The meaning of the word "blitzkrieg" (Blitzkrieg - "lightning", Krieg - "war") is known to many. This is a military strategy. It involves a lightning-fast attack on the enemy using large quantity military equipment. It is assumed that the enemy will not have time to deploy his main forces and will be successfully defeated. This is exactly the tactic the Germans used when they attacked the Soviet Union in 1941. We will talk about this military operation in our article.
Background
The theory of lightning war arose in the early 20th century. It was invented by the German military leader Alfred von Schlieffen. The tactics were very clever. The world was experiencing an unprecedented technological boom, and the military had new combat weapons at its disposal. But during the First World War the blitzkrieg failed. The imperfection of military equipment and weak aviation had an impact. Germany's rapid offensive against France faltered. The successful use of this method of military action was postponed until better times. And they came in 1940, when Nazi Germany carried out a lightning occupation, first in Poland and then in France.
"Barborossa"
In 1941, it was the USSR's turn. Hitler rushed to the East with a very specific goal. He needed to neutralize the Soviet Union in order to strengthen his dominance in Europe. England continued to resist, counting on the support of the Red Army. This obstacle had to be eliminated.
The Barbarossa plan was developed to attack the USSR. It was based on the theory of blitzkrieg. It was a very ambitious project. The German fighting machine was about to unleash all its might on the Soviet Union. It was considered possible to destroy the main forces of the Russian troops through the operational invasion of tank divisions. Four combat groups were created, combining tank, motorized and infantry divisions. They had to first penetrate far behind enemy lines, and then unite with each other. The ultimate goal of the new lightning war was to seize the territory of the USSR up to the Arkhangelsk-Astrakhan line. Before the attack, Hitler's strategists were confident that the war with the Soviet Union would take them only three to four months.
Strategy
German troops were divided into three large groups: "North", "Center" and "South". "North" was advancing on Leningrad. "Center" was rushing towards Moscow. "South" was supposed to conquer Kyiv and Donbass. The main role in the attack was given to tank groups. There were four of them, led by Guderian, Hoth, Gopner and Kleist. It was they who were supposed to carry out the fleeting blitzkrieg. It wasn't that impossible. However, the German generals miscalculated.
Start
On June 22, 1941, the Great Patriotic War began. First border Soviet Union German bombers crossed. They bombed Russian cities and military airfields. It was a smart move. The destruction of Soviet aviation gave the invaders a serious advantage. The damage was particularly severe in Belarus. In the first hours of the war, 700 aircraft were destroyed.
Then German ground divisions entered the lightning war. And if the army group “North” managed to successfully cross the Neman and approach Vilnius, then the “Center” met unexpected resistance in Brest. Of course, this did not stop Hitler’s elite units. However, it made an impression on German soldiers. For the first time they realized who they had to deal with. The Russians died, but did not give up.
Tank battles
The German Blitzkrieg in the Soviet Union failed. But Hitler had a huge chance of success. In 1941, the Germans had the most advanced military technology in the world. Therefore, the very first tank battle between the Russians and the Nazis turned into a beating. The fact is that Soviet combat vehicles of the 1932 model were defenseless against enemy guns. They didn't answer modern requirements. More than 300 T-26 and BT-7 light tanks were destroyed in the first days of the war. However, in some places the Nazis encountered serious resistance. The big shock for them was the meeting with the brand new T-34 and KV-1. German shells flew off the tanks, which seemed like unprecedented monsters to the invaders. But general situation at the front it was still catastrophic. The Soviet Union did not have time to deploy its main forces. The Red Army suffered huge losses.
Chronicle of events
Period from June 22, 1941 to November 18, 1942. Historians call it the first stage of the Great Patriotic War. At this time, the initiative belonged entirely to the invaders. In a relatively short period of time, the Nazis occupied Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Estonia, Belarus and Moldova. Then enemy divisions began the siege of Leningrad and captured Novgorod and Rostov-on-Don. However main goal fascists were Moscow. This would allow the Soviet Union to be struck at the very heart. However, the lightning offensive quickly fell behind the approved schedule. On September 8, 1941, the military blockade of Leningrad began. The Wehrmacht troops stood under it for 872 days, but were never able to conquer the city. Biggest defeat The Red Army is considered the Kyiv Cauldron. More than 600,000 people died there. The Germans captured great amount military equipment, opened their way to the Azov region and Donbass, but... lost precious time. It was not for nothing that the commander of the 2nd Panzer Division, Guderian, left the front line, came to Hitler’s headquarters and tried to convince him that Germany’s main task was this moment- occupation of Moscow. Blitzkrieg is a powerful breakthrough deep into the country, which turns around for the enemy complete defeat. However, Hitler did not listen to anyone. He preferred to send military units of the “Center” to the South to seize territories where valuable natural resources were concentrated.
Blitzkrieg failure
This is a turning point in history fascist Germany. Now the Nazis had no chance. They say that Field Marshal Keitel, when asked when he first realized that the blitzkrieg had failed, answered only one word: “Moscow.” The defense of the capital turned the tide of the Second World War. On December 6, 1941, the Red Army launched a counteroffensive. After this, the "lightning" war turned into a battle of attrition. How could enemy strategists make such a miscalculation? Among the reasons, some historians name the total Russian impassability and severe frost. However, the invaders themselves pointed to two main reasons:
- fierce enemy resistance;
- biased assessment of the defense capability of the Red Army.
Of course, the fact that Russian soldiers defended their Motherland also played a role. And they managed to defend every inch native land. The failure of Nazi Germany's blitzkrieg against the USSR is a great feat that evokes sincere admiration. And this feat was accomplished by soldiers of the multinational Red Army.
Most military historians are inclined to think that if the plan of the Chief of the German General Staff Alfred von Schlieffen had been implemented, the first World War could have gone completely according to the script. But back in 1906, the German strategist was removed from his post and his followers were afraid to implement Schlieffen’s plan.
Blitz War Plan
At the beginning of the last century, Germany began planning for a major war. This was due to the fact that France, defeated several decades earlier, clearly harbored plans for military revenge. The German leadership was not particularly afraid of the French threat. But in the east, Russia, an ally of the Third Republic, was gaining economic and military power. For Germany there was a real danger of a war on two fronts. Well aware of this, Kaiser Wilhelm ordered von Schlieffen to develop a plan for a victorious war in these conditions
And Schlieffen, in a fairly short time, created such a plan. According to his idea, Germany was supposed to start the first war against France, concentrating 90% of all its armed forces in this direction. Moreover, this war was supposed to be lightning fast. Only 39 days were allotted for the capture of Paris. For final victory - 42.
It was assumed that Russia would not be able to mobilize in such a short period of time. After the victory over France, German troops will be transferred to the border with Russia. Kaiser Wilhelm approved the plan, saying famous phrase: “We will have lunch in Paris, and we will have dinner in St. Petersburg.”
Failure of the Schlieffen Plan
Helmuth von Moltke, who replaced Schlieffen as chief of the German General Staff, accepted the Schlieffen plan without much enthusiasm, considering it excessively risky. And for this reason, I subjected it to thorough revision. In particular, he refused to concentrate the main forces of the German army on the western front and, for reasons of precaution, sent a significant part of the troops to the east.
But Schlieffen planned to envelop the French army from the flanks and completely encircle it. But due to the transfer of significant forces to the east, the German group of troops on the western front simply did not have enough available funds for this. As a result, the French troops not only were not surrounded, but were also able to deliver a powerful counterattack.
The reliance on the slowness of the Russian army in terms of protracted mobilization also did not justify itself. Invasion Russian troops The German command was literally stunned into East Prussia. Germany found itself in the grip of two fronts.
Option 1.
A 1. The main significance of the Battle of Stalingrad is that during it:
Was torn for the first time Hitler's plan"lightning war"
A radical turning point in the Great Patriotic War began
Hitler's army was finally defeated
The creation of the anti-Hitler coalition took place
Liberation of Orel and Belgorod
Defeat of the Nazis near Moscow
Beginning of the Battle of Stalingrad
Lifting the blockade of Leningrad
Defense of the Brest Fortress
Tehran Conference
Crossing of the Dnieper
Encirclement of German troops
Liberation of Kyiv by Soviet troops
The offensive of the Red Army at Stalingrad
Lifting the blockade of Leningrad
We, the President of the United States, the Prime Minister of Great Britain and the Premier of the Soviet
Union, met... in the capital of our ally Iran and... came to full agreement
regarding the scale and timing of the operations to be undertaken from the east, west and south.
5. A radical turning point during the Great Patriotic War IO – 9
Option 2.
A 1. The main significance of the Battle of Kursk is that during it:
Hitler's plan "Barbarossa" was foiled
The USSR temporarily seized the strategic initiative
Soviet troops reached state border USSR
Breaking the blockade of Leningrad
Capture of Paulus' army
Beginning of the Battle of Stalingrad
Collapse of the Anti-Comintern Pact
Tehran Conference
Creation of the Road of Life
The largest tank battle
Surrender to the army of Field Marshal Paulus.
Opening of a second front
Occupation of Poland by Nazi troops
The beginning of the Red Army's counteroffensive near Moscow
Lifting the blockade of Leningrad
The Red Army crossed the largest water barrier... and liberated... the most important
industrial centers of the south of our country... Thus, our troops broke into all
enemy defense from Zaporozhye to the Sea of Azov...
Option 1.
A 1. What is collaborationism?
Forced exile, exile
Uniting all forces to repel the enemy
Guerrilla movement
Conscious and voluntary cooperation with the enemy in his interests and to the detriment of his state or countries allied with it
Lithuanians
Latvians
Jews
Germans of the Volga region
Accusations against entire peoples of complicity with the Nazi invaders
Decisions of the Tehran Conference
Mass uprisings against Soviet power
Severe harvest failure leading to casualties
Got stronger cultural connections between neighboring nations
Has sped up economic development displaced peoples
The authority of state power was undermined
A radical change in the course of the war began
I am reporting on the results of the operation to evict Chechens and Ingush... Evicted until February 29
and loaded into...cars 478,479 people...Today a train with former executives was sent
6. The peoples of the USSR in the fight against German fascism IO – 9
Option 2.
A 1. What autonomy was liquidated during the Great Patriotic War?
Estonians 2. Kazakhs 3. Jews 4. Chechens and Ingush
We were brought to the Volga, where many Germans from the Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic had already gathered. Then they loaded it onto the ship,
and we sailed on it to Guryev... Then we were transferred to freight cars, and we proceeded to
railway station Aus. Afterwards they were settled on the collective farm “Rostarbeiter” in the village.
Remenovka of Borodulikha district of Semipalatinsk region.
In 1939 2. In 1941 3. In 1944 4. In 1945
The unreliability of these peoples
The need to evacuate people to the rear
An impending natural disaster
The need to replenish the ranks of the Red Army
The economy of these areas has suffered
The combat effectiveness of the Red Army has increased
A radical turning point in the course of the war was completed
Friendship between the peoples of the USSR has strengthened
or another area?
5. A radical turning point during the Great Patriotic War IO – 9
Keys
Option 1. Option 2.
A 1.2 A 1.4
A 2.1 A 2.3
A 3.4 A 3.3
A 4.1 A 4.2
In 1. Tehran In 1. Crossing of the Dnieper
6. The peoples of the USSR in the fight against German fascism IO – 9
Keys
Option 1. Option 2.
A 1.4 A 1.4
A 2.4 A 2.2
A 3.1 A 3.1
A 4.3 A 4.1
In 1. 1944 In 1. Deportation
7. USSR at the final stage II world war IO – 9
Keys
Option 1. Option 2
A 1.2 A 1.3
A 2.2 A 2.3
A 3.4 A 3.3
A 4.1 A 4.4
B 1. 1 C 2 B 3 A C 1. 1 A 2 B 3 C
7. USSR at the final stage II world war IO – 9
Option 1.
A 1. What event occurred during Operation Bagration?
Defense of the Brest Fortress
Liberation of Belarus
Creation of the Road of Life
Crossing of the Dnieper
Creation of the Anti-Comintern Pact
The rise of patriotic feelings of Soviet people
The weakness of the German military machine
The allies' provision of significant financial assistance USSR
In Bulgaria 2. In Yugoslavia 3. In Italy 4. In France
A bipolar politic system peace
The USA has become the world's only superpower
The world system of colonialism collapsed
The sphere of influence of the USSR in the world narrowed
Year Event
January 1944 A. End of World War II
July-August 1945 B. Potsdam Conference
September 1945 B. Complete liquidation of the siege of Leningrad
7. USSR at the final stage II world war IO – 9
Option 2.
A 1. Indicate the event that took place during the Berlin military operation:
Opening of the Second Front by the Allies
Surrender to the army of General Paulus
Meeting on the Elbe of the Anglo-American and Soviet armies
Exit of the Red Army to the state border of the USSR
Opening of the second front in 1944
Death of Hitler
The resilience and heroism of the Soviet people
Mistakes of the German command
Human:
12 2. 20 3. 27 4. 31
The borders of European states remain unchanged
The Versailles-Washington system of international relations was formed
The USSR became the world's only superpower
The authority of the USSR increased
Year Event
June 1944 A. Opening of the second front
February 1945 B. Yalta Conference
September 1945 B. Japanese Surrender
8. Final test on the topic: “The Great Patriotic War. 1941 – 1945.” IO - 9
Option 1.
A 1. Indicate the names of outstanding commanders of the Great Patriotic War:
Skobelev, Rumyantsev 2. Tukhachevsky, Frunze 3. Stalin, Budyonny 4. Zhukov, Vasilevsky
Bid Supreme High Command 2. Council of Fronts 3. Military Committee 4. Comintern
Near Moscow 2. Near Leningrad 3. Near Kursk 4. Near Smolensk
The Red Army was brilliantly completed.
A radical turning point during the Great Patriotic War
The final stage of the Second World War
The beginning of the Great Patriotic War
Brusilovsky breakthrough
All Gulag prisoners were sent to the front
The industry of the USSR was rebuilt on a war footing
The Allies opened a second front
Japan left the war
The offensive initiative finally passed to the Red Army
The turning point in the Great Patriotic War has ended
Hitler's "blitzkrieg" plan was foiled
The army of General Paulus was captured
“Citadel”, “Tiger”, Prokhorovka?
Moscow 2. Stalingrad 3. Kursk 4. In Belarus
Battle of Stalingrad 2. Battle of Kursk 3. Battle of Moscow 4. “ten Stalinist blows”
Denazification 2. Deportation 3. Demilitarization 4. Denunciation
Hitler's calculation for the collapse of the multinational Soviet state did not come true
The USSR created nuclear weapons
The second front opened only in 1944.
Italy and Romania refused to enter the war on the side of Germany.
Stalin's threat to send troops into Great Britain
The threat to Great Britain and the United States emanating from the countries participating in the Anti-Comintern Pact
The exit of the Red Army to the state border of the USSR
Japanese attack on the USSR
Germany lost its independence
The international authority of the USSR increased
Fascist regimes survived in Japan and Bulgaria
The USSR lost some territories in the east and west
The column corresponds to one element on the right:
Document title, Main content
military plan A. Implementation of the offensive of the German troops of the Center group
""Barbarossa in the direction of Orel-Tula-Moscow
"Ost" B. Plan for the colonization and Germanization of the occupied territories
"Typhoon" B. Conducting strategic offensive operation German
D. Conducting a “lightning war” against the Soviet Union
B 2. Determine the sequence of events:
A. Soviet-Finnish War
B. Yalta Conference
B. attack of Nazi Germany on the USSR
D. Tehran Conference
8. Final test
Strategy
Blitzkrieg is based on the close cooperation of infantry and tank formations with air support. The blitzkrieg strategy is similar to the theory of a deep offensive operation adopted in the USSR on the eve of the Great Patriotic War (S. N. Ammosov, V. K. Triandafillov, K. B. Kalinovsky, etc.). According to the blitzkrieg strategy, tank units, supported by infantry, break through into enemy rear lines, bypassing and encircling heavily fortified positions. Encircled enemy formations, experiencing difficulties with the supply of ammunition, equipment and food, are easily achieved by the attackers or surrendered.
An important feature of blitzkrieg is that the main enemy forces are not the main targets of the offensive. After all, fighting them gives the enemy the opportunity to use most its military potential, which means unjustifiably delaying military operation. The priority task of blitzkrieg is to deprive the enemy of the opportunity to continue successful fighting even while maintaining manpower, equipment and ammunition. And for this it is necessary, first of all, to capture or destroy control systems, transport infrastructure, supplies and transport hubs.
Practical use
One of the first attempts to carry out blitzkrieg was made by German troops during the First World War on the Western Front. According to the Schlieffen plan, it was supposed to deliver a lightning strike on France, end the war with it in 1.5-2 months by signing a victorious peace, and then switch to the Eastern Front. However, the resistance of the French and Belgian troops thwarted these plans, the lack of tanks and the imperfection of aviation of that era played a role, as well as successful offensive Russian army in East Prussia, which required the transfer of part of the forces to repel it. All this led to the fact that German troops advanced too slowly, and the Allies managed to pull up forces and win the Battle of the Marne in September 1914. The war became protracted.
For the first time, blitzkrieg in practice was brilliantly carried out by German military strategists (Manstein, von Kleist, Guderian, Rundstedt and others) at the beginning of World War II during the capture of Poland: by the end of September, Poland ceased to exist, although more than a million non-mobilized people of military age remained in it. In France, manpower reserves were also not exhausted by the time the armistice was signed. The entire campaign in France took only 6 weeks: from May 10 to June 21, 1940, and in Poland - 5 weeks from September 1 to October 5 (the date the last regular units of the Polish army ceased resistance) 1939. At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the blitzkrieg strategy allowed the Nazi Germany quickly destroyed Soviet troops in a strip of 100-300 km east of the border between the USSR and Germany and its allies. However, the loss of time by the Nazis to destroy the encircled Soviet troops, the wear and tear of equipment and the resistance of the defenders ultimately led to the failure of the blitzkrieg strategy on this front.
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Notes
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See what “Lightning War” is in other dictionaries:
- (blitzkrieg) (German Blitzkrieg from Blitz lightning and Krieg war), created in the beginning. 20th century by the German military leadership the theory of waging a fleeting war, according to which victory is achieved in a period of days or months, before... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
A short-lived war (within weeks, months). The theory was developed by German militarists at the beginning of the 20th century. and was used by them as the basis for Germany’s aggressive strategy in the 1st and 2nd World Wars. Calculations of the German General Staff for the “Blitz War” ... Naval Dictionary
- (“blitzkrieg”) (German Blitzkrieg, from Blitz lightning and Krieg war), created at the beginning of the 20th century. by the German military leadership the theory of waging a fleeting war, according to which victory should be achieved in a time frame calculated in days or months, before ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
"Lightning War"- LIGHTNING WAR, blitzkrieg (German Blitzkrieg, from Blitz lightning, Krieg war), the theory of aggressive war, developed by Germany. militarists in the beginning 20th century and underlying the military. Germany's strategies in the 1st and 2nd world wars... Great Patriotic War 1941-1945: encyclopedia
- “blitzkrieg” (German Blitzkrieg, from Blitz lightning and Krieg war), a theory of warfare created by German militarists with the aim of achieving complete victory over the enemy in as soon as possible, calculated in days or months. German calculations... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
"LIGHTNING WAR", "blitzkrieg"- (German Blizkrieg, from Blitz lightning and Krieg war), a method of waging aggressive war, basically. on surprise and swiftness of actions, ensuring the defeat of the fleet in the shortest possible time, before it was able to mobilize and deploy its armed forces.... ... Military encyclopedic dictionary
war- all-consuming (Golen. Kutuzov) Epithets of literary Russian speech. M: Supplier of His Majesty's court, the Quick Printing Association A. A. Levenson. A. L. Zelenetsky. 1913. war On just wars. Great, national, protective (obsolete), popular... Dictionary of epithets
A war generated by the system of imperialism and which initially arose within this system between the main fascists. Mr. Germany and Italy, on the one hand, and Great Britain and France, on the other; during further development events, having accepted the world... ... Soviet historical encyclopedia
Arab-Israeli conflict Planting a homemade fl... Wikipedia
From German: Blitzkrieg. Translation: Lightning War. The military strategy of combat operations that Hitler’s generals used during the war with France, Poland and tried to apply in the war with the USSR. This expression was already found in 1935 in... ... Dictionary of popular words and expressions
Books
- Hitler's Blitzkrieg. “Lightning War”, Baryatinsky M.B.. This book is the most deep research"lightning war" strategies, the story of the rise and fall of the Panzerwaffe, the grandiose triumphs and crushing collapse of Hitler's blitzkrieg. ...
The art of war is a science in which nothing succeeds except what has been calculated and thought out.
Napoleon
Plan Barbarossa is a plan for a German 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 end in November 1941 at the latest.
Plan Barbarossa was named after Frederick Barbarossa, the 12th century emperor who became famous for his campaigns of conquest. This contained 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 was preparing 190 divisions to fight the war and 24 divisions as reserves. 19 tank and 14 motorized divisions were allocated for the war. The total number of contingents that Germany sent to the USSR according to different estimates ranges from 5 to 5.5 million people.
The apparent superiority in USSR technology is not worth taking into account, since by the beginning of the wars, Germany's technical tanks and aircraft were superior to those of the Soviet Union, 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
Barbarossa's plan determined 3 main directions for attack:
- 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". Promotion to Nizhny Novgorod, aligning the Volna - Northern Dvina line.
- Army Group "North". Attack on the Baltic states, Leningrad and further advance to Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. At the same time, the “Norway” army was supposed 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 |
| Number | 57 divisions and 13 brigades | 50 divisions and 2 brigades | 29th 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) |
||
Around 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 for the lightning war. After the blitzkrieg, there should have been lands beyond the Urals, which, without the support of the center, would have quickly surrendered 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 there were only a few weeks left before the end of the war with the USSR was Goebbels’ speech. The Minister of Propaganda suggested that the Germans collect additional 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 moved forward rapidly, winning victories, Soviet army suffered huge losses:
- 28 divisions out of 170 were put out of action.
- 70 divisions lost about 50% personnel.
- 72 divisions remained combat-ready (43% of those available at the start of the war).
Over the same 3 weeks, the average rate of advance of German troops deep into the country was 30 km per day.
By July 11, the Army Group “North” occupied almost the entire Baltic territory, providing access to Leningrad, the Army Group “Center” reached Smolensk, and the Army Group “South” reached Kiev. These were the latest achievements that were fully consistent with the plan of the German command. After this, failures began (still local, but already indicative). Nevertheless, the initiative in the war until the end of 1941 was on the side of Germany.
Germany's failures in the North
Army “North” occupied the Baltic states without any problems, especially since there was practically no partisan movement there. The next strategic point to be captured was Leningrad. Here it turned out that the Wehrmacht was beyond its strength. The city did not capitulate to the enemy and until the end of the war, despite all efforts, Germany was unable to capture it.
Army Failures Center
Army "Center" reached Smolensk without problems, but was stuck near the city until September 10. Smolensk resisted for almost a month. The German command demanded a decisive victory and the advancement of troops, since such a delay near the city, which was planned to be taken without large losses, was unacceptable and called into question the implementation of the Barbarossa plan. As a result, the Germans took Smolensk, but their troops were pretty battered.
Historians today assess the Battle of Smolensk as a tactical victory for Germany, but a strategic victory for Russia, since it was possible to stop the advance of troops towards Moscow, which allowed the capital to prepare for defense.
Complicated the advance of the German army deep into the country partisan movement Belarus.
Failures of the Army South
Army “South” reached Kyiv in 3.5 weeks and, like Army “Center” near Smolensk, was stuck in battle. Ultimately, it was possible to take the city due to the clear superiority of the army, but Kyiv held out almost until the end of September, which also hampered the advance of the German army and made a significant contribution to the disruption of Barbarossa’s plan.
Map of the German advance plan
Above is a map showing the German command's offensive plan. The map shows: in green – the borders of the USSR, in red – the border to which Germany planned to reach, in blue – the deployment and plan for the advancement of German troops.
General state of affairs
- In the North, it was not possible to capture Leningrad and Murmansk. The advance of the troops stopped.
- It was with great difficulty that the Center managed to reach Moscow. At the time the German army reached the Soviet capital, it was already clear that no blitzkrieg had happened.
- In the South it was not possible to take Odessa and seize the Caucasus. By the end of September, Hitler's troops had just captured Kyiv and launched an attack on Kharkov and Donbass.
Why Germany's blitzkrieg failed
Germany's blitzkrieg failed because the Wehrmacht prepared the Barbarossa plan, as it later turned out, based on false intelligence data. 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.
The tactics of lightning war 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 confident 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 quickly move deeper into the country 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 the Second World War lasted right up to 1945 only proves that the Germans fought in a very organized and brave manner. Thanks 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 were able to fight successfully.
Did Barbarossa's plan fail?
I propose to evaluate the Barbarossa plan according to 2 criteria: global and local. Global(landmark - Velikaya Patriotic War) - the plan was thwarted because the lightning war did not work out, the German troops were bogged down in battles. Local(landmark – intelligence data) – the plan was carried out. The German command drew up the Barbarossa plan based on the assumption that the USSR had 170 divisions on the country’s border and there were no additional echelons of defense. There are no reserves or 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 had reserves, not all troops were located on the border, mobilization brought high-quality soldiers into the army, there were additional lines of defense, the “charm” of which Germany felt near Smolensk and Kiev.
Therefore, the failure of the Barbarossa plan should be considered as a huge strategic mistake of German intelligence, led by Wilhelm Canaris. Today, some historians connect this man with English agents, but there is no evidence of this. But if we assume that this is really the case, then it becomes clear why Canaris palmed Hitler off with the absolute lie that the USSR was not ready for war and all the troops were located on the border.
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