Strategy of the Axis against USSR

On 22 June 1941, Germany, along with other European Axis members and Finland, invaded the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa. The main destination of this surprise offensive were the Baltic region, Moscow and Ukraine, with an ultimate goal of ending the 1941 campaign near the Arkhangelsk-Astrakhan line, connecting the Caspian and White Seas. Hitler's objectives were to eliminate the Soviet Union as a military power, destroy Communism, apply Lebensraum by losing the native population, and assure access to strategic resources needed to defeat Germany's rivals.

More than the half of German divisions took battle stations against the Soviet Union, from the Baltic to the Black Sea. The Baltic, Western and Kiev Special military districts were renamed to Northwestern, Western and Southwestern Fronts respectively. To establish air domination, the Luftwaffe[1] began immediate attacks on Soviet airfields, destroying much of the Soviet’s fleet. Hitler’s campaign focused on applying the Blitzkrieg doctrine to increase their offensive’s effectiveness through the employment of panzers and infantry armies. 

The North Group Army's target was to attack Leningrad via the Baltic States. To accomplish this, they advanced through Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and the Russian Pskov and Novgorod regions. On the other hand, the Centre Group Army's two panzer groups advanced to the north and south of Brest-Litovsk and assemble east of Minsk, followed by the 2nd, 4th, and 9th Armies. The combined panzer force reached the Beresina River. After accomplishing their next objective that was to cross the Dnieper river; their subsequent goal was Smolensk, which fell on 16 July, but the violent Soviet resistance and the impediment of Wehrmacht advance in North and South, forced Hitler to bring to an end a center thrust at Moscow and to divert Panzer Group 3 north.

The Centre Group Army's infantry divisions were left unsupported by armor to continue their slow advance to Moscow. This decision caused a severe leadership crisis. The German field commanders argued for an immediate offensive towards Moscow, but Hitler overruled them, citing the importance of Ukrainian agricultural, mining and industrial resources, as well as the massing of Soviet reserves in the Gomel area between Centre & South Army Group's flanks. This decision is believed to have had a severe impact on the Battle of Moscow's outcome, by setting back the advance on Moscow in favor of encircling large numbers of Soviet troops around Kiev.

In order to conclude this idea, we must remember some other facts that affected Germany’s participation in the war, like for example, Pearl Harbor. It is important to relate the fact that Germany, on the other side, was also weakened because it supported Japan and declared war on USA. Later, the US would join with Britain to adopt a “Europe First” strategy that would destroy Hitler. In 1942, German commanders recommended remaining on defensive but Hitler believed that Germans must destroy Soviet military potential before the American industrial power could come into play. So considering this, plus Germans’ suffering from serious supply shortages; it was the perfect moment for the Axis to defeat them. Germany confronted a war of two fronts, same as what happened on WWI. Definitely, this marked the beginning of the failure of Germany in WWI.

Made by: Camila Acuña

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[1] German air forces