Nazi Invasion of Russia

1. Nazi Invasion of Russia The Battle of Stalingrad.

2. Reminder: In the first year, Hitler managed to take over most of the continent. He tried to take over the UK with the Battle of Britain but was not successful. People started to lose faith in Hitler. He needed a victory – quickly. As a result, Hitler sped up his plans for world domination and invaded The Soviet Union (Russia) Nazi Invasion

3. The invasion of Russia was known as Operation Barbarossa. It has been the largest invasion of another country since. An estimated 3.2 million German soldiers marched into The Soviet Union. Initially the invasion was very successful as the size of the German forces quickly overwhelmed the unsuspecting Russians. The Germans captured lots of territory, but it wouldn’t last.

4. Why Did It Backfire? • The Nazi Army was going against Josef Stalin. • Josef Stalin did not care at all about human life. • Josef Stalin was more than happy to send millions of Soviets to their death, in whatever conditions necessary, if it meant that the Nazi Army was defeated. • He issued an order that anybody strong enough to carry a rifle was to fight against the Nazis. Failure to do so would mean that you were a traitor and would probably be executed. • He also issued Order 227 – Russian Soldiers were to take: “Not one step back” and keep fighting until they were dead.

5. The Battle Of Stalingrad – The Turning Point After the initial surprise of the Invasion, the Soviet Army re-grouped and slowly started resisting against the Nazi Army. The biggest showdown was at the Battle of Stalingrad. Russian Soldiers often used Guerrilla warfare against the Nazis which systematically dismantled them from all sides. Russian Soldiers were fearless in attacking the Nazis. Mostly because if they surrendered or retreated, they would be executed for treason. Russia also was going through a very harsh winter. This created some of the worst battle conditions in history. Stalingrad has gone down as one of the most horrible battles of all time.

6. The Battle Of Stalingrad – Guerrilla Warfare Guerrilla Warfare is a unique kind of warfare which is generally fought by civilians. It is when people use “cheap” tactics such as hiding in buildings or using long-range snipers to slowly pick apart the enemy, rather than face them in the open. Other tactics include soldiers dressed as “harmless” civilians. Guerrilla Warfare is commonly used by resistance forces who are poorly equipped. It lets the resistance fight back without putting themselves at a big risk. The only counter to Guerrilla warfare is to destroy the environment the Guerrillas work in.

8. This was the city centre of Stalingrad shortly after it was freed

12. End Result Death Toll of Stalingrad • The Nazi Army lost a very significant portion of its forces. • The Russians managed to take back control of Stalingrad and they started to push the Germans out of Soviet Territory. • The German Army was now in retreat and were trying to hold onto the territory that they had once captured. Death Toll of Operation Barbarossa

13. Your Task: Activity: Read through the attached Nazi journal of the battle of Stalingrad. In one paragraph, explain what sort of experience that soldier had. Make mention of: • His first impressions of the battle • What were the conditions for this soldier like? • Do you think he survived? Why\Why not? Questions: • In your own words, describe what the battle of Stalingrad was. • What is Guerrilla Warfare? • Why was Stalingrad a turning point in the war? • What can the images tell you about the fighting conditions of the battle?