Why was the German invasion of Russia to be expected?
             On June 22, 1941, the armies of Nazi-Germany stood on a two thousand kilometer long Front, preparing to attack Soviet-Russia. The inevitable assault on Russia was to finally satisfy an obsession of Adolph Hitler, the Nazi Führer. As for Joseph Stalin, the knowledge that three million men were standing on his front step about to break down his door should have come as no surprise. One of a number of acts by Hitler that should have alerted Stalin to possible invasion was the signing of the Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact. The Führer signed simply to give his armies time to further prepare for war. Hitler's history of pact breaking, as demonstrated by the absolute dismantling of the Treaty of Versailles and his disregard for the non-aggression pact with Poland was indication enough that Hitler could not be trusted. In addition, as Germany absorbed more and more land it should have become obvious to Stalin that the next move on the part of the Nazis would be in the direction of Russia. Hitler's long standing desire for Russia's industries and agricultural lands as part of his belief in lebensraum or living space, had been public knowledge since he wrote Mein Kampf some seventeen years before. The Führer's obsession did not end at lebensraum though; his anti-Communist feelings were an important indicator of his desire to obliterate the 'degenerate' Slavs and their Communist government.
             When Stalin signed the Nazi-Soviet Non-aggression Pact, he was at a point of almost desperation. He had tried again and again to convince Britain and France to open a second front and all he had received was a few mild mannered brush-offs. So instead of a second front he got a promise from the one person he was afraid of, that Russia would not be invaded. But what Stalin failed to see was the Hitler had no intension of keeping his promise. Hitler had a lo
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