With the exception of the Battle of Britain, Hitler and Germany had a great deal of success in invasions and conflicts prior to the commencement of Operation Barbarossa. Invasion of Poland by Hitler in 1931, followed by attacks on Belgium, France, and Holland, as well as a conflict with Britain. When it came to conquering the Soviet Union, however, the operation marked the start of Hitler's demise. The invasion of the Soviet Union by the Germans was codenamed Operation Barbarossa. That operation began on June 22, 1941, and because it began at that time, Germany faced one of the most difficult challenges when invading the Soviet Union: winter. It was World War II's largest military assault.
Because the invasion of the Soviet Union was one of Hitler's major failures during World War II, Operation Barbarossa was the turning point of the war. The problem isn't the idea of conquering the Soviet Union; it's how Hitler accomplished it. The Battle of Stalingrad, one of the main battles in Operation Barbarossa, was lost because Germany utilized insufficient military forces, had inadequate logistics and preparation and failed to win the Battle of Stalingrad.
First and foremost, Germany's army and military forces are ineffective. Their armed forces and army were weaker than the Red Army's. The Russian winter is one of the most serious issues. The German army and armed forces are unable to withstand the Russian winter. "The German tanks' treads were small, with minimal traction and poor mud flotation. In these conditions, however, the new generation of Soviet tanks, such as the T-34 and VK, had larger tracks and were significantly more mobile." (Operation Barbarossa/Operation Barbarossa/Operation Barbarossa According to the data above, the Soviet Union's automobiles are more reliable and upgraded than Germany's. Their military forces, including tanks, were inferior to those of the Soviet Union. They were also unprepared for the weather and the Soviet Union's weak road network, making it difficult for them to reach some destinations. "As a result, the forces lacked sufficient cold-weather clothing, and some soldiers were forced to stuff newspapers into their jackets to stay warm as temperatures plummeted to at least -30 °C (-22 °F)." The Germans used valuable fuel that was difficult to resupply to run furnaces and heaters." (Operation Barbarossa/Operation Barbarossa/Operation Barbarossa
The cold not only caused transportation problems, but it also had an impact on the German troops. Their outfit and equipment were unsuitable for the weather. To keep warm, they must, for example, burn fuel, which is a critical supply and extremely difficult to obtain. The military of the Soviet Union, on the other hand, are dressed in warmer attire. Their vehicles, such as aircraft, were likewise in poor condition, because fuel may freeze at any time, requiring soldiers to take time to restore it before the vehicles could be used. Lubricants for vehicles were likewise worthless in Russia's frigid temperatures. These supplies, such as lubricants, oil, and petrol, were critical because they kept German military forces, such as artillery and vehicles, operational and in good shape.
The Germans' inadequate logistics and planning strategy was the second factor. One of the causes is that Germany was overconfident and misjudged the Soviet Union. As a result, the strategy and logistics are unrealistic. The invasion had three primary goals. Army Group Center, with 1.3 million troops, 2,600 tanks, and 7,800 artillery pieces, launched an all-out assault on Moscow. Meanwhile, Army Group North, with 700,000 men, 770 tanks, and 4,000 artillery pieces, is on the move." (Operation Barbarossa: The Greatest Military Adventure in History, by Erik Sass) Hitler employs a technique known as "blitzkrieg," or "lightning war." This is the same plan Hitler employed to defeat France and Poland, but it is ineffective against the Soviet Union. Due to Stalin's confidence that Germany would not attack its own allies, especially after signing the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the Soviet Union was likewise shocked by the invasion. Due to the difficulty in obtaining fuel for supplies, Germany occasionally runs out of fuel before reaching its goal. Their army is also lacking in ammunition and other supplies. Hitler was never concerned with food. Because it is difficult to obtain supplies while on the front lines of battle or traveling through Russia's heartland, Hitler must pick between food, ammo, and warm clothing, and he prefers ammunition to the others. "In the field, commanders relied on foraging local cattle to feed their forces, and this practice lasted until shortages forced troops to eat their units' horses." (MAJ Loganathan, "Operation Barbarossa" Logistics Failure And Its Relevance Today) Germany was winning by September 1941, and the invasion had so far been successful. They've already taken Kyiv and Odesa, and they're on their way to Leningrad and Moscow. "By December 1941, the combined German armies had killed 360,000 Soviet soldiers, wounded one million, and captured two million more, totaling 3.4 million Red Army casualties." In six months, German forces and allies marched up to 600 kilometers and captured almost 500,000 square miles of Soviet land, home to 75 million people." (Operation Barbarossa: The Greatest Military Adventure in History, by Erik Sass)
Finally, Germany lost the decisive battle of Stalingrad, which marked the end of the campaign. Prior to this conflict, Hitler's invasion had been fairly successful. "Russians regard it as the most important battle of their Great Patriotic War, and most historians regard it as the most important battle of the struggle." (Stalingrad Battle) The Fight of Stalingrad began on July 17, 1942, and the Soviet Union successfully defended the city of Stalingrad during this battle. Stalingrad is significant because it served as Russia's key communication center in the south. General Paulus was the German commander, and his major purpose was to secure the oil field in the Caucasus. Russia, on the other hand, would strive to prevent Germany from securing the oil field. While fighting the Soviet Union, Germany's troops had to deal with and manage the winter in Russia. This makes it more difficult for Germany to defeat its adversaries.
Russian leader Zhukov employed a strategy to circumnavigate the city and trap the German troops. Hitler refused to give up at this time and ordered General Paulus to retain his ground. "Hitler ordered Paulus to fight to the last bullet, and he promoted him to field marshal to motivate him." The Germans, on the other hand, had no choice but to surrender by the end of January 1943. General Schreck surrendered the northern group on February 2nd, 1943, while Paulus surrendered the army in the southern area on January 31st" (Battle of Stalingrad) Around 150,000 troops were killed and 91,000 soldiers were taken as prisoners. That was a major setback for Germany, and their military has been weakened ever since.
To summarise, Operation Barbarossa was one of Hitler's most egregious errors. It was a watershed moment in World War II. The Battle of Stalingrad, one of the main battles in Operation Barbarossa, was lost because Germany utilized insufficient military forces, had inadequate logistics and preparation and failed to win the Battle of Stalingrad. The biggest issue that contributed to the operation's failure was Russia's winter. This resulted in a slew of large and minor issues, including weakened military forces and bad transportation. The Russian army also possesses better equipment, gear, and vehicles that are more appropriate for the situation. The second issue is that Germany's logistics and planning strategy is inadequate. Germany misjudged the Soviet Union, and its army and supplies were overconfident. As a result, the strategy and logistics are unrealistic. Finally, Germany was defeated in the Battle of Stalingrad, a significant battle of Operation Barbarossa. Hitler takes the incorrect decision as the German army is besieged.
References
“Operation Barbarossa”. New World Encyclopaedia. Web.
MLJ Loganathan. “Failure of Logistics in “Operation Barbarossa” And It’s Relevance Day”. Minded. Gov. Sg. Web.
“Battle of Stalingrad”. History.com. A+E Networks. 2009. Web.
Erik Sass. “Operation Barbarossa: The Biggest Military Adventure in History”. Mental_floss. Web.
Chris Trueman. “The Battle of Stalingrad”. History Learning Site. 2014. Web.
Professor Richard Overy. “The Soviet-German War 1941-1945”. BBC. Web.
Kennedy Hickman. “World War II: Battle of Stalingrad”. About education. Web.
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