Soviet Military and Nazi - Research Paper Example

? Soviet Military and Nazi   Russia and Germany were some of the main parties involved in the Second World War. The war between the Russians and the Germans brought great carnage and destruction to the entire Eastern front of Europe. Both countries had different ideologies that were irreconcilable and this made the war a matter of life and death. In fact, the survival and prosperity of these countries depended entirely on the outcome of this war. It should be noted that previously, Adolf Hitler had signed a non-aggression pact with Stalin in order to safeguard Germany from a possible invasion from the Soviet Union.1 The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was signed in August 1939. This pact was an agreement that the parties were not to attack each other and in case one of the parties was to be attacked by a third party, the other country was to uphold neutrality. Also, this agreement secretly divided Europe into various spheres to suit the interest of Germany and Russia. The aggression of Germany under Adolf Hitler made it to gain control of large parts of Europe. By 1940, Hitler had conquered most of the European countries including France, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands.2 In fact, Germany was in control of the entire Europe save for the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom. The Germans had succeeded to dislodge British army from most parts of Europe although they had not succeeded to make the United Kingdom surrender. After these swift victories, the Nazi army had become invincible. Hitler had the opportunity to force the United Kingdom into a peace agreement by putting up a naval and air siege against it. However, Hitler was untrusting of the Soviet Union and thought that Russians would offer assistance to the United Kingdom despite the non-aggression pact. Hitler made plans to wage war against the Russians with an aim of solidifying their power in the entire Europe and weakening any potential resistance from the United Kingdom. Notably, Hitler highly underestimated the military potential of the Soviet Union and he anticipated a quick and comprehensive win.3 The Nazi Army prepared for war against the Russians under the name of Operation Barbarossa in July 21, 1940. The operation was under the supervision of the renowned German military strategist General Frederick Paulus. In the preparatory stages of the war, Hitler informed his generals that the aim of the war was to destroy any potential hope of support for the United Kingdom. Hitler believed that the destruction of the Soviet Union would inevitably lead to the withdrawal of US support for the United Kingdom. Hence, the United Kingdom would be significantly vulnerable and make it easier for Germans to attack it. Hitler further believed that the military system of Russia was so poor that any Russian response to the invasion would take a very long time. Adding to the fact that the Soviet Union did not have a system for the reinforcement of the combat divisions and activation of the reserves, Hitler believed that the war against the Soviet Union would be won quickly. According to the plan by Hitler, the Russians were going to be defeated in less than three months. Hitler strategized that the ground troops were going to play the main role in the campaign while the air force engaged the United Kingdom in military actions. The attack on the Russians was planned to be three pronged, from the North, South and the Center. One of the most important aims of the Nazi army was to capture the main cities of Russia which were Moscow and Leningrad. The capture of these cities would significantly demoralize the Red Army and tilt the scales of victory in favor of the Germans. Moscow was the capital city while Leningrad was the cradle of the Industrial Revolution. By capturing these cities, the Germans would gain control of the largest industrial centers and railway exchanges of the Soviet Union.4 However, after the onset of the war things did not go according to the plan of the Nazi army. As the war raged on, it became clear that the Germans had highly underestimated the military potential and determination of the Russians. The Russians defended their motherland wholeheartedly, giving every ounce of energy to ensure that the Germans did not take control of the Soviet Union. According historians, the German invasion of the Soviet Union is the core reason that led to the eventual collapse and defeat of Germany in the Second World War. One of the reasons why the Germans were defeated in the war is because the Russians were fighting in their homeland. The Russians had a driving determination of kicking out the Germans coupled with an intimate knowledge of the local terrain. For instance, in the battle of Stalingrad the Germans bombarded the city heavily destroying almost all the properties and killing over forty thousand civilians in less than two days. The Nazi army felt like the Russians could not manage to defend the city and victory was certain. In fact, Hitler declared that the city of Stalingrad had been defeated. However, the Germans faced tough resistance when the ground forces entered the city. Although the Red army was significantly decimated, the Nazi army had to contend with the determined locals who fought to defend their motherland. Despite the fact that the Russians were greatly outnumbered, the fighting was fierce. The Nazi army was involved in close combat with the locals in the streets and even the sewers. In fact, most of the war inside the city involved hand fighting with the use of knives and bayonets. It should be noted that the locals had better knowledge of the local terrain and hence had significant advantage against the Nazi army. Due to their familiarity with the local environment, the largely outnumbered Russians managed to deny the Germans the easy victory that they had anticipated. In fact, the intimate local knowledge enabled one Russian sniper known as Vasily Zaitsev to kill over two hundred German soldiers. Also, the people of the Soviet Union had undergone much more difficult circumstances to let war issues bend their resolve. During their industrialization campaign, the Soviets were virtually on a military footing for around two decades. Hence, the local people were hardened and very willing to fight in order to protect the industrialization that had built. The Soviets had undergone hardships to an extent that they could not allow the fruits of their efforts to fall into the hands of the German invaders. The treacherous environment in most of the Soviet Union also put the Nazi army at a great disadvantage. In fact, the advancement of the Nazi army to the city of Moscow was slowed down by the tough terrain that the Nazi army faced.3 For instance, the Germans had to go through impassable terrains that included valleys and rivers. In some instances, they were forced to construct roads and bridges so as to move their tanks and weapons. The soldiers also had to carry heavy loads as they moved across the mountains and valleys. The tough environment to toll on the soldiers and they were fatigued as they advanced. Notably, a good number of the soldiers were tired and demoralized by the time they reached the war front. On the other hand, the Russians had sufficient time to call for reinforcements and organize themselves to face the oncoming German army. Also, it was much easier for the Russian army to navigate through the tough terrain since they were well versed with the local environment. The ability to move rapidly enabled the Russians to advance rapidly into strategic positions that gave them a vital advantage. The other critical factor that helped the Soviets to defeat the Germans was the superb tanks. The T-34 tank played a great role in helping the Soviets to win the war. Although the Germans had technologically advanced tanks, the simplicity and agility of the Soviet tanks carried the day. The sloping armor of the T-34 tank offered a better strategic advantage for protection compared to the straight armor. In fact, survivors of the war between the Soviets and the Germans claimed that Soviet tanks determined the eventual outcome of the war. The simplicity of the Soviet tanks also meant that they would be easily manufactured hence they were available in high numbers. Also, the tanks were easy to repair and service, thus they were fully available for combat. The war between the Nazi army and the Soviet army witnessed the largest number of tanks in the history of war. Imperatively, the party that had superior and reliable tanks had all the advantage in the war. The German tanks were technologically advanced and thus, they took longer time to manufacture. This meant that there were limited numbers of German tanks and the Soviets had an advantage in terms of numbers. Also, the German tanks required specialized knowledge to service and repair. Suffice to say, a good number of tanks were unavailable for active combat. The sheer numbers of Soviet tanks provided intense firepower against the Germans. In fact, the Soviet win in the tank war in the battle of Kursk was a decisive moment in the war. The Germans loss marked the beginning of their downfall and eventual defeat. The weather in the Soviet Union also played a vital role in helping the Soviet Union to win the war. Both the Soviets and the Germans had to endure the extreme weather conditions in the region. The climatic conditions in the Soviet Union were very unfriendly in the summers and were extremely hot while the winters were extremely cold. This meant that the armies of both sides had to persevere in the punishing conditions. However, the Soviets were already used to these conditions and thus, were able to survive. On the other hand, the Nazi army had a great difficulty in adapting to these conditions. In fact, several Nazi soldiers died as the weather conditions were unfavorable. The Germans had anticipated quick victory in a period of less than three months. Therefore, the Nazi army had planned that the fighting would be over before the summer ended. However, the spirited resistance that was put up by the Soviets led to the lengthening of the war. The war continued well into the winter. This proved to be a disadvantage to the Nazi army since they were not prepared for the winter. The Nazi army had clothing that was unsuitable for the extremely cold winter conditions. The German soldiers lacked warm clothing and blankets to help them keep warm during the winter. This led to the death and incapacitation of a considerable number of soldiers in the Nazi army. Also, the remaining soldiers either became sick or too demoralized to engage in active war. The military leadership on the Soviet Union was superior compared to that on the German side. It has been suggested that Stalin had the best military strategist during the war between the Germans and the Soviets. Marshal Georgy Zhukov was perhaps the most effective military mind in the Soviet-German war. After the onset of the war, Zhukov set up elaborate plans to build a formidable reserve force to counter the Nazi army. He built a force of approximately a million men, one thousand guns and comprehensive artillery. The artillery consisted of heavy machine guns and several aircrafts. Zhukov and other Soviet military strategists had discovered that the German army had relatively weaker flanks. Also, the flanks of the Nazi army lacked armored units and anti-tank defenses. The flanks were also guarded by units that were relatively inferior. Therefore, the Soviets decided that the surest way to attack the Nazi army was by exploiting their weakness in the flanks. The plans for the attacks were done in such a stealthy mode that the Germans had no idea of the impeding attack until the material day. The Soviet strategists were cognizant of the importance of the element of surprise in any conventional war. Hence, Zhukov ensured that the plan was kept a secret so as to catch German and allied Axis forces completely off guard. The Soviets conducted a massive surprise attack on November 1942 against the Romanian Third Amy that was guarding the left flank of the German Third Army. The raid was intensive and rapidly executed in such a thorough manner that the Romanian Army was completely decimated. Following on this attack, the Soviets conducted yet another attack against a mixed force comprising the Germans and Romanians on the next day. The Soviet military raids known as Operation Uranus were highly successful. This attack meant that the Nazi Third Army was left completely exposed as the Russian attack groups joined up four days later after their initial attacks. The German Army began to feel the heat as their supply lines were all but cut. In fact, General Paulus’ Army was surrounded within a few days and their supplies cut off. The military strategies of Zhukov and other generals led to the turning of tables against the Nazi Germans who had been thought to be invincible. Over 280,000 German troops were surrounded by the Soviet army within a short period of four days. The pressure on the Nazi troops was so intense such that the German High Command begged Hitler to order a tactical withdrawal while there was still a chance. However, the German air force believed that it could still deliver sufficient supplies for the surrounded German Sixth army as it awaited reinforcements. The anticipated success was not forthcoming for the Sixth Army as the Russian army sealed off any access and limited their communication. In fact, the German reinforcements that arrived with General Manstein did not join up with General Paulus due to communication breakdown with the high command. In the long run, the offensive by the Soviet army proved to be very successful as the German Sixth Army was cut off from supplies completely. The military leaders in the Soviet Union managed to outwit the German army by taking advantage of their strategic weakness on the flanks. Zhukov and other military strategists decided to attack the flanks of the German Sixth Army and hence make it vulnerable. This strategy worked very well and enabled the Soviet army to completely outmaneuver the Nazi army. Eventually, the surrounded Nazi army was forced to surrender against the wishes of Hitler. The political leadership of both countries also influenced the outcome of the war between the Soviet Union and the Germans. Hitler was a micromanager who exercised control over all the decisions that the commanders. He was keen on directing every effort of the war and this was through issuing all commands. Hitler was the Supreme Commander German Armed forces and therefore he took a lot of pride in being the ultimate decision maker on matters of war. Historical accounts point out that Hitler considered himself to be a very skilled military strategist and hence he wanted to play a leading role in the planning and execution of military operations. Hitler thought very highly of himself and the military potential of German and therefore his military projections were overly optimistic. He often relied on outdated information to plan war strategies. Also, Hitler was overly consumed with his aspiration of one time leading the entire Europe and thus he was often driven by the raw desire of power; not the reality on the ground. On the other hand, Stalin realized his military limitations and he set up the Soviet High Command which had the sole jurisdiction for military related issues. Although Stalin also interfered with war operations in the early stages of the Soviet-German war, he learned that he had to allow the military strategists to voice their ideas. Thus, the Soviet High Command officially known as the Stavka allowed for debate on the best military course of action and the body was charged with making operational military decisions.5 The folly of poor political leadership by Hitler led to mass Nazi army causalities and the eventual defeat of the Germans. For instance, Hitler refused to allow General Paulus to make a tactical retreat when his army was almost fully surrounded by the Soviet’s Red Army. Hitler stubbornly insisted that the German army had to keep on fighting even though the odds were clearly against them. Even when the situation became grave, Hitler decided to promote General Paulus to a Marshal and reminded him that no German Marshall had ever surrendered in history. These poor decisions by Hitler led to the deaths of many German soldiers and the eventual defeat of the Nazi Army. As noted previously, the supply line for the German army was severely compromised by the Soviet Union’s Red Army. In essence, it is much easier to supply an army within your country rather than when the army is far away. The German army had to get its supplies from Germany and this was difficult considering the rough terrain and the challenge posed by the Red Army. For instance, the German army had to receive spare parts for tanks that had broken down all the way from factories over a thousand miles away. Also, the German army had to deploy more men to protect their supply lines from being taken over by the Red Army. The Red Army never faced these challenges in terms of supplies.6 The industries were very close and hence spare parts and more machinery were easily available. The deep understanding of the terrain also meant that the Red Army could easily deliver supplies using the quickest and most efficient routes. All these factors played to the advantage of the Soviets, hence enabling them to win the war against the Germans. In conclusion, the Soviet Union managed to win the war against the Germans due to various strategic advantages. The Soviets had an advantage in terms of an intimate knowledge of the local terrain; hence, they were able to easily navigate the region. Also, the Soviet army had a larger number of tanks that were efficient and easy to maintain. The ability of the Soviet military strategists to identify and exploit the weaknesses of the German army especially on the flanks enabled the Russians to gain ground against the Germans leading to the eventual victory of the Soviets. Bibliography Carell, Paul. Scorched Earth: The Russian-German War 1943-1945. London: Little Brown, 1970. Fay, Laurel. Shostakovich: A Life. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005. House, Jonathan, and David Glantz. When Titans Clashed: How The Red Army Stopped Hitler. Kansas: University Press of Kansas, 1995. Jones, Michael. Stalingrad: How the Red Army triumphed. New York: Pen & Sword Military, 2007. Martell, Paul, and Trevor Dupuy. Great Battles on the Eastern Front: The Soviet-German War, 1941-1945. New York: Bobbs Merill, 1982. Roberts, Geoffrey. Stalin’ s General: The Life of Georgy Zhukov. New York: Random House, 2012. Read More