TGPW - why did the USSR win? Flashcards
Russian Winter
Nazis unprepared for harsh winter. HOWEVER - did survive 3 winters - 41 / 42 / 43. Winter didn’t win war for USSR but depleted Nazi reserves & slowed their progress. Temperatures around -40 degrees in places, freezing German tanks/equipment, shutting down diesel engines & freezing German soldiers unequipped with coats, hats, proper boots, gloves.
Russian economy
Outproduced Nazis in 1942 / 1943! Producing 80,000 T34 tanks iduring war. Produced 700 aircraft / 230 tanks a month, more than any other nation! Mass production methods - T34 tank only underwent one altercation in comparison with the nazis’ panzer tanks. …
Hitler’s military mistakes
1) Hitler refused to make strategic withdrawal at Battle of Stalingrad
2) Blietzkrieg failed - expected to be home by xmas 1941. Onset of Russian winter: Temperatures plunged to -40 degrees in places, freezing German tanks/equipment, shutting down diesel engines & freezing German soldiers unequipped with coats, hats, proper boots, gloves.
3) Overextended his resources - biggest front in history. Over 1600 km long.
4) Hitler’s racism - underestimated USSR ppl’s strength and tenacity. Believed Ukrainians were ‘subhuman’ - called them ‘untermensch’
Strength of the Russian People
Provided the foundation for the success in the economy / military.
1) Operation Barbarossa - Stalin disappeared for 10 days - people already fighting to save the ‘motherland’. Fighting in nightgowns.
2) Agriculture - to feed the workers and the army. Men in military - labour of the women / children / elderly kept the nation afloat
3) Ordinary citizens took on a defensive role in the form of guerilla warfare / partisan units. Female snipers / medics.
Politically: International Allies - USA lend & loan scheme
USA sent spam / 360,000 trucks / over 15 million pairs of boots. Initially 5% of USSR’s total GDP - by end of war - 10%. Small but significant!!
Stalin’s leadership - Politically & Military
Political flexibility - e.g. flexible with ideology. Allowed private NEP-style trade back during war time / allied with capitalist nations, previously rocky relationship - Roosevelt had only formally acknowledged communism in 1933!!
Military - learned to delegate! To listen to Commander Zhukov - Battle at Kursk. Operation Bagration - pushed the Nazis out of Eastern Europe. Occupation of Berlin.
Listened to his deputy Antonov.
Tough orders - Order 270 - no surrender. Order 227 - Not a step back! Threatened families of soldiers, refused to allow Red Cross to give aid - even his own son died when captured!
Punishments for cowardly behaviour - e.g. used disgraced soldiers / pows to run across battle fields to check for land mines.
Got rid of commissars in the military - soldiers no longer felt they were being constantly watched, a sign of ‘trust’, strengthened morale.
Economy: Successful rebuilding!! Factories dismantled
Dismantled and rebuilt factories east of the urals! Over 1000 new factories!
Soviet military success!!
e. g. Battle at Kursk
- Operation Bagration
- Siege of Leningrad
- Battle of Stalingrad
Huge population of USSR
Individual lives of soldiers irrelevant to Stalin - indispensable. Stalin willing to sacrifice their lives on their behalf in order to win the war
