2. The War in Europe The Eastern Front

3. Hitler was driven by his belief in “Lebensraum” for the German people
Considered Slavs “sub-human” and so their lands were up for grabs
After the failure of the Battle of Britain and events in N. Africa, Hitler turned his eyes eastwards - land resources
Believed the USSR was under-prepared and would fall to a blitzkrieg offensive

4. Key Events Operation Barbarossa
Russian adoption of “scorched earth policy”
Siege and Battle of Leningrad (St. Petersburg)
Siege of Stalingrad (Volgograd)
Battle of Kursk

7. Operation Barbarossa
The Siege of Leningrad by German forces during World War II lasted from September 1941 to January 1944 and resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Soviet civilians. Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, began on June 22, 1941, and within three months German forces and their allies the Finns had surrounded Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg). After failing to capture the city the Germans laid siege to it, pounding its 3 million inhabitants with artillery and bombs. The Soviets, however, were able to keep a supply route open to the north, across frozen Lake Ladoga, bringing in food and fuel and evacuating some 500,000 civilians. Despite the siege, the Russians were still able to manufacture tanks, ammunition, and other war materiel. Soviet forces breached part of the German line in January 1943 and brought some relief to the city. The German grip was completely ended in January 1944, when a Soviet offensive drove the Germans away from the city.

8. German tanks rolling
toward Stalingrad

15. Summary
Hitler’s decision to invade the USSR was undoubtedly a turning point in the war
Forced Germany to fight a 2 Front War - stretched their manpower and resources
While the Russian winter played a role, the attitude and determination of the Soviet people must not be underestimated
Scorched earth policy and relocation of factories
Re-drew the map of Eastern Europe and moved USSR borders westward