The siege of Leningrad was horrific in all aspects during the 872 days that German troops surrounded the city. After the Germans surrounded the city, they began cutting off all supply routes. The siege began on September 8, 1941 after German troops severed the last supply route out of the city, leaving 3 million people inside. The ultimate plans for this revolution seemed simple to Hitler when he said to “wipe Leningrad from the face of the earth through demolitions” (“St. Petersburg (Leningrad)...”). Despite the numerous threats imposed primarily through bombing, the citizens of Leningrad did not give up hope. During that challenging time, the civilian population never ceased to believe the Germans could succeed, and continued to assist the
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The people were used to having false alarms about food shortages, but they always prepared in case the food supply ran out. Upon hearing the news about the impending food shortages, citizens reacted quickly “… stripping the shops bare...[Leaving] nothing left” (Dunmore 42). Soon after all the food in shops and restaurants disappeared ques started to form for those with ration cards to collect their daily ration. By December 1941, food rations were very low and the only supply route was over the treacherous Lake Ladoga road. The death count spiked in November and December with the “lack of food and cold…[accounting] for over 1,600 deaths a day” (Trueman). The shortage led to quarrels over ration cards and fights for food, but it also showed those who were determined to survive the siege. Although it was difficult for people to walk with the lack of food, they still assisted Leningrad through working at the hospital and factories producing war …show more content…
Even though wood was difficult to obtain, people did not let that affect them. Burzhuikas used “Wood [as the] the major source of heat in homes with furniture and floor boards being burned in most homes” (Trueman). Within a matter of days, houses were stripped of anything capable of creating heat, which confined families into a small central room of the house. The lack of food did not deter the fight to survive the winter. Often fires would be used for just a few hours to heat the room and then families would rely on blankets to stay warm during the night while sharing each other's body
The people were used to having false alarms about food shortages, but they always prepared in case the food supply ran out. Upon hearing the news about the impending food shortages, citizens reacted quickly “… stripping the shops bare...[Leaving] nothing left” (Dunmore 42). Soon after all the food in shops and restaurants disappeared ques started to form for those with ration cards to collect their daily ration. By December 1941, food rations were very low and the only supply route was over the treacherous Lake Ladoga road. The death count spiked in November and December with the “lack of food and cold…[accounting] for over 1,600 deaths a day” (Trueman). The shortage led to quarrels over ration cards and fights for food, but it also showed those who were determined to survive the siege. Although it was difficult for people to walk with the lack of food, they still assisted Leningrad through working at the hospital and factories producing war …show more content…
Even though wood was difficult to obtain, people did not let that affect them. Burzhuikas used “Wood [as the] the major source of heat in homes with furniture and floor boards being burned in most homes” (Trueman). Within a matter of days, houses were stripped of anything capable of creating heat, which confined families into a small central room of the house. The lack of food did not deter the fight to survive the winter. Often fires would be used for just a few hours to heat the room and then families would rely on blankets to stay warm during the night while sharing each other's body