What was the effect of the Nazi invasion of the soviet union?

Answer 1

The end of Hitler's 1000 year Reich. Without the loss of over 20 to 40 million Soviets, the Allies could not have defeated the Nazi war machine. Now this will draw some controversy so let us head it breifly off. First, Operation Barbarossa was envisioned to only take a couple of months to defeat the Soviet Union. Hitler pointed to the disastrous Winter War between Soviets and Finland as proof. He did not want to believe that the Soviets had learned from their mistakes. Second, the Soviets had a wonderful spy network set up. The Rote Kapelle (Red Orchestra) that was operating out of western Europe and Scandinavia kept Stalin well informed. Also Stalin had a spy on Hitler's staff. So the Soviet's were well prepared after the invasion. Third, the Soviet union was into it's second five year plan. This had the Soviet economy on a virtual war time footing. The Germans did not fully mobilize their economy until 42. And the Soviets, like the Allies made very good use out of the women. Hitler refused to allow women to take the places of men, which would have freed up immense numbers of men to help fill the gaps caused by the vicious fighting on the eastern front. Fourth, the untermenschen policy of the Third Reich drove the peoples of the Soviet Union back into the arms of Stalin. The various ethnic groups in the Soviet Union would have been willing to flock to the Nazi banner if they had been treated as normal people, instead of property or worse. The Ukraine greeted the first Germans as liberators. Then the SS troops showed up to sort the inferior races. The Allies never faced a fully rested, fully equipped German division like the Soviets. The closest they came was during the bulge, and here the weather and the terrain worked against the Germans. If Hitler could have waited until he had defeated Britain, then invaded the Soviet Union, the world as we know it would be a very different place. Just a brief addition to that excellent answer. By attacking the Soviet Union and losing, the Nazis in effect invited the USSR into Eastern and Central Europe and indirectly created the conditions for the division of Europe and for the Cold War.

Answer 2

Hitler had previously managed to take over Austria and Czechoslovakia in the eighteen months leading up to his invasion of Poland. Realizing that the Allies' policy of appeasement was dead, the leaders of France and Britain signed the "Polish guarantee". This ensured Poland's security in the event of Germany invading.

On September 1, 1939, Hitler, believing this promise was meaningless, invaded Poland, and, as a direct consequence, World War Two was born, due to the intervention of Britain and France.

Answer 3

As a result of the German occupation of Poland during WW2 thousands of Polish Jews were killed. But also came the falling out between the Russians and the German's when fighting broke out between which sections of the country were controled by Russia and which sections were controlled by Germany.

Answer 4

The result was that the French were completely overrun and could not defend against German forces such as the Panzer tanks and Messerschmitt fighters and the Stuka bombers. They also succumbed to the tactic of Blitzkrieg which is the fast movement of armies and quick attacks in many different places. After the Germans had control of the country they were able to neutralize the threat France posed and persecute the Jews living in France. The Germans were only pushed out of France after the Normandy landing by the Allied forces that made their way East towards the Rhine river chasing a retreating German army (This of course took many weeks after the landing). After the war US forces were stationed in France to help rebuild and keep the Russians at bay from invading Western Europe but were asked to leave in the 70's.

Answer 5

France and Britain declared war on Germany.

Answer 6

France and Britain declared war on Germany.

Answer 7

Ultimately, one of the two biggest headaches Hitler ever had - the other being the invasion of Normandy.

Answer 8

the USSR won the war in 1945