Although Hitler had signed a pact with Stalin in 1939, he always intended to destroy the Soviet Union and seize its land for Germany. In June 1941 he launched Operation Barbarossa, the largest land invasion in history, opening the Eastern Front.

A War of Annihilation

This was no ordinary war. Hitler saw it as a racial war to wipe out communism and enslave the peoples of the east, and both sides fought with terrible brutality. German forces advanced hundreds of miles, but the vast distances, poor roads and the harsh Russian winter wore them down, and they failed to take Moscow in 1941.

Stalingrad and Kursk

The decisive turning point was the Battle of Stalingrad (1942–43). After months of savage street fighting, an entire German army was encircled and surrendered. In 1943 the Germans tried to attack again at Kursk, the largest tank battle ever fought, but were beaten back. From then on the Soviet Red Army was on the offensive.

Significance

The scale of the Eastern Front was staggering: the Soviet Union lost around 27 million people. Many historians argue it was the Red Army, more than any other force, that broke the back of the German army — and it was Soviet troops who finally captured Berlin in 1945.

Year 9 Democracy and Dictatorship

The Eastern Front