Why Was Operation Barbarosa a Failure

The purpose of this paper, though, is not to discuss the historical implications of the Soviet victory in World War II. I intend to explain why the Soviets were victorious, and, similarly, why the Nazis were defeated. I believe that in this process it will become evident that the tremendous power wielded by the Soviets during the Cold War age was predicated on the very things that made them successful in World War II.

Before going into an explanation of why the Soviets were successful, I think it is important to give an overview of the actual events of the Barbarosa at

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The last straw came at the Munich Conference in 1938 when Britain and France essentially sold out Czechoslovakia to the Nazis without consulting the Czechs.

The German invasion was divided into three groups: the northern front, headed by Field Marshall Von Leeb, moved toward Leningrad; the central front, under Field Marshall Von Bock, moved toward Moscow; and the southern front, led by Field Marshall Von Rundstedt, moved toward Kiev. The Rapollo Pact in 1922 and the Friendship Pact shortly thereafter established formal diplomatic and trade relations between the two countries, allowed the German military to train in Russia, and gave the Soviets access to superior German military technology. These vast human resources allowed for massive offensives where heavy losses were acceptable. Hitler’s racist views would not allow him to enlist the help of these people until it was too late. Hitler’s objective was “to crush Soviet Russia in a quick campaign before the end of the war against England”(Treadgold, p.

The most obvious advantage enjoyed by the Soviets over their Nazi enemies was in human resources. As much as possible was removed from the west and brought east, primarily to Siberia. The attack, under the codename “Operation Barbarosa,” was scheduled to begin in May of 1941; however, due to difficulties in the Balkans, it did not begin until June.

Common topics in this essay:
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Approximate Word count = 2827
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)

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