Winston Churchill (Left), Theodore Roosevelt (Center), Joseph Stalin (Right) at the Yalta conference in 1945
World War II
In 1939, Joseph Stalin and the dictator of Germany, Adolf Hitler, signed a nonaggression pact which seemed to be a brilliant move. In 1940, the Nazis were beginning to invade areas near Russia which caught the attentions of Stalin's spies. They discovered that Adolf Hitler was planning to break the nonaggression pact and launch an attack on Russia. This invasion plan was known as Operation Barbarossa. The spies immediately told about Operation Barbarossa to Stalin, but he was so convinced of Hitlers integrity that he ignored the warnings. Even the Americans and the British started warning Stalin about the massive attack Hitler was going to launch on Russia, but Stalin ignored them. On June 22, 1941 the Nazis began their invasion which included over three million German soldiers and 150 divisions. Operation Barbarossa, was a major turning point for World War II and if Germany won this battle they would receive extremely important and large amounts of resources. By this time, the Nazis were one of the most powerful established army in the whole world. This was because 2 years ago, before the war , they had already invaded all the countries in Europe besides Spain, U.K. , some areas of Sweden, and Russia. The Nazis were so powerful and fast, that they would sometimes advance 20 miles a day. Their combat effectiveness has reached to the maximum; in training, technology, and fighting ability.
The Soviet Union was completely unprepared for the massive attacks that the Nazis launched and immediately suffered many losses. As the Nazis slowly pushed the Soviet Army back to Moscow, Stalin gave out strict earth defense policy which said that the Soviet soldiers had to keep on advancing and push the Germans out of Russia. It also said that anyone who deserts the battle field will be shot on spot.
" In the Soviet Army, it takes more courage to retreat than advance ."
- Joseph Stalin
The tide then turned against the Nazis in the Battle of Stalingrad (September 3, 1942 - Feb. 2, 1943). On September 3, 1942, the German Sixth Army lead by General Paulus reached the outskirts of Stalingrad, expecting to take over the city in a short amount of time. However the Soviets had prepared their defenses and continued to bring in reinforcements. In the winter of 1942, most of the equipments the Nazis had froze and they were unable to fight. Stalin knew that this was a big advantage for the Soviets because their guns were made to be resistant in the cold, so he ordered a counteroffensive to drive the Nazis out of Stalingrad . On February 2, 1943, General Paulus surrendered what remained of his troops which was about 91,000 soldiers. About 150,000 Germans died due to the freezing conditions during the winter and starvation. Eventually, the Soviets drove the Nazis out of Russia.
After the Battle of Stalingrad, the Nazis were getting pushed back to Germany from the west side of Europe by American, Canadian, and English soldiers and from the east side of Europe by the Soviets. When Adolf Hitler committed suicide on April 30 , 1945, just days before the Nazis surrender, the German soldiers had fallen in confusion since there was no one to give them orders. Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945.
In 1939, Joseph Stalin and the dictator of Germany, Adolf Hitler, signed a nonaggression pact which seemed to be a brilliant move. In 1940, the Nazis were beginning to invade areas near Russia which caught the attentions of Stalin's spies. They discovered that Adolf Hitler was planning to break the nonaggression pact and launch an attack on Russia. This invasion plan was known as Operation Barbarossa. The spies immediately told about Operation Barbarossa to Stalin, but he was so convinced of Hitlers integrity that he ignored the warnings. Even the Americans and the British started warning Stalin about the massive attack Hitler was going to launch on Russia, but Stalin ignored them. On June 22, 1941 the Nazis began their invasion which included over three million German soldiers and 150 divisions. Operation Barbarossa, was a major turning point for World War II and if Germany won this battle they would receive extremely important and large amounts of resources. By this time, the Nazis were one of the most powerful established army in the whole world. This was because 2 years ago, before the war , they had already invaded all the countries in Europe besides Spain, U.K. , some areas of Sweden, and Russia. The Nazis were so powerful and fast, that they would sometimes advance 20 miles a day. Their combat effectiveness has reached to the maximum; in training, technology, and fighting ability.
The Soviet Union was completely unprepared for the massive attacks that the Nazis launched and immediately suffered many losses. As the Nazis slowly pushed the Soviet Army back to Moscow, Stalin gave out strict earth defense policy which said that the Soviet soldiers had to keep on advancing and push the Germans out of Russia. It also said that anyone who deserts the battle field will be shot on spot.
" In the Soviet Army, it takes more courage to retreat than advance ."
- Joseph Stalin
The tide then turned against the Nazis in the Battle of Stalingrad (September 3, 1942 - Feb. 2, 1943). On September 3, 1942, the German Sixth Army lead by General Paulus reached the outskirts of Stalingrad, expecting to take over the city in a short amount of time. However the Soviets had prepared their defenses and continued to bring in reinforcements. In the winter of 1942, most of the equipments the Nazis had froze and they were unable to fight. Stalin knew that this was a big advantage for the Soviets because their guns were made to be resistant in the cold, so he ordered a counteroffensive to drive the Nazis out of Stalingrad . On February 2, 1943, General Paulus surrendered what remained of his troops which was about 91,000 soldiers. About 150,000 Germans died due to the freezing conditions during the winter and starvation. Eventually, the Soviets drove the Nazis out of Russia.
After the Battle of Stalingrad, the Nazis were getting pushed back to Germany from the west side of Europe by American, Canadian, and English soldiers and from the east side of Europe by the Soviets. When Adolf Hitler committed suicide on April 30 , 1945, just days before the Nazis surrender, the German soldiers had fallen in confusion since there was no one to give them orders. Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945.