Why did Hitler’s Russian campaign fail?

AS and A Level History

Sophie Taylor

2nd GCSE

History

Why did Hitler’s Russian campaign fail?

Hitler was a great admirer of Napoleon and clearly had always dreamt of a Russian

campaign which would be more successful than that of his hero by using his

mistakes to his own advantage. He had devised a strategy whereby the Russians

would be encircled in a series of rapid blitzkrieg movements so not allowing the

German forces to be diverted deep inland therefore not allowing the supply lines to

be stretched any further.

Hitler thus became overconfident. He was fixed on the idea that the war would

be over by winter and therefore did not issue any winter clothing to the advancing

troops. Unfortunately for him this was not to be the case three more years were to

pass before the Germans finally admitted their defeat.

In the early months Stalin and his government had been slow to react , they had

not listened to the numerous warnings that Britain had issued them therefore were

very ill prepared and badly equipped for the approaching invasion. Their aircraft’s

were old and the army was not up to scratch: the few generals that they had were

inadequately trained due to the earlier purges that had left Russia totally vulnerable

and defenseless. However when the winter arrived, which slowed down the advancing

Germans, they decided to move over 1500 factories behind the Urals so allowing

production of ammunition and war vehicles to continue. They also recruited many

villagers and peasants to fight, now the whole country was fighting for its

subsistence. ...

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very ill prepared and badly equipped for the approaching invasion. Their aircraft’s

were old and the army was not up to scratch: the few generals that they had were

inadequately trained due to the earlier purges that had left Russia totally vulnerable

and defenseless. However when the winter arrived, which slowed down the advancing

Germans, they decided to move over 1500 factories behind the Urals so allowing

production of ammunition and war vehicles to continue. They also recruited many

villagers and peasants to fight, now the whole country was fighting for its

subsistence. The invaders had not anticipated the movement of Russia’s industries or

that there would be so many men fighting for its survival.

By October 1941, General Bock leader of Army Group Center was ready for his

final offensive on Moscow he was merely a few kilometers away and assumed that

his campaign to take the city of Moscow would be over in a few months. However

Rundstedt, leader of Army Group South, was in need of assistance therefore

Guderian was brought in from Army Group Center. This had a major effect on the

advancing Germans who were consequently slowed down. This gave General Zhukov,

leader of the Russian forces, sufficient time to plan his counter offensive which was

to be a major factor in the defeat of the German invading forces.

One factor that Hitler had not anticipated was that scorched earth policy of the

Russians. He announced the Policy over live radio saying: “In case of a forced

retreat... all rolling stock must be evacuated, the enemy must not be left a single

engine, a single railway car, not a single pound of grain or gallon of fuel. The

collective farmers must drive off all their cattle and turn over their grain to the safe

keeping of the state authorities for transportation to the rear. All valuable property,

including non-ferrous metals, grain and fuel that cannot be withdrawn must be

destroyed without fail. In areas occupied by the enemy, guerilla units.... must set fire

to forests, stores and transports.” This meant that the Germans would have no other

resources than those that they were getting from their homeland, therfore mking it

even more difficult for the fighting Germans .

There were also a number of other significant factors which contributed to the

defeat. The most important one being the missed opportunity offered by the

Ukrainians. After years of oppression from the Soviets the Ukrainians were prepared

to ally themselves completely with the German forces. But Hitler did not see this

opportunity of having fresh men ready to fight and instead treated them as the

enemy: he put them into forced labor camps. This also meant that he was fighting

another battle against another opponent.

Stalingrad was also a major turning point for the Russians. Hitler committed a

serious mistake, he thought it a better idea to try to take the Caucasian oil fields at

the same time as capturing Stalingrad. This was not a good choice of strategy, as

Stalingrad had no real military or strategic value. All it did was divide the forces

therefore further weakening the German advance into Russia. They wasted much

valuable ammunition, fuel and men on a pointless battle.

Hitler did not want at any cost that Von Paulus, in charge of the VI Panzer Army,

surrender, he prefered letting his valuable supply of men die in fierce combat than to

retreat. It was obvious to any outsider that they were on the loosing side from the

beginning, but still he did not back down. He knew that if this battle was lost it would

be a serious boost of moral to the Russian population so was so suicidal in his

tactics. This major loss of men ( about a 150 000 men) could have made an

important difference in the outcome of the invasion.

The hazardous conditions of the bitterly cold Russian winter did not help the

Germans in their planned submission of the Russian people. When one considers

that three had to be endured before defeat was finally admitted. As Napoleon had

seen more than a century before that the temperature was the most formidable

opponent : General winter.