Germany In Russia

By mid-1940, the Nazis had overrun almost all of Western Europe. Britain was left fighting by itself. (The United States did not enter the war until the end of 1941, forced to do so by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.)

In mid-1941, Stalin’s intelligence agencies informed him that Hitler was about to attack the Soviet Union. Over four and a half million German soldiers were perched on the border. Stalin could not believe it!

Click to Enlarge

Battle of Stalingrad 1942
photo courtesy of National Archive

People used to fight by the rules. Back in World War I, the holidays came up and there would be a big truce. Everyone went home, had a great time, and came back at a certain time, a certain hour, and started killing each other again. One of the things that Hitler taught the world was how to fight dirty. He broke treaties and showed that one’s word meant nothing.

The day Russia was invaded, the still disbelieving Stalin sent a huge coal shipment by train into Germany. It was part of their treaty – the shipment was due, and Stalin felt bound by the treaty.

On June 22, 1941, four million troops poured over the Russian border. Within one month, over two and half million Russians had been killed, wounded or captured. The Germans made tremendous advances into Russia – into portions of Moscow, Leningrad, and Stalingrad.

Wounded Soldiers

Wounded in the Battle of Stalingrad
photo courtesy of National Archive

And then winter hit. The Germans were caught in summer uniforms, and it was a bitter, cold winter that year.

Stalin, using sheer force of numbers, threw another two million soldiers at the Germans.

The German offensive sputtered, and then stopped. The German army was about 1,800 miles away from home, and the railroads did not work.

In the spring of the next year, another German offensive was launched especially around the approaches to Stalingrad. What followed can only be described as a nine-month titanic battle, with the result that the German Sixth Army in Russia was almost completely destroyed. That was the beginning of the end for Germany, but it would take three more years of desperate fighting, and millions and millions of people dead before it was all over.

Visitor Comments: 10

(9) Billy, January 15, 2011 3:13 AM

This is amazing information. I think that sometimes it might even be unbelieveable that such things could happen, and people would "not care"?????! Thank you all for the amazing information

(8) matt, June 7, 2010 6:57 PM

amazing

thanx for info amazing info ty to all

(7) Waldemar Keller, October 22, 2007 5:32 AM

No German Sixth Army in Russia

(6) Dan Kelley (Kalish), July 8, 2007 7:25 AM

How many jews don't know they are because of jewish history?

I was raised as a gentile and only found out as an adult that my family had changed there name to get out of Europe. The treatment they received in the U.S. was not much better. If you were a jew you were shunned and in the southern part of the U.S. The Ku Klax Klan was the American Gestapo. The family went underground again just to get some peace. My wife discovered some old family writings and traced my heritage back to judaism, thank G-d. When will the hatred end?

SamtheShamus, June 29, 2011 1:45 PM

When????

Dan....The "HATRED" will never end. Just as the present residues of the pre-bicameral mind has been so slow in maturing due to....???? All that can be said is by studying the many scholarly works on the rise and fall of empires throughout humanity's known history, ADVERSITY APPEARS TO STRENGTHEN THE VICTIM. Even though we may see ourselves as the peak of the universes' development, we are still in the playpen!

(5) Art, May 16, 2007 12:25 PM

The U.S. was involved long before Pearl Harbor

The United States Navy was battling German submarines long before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Most American commanders were well aware that we were at war and were being drawn only further into the war with each passing day. The Japanese army in China was also battling Americans prior to Pearl Harbor. The attack on Pearl Harbor only helped get us there faster.

(4) Mitchell Veronikas, May 9, 2007 9:03 AM

wow!

this is really useful information for my project. im comeing to this site more often.

(3) Anonymous, March 30, 2007 8:52 AM

Misunderstanding in second comment

It is not a myth that America was pulled into the war after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The United States felt morally obligated to avenge the attack and declared war on Japan the next day. After our declaration of war, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States, following through with their treaty and alliance with Japan.

(2) Leslie Michael, February 23, 2007 2:00 PM

Inaccuracy in article

The authors say that the United States did not enter the war until the end of 1941, forced to do so by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. This is a common myth and I am surprised they are not aware of the fact that it was Germany who officially declared war on the United States -- two days after Pearl Harbour. Calling in the American Ambassador in Berlin, and without even offering him a seat,the German Foreign minister, von Ribbentrop read out Germany's declaration of War on the United States.
It seems that there was an unholy alliance between Berlin and Tokyo. The Japanese were to attack Russia from the East and the Germans were to attack from the West. However, the Japanese decided that they had no use for Siberia and wanted instead to control the Pacific. Unfortunately for them, the Americans were in Hawaii and to control the Pacific, they had to get rid of the Americans there. So the Japanese double crossed the Germans and attacked Pearl Harbour instead. With the devastating blow to the American fleet there, Hitler was confident that America would not recover from that crushing onslaught, would be so bogged down fighting the Japanese, that he could easily take on the Americans.

Leslie Michael,
1005 Windward Drive,
Coquitlam, British Columbia,
Canada V3C 4M5

(1) Sharon Procell, June 28, 2004 12:00 AM

My grandfather Franz Schatzl

He was one of the survivors of this war. He did make it home after being in Siebria for ? years. It was a miracle. That is why I made a comment earlier. My momma is living a horrible time right now and I don't know how to handle it. I'm helpless

About the Author

Rabbi Eliyahu Ellis

Rabbi Eliyahu Ellis studied biology and geology at Northern Illinois University. In addition, he spent time as a deep-sea diver in the oil fields in the North Sea between Scotland and Norway and has circumnavigated the seas of the world in a sailboat. Rabbi Ellis received rabbinic ordination from Aish HaTorah where he is a senior lecturer at the Discovery and Essentials programs.

Rabbi Shmuel Silinsky

Rabbi Shmuel Silinsky received his BS from Cornell with a major in Communication Arts and a minor in Archeology, and did post-graduate work at UCLA in the field of Desert Plants and Natural History. Prior to moving to Israel, he worked in the field of Urban Ecology including several years as a landscape designer in Beverly Hills. Rabbi Silinsky received rabbinic ordination from Aish HaTorah and the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem. He currently teaches at the Yeshivat Aish HaTorah in Jerusalem.

Germany In Russia

Visitor Comments: 10

(9) Billy, January 15, 2011 3:13 AM

(8) matt, June 7, 2010 6:57 PM

(7) Waldemar Keller, October 22, 2007 5:32 AM

(6) Dan Kelley (Kalish), July 8, 2007 7:25 AM

SamtheShamus, June 29, 2011 1:45 PM

(5) Art, May 16, 2007 12:25 PM

(4) Mitchell Veronikas, May 9, 2007 9:03 AM

(3) Anonymous, March 30, 2007 8:52 AM

(2) Leslie Michael, February 23, 2007 2:00 PM

(1) Sharon Procell, June 28, 2004 12:00 AM

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About the Author

Rabbi Eliyahu Ellis

Rabbi Shmuel Silinsky

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