Operation Barbarossa was a code name given to the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1939 before the development of the Second World War. The attack came after Germany had defeated other European powers like Poland, Norway, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, Holland, and Belgium.1,2 Hitler believed that the only way to solve the dilemma was to invade the Soviet Union, although the two countries had signed a pact in 1939.3 The failure of operation Barbarosa was the first defeat to be experienced by Hitler which marked their weakness and the fact that they were heading towards losing the Second World War. Although German thought it was easy to conquer Soviet, the operation Barbarossa failed terribly due to reasons such as poor planning and underestimation of their opponents.
German did not have enough soldiers or resources to support the war making Hitler to rely on intelligence sources to shape his military and political plans. Hitler had learned estimated that the Soviet Union was not well-prepared for prolonged war since their economy could not handle it.4 Such knowledge, together with the victories he had gained in the east, gave him the confidence to invade the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941.5 He believed the invasion would last for a short duration, but despite his early success in the attack, the operation lasted several months.
Operation Barbarossa failed due to the various mistakes that Hitler made in addition to with the physical conditions in Russia. Among the factors that influenced the losses was the winter in Russia that halted the Germans’ attack outside the Moscow gates.6 The weather made it challenging for them as they were not preparing for such a climate.7 Hitler failed in planning for the war’s long-term impacts, which made the operation a total failure. Hitler underestimated the power of the Russian forces as they had planned to win the battles in six weeks, but the fight continued for six months which led to shortage of supplies.
Operation Barbarossa is considered a turning point in the Second World War. The Germans’ failure to conquer the Soviet Union led to new strategies to eliminate the Jews.8 After the failure, the Second World War took a new turn as the Soviet Union launched a counter-offensive mission at Stalingrad in November 1952. The Soviet armies encircled a German army of 220000 soldiers, and after a month of severe fighting accompanied by a large number of casualties, the remaining German soldiers surrendered.9 This aspect was contrary to Germany’s expectations as they had planned to win against the soviet and expand their territory.
The failure of the operation Barbarossa signaled the imminent defeat of German forces in the brutal Second World War. Miscalculations to delay attack on Moscow, unfavorable weather conditions and underestimation of soviet strength were among the factors that characterized Hitler’s downfall. Germans had to accept the fact that they were losing the war as they had lost strength owing to shortage of supplies and blunders.
Bibliography
Bartolini, Guido. “Italian Memory of The Invasion of The Soviet Union During The Second World War Reproduction By Division: Historical Parks “Russia Is My History”.” Historical Expertise 4 (2018): 224-241. Web.
Fuelling, Mathias. “Book Review-Operation Barbarossa.” (2022).
Wettstein, Adrian. “Operation Barbarossa and Urban Battle.” Military History Journal 66, no. 1 (2007): 21-44.
Footnotes
- Guido Bartolini, “Italian Memory of the Invasion of the Soviet Union During the Second World War Reproduction by Division: Historical Parks “Russia is my History,” Historical Expertise 4 (2018): 238. Web.
- Mathias Fuelling, “Book Review-Operation Barbarossa,” (2022):1. Web.
- Adrian Wettstein, “Operation Barbarossa and Urban Battle,” Military History Journal 66, no. 1 (2007): 40. Web.
- Adrian Wettstein, “Operation Barbarossa and Urban Battle,” Military History Journal 66, no. 1 (2007): 34. Web.
- Guido Bartolini, “Italian Memory of the Invasion of the Soviet Union During the Second World War Reproduction by Division: Historical Parks “Russia is my History,” Historical Expertise 4 (2018): 237. Web.
- Guido Bartolini, “Italian Memory of the Invasion of the Soviet Union During the Second World War Reproduction by Division: Historical Parks “Russia is my History,” Historical Expertise 4 (2018): 238. Web.
- Adrian Wettstein, “Operation Barbarossa and Urban Battle,” Military History Journal 66, no. 1 (2007): 33. Web.
- Adrian Wettstein, “Operation Barbarossa and Urban Battle,” Military History Journal 66, no. 1 (2007): 30. Web.
- Mathias Fuelling, “Book Review-Operation Barbarossa,” (2022):1. Web.