Extra detail: The Great Patriotic War and its impact on the Soviet Union, 1941-45 Flashcards
(18 cards)
What saved Stalin from intial defeat in the Great Patriotic war?
- The USSR’s size
- huge population
- massive distances
- The severity of the Russian winter
- The patriotism of the Soviet people
What was the Stavka?
The top-level military command of the USSR in the Great Patriotic War
When was the Stavka formed?
23 June 1941
Who comprised the Stavka?
Key generals e.g. Timoshenko and Zhukov and key politicians e.g Molotov and Voroshilov
When did the Grand Alliance with Great Britain start?
June 1941 after the German invasion
When did the Grand Alliance with the US start?
December 1942 after Pearl Harbour
When did the German retreat from Caucasus start?
22 December 1942
When was Rostov liberated by the Red Army?
24 February 1943
When was the delayed launch of Operation Citadel?
4 July 1943
What was Operation Citadel?
An offensive near Kursk in July
Why was the T-34 tank so good?
Had a less sophisticated design and engineering than the most advanced German tanks but it was very durable and easy to maintain and repair
When was the Peninsula liberated by the Red Army?
13 May 1944
When was Vilnius (Lithuania) captured by the Red Army?
13 July 1944
When did the Soviet siege of Budapest begin?
29 December 1944
How many times did Kharkiv (Ukraine) change hands and when?
4
First overrun Oct 1941, recaptured Feb 1942, lost March 1942, scene of massive battle in May 1942, liberated August 1943
In what ways was normal life changed for civilians?
- The displacement effect of the German invasion
- Mobilisation for the armed forces/work in munitions factories
- Mass deportations
- Attrocities by the German occupiers
- Repressive measures by the Soviet dictatorship against its own people
Why were the Germans welcomed in some parts of the Ukraine and the Baltic States?
The Nazi leaders had talked about ‘liberating’ the subject nationalities from a communist system
Why were trains so important to the war effort?
They made the movement of factories possible:
- 3000 wagons per day took steel factory equipment from the Dnieper area
- 3000 per day the electrical industry
- 25,000 wagons a week shifted factories from Ukraine
- 80,000 wagons moved 500 factories from Moscow
