The Barbarossa plan is a program developed by Hitler for the conquest of the USSR.
She is considered the most important miscalculation of the Fuhrer, who, four years after the start of the plan, led Germany to defeat.
Prerequisites
From the very moment they came to power in 1933, the Nazis promoted a policy of occupying the eastern territories. Such propaganda was very convenient: it allowed the Nazis to gain the support of the people, who were led to believe that all of Germany's problems arose as a result of losing the First World War and the loss of territories.
Germany must regain its former power, the Nazis declared, and be reborn as great empire. In turn, the promise of imperial greatness allowed the oligarchs, whose henchmen were the Nazis, not to deal with the solution of social and economic problems in the country and keep their capital for themselves.
The plan to attack the USSR was given the code name "Barbarossa" in honor of Frederick I Barbarossa, a 12th-century German ruler who was also trying to revive Charlemagne's empire. The authors of the concept, as it were, hinted that what Friedrich could not do to the end, Adolf Hitler would do. At the same time, the inevitability of war with the Soviet Union was also promoted.
In 1939, Germany concluded a non-aggression pact with the USSR in order to secure itself from the east, and in September of the same year, both countries attacked Poland almost simultaneously: the USSR appropriated eastern regions(Western Ukraine and Western Belarus), and everything else went to the Germans, who established the Polish General Government.
And why was it necessary to attack the USSR?
In the conquest of world domination, Hitler's Germany had a serious rival - Great Britain. And she hoped for the help of two other superpowers - the USSR and the USA. To overcome their main enemy, the Nazis developed a plan for a phased takeover of the world:
- The defeat of the USSR will lead to the strengthening of the ally of the Nazis - Japan;
- Japan, with the support of Germany, will defeat the United States.
- Having lost both allies, England will leave Europe and Germany will remain dominating it.
Before coming up with such a plan, the Nazi government made a series of negotiations with several countries, including the Soviet Union. In 1940, the Berlin Pact was initiated to rally new allies around Germany against England. The USSR replied that it was ready to join the treaty only under a number of certain conditions that the German side could not accept.
Thus, the USSR was declared a serious enemy of Germany and the "last frontier" on the Nazi path to dominance in Europe.
Strike from multiple sides
The German government was confident that "Russia" (as they called the Soviet Union) could be conquered with one lightning attack. To do this, the blow had to be carried out from several sides:
- North - from the Baltic;
- South - from the side of Ukraine;
- Later, an attack on Baku was planned as a separate operation.
The Nazis set a tough task - to conquer the Soviet Union by the spring of 1941. Moscow was considered an important point - the largest and most developed city in the country, its capital and the most important railway junction. The Nazi government believed that the Red Army would devote all its forces to the defense of Moscow, weakening other strategically important areas.
Plans were also prepared for the division of the USSR. The European part of the country was planned to be decentralized and divided into several economic zones, which were to become an agrarian and raw material appendage of the Reich. Modern industrial equipment had to be taken to the Reich. In the future, these zones were planned to be reorganized into individual states controlled by Germany.
Hitler's miscalculations
Barbarossa's plan was only good on paper. The Nazis underestimated the capabilities of the Soviet defense and clearly overestimated their own strength. Instead of a lightning strike, they received many years of protracted war, which ended with the capture of Berlin by Soviet troops and the fall of the fascist regime.
Meanwhile, at first it was not noticeable: Soviet troops suffered defeats in border battles, as well as at the first stage of the Great Patriotic War, when Germany quickly conquered the territories of Ukraine and Belarus.
The defeats of the Soviet army were due to several reasons, including:
- Mass Stalinist repressions, including against the high command;
- The new commanders who took their post instead of the repressed ones were not distinguished by professionalism and proper training;
- Insufficient interaction of various types of troops, their poor preparation for big war;
- The Soviet army leadership hoped for the offensive nature of the war and did not work out enough defensive operations.
At the end of 1940, Hitler signed the ominous document - Directive 21, which became known as the "Barbarossa" plan. The attack on the USSR was originally planned for May 15: the German command planned to finish off the Red Army before the onset of autumn. However, the Balkan operation launched by Germany to seize Yugoslavia and Greece pushed back the date of the attack to June 22.
If you want peace, prepare for war
The emergence of the Barbarossa plan may seem strange at first glance. Only a year ago, a non-aggression pact was signed between Germany and the Soviet Union - the so-called Ribbentrop-Molotov pact, which provided for the redistribution of spheres of influence in Eastern Europe. What has changed in relations between the recent "allies"? First, in June 1940, France, Hitler's most serious continental opponent, capitulated to the German troops. Secondly, recent winter war USSR against Finland showed that the Soviet fighting machine turned out to be not so powerful, especially against the backdrop of German successes. And, thirdly, after all, Hitler was afraid to start military operation against England, with Soviet divisions in the rear. Therefore, immediately after the signing of the surrender by the French, the German command began to develop a plan for a military campaign against the USSR.
tooth for tooth
Finland and Romania were to play a big role in the implementation of the Barbarossa plan. Most recently, the Soviet Union seized from the Finns - the Karelian Isthmus with Vyborg, from the Romanians - Bessarabia, i.e. land that was formerly part of Russian Empire. The leadership of these countries longed for revenge. According to the Barbarossa plan, the Finnish troops were to hold down the Soviet troops with their offensive in the north, and the Romanian troops in the south. While the German units will deal a crushing blow in the center.
Swedish neutrality
During World War II, Sweden officially declared its neutrality. However, in the Barbarossa plan, the role of Sweden is clearly spelled out - the Swedes were to provide their railways for the transfer of 2-3 German divisions to help Finland. Everything went according to plan - in the very first days of the war, a German division was passed through the territory of Sweden for operations in Northern Finland. True, the Prime Minister of Sweden soon promised the frightened Swedish people that no more German division and that the country will not go to war against the USSR. However, in practice, the transit of German military materials to Finland began through Sweden; German transport ships transported troops there, hiding in the territorial waters of Sweden, and until the winter of 1942/43 they were accompanied by a convoy of the Swedish naval forces. The Nazis achieved the supply of Swedish goods on credit and their transportation mainly on Swedish ships.
Stalin Line
In the 1930s, a powerful system of defensive structures was built on the western borders of the USSR, which consisted of fortified areas from the Karelian Isthmus to the Black Sea, in the West it was called the Stalin Line. The fortified area included casemates, positions for field artillery, bunkers for anti-tank guns. After the partition of Poland and the return of Western Ukraine and the Baltic states, the border moved away and the Stalin line ended up in the rear, some of the weapons were transferred to the new borders, but Zhukov insisted that part of the artillery weapons be kept in the disarmed areas. The plan "Barbarossa" provided for a breakthrough of border fortifications tank troops, but the German command, apparently, did not take Stalin's line into account. Subsequently, some fortified areas played a role in the war, their assault made it possible to delay the advance of the Nazis and disrupt the blitzkrieg.
And we're going south!
The fierce resistance of the Soviet troops, the great stretch of the troops, guerrilla war in the rear led to the fact that Hitler decided to seek his fortune in the south. On August 21, 1941, Hitler issued a new directive stating that the most important task before the onset of winter is not the capture of Moscow, but the capture of the Crimea, industrial and coal areas on the Donets River and the blocking of Russian oil routes from the Caucasus. The Barbarossa plan, which included a march on Moscow, was cracking at the seams. Part of the troops of the Army Group "Center" was transferred to the aid of the Army Group "South" in order to achieve a strategic advantage in Ukraine. As a result, the attack on Moscow began only at the end of September - time was lost and the Russian winter loomed ahead.
Cudgel of the People's War
The plan developed by the German generals did not take into account the resistance of the civilian population at all. With the onset of autumn, the advance of the Germans slowed down significantly, the war dragged on, and the civilian population met the winners not at all like submissive Europeans and, at the first opportunity, struck back at the invaders. The Italian observer Curzio Malaparte noted: “When the Germans begin to be afraid, when the mysterious German fear creeps into their hearts, you begin to especially fear for them and feel sorry for them. They look pathetic, their cruelty is sad, their courage is silent and hopeless. This is where the Germans begin to go berserk... They begin to kill prisoners who have rubbed their feet and can no longer walk. They begin to burn villages that have not been able to provide the amount of grain and flour, barley and oats, cattle and horses set in accordance with the requirements. When there are almost no Jews left, they hang the peasants.” The people responded to the atrocities of the Nazis by joining the partisans, the cudgel of the people's war, without understanding anything, began to nail the Germans in the rear.
General "Winter"
The blitzkrieg plan so captivated Hitler that when it was developed, the fact of a protracted war was not even considered. The attack was originally planned for 15 May to finish off the Soviets before the fall, but in reality, Hitler's Balkan operation to seize Yugoslavia and Greece pushed back the date of the attack to 22 June - time was needed for the transfer of troops. As a result, General "Winter", as the Germans called him, took the side of the Russians. By the winter, the Nazi army was completely unprepared, the captured Germans sometimes turned out to be dressed in work clothes, stretched over uniform trousers and jackets and lined with unnecessary paper, including leaflets calling for surrender, which were scattered from aircraft over the front line over the positions of the Russians. Hands without mittens froze to the metal parts of the weapon, and frostbite became no less formidable enemy of the Germans than the pushing Soviet units.
The art of war is a science in which nothing succeeds except what has been calculated and thought out.
Napoleon
The Barbarossa plan is a plan for Germany's attack on the USSR, based on the principle of lightning war, blitzkrieg. The plan began to be developed in the summer of 1940, and on December 18, 1940, Hitler approved a plan according to which the war was to be ended by November 1941 at the latest.
Plan Barbarossa was named after Frederick Barbarossa, a 12th century emperor who became famous for his conquests. This traced elements of symbolism, to which Hitler himself and his entourage paid so much attention. The plan received its name on January 31, 1941.
Number of troops to implement the plan
Germany prepared 190 divisions for war and 24 divisions as a reserve. For the war, 19 tank and 14 motorized divisions were allocated. The total number of the contingent that Germany sent to the USSR, according to various estimates, ranges from 5 to 5.5 million people.
The apparent superiority in the technology of the USSR should not be taken into account, since by the beginning of the wars, German technical tanks and aircraft were superior to Soviet ones, and the army itself was much more trained. Suffice it to recall the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940, where the Red Army demonstrated weakness in literally everything.
Direction of the main attack
The Barbarossa plan defined 3 main directions for the strike:
- Army Group South. A blow to Moldova, Ukraine, Crimea and access to the Caucasus. Further movement to the line Astrakhan - Stalingrad (Volgograd).
- Army Group Center. Line "Minsk - Smolensk - Moscow". Advance to Nizhny Novgorod, leveling the line "Wave - Northern Dvina".
- Army Group North. Attack on the Baltic states, Leningrad and further advance towards Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. At the same time, the army "Norway" was to fight in the north together with the Finnish army.
| SOUTH | CENTER | NORTH | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Target | Ukraine, Crimea, access to the Caucasus | Minsk, Smolensk, Moscow | Baltic States, Leningrad, Arkhangelsk, Murmansk |
| population | 57 divisions and 13 brigades | 50 divisions and 2 brigades | 29 division + army "Norway" |
| Commanding | Field Marshal von Rundstedt | Field Marshal von Bock | Field Marshal von Leeb |
| common goal | Get on line: Arkhangelsk - Volga - Astrakhan (Northern Dvina) |
||
Approximately by the end of October 1941, the German command planned to reach the Volga-Northern Dvina line, thereby capturing the entire European part of the USSR. This was the plan of the blitzkrieg. After the blitzkrieg, the lands beyond the Urals should have remained, which, without the support of the center, would quickly surrender to the winner.
Until about mid-August 1941, the Germans believed that the war was going according to plan, but in September there were already entries in the diaries of officers that the Barbarossa plan had failed and the war would be lost. The best proof that Germany in August 1941 believed that only a few weeks were left before the end of the war with the USSR is the speech of Goebbels. The Minister of Propaganda suggested that the Germans additionally collect warm clothes for the needs of the army. The government decided that this step was not necessary, since there would be no war in the winter.
Implementation of the plan
The first three weeks of the war assured Hitler that everything was going according to plan. The army advanced rapidly, winning victories, Soviet army suffered huge losses.
- 28 divisions out of 170 disabled.
- 70 divisions lost about 50% of their personnel.
- 72 divisions remained combat-ready (43% of those available at the start of the war).
During the same 3 weeks, the average rate of advance of German troops inland was 30 km per day.
By July 11, the army group "North" occupied almost the entire territory of the Baltic states, providing access to Leningrad, the army group "Center" reached Smolensk, the army group "South" went to Kiev. These were the last achievements that fully corresponded to the plan of the German command. After that, failures began (still local, but already indicative). Nevertheless, the initiative in the war until the end of 1941 was on the side of Germany.
German failures in the North
The army "North" occupied the Baltic states without problems, especially since there was practically no partisan movement there. The next strategic point to be captured was Leningrad. It turned out that the Wehrmacht was not capable of this task. The city did not capitulate to the enemy, and until the end of the war, despite all efforts, Germany failed to capture it.
Failures of the Army Center
The "Center" army reached Smolensk without any problems, but got stuck under the city until September 10. Smolensk resisted for almost a month. The German command demanded a decisive victory and the advance of the troops, since such a delay under the city, which was planned to be taken without heavy losses, was unacceptable and cast doubt on the implementation of the Barbarossa plan. As a result, the Germans took Smolensk, but their troops were pretty battered.
Historians today evaluate the battle for Smolensk as a tactical victory for Germany, but a strategic victory for Russia, as they managed to stop the advance of troops on Moscow, which allowed the capital to prepare for defense.
Complicated the advance of the German army inland partisan movement Belarus.
Failures of the Army of the South
The "South" army reached Kyiv in 3.5 weeks and, like the "Center" army near Smolensk, got stuck in battles. In the end, it was possible to take the city in view of the clear superiority of the army, but Kyiv held out almost until the end of September, which also made it difficult for the German army to advance, and made a significant contribution to the disruption of the Barbarossa plan.
Map of the advance plan of the German troops
Above is a map showing the plan of the German command for the offensive. The map shows: green - the borders of the USSR, red - the border to which Germany planned to reach, blue - the deployment and the plan for the advancement of the German troops.
General state of affairs
- In the North, it was not possible to capture Leningrad and Murmansk. The advance of the troops stopped.
- In the Center, with great difficulty, we managed to get to Moscow. At the time the German army entered the Soviet capital, it was clear that no blitzkrieg had happened.
- In the South, they failed to take Odessa and capture the Caucasus. By the end of September, the Nazi troops had only captured Kyiv and launched an offensive against Kharkov and the Donbass.
Why did the blitzkrieg fail in Germany?
Germany failed the blitzkrieg because the Wehrmacht was preparing the Barbarossa plan, as it later turned out, on false intelligence. Hitler admitted this by the end of 1941, saying that if he had known the real state of affairs in the USSR, he would not have started the war on June 22.
Lightning war tactics were based on the fact that the country has one line of defense on western border, all major army units are located on the western border, aviation is located on the border. Since Hitler was sure that all Soviet troops were located on the border, this formed the basis of the blitzkrieg - to destroy the enemy army in the first weeks of the war, and then rapidly move inland without encountering serious resistance.
In fact, there were several lines of defense, the army was not located with all its forces on the western border, there were reserves. Germany did not expect this, and by August 1941 it became clear that the lightning war had failed, and Germany could not win the war. The fact that World War II lasted until 1945 only proves that the Germans fought very organized and brave. Due to the fact that they had the economy of the whole of Europe behind them (speaking of the war between Germany and the USSR, many for some reason forget that the German army included units from almost all European countries) they managed to fight successfully.
Did Barbarossa's plan fail?
I propose to evaluate the Barbarossa plan according to 2 criteria: global and local. Global(landmark - the Great Patriotic War) - the plan was thwarted, because the lightning war did not work, the German troops were bogged down in battles. Local(landmark - intelligence data) - the plan was implemented. The German command drew up the Barbarossa plan on the basis that the USSR had 170 divisions on the country's border, there were no additional defense echelons. There are no reserves and reinforcements. The army was preparing for this. In 3 weeks, 28 Soviet divisions were completely destroyed, and in 70, approximately 50% of the personnel and equipment were disabled. At this stage, the blitzkrieg worked and, in the absence of reinforcements from the USSR, gave the desired results. But it turned out that the Soviet command has reserves, not all troops are located on the border, mobilization brings quality soldiers into the army, there are additional lines of defense, the "charm" of which Germany felt near Smolensk and Kiev.
Therefore, the disruption of the Barbarossa plan must be regarded as a huge strategic mistake of German intelligence, led by Wilhelm Canaris. Today, some historians associate this person with the agents of England, but there is no evidence for this. But if we assume that this is indeed the case, then it becomes clear why Canaris slipped an absolute “linden” to Hitler that the USSR was not ready for war and all the troops were located on the border.
The famous German plan "Barbarossa" can be briefly described something like this: it is Hitler's almost unrealistic strategic plan to capture Russia as the main enemy on the way to world domination.
It is worth remembering that by the time of the attack on the Soviet Union, fascist Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, had almost unhindered captured half of the European states. Only Britain and the United States offered resistance to the aggressor.
The essence and goals of Operation Barbarossa
The Soviet-German non-aggression pact, signed shortly before the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, was for Hitler nothing more than a handicap. Why? Because the Soviet Union, without assuming a possible betrayal, fulfilled the aforementioned agreement.
And the German leader thus bought time to carefully develop a strategy to capture his main enemy.
Why did Hitler recognize Russia as the biggest obstacle in the implementation of the blitzkrieg? Because the resilience of the USSR did not allow England and the United States to lose heart and, perhaps, to surrender, like many European countries.
In addition, the fall Soviet Union would serve as a powerful impetus to strengthen Japan's position on the world stage. And Japan and the United States had extremely tense relations. Also, the non-aggression pact allowed Germany not to launch an offensive in the adverse conditions of winter cold.
The preliminary strategy of the Barbarossa plan, point by point, looked something like this:
- The powerful and well-prepared army of the Reich invades Western Ukraine, defeating the main forces of the disoriented enemy with lightning speed. After several decisive battles, the German forces finish off the scattered detachments of the surviving Soviet soldiers.
- From the territory of the occupied Balkans, march victoriously to Moscow and Leningrad. Capture both archival cities to achieve the intended result of the city. The task of capturing Moscow as the political and tactical center of the country was especially highlighted. Interesting: the Germans were sure that Moscow would flock to defend every single remnant of the USSR army - and it would be easier than ever to utterly smash them.
Why was the German plan of attack on the USSR called the "Barbarossa" plan?
The strategic plan for the lightning-fast capture and subjugation of the Soviet Union got its name in honor of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, who ruled the Holy Roman Empire in the 12th century.
The aforementioned leader went down in history thanks to his numerous and successful conquests.
In the name of the plan "Barbarossa", there was undoubtedly a symbolism inherent in almost all actions and decisions of the leadership of the Third Reich. The name of the plan was approved on January 31, 1941.
Hitler's goals in World War II
Like any totalitarian dictator, Hitler did not pursue any special tasks (at least, those that could be explained by applying the elementary logic of a sound mind).
The Third Reich unleashed the Second world war with the only goal: to seize the world, to establish domination, to subjugate all countries and peoples to their perverted ideologies, to impose their picture of the world on the entire population of the planet.
How long did Hitler want to take over the USSR
In general, the Nazi strategists allotted only five months for the capture of the vast territory of the Soviet Union - a single summer.
Today, such arrogance may seem unfounded, if you do not remember that at the time of the development of the plan, the German army in just a few months, without much effort and loss, captured almost all of Europe.
What does blitzkrieg mean and what are its tactics
Blitzkrieg, or the tactics of lightning-fast capture of the enemy, is the brainchild of German military strategists at the beginning of the 20th century. The word Blitzkrieg comes from two German words: Blitz (lightning) and Krieg (war).
The blitzkrieg strategy was based on the possibility of capturing vast territories in a record short time(months or even weeks) before the opposing army comes to its senses and mobilizes the main forces.
The tactic of a lightning attack was based on the closest interaction between the infantry, aviation and tank formations of the German army. Tank crews, supported by infantry, must break through behind enemy lines and surround the main fortified positions important for establishing permanent control over the territory.
The enemy army, being cut off from all communication systems and all kinds of supplies, quickly begins to experience difficulties in solving the simplest issues (water, food, ammunition, clothing, etc.). Thus weakened, the forces of the attacked country are soon surrendered or destroyed.
When did Nazi Germany attack the USSR?
According to the results of the development of the Barbarossa plan, the Reich attack on the USSR was scheduled for May 15, 1941. The date of the invasion was shifted due to the Nazis carrying out the Greek and Yugoslav operations in the Balkans.
In fact, Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union without declaring war on June 22, 1941 at 4:00 am. This sad date is considered the beginning of the Great Patriotic War.
Where did the Germans go during the war - map
Blitzkrieg tactics helped the German troops in the first days and weeks of the Second World War to cover vast distances across the territory of the USSR without any special problems. In 1942, a rather impressive part of the country was captured by the Nazis.
German forces reached almost Moscow. In the Caucasus, they advanced to the Volga, but after the battle of Stalingrad they were driven back to Kursk. At this stage, the retreat of the German army began. The invaders passed through the northern lands to Arkhangelsk.
Reasons for the failure of the Barbarossa plan
If we consider the situation globally, the plan fell through due to the inaccuracy of German intelligence data. Wilhelm Canaris, who led it, may well have been a British double agent, as some historians today argue.
If we take these unconfirmed data on faith, it becomes clear why he “fed” Hitler the disinformation that the USSR had practically no secondary lines of defense, but there were huge supply problems, and, moreover, almost all troops were stationed on the border.
Conclusion
Many historians, poets, writers, as well as eyewitnesses of the events described, admit that fighting spirit played a huge, almost decisive role in the victory of the USSR over Nazi Germany. Soviet people, the love of freedom of the Slavic and other peoples who did not want to drag out a miserable existence under the yoke of world tyranny.
In principle, that there would be a march to the East, it was clear from the very beginning, Hitler was “programmed” for it. The question was different - when? On July 22, 1940, F. Halder received a task from the commander of the ground forces to think about various options for an operation against Russia. Initially, the plan was developed by General E. Marx, he enjoyed the Fuhrer's special confidence, he proceeded from the general input received from Halder. On July 31, 1940, at a meeting with the generals of the Wehrmacht, Hitler announced the general strategy of the operation: two main attacks, the first - in the southern strategic direction - to Kiev and Odessa, the second - in the northern strategic direction - through the Baltic states, to Moscow; in the future, a two-sided strike, from the north and south; later, an operation to seize the Caucasus, the oil fields of Baku.
On August 5, General E. Marx prepared the initial plan, "Plan Fritz". On him the main blow was from East Prussia and Northern Poland to Moscow. The main strike force, Army Group North, was to include 3 armies, a total of 68 divisions (of which 15 were armored and 2 were motorized). She was supposed to defeat the Red Army on westbound, capture the northern part of European Russia and Moscow, then help the southern group in the capture of Ukraine. The second blow was inflicted on Ukraine, Army Group "South" consisting of 2 armies, a total of 35 divisions (including 5 tank and 6 motorized). Army Group "South" was supposed to defeat the troops of the Red Army in the south-western direction, capture Kyiv and cross the Dnieper in the middle reaches. Both groups were supposed to reach the line: Arkhangelsk-Gorky-Rostov-on-Don. There were 44 divisions in the reserve, they were supposed to be concentrated in the offensive zone of the main strike force - "North". The main idea was in the "blitzkrieg", they planned to defeat the USSR in 9 weeks (!) Under a favorable scenario and in the case of the most unfavorable scenario in 17 weeks.
Franz Halder (1884-1972), photo 1939
Weak points of E. Marx's plan: underestimation of the military power of the Red Army and the USSR as a whole; reassessment of their capabilities, i.e., the Wehrmacht; tolerances in a number of enemy response actions, thus, the ability of the military-political leadership in organizing defense, counterattacks, excessive hopes for the collapse of the state and political system, the state economy in the rejection of the western regions were underestimated. Opportunities to restore the economy and the army after the first defeats were excluded. The USSR was confused with Russia in 1918, when, with the collapse of the front, small German detachments by rail were able to capture vast territories. A scenario was not developed in case the blitzkrieg escalated into a protracted war. In a word, the plan suffered from adventurism bordering on suicide. These mistakes were not eliminated later.
Thus, German intelligence failed to correctly assess the defense capability of the USSR, its military, economic, moral, political, and spiritual potentials. Gross mistakes were made in assessing the size of the Red Army, its mobilization potential, the quantitative and qualitative parameters of our Air Force and armored forces. So, according to Reich intelligence, in the USSR, the annual production of aircraft in 1941 amounted to 3500-4000 aircraft, in reality, from January 1, 1939 to June 22, 1941, the Red Army Air Force received 17,745 aircraft, of which 3,719 were new designs.
The top military leaders of the Reich were also captivated by the illusions of the “blitzkrieg”, so, on August 17, 1940, at a meeting at the headquarters of the Supreme High Command, Keitel called “it is a crime to try to create at present such production capacities that will give effect only after 1941. You can invest only in such enterprises that are necessary to achieve the goal and will give the appropriate effect.
Wilhelm Keitel (1882-1946), photo 1939
Further development
Further development of the plan was entrusted to General F. Paulus, who received the post of Assistant Chief of Staff of the Ground Forces. In addition, Hitler involved in the work of the generals, who were to become the chiefs of staff of the army groups. They had to independently investigate the problem. By September 17, this work was completed and Paulus could generalize the results. On October 29, he submitted a memorandum: "On the main idea of the operation against Russia." It emphasized that it was necessary to achieve the surprise of the strike, and for this, develop and implement measures to misinform the enemy. The need was pointed out to prevent the retreat of the Soviet border forces, to surround and destroy them in the border zone.
At the same time, the war plan was being developed at the headquarters of the operational leadership of the supreme command. At the direction of Jodl, Lieutenant Colonel B. Lossberg dealt with them. By September 15, he presented his war plan, many of his ideas were included in the final war plan: to destroy the main forces of the Red Army by lightning actions, preventing them from retreating to the east, to cut off western Russia from the seas - the Baltic and Black, to gain a foothold on such a line that would allow them to capture critical areas European part of Russia, while becoming a barrier against its Asian part. Three army groups already appear in this development: "North", "Center" and "South". Moreover, Army Group Center received most of the motorized and tank forces, beat on Moscow, through Minsk and Smolensk. With the delay of the "North" group, which hit in the direction of Leningrad, the troops of the "Center", after the capture of Smolensk, were supposed to throw part of their forces in the northern direction. Army Group "South" was supposed to defeat the enemy troops, surrounding them, seize Ukraine, force the Dnieper, on its northern flank come into contact with the southern flank of the "Center" group. Finland and Romania were drawn into the war: the Finnish-German separate task force was to advance on Leningrad, part of the forces on Murmansk. The final frontier of the advance of the Wehrmacht. The fate of the Union was to be determined, whether there would be an internal catastrophe in it. Also, as in the Paulus plan, much attention was paid to the surprise factor of the strike.
Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus (1890-1957).
meeting general staff(1940). Participants of the meeting at the table with a map (from left to right): Commander-in-Chief of the Wehrmacht, Field Marshal Keitel, Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces, Colonel-General von Brauchitsch, Hitler, Chief of the General Staff, Colonel-General Halder.
Plan "Otto"
In the future, the development was continued, the plan was refined, on November 19, the plan, code-named "Otto", was considered by the commander-in-chief of the ground forces Brauchitsch. It was approved without significant comments. On December 5, 1940, the plan was presented to A. Hitler, the ultimate goal of the offensive of the three army groups was Arkhangelsk and Volga. Hitler approved it. From November 29 to December 7, 1940, according to the plan, a war game was held.
On December 18, 1940, Hitler signed Directive No. 21, the plan received the symbolic name "Barbarossa". Emperor Frederick the Redbeard was the initiator of a series of campaigns to the East. For the sake of secrecy, the plan was made only in 9 copies. For secrecy, the armed forces of Romania, Hungary and Finland were to receive specific tasks only before the start of the war. Preparations for the war were to be completed by May 15, 1941.
Walter von Brauchitsch (1881-1948), photo 1941
The essence of the plan "Barbarossa"
The idea of "blitzkrieg" and surprise strike. The final goal for the Wehrmacht: the Arkhangelsk-Astrakhan line.
The maximum concentration of forces of the ground forces and the air force. The destruction of the troops of the Red Army as a result of bold, deep and fast actions of tank "wedges". The Luftwaffe had to eliminate the possibility effective action Soviet Air Force at the very beginning of the operation.
The Navy performed auxiliary tasks: supporting the Wehrmacht from the sea; stopping the breakthrough of the Soviet Navy from the Baltic Sea; protection of its coast; tie down the Soviet naval forces, providing navigation in the Baltic and supplying the northern flank of the Wehrmacht by sea.
Strike in three strategic directions: northern - Baltic-Leningrad, central - Minsk-Smolensk-Moscow, southern - Kyiv-Volga. The main blow was in the central direction.
In addition to Directive No. 21 of December 18, 1940, there were other documents: directives and orders on strategic concentration and deployment, logistics, camouflage, disinformation, preparation of a theater of operations, etc. So, on January 31, 1941, a directive was issued OKH (General Staff of the Ground Forces) on the strategic concentration and deployment of troops, on February 15, 1941, an order was issued by the Chief of Staff of the High Command on camouflage.
A. Hitler personally had a great influence on the plan, it was he who approved the offensive by 3 army groups in order to capture the economically important regions of the USSR, insisted on special attention - to the zone of the Baltic and Black Seas, inclusion in the operational planning of the Urals and the Caucasus. great attention he gave to the southern strategic direction - the grain of Ukraine, the Donbass, the most important strategic importance of the Volga, the oil of the Caucasus.
Impact forces, army groups, other groupings
Enormous forces were allocated for the strike: 190 divisions, of which 153 were German (including 33 tank and motorized), 37 infantry divisions of Finland, Romania, Hungary, two-thirds of the Reich Air Force, naval forces, air Force and naval forces of Germany's allies. Berlin left only 24 divisions in the reserve of the high command. And even then, in the west and southeast, there remained divisions with limited strike capabilities, intended for protection and security. The only mobile reserve was two armored brigades in France armed with captured tanks.
Army Group Center - commanded by F. Bock, it dealt the main blow - included two field armies - the 9th and 4th, two tank groups - the 3rd and 2nd, a total of 50 divisions and 2 brigades supported 2nd Air Fleet. She was supposed to make a deep breakthrough south and north of Minsk with flank attacks (2 tank groups), encircle a large grouping of Soviet forces between Bialystok and Minsk. After the destruction of the encircled Soviet forces and reaching the Roslavl, Smolensk, Vitebsk line, two scenarios were considered: the first, if Army Group North could not defeat the forces opposing it, send tank groups against them, and the field armies should continue to move to Moscow; second, if everything is going well with the Sever group, attack Moscow with all its might.
Fedor von Bock (1880-1945), photo 1940
Army Group North was commanded by Field Marshal Leeb, it included the 16th and 18th field armies, 4 tank groups, a total of 29 divisions, with the support of the 1st air fleet. She was supposed to defeat the forces opposing her, capture the Baltic ports, Leningrad, and the bases of the Baltic Fleet. Then, together with the Finnish army and the German units transferred from Norway, they will break the resistance of the Soviet forces in the north of European Russia.
Wilhelm von Leeb (1876-1956), photo 1940
Army Group "South", which hit south of the Pripyat swamps, was commanded by Field Marshal G. Rundstedt. It included: the 6th, 17th, 11th field armies, the 1st tank group, the 3rd and 4th Romanian armies, the Hungarian mobile corps, with the support of the 4th Reich air fleet and the Romanian Air Force and Hungary. In total - 57 divisions and 13 brigades, of which 13 are Romanian divisions, 9 Romanian and 4 Hungarian brigades. Rundstedt was supposed to lead an offensive against Kyiv, defeat the Red Army in Galicia, in western Ukraine, capture the crossings across the Dnieper, creating the prerequisites for further offensive operations. To do this, the 1st Panzer Group, in cooperation with units of the 17th and 6th armies, was supposed to break through the defenses in the area between Rava Russa and Kovel, going through Berdichev and Zhitomir, to reach the Dnieper in the Kiev region and to the south. Then strike along the Dnieper in a southeasterly direction to cut off the Red Army forces operating in Western Ukraine and destroy them. At this time, the 11th Army was supposed to give the Soviet leadership the appearance of the main blow from the territory of Romania, pinning down the forces of the Red Army and preventing them from leaving the Dniester.
The Romanian armies (plan "Munich") were also to tie down the Soviet troops, break through the defenses in the sector of Tsutsora, New Bedrazh.
Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt (1875-1953), photo 1939
The German army "Norway" and two Finnish armies were concentrated in Finland and Norway, in total 21 divisions and 3 brigades, with the support of the 5th Reich Air Fleet and the Finnish Air Force. The Finnish units were to pin down the Red Army in the Karelian and Petrozavodsk directions. When Army Group North entered the line of the Luga River, the Finns had to launch a decisive offensive on the Karelian Isthmus and between the Onega and Ladoga lakes, in order to join the Germans on the Svir River and the Leningrad region, they had to take part in the capture of the second capital of the Union , the city should (or rather, this territory, the city planned to destroy, and the population "utilize") to go to Finland. The German army "Norway", with the help of two reinforced corps, was to launch an offensive against Murmansk and Kandalaksha. After the fall of Kandalaksha and exit to White Sea the southern corps was supposed to advance north, along railway and, together with the northern corps, capture Murmansk, Polyarnoye, destroying Soviet forces on the Kola Peninsula.
Discussion of the situation and issuance of orders in one of the German units immediately before the attack on 06/22/1941
The overall plan for Barbarossa, like the early designs, was adventurous and based on a few "ifs". If the USSR is a “colossus with feet of clay”, if the Wehrmacht can do everything correctly and on time, if it is possible to destroy the main forces of the Red Army in the border “boilers”, if the industry, the economy of the USSR will not be able to function normally after the loss of the western regions, especially Ukraine. The economy, the army, the allies were not prepared for a possible protracted war. There was no strategic plan in case the blitzkrieg failed. In the end, when the blitzkrieg failed, we had to improvise.
Plan of the attack of the German Wehrmacht on the Soviet Union, June 1941
Sources:
The suddenness of the attack is a weapon of aggression. M., 2002.
The criminal goals of Nazi Germany in the war against the Soviet Union. Documents and materials. M., 1987.
http://www.gumer.info/bibliotek_Buks/History/Article/Pl_Barb.php
http://militera.lib.ru/db/halder/index.html
http://militera.lib.ru/memo/german/manstein/index.html
http://historic.ru/books/item/f00/s00/z0000019/index.shtml
http://katynbooks.narod.ru/foreign/dashichev-01.htm
http://protown.ru/information/hide/4979.html
http://www.warmech.ru/1941war/razrabotka_barbarossa.html
http://flot.com/publications/books/shelf/germanyvsussr/5.htm?print=Y
