Slide 1Slide 2Slide 3Slide 4Slide 5Slide 6Slide 7Slide 8THE SOVIET EXPERIENCE IN WORLD WAR IITHE SOVIET EXPERIENCE IN WORLD WAR II THE INVASION: OPERATION BARBAROSSA Luftwaffe destroyed Soviet air forces Germans advanced 500 miles into Soviet territory Launched June 22, 1941, catching Red Army off guard Largest invasion in historyTHE SOVIET EXPERIENCE IN WORLD WAR II SIEGE OF LENINGRAD Lasts 900 days: Sept. 1941 - Jan. 1944 1 million (out of 3) inhabitants die Germans surrounded city & besiege itTHE SOVIET EXPERIENCE IN WORLD WAR II SOVIETS WITHSTAND THE ATTACK Extreme sacrifice of population Essential role of women & partisans Strength of numbers, skill of commandersGeneral Georgi ZhukovTHE SOVIET EXPERIENCE IN WORLD WAR II THE CRITICAL BATTLES Battle of Stalingrad: Aug. 1942 – Feb. 1943 Battle of Belorussia: June-July 1944 Battle of Moscow: Dec. 1941THE SOVIET EXPERIENCE IN WORLD WAR II THE WAR IN THE EAST 85% of German casualties there much of Soviet territory came under Nazi occupation 4/5 of German army on Eastern FrontTHE SOVIET EXPERIENCE IN WORLD WAR II DEATH & DESTRUCTION 11-16 million soldiers dead 7-20 million civilians dead Nazis destroyed over 1,700 towns, 70,000 settlements, left 25 million homelessTHE SOVIET EXPERIENCE IN WORLD WAR II THE SAVAGERY OF THE EASTERN WAR Nazi policy of annihilation applied to Slavs as well as Jews Use of “death squads”: EINSATZGRUPPEN German reprisals for partisan attacks More brutality between Germans &
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