Operation Barbarossa

've heard many stories about him and the experiences he had at war. September 1, 1939 was the official beginning of World War II. However, on June 22nd, 1941, the Soviet Union was invaded by Germany. This was in fact the largest German military operation of World War II. This invasion caused the draft of young men to commence. These “men” (some as young as fifteen) had no choice but to be in the war. My great grandfather, and his 7 brothers were only some of the millions of young men out there…

The atrocities of the WWII era were caused by Joseph Stalin using police and military terror in the USSR to get rid of anyone he considered his enemy by locking them away in the Gulags, he used control of individuals by forcing farmers to combine their farms into mega farms, and Adolf Hitler used ideology to “purify” Germany of lesser races. In the USSR Joseph Stalin used police and military terror to confine peasants in concentration camps known as Gulags where millions died of starvation and…

Inside the Aquarium, by Viktor Suvorov, is a spy novel that tells the story of his personal rise and fall of being a GRU officer during the Cold War. Even though this novel is classified as a biography, not all of it should be assumed as true. Through analyzing how Suvorov portrays the adversaries, the allies, and the tradecraft in the novel, a deduction can be drawn to if this novel is a credible source of information. The first area to analyze to determine the credibility of Inside the…

World War II brought new forms of military tactics and maneuvers to the battle stage. The most popular tactic for the Germans very quickly became the Blitzkrieg military strategy. Blitzkrieg literally translates to “lightning war” and to Hitler this meant pushing hard and fast with a large number of military units in order destroy the opposition 's defense. The basis behind this war tactic is the concept of “combined arms.” The plan was to use many different types of military units all at once,…

The Siege of Bastogne took place in Germany in the year of 1944. Also known as the Battle of the Bulge. The reason it was called the Battle of the Bulge was due to the Germans built a bulge, or a wall to block things, and pushed through the American lines. It was fought between American and German forces. The battle took place in the course of seven days from December 20th to the 27th. The Germans gained access to American lines and began to impersonate them. Which made it difficult for the…

Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini were dictators in Europe after World War I until the end of World War II. Hitler and Mussolini have similar aspects and ideals, yet they both have their own key differences. Each dictator affected their respective countries through their leadership and heavy influence. Hitler’s and Mussolini’s rise to power can be compared and analyzed by showing their influences of power that affected their economical, political, social changes on society. Hitler and…

The allied forces lost over to 75,000 Soldiers as the Germans lost more than 120,000. This was the biggest loss of casualty that either side had face. Ultimately Adolf Hitler sacrificed his entire operations by withdrawing troops from the eastern front where they were penetrating the Soviet Union. This was Hitler’s last attempt to push his troops through and win the war. This battle was a prime example of the gallantry performance are military represents…

to February of 1943. The Russians found another weakness in the German assault. The Italian, Hungarian, and Romanian armies were ordered to protect the German flanks. They were ill equipped with most lacking anti-tank weapons. The Russians began Operation Uranus which targeted the weak flanks. The final part of the battle was German defeat. In Russia, the winter sets in faster than it does in the U.S. and is much harsher. The Germans were not prepared for the winter and made the fighting tough…

The dreaded battle between the Germans and the Soviet Union during World War II was named the Battle of Stalingrad. “The Battle of Stalingrad was one of the bloodiest battles in history, with combined military and civilian casualties of nearly 2 million,”(History.com Staff, Battle of Stalingrad) The Battle of Stalingrad was a huge turning point in World War II. This battle had two of the biggest forces in World War II. The battle was between the invading Germans and the defenders of their…

Ambushed Prelude I joined the ranks of the Red Army in 1940 when I was only 18, just one year before the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. My family was from Byelorussia, and immigrated to Russia in the 1800’s and settled down in Stalingrad, where I lived before I joined the army. My grandmother used to tell me stories of how my grandpa fought in the Russian Civil War, against the Tsarist White Army in the Saratov region. He served as a Senior Lieutenant, commanding his own motorised…