Many people claim that it was extremely stupid for Germany/Hitler to attack the Soviet Union in World War 2, but is this claim just typical hindsight-thinking or based on information that was available in 1940? In this video I take a look at the information prior to Operation Barbarossa. Most notably the experience from the First World War, the Battle of France, the Invasion of Poland, Operation Weserübung and the Winter War.
June 22nd, 1941 is the date they launch their attack, choosing the time just before dawn to do so. By the time this operation is through 4,000,000 Axis soldiers (approx) invade the Soviet Union across a front that is 1,800 miles long. This turned out to be one of the biggest forces to conduct an invasion in the history of warfare.
The Germans used a mix of 6,000 vehicles and 600,000-700,000 horses as well as their actual troops. This began the fast escalation of the War; in terms of the Allied Coalition formation.
The Germans at first triumphed in battle and managed to take over some of the most vital economic places in the Soviet Union, primarily in the Ukraine. The German troops sustained heavy losses, as well as causing severe casualties in these battles for ground.
Regardless of their many victories, eventually the German troops faltered outside of Moscow and were repelled back by a counteroffensive launched by the Soviet Union. The Soviet’s Red Army fought back against the strongest moves made by the Wehrmacht and this forced Germany into a situation that it was completely unprepared for; a war of attrition.
Because of the outcome of this failed operation in the Soviet Adolf Hitler then demanded more and more operations in the Soviet Union; which all ultimately failed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ft-dYaZKxwU