Download World War Two Unit 2012-2013 - Lesson 3

L3: War Breaks out in the Soviet Union
Agenda
Objectives:
1. To understand the
significance of the Nazi
invasion of the Soviet
Union (Operation
Barbarossa).
2. To evaluate and
analyze the
implications of the Nazi
invasion of the Soviet
Union.
Schedule:
1. Lecture, Cartoons, and
Analysis
Homework:
1. Totalitarianism Final Writing
Portfolio (see assignment
sheet!) Due: Mon 4/29
1. Read the “Holocaust” packet
and the “Eight Stages of
Genocide” packet. Note
where you see the early
stages of the Holocaust
(1933-1939) following the
first six stages of genocide.
Due: Mon 4/29
Task for Today
• Today we will learning about
fighting between the Soviet
Union and the Nazis.
• The fighting takes place in
Russia which has now become
the Eastern Front of the war.
• To understand the nature of
combat between the Soviets and
the Nazis we will analyze a
series of political cartoons. All
but the first are drawn by Dr.
Seuss, who was a political
cartoonist before he became a
children’s author.
Soviet-Nazi Relations: 1939
• In 1939, the Soviet
Union and Germany
signed a Nonagression
Pact.
– The two nations pledge
not to invade one
another
• What do you make of
this agreement? Do
you think it will hold,
why or why not?
Nazi-Soviet Relations: 1939
What does this
cartoon
suggest about
the Nazi-Soviet
Nonagression
Pact?
World War Two Breaks Out:
1939-1940
• Recap…
– Nazis invade Poland,
supported by the Soviet
Union
– Nazis defeat France
– Nazis are defeated by
Britain in the Battle of Britain
• Nazis turn their attention to
the Soviet Union in the
summer of 1940
The Motives Behind the Nazi
Invasion of the USSR
What does
this cartoon
suggest
about the
motives
behind the
Nazi
invasion of
the Soviet
Union?
The Motives Behind the Nazi
Invasion of the Soviet Union
• Hitler had strategic and ideological reasons for
invading the Soviet Union
1.
2.
3.
Strategically he knew that part of the
British willingness to fight was motivated
by their belief that they could ally with the
Soviet Union and the United States. If he
could not the Soviets out, he might be able
to get Britain to surrender.
He also felt he needed the agricultural and
raw material resources of Eastern Russia.
Ideologically he viewed the Soviet Union
as an amalgamation of two of his greatest
enemies, the Jews and the Slavs.
Planning the Invasion of the
Soviet Union
• The plan to invade the
Soviet Union was called
Operation Barbarossa.
• Invading the Soviet Union
poses a set of challenges
to any nation.
• What are some of the
challenges the Nazi must
plan for before they
invade the Soviet Union?
Operation Barbarossa
What does this
cartoon suggest
might be some
of the major
obstacles
facing the
Nazis as they
plan to invade
the Soviet
Union?
Planning Operation Barbarossa
•
Hitler’s Plan:
1. Destroy the Soviet Union within one year
2. Catch and destroy the Soviet Army at the
border areas, thereby avoiding a full-scale
invasion of Russia
•
If these plans did not play out this could pose
major problems for the Nazis:
–
A long, drawn out campaign fought in the
interior of Russia would create huge logistical
problems for the Nazis
Operation Barbarossa
• On June 22, 1941,
Hitler invaded Russia in
Operation Barbarossa
• The operation
encompassed a total
troop strength of about
4 million men, making it
the biggest single land
operation ever
• Benefiting from initial
surprise, by the end of
July Hitler had
occupied a portion of
Russia twice the size of
France
Greatest Extent of Axis Control
Operation Barbarossa: Battle of
Moscow
• With the Germans’ successes in the north and south,
Hitler assumed that Stalin’s regime was on the verge
of collapse
• He authorized an advance on
Moscow before the onset of
winter
• Already however the Germans
were suffering from serious
supply shortages
– By September the supply system was only meeting
current tactical consumption needs
– No supply stores for the winter season were being built
Operation Barbarossa: Battle of
Moscow
• The Germans caught the
Russians unprepared and
made great advances
• The Soviet Army seemed
on the verge of collapse
• At this point the weather
broke and autumn rains
turned the roads to mud
• The German advance
stalled, allowing the
Russians to hurry
reinforcements from the
interior
Operation Barbarossa: Battle of
Moscow
• Despite dropping
temperatures and
critical supply
shortages, the
German high
command pressed on
with the attack
• The German soldiers
were still in summer
uniforms and suffered
terribly
German soldier during the
battle of Moscow
Operation Barbarossa: Battle of
Moscow
• By Dec 4 the Germans
had clawed their way to
Moscow’s outskirts, but
they could not continue
– That night temperatures
were -25 degrees
Fahrenheit
– One infantry regiment
suffered 300 frostbite
casualties
– On Dec 6 the Soviets
counterattacked
Operation Barbarossa : Battle of
Moscow
• As the Russians pushed
forward, Hitler refused to
allow a retreat and relieved
or court-martialed generals
who did so
• Hitler named himself
commander-in-chief of the
army
– Each military service began
to operate increasingly
independently and Germany
suffered from a lack of an
overall strategy
Operation Barbarossa : Battle of
Moscow
• On the Eastern Front the Germans’ stiff resistance and
control of crucial roads and supply centers slowly took the
punch out of the Russian counterattack
• The German Army survived but it suffered losses from
which it never recovered
• Both sides licked their wounds
and prepared for renewed
operations in the spring
• Operation Barbarossa was
at a stalemate
Japan Creates a Potential
Break in the Moscow Stalemate
• On Dec 7, 1941, Japan attacked the US at
Pearl Harbor.
• What are some possible implications of this
for Germany as it deals with the Soviet
Union?
Japan Creates a Potential
Break in the Moscow Stalemate
What does
this cartoon
suggest are
the possible
implications
of Pearl
Harbor on
Operation
Barbarossa?
Japan Creates a Potential
Break in the Moscow Stalemate
• Pearl Harbor, “awakens the sleeping
giant” that is the United States. As a
result:
– Hitler decided to support Japan and also
declare war on the US.
– The U.S. joins with Britain to adopt a “Europe
First” strategy that Hitler feared might bring
about the collapse of his control over Europe.
What Now?
• What are the problems facing the Nazis in
Operation Barbarossa?
• What do you think their next steps should
be?