Hitler’s strategy proved to be over-ambitious, as it was based on inadequate resources and an underestimation of the enemy (Seaton, 1971, p338). Russia had come a long way in military terms since the disasters of the First World War. Their logistic ability to organize troops had far exceeded Hitler’s thinking, and with winter fast approaching German forces needed swift victories. These were not to come as Russian forces retreated into the heart of Russia. Winter came three weeks premature and the weather was Hitler’s greatest enemy (Fuller, 1948, p124). Soon, the once easy advance across Russia became a long, harsh slog. Roads became boggy and supplies took longer to move (Fuller, 1948, p125). German forces were bogged in mud between Nara and Oka and entangled in forest and swamps between Kalinin and Klin (Fuller, 1948, p124). As temperatures dropped, German troops started to freeze to death and many were affected by frostbite. An uncertain supply line led to an inadequacy of medicine, food, fuel and arms (Seaton, 1971, p338). Minimal food and medical supplies meant troops suffered from stomach problems and were unable to treat frostbite (Batty, 1987). Large numbers of German equipment was being lost due to the freezing conditions. Oil solidified, tanks were unable to drive, let alone shoot and guns became unusable (Batty, 1987). Russian forces attacked, and took back 140,000 square miles of territory in 1943 (Thorne, 1978, p273). Hitler had underestimated the ability of the Soviet army, and the key cities of Leningrad, Moscow and Stalingrad were never taken.
The battle of Stalingrad in the South of Russia was Operation Barbarossa’s biggest embarrassment, and proved decisive in Russia’s defense. Germany had very slow progress in capturing the city. It was a fight that needed to be won street by street, which was proving difficult as Russian troops dug in and were holding on well. Described by German general Hoffman
“We don’t see them at all they establish themselves in houses, cellars firing from all sides. Firing from our rear, barbarians they use gangster methods” (Batty, 1987).
Hitler’s stubbornness in not heeding his commanders warnings to move out because of the winter, proved fatal as twenty thousand German troops were lost per week (Batty, 1987). On the 19th November Russia attacked German allies Romania, from the north and south, easily pushing through their lines. Four days after the offensive, Germany’s 6th army in and around Stalingrad had been surrounded (Batty, 1987). Hitler wouldn’t let them break out, and with supply lines cut German soldiers died in their thousands. On 24th January 1943 German troops started to surrender slowly against Hitler’s orders. Stalingrad was no ordinary defeat, it was a catastrophe. Ninety thousand Germans had been captured, two hundred thousand had died and enough material had been lost to equip a quarter of the entire German army (Batty, 1987). Operation Barbarossa had caused Germany to loose 20 divisions and 300,000 men (Seaton, 1971, p336). Military numbers that they badly needed to fight the war on two fronts. It marked a win in the war on the East, but had not been enough to decide the fate of Germany alone (Seaton, 1971, p337).
On 7th December 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbour. This marked a major turning point in the war, as it transformed the Second World War into a global affair with the introduction of America (Thorne, 1978, p131). America was relentless in the war in the Pacific. They sank sixty percent of the eight million tones of Japanese shipping lost in the war (Liddle Hart, 1970, P713). However, America’s full military power was exercised on 6th August 1945 when the Japanese city of Hiroshima was decimated by an atomic bomb (Harsey, 1966, p7). Three days later Nagasaki also felt the impact of an Atomic bomb. The atomic strikes killed hundreds of thousands of Japanese (Toland, 1970, p790). The Japanese knew that no nation could defend against Atomic weapons, so it was a perfect opportunity to end the war with out having to blame munitions makers or the military (Toland, 1970, p792).On 2nd September 1945 Japan surrendered (Liddle Hart, 1970, p729).
American reinforcements to the Allied forces in Europe contributed heavily to Germany loosing the war. The air campaign mounted by the Anglo-American forces against Germany played a huge role in Germany’s defeat (Liddell Hart, 1970, p641). America’s ability to disrupt German production through air attacks was decisive in the spring of 1944, when American long range fighters were introduced to escort bombers (Liddell Hart, 1970). The Allies bombed Germany round the clock (Thorne, 1978, p273). American efforts in the Atlantic to cripple the German U-boats, were crucial in the naval theatre of the war (Thorne, 1978, p380). Sicily fell in July 1943 and by 1944 the Allies were closing in on Germany from all fronts (Thorne, 1978, p380). Rome was taken in June and Florence in August of 1944 (Thorne, 1978, p380). However Normandy in June out shadowed all victories.
The war on two fronts that Hitler had been hoping to avoid was never more evident than on 6th June 1944 (Hunt & Mason, 1976, p15). D-Day or the battle of Normandy was comprised mainly of Anglo-American troops and was the largest sea invasion the world had ever seen. Germany’s defeat depended heavily on the success of the Normandy campaign, and it wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for America’s involvement in the war. The allies inflicted major losses on the Germans, with over 50,000 dead in ten weeks (Keegan, 1982, p283). From there the allied advance moved East ward through Europe towards the Rhine, liberating Paris in August (Hunt & Mason, 1976, p116). By midnight on May 8th 1945, the war in Europe was officially over (Liddell Hart, 1970, p710). America’s involvement in World War Two had been crucial to the outcome of the war.
Operation Barbarossa and Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbour were major causes of the Allies winning the Second World War. Hitler’s decision to attack the USSR through Operation Barbarossa had proved decisive in the outcome of the war, as it meant Germany had to fight the war on two fronts. He had also underestimated the capabilities of Soviet army. This resulted in catastrophic losses of German forces, which were needed to fight a war on two fronts. Japans attack on Pearl Harbour was a major turning point in World War Two because it brought America into the war. America joined the allies and mounted an assault on Germany and her allies in Europe, resulting in victory. Japan was finally crushed through America’s use of atomic weapons. However if it had not have been for Hitler’s arrogant declaration of war on America, America may well have only fought the war in the Pacific, which may have affected the outcomes of the war (Devine, 1969, p123).
By Jack Addams Williams
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