeat would start the downfall of the power of Nazi
“Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889, which was on Easter Sunday. Adolf was one of four children but none of the other children lived past two years of age. After Adolf was born, his mom, Klara, had two more kids who did live to be older than two. Adolf’s mom, Klara, had been traumatized by the death of her first three children, causing her to go crazy”. Klara always worried about Adolf dying. Adolf also had two half brothers and sisters from his dad Alois Hitler. Alois Hitler was never a big part of Adolf’s life and he struggled with that. Adolf had a dream of being an artist, but that did not match the government job his dad wanted him to have. People say that Hitler was a mean man because of his dad and his early life. His dad would get drunk and go crazy on his family, this is not a way to grow up, and it certainly impacted Hitler and history. “When his father died Hitler roamed the streets dreaming of his future as an artist. When Hitler was 18, he tried to enter the Academy of Fine Arts, but was rejected twice this caused him a lot of frustration.” When Hitler was 25 he was part of the military and served in World War I, this allowed him to release some of the anger and frustration. “While in the army Hitler was wounded twice, once by gas. This is said to be the reason he went a little crazy. While in the war this is when he started to hate the Jews. Hitler said, while in the war that the Jews were everywhere and he began to hate them more and more as he saw
The Holocaust was one of the biggest genocide in the world. Over 17 million people died in it mostly Jews. There where more things to The Holocaust World War 2, Hitlers rise to power, and Anne Franks Diary. These events all happened at the same time reflecting on one another. The Holocaust was one of the worlds worst events in history.
Operation Barbarossa, Hitler’s plan to conquer Russia was what ultimately caused the defeat and downfall of the Nazi Empire. There was already an oil crisis in Germany and the invasion of Russia worsened it. Throughout the campaign, the Germans were plagued with many logistical and supply problems. Hitler and his generals miscalculated the speed of conquest, causing the Russian winter to arrive when they did not win yet. Hitler also fought three major fronts in Russia at once, which made his armies more weak.
Machiavelli’s The Prince outlines tactics for a leader to seize and maintain lands under his power. His tactics have been demonstrated repeatedly throughout history, and though his approach is hardly ethical or idealistic, one cannot deny the fact that it has proved to be effective. Hitler is an example that exemplifies the accuracy of what Machiavelli said would bring success in the acquisition of new provinces.
Two days after Britain and France declared war on Nazi Germany, on the 3rd of September 1939, President Roosevelt issued a proclamation of neutrality and ordered the suspension of munitions sales to all “belligerents” (nations involved in war.) This included its “allies” the British and the French, as they were counted as “belligerent” nations.
Adolf Hitler’s military tactics, poor leadership skills, and actions caused him to lose World War II. Hitler’s objective was to gain world power. He was willing to risk everything for Germany to become the most powerful country. According to Richard Overy, a British historian, “If the German people are not prepared to engage in its own survival, so be it: then it must disappear!” (538). Hitler was also willing to sacrifice Germany to attain world control and victory during World War II. The idea of losing WWII never came across Hitler’s mind because he was confident that Germany would become victorious during the war.
Born in the Austrian town of Braunau on April 20, 1889, Adolf was the fourth child of Alois Schickelgruber and Klara Hitler. By 1900, young Adolf's talents as an artist surfaced. He did well enough in school to be eligible for either the university preparatory school or the technical/scientific Realschule. Because the technical/scientific Realschule had a course in drawing, Adolf enrolled in there. Adolf suffered from frequent lung infections, and he quit school at the age of 16, partially the result of ill health, but mainly the result of poor schoolwork. In 1906, Adolf traveled Vienna to seek his fortune, but he wasn't able to get admission to any prestigious art school. Hitler spent six years there, living on a
The Rise of Hitler During the 1920's and early 1930's Germany was trying to recover from World War. It had to pay reparations and try to rebuild the economy from bankruptcy. It was because of the weaknesses of the economy and the Weimar Government, together with the growing popularity of the Nazis that Hitler was able to become Chancellor.
To many World War II has been the most devastating war in human history. It