The USSR kept fighting after huge losses and struck back, while Hitler's rigid orders made German defeats worse.
Germany invaded the Soviet Union (USSR) in June 1941, expecting a quick win. The USSR lost huge numbers of men early on but kept fighting. Its vast land gave room to retreat. Its factories kept making weapons, and it raised new armies. Soviet forces stopped the Germans near Moscow and then counterattacked.
At Stalingrad, Soviet forces surrounded a large German army and cut off its supplies. This is encirclement. Hitler ordered the troops to stay and not break out. Planes could not fly in enough food, fuel and ammunition. The trapped army surrendered in early 1943. After this, the Soviets were on the attack.
Hitler's orders often stopped commanders from pulling back to save troops, and his plans sometimes demanded more than his troops and supplies could deliver. But bad orders alone do not explain defeat. Soviet attacks exposed those weaknesses. The cold made things harder, but it was not the main reason.
- June 1941
- Germany invades the USSR.
- Stalingrad, early 1943
- Encircled German army surrenders.
- Encirclement
- Surrounding an army and cutting its supply lines.
Worked example: Link the attack to the weakness
At Stalingrad, Soviet forces surround a German army.
- Encirclement cuts the army off from supplies.
- Hitler orders it to hold on, and air supply fails.
- Soviet action plus Hitler's decision caused the loss, not just the weather.
Watch out for this
Germany lost in the East only because of the cold.
Soviet resistance and counterattacks, plus German supply problems and rigid orders, mattered more.
Check your understanding
Why did the German army at Stalingrad surrender?
- It was surrounded, cut off from supplies and ordered not to break out.
- The weather alone forced it to stop fighting.
- Hitler ordered it to surrender at once.