Operation Barbarossa
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World War II: (1939-1941)
Lesson Plans by Matt Campbell
In this unit, students will be introduced to the major events and turning points that occurred between 1939 and 1941.
Storyboard Description
World War II Battles: Operation Barbarossa
Storyboard Text
- What was Operation Barbarossa?
- What Led To Operation Barbarossa?
- On June 22nd, 1941, under the order of Adolph Hitler, the German army invaded the Soviet Union. Operation Barbarossa broke the non-aggression pact the Nazis had with the Soviets and would result in the bloodiest campaign of the entire war.
- What Were The Outcomes of Operation Barbarossa?
- Operation Barbarossa
- On August 23rd, 1939 the German and Russian governments signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop non-aggression pact. This pact has been seen by many historians as a "honeymoon for two dictators" as it gave both countries ample time to build their armies without the threat of conflict with the other. Once the Germans felt they had a comparable army, it broke the pact as it vied to dominate the Soviet Union.
- What Were The Conditions of Fighting Like?
- Military Deaths
- Tanks Lost
- Civilian Deaths
- Operation Barbarossa Losses
- Aircraft Lost
- 3,350
- 2,770
- 3,800,000
- 800,000+
- 11,000
- 2.900,000
- 7,133-9,100
- 4,000,000+
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- Operation Barbarossa was far from a victory for either the Soviets or Germans. The German army suffered over 3.8 million deaths while the Soviet army faced 2.9 million. Although this campaign campaign decimated the Nazi army, over 4 million Soviet civilians were killed in this brutal campaign that would last for over five months. This is seen by many as the turning point of World War II which would be the "beginning of the end" for the German Army.
- The German invasion force brought with them 3,000 tanks, 7,000 artillery pieces, and 2,500 aircraft. This massive force spread out throughout the 1,800 mile long front and faced a brutal winter, incredibly challenging terrain, and a Russian "scorched-earth" that would result in millions of dead soldiers and civilians. The German army would find themselves ill-equipped and under prepared for such a long and harsh campaign.
Image Attributions
- Mitraljøsetrening / Machine Gun Training (1940) - Trondheim byarkiv - (License Attribution )
- Molotow beim Tête-à-Tête mit Hitler im November 1940 - quapan - (License Attribution )
- Russia: Urban Extents - SEDACMaps - (License Attribution )
- Trening under Nøytralitetsvakta / Winter Training (1940) - Trondheim byarkiv - (License Attribution )
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