A Level History - Russia chapter 21

What was the codename for the German invasion of the USSR?

Operation Barbarossa

When did Hitler start preparing to invade Russia?

October 1940

When was Hitler ready to invade Russia?

summer 1941

How did the German forces have an advantage over Russian forces? (3)

USSR was badly prepared for war, German forces were experienced and they were well-equipped

When was the German invasion originally scheduled for?

1 June 1941

Why was the German invasion delayed by three weeks?

there was a crisis in Yugoslavia due to the policies of Hitler's Italian allies which forced Hitler to invade Yugoslavia and resolve the issue

When was the date for the German invasion re-set to?

22 June 1941

Where did the German army attack from? (3)

north through the Baltic states, south and east into Ukraine, central towards Moscow

What were the aims behind Operation Barbarossa? (3)

military victory, seize control over whole Soviet economy, eradicate communism

What did Hitler believe Soviet citizens' attitudes towards the German troops would be?

would see them as 'liberators' and welcome them

Why was Stalin unprepared for war? (4)

placed too much trust in Hitler, army weak due to the purges, resources were stretched by the need to keep forces in the east to protect against Japan, economy still stabilising after the great economic turn

Why did Stalin not take action against Hitler when he was told that a German invasion was imminent? (2)

didn't believe it and because he didn't want to take action in case he provoked Hitler into launching the invasion

How long did it take Stalin before he made a radio broadcast to the people in June 1941?

2 weeks

When did Stalin finally make a radio broadcast to the people after the announcement of the German invasion?

3 July 1941

What were Stalin's weaknesses in the early stages of the war? (4)

failed to give proper leadership and prepared to move the government away from Moscow, relied on inferior commanders for too long, caused a massive defeat in September 1641 because he didn't allow them retreat until it was too late, showed no urgency in defending Leningrad after it was besieged

Where was Stalin planning to move the government to in the first few weeks of the war?

Samara on the Volga

When did Stalin help cause a massive defeat of his southern armies in Kiev?

September 1941

Where did Stalin help cause a massive defeat of his armies in September 1941?

Kiev

What was the name of Stalin's war cabinet?

Stavka

What was Stavka?

top-level military command of the USSR during the Great Patriotic War

What were Stalin's advantages in the GPW? (6)

size of Russia, huge population, severity of weather, patriotism of the people, learned from his mistakes, didn't have to fight a war on two fronts

Who provided Stalin with information about the intentions of Japan?

Richard Sorge (spy)

How did the war go for Russia between June 1941 and summer 1942? (2)

struggled to survive against German offensives, lost many people and territory

How did the war go for Russia between 1942 and summer 1943? (3)

stabilised the war effort, built a powerhouse war economy and halted German advances

How did the war go for Russia between 1943 and summer 1945? (3)

moved on to the offensive, recaptured vast areas that had been occupied, achieved total victory

Who was Russia in an alliance with? (2)

Britain and the USA

From when was Russia in an alliance with Britain?

June 1941

From when was Russia in an alliance with the USA?

December 1941

How was the alliance with Western powers important for Russia? (2)

western allies played a huge role in the defeat of Germany and Japan, provided supplies to aid the USSR's war effort

After how long did German generals think the war was basically won?

2 weeks

When did German forces encircle Leningrad?

September 1941

When was the fall of Kiev to the Germans?

19 September 1941

How many Russian troops surrendered after the fall of Kiev?

half a million

When did Soviet leadership offer negotiations for a compromise victory?

15 October 1941

Why did the Germans reject the Soviet proposition for a compromise peace?

Hitler was convinced he would win anyway

When was the advance on Moscow halted?

5 December 1941

Where was the offensive in May 1942?

south and east towards the Caucasus oilfields

How many Soviet divisions did the Germans think they faced at the start of the invasion?

200

How many Soviet divisions did the Germans realise they faced by August 1941?

360

What was the code name for the Caucasus plan in 1942?

case blue

When did Rostov fall?

July 1942

What was Hitler's Caucasus plan in 1942 diverted by?

decision to divert forces to the capture of Stalingrad

When did the balance in the battle over Stalingrad shift to favour the Russians?

October 1942

When did it appear Stalingrad would fall to the Germans?

late summer 1942

How much of Stalingrad was in German hands in late summer 1942?

nine tenths of the city

What was operation Citadel?

an offensive near Kursk in July 1943

When was operation Citadel?

July 1943

What was operation Citadel halted by?

soviet firepower in the battle of Prokhorovka

What was the name of the biggest tank battle in history?

battle of Prokhorovka

When did Hitler call off the Kursk invasion?

13 July 1943

By when had the USSR fully mobilised its economy?

1943

What was the advantage of the t-34 tank? (2)

very durable, easy to maintain and repair

What was key to Russian victory at the great tank battle at Kursk in 1943?

mass production of the t-34

When was there a chain of Soviet victories in Eastern Europe?

August 1943 to December 1944

Where were the Soviet victories in Eastern Europe from August 1943 to December 1944? (6)

Ukraine, Leningrad, Poland, Lithuania, Romania, Hungary

When was the siege of Leningrad ended?

27 January 1944

Where did Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill meet in November 1943?

Tehran

When did Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill meet in Tehran?

November 1943

What did the allies discuss at Tehran in November 1943?

what to do with the allied victory now that it was inevitable

When did the Red Army reach Berlin?

April 1945

When did Stalin and Churchill meet in Moscow?

October 1944

How many Soviet towns and cities were devastated by the war?

1700

How many soviet villages were devastated by the war?

70,000

How many people in Leningrad died from hunger and cold?

600,000

By 1945, how many civilian deaths were there (estimated)?

over 12 million

How was normal civilian life displaced by the war? (3)

by displacement effect of german invasion, by mobilisation for the armed forces, by mass deportations

Where were there examples of Germans being welcomed? (2)

parts of Ukraine, Baltic states

Why did many Russian citizens (surprisingly!) favour Stalin over Hitler?

alienated by the actions and atrocities of German occupiers

What was Hitler's attitude to captured Soviet commissars?

should be immediately executed

What is an example of a mass execution of Jews?

at Babi Yar

When was the massacre at Babi Yar?

soon after occupation of Kiev in September 1941

How many Jews were killed in the massacre of Babi Yar?

34,000

How did Soviet citizens suffer at the hands of their own government?

commissars and secret police were obsessed with hunting down 'slackers', 'deserters' and 'defeatists' and thousands of people were arrested or executed

Which ethnic minorities were expelled to central asia in may 1944?

Crimean Tatars

Where were Crimean Tatars deported to?

Uzbekistan in Central Asia

How many Crimean Tatars were deported?

240,000 (the whole population)

Why did Stalin deport the Crimean Tatars?

he was suspicious of their separate national identity

When did Stalin deport the Crimean Tatars?

May 1944

How did Stalin treat citizens who had been POWs?

very harshly

What was the myth that emerged out of the GPW?

one of a united soviet people pulling together through shared sacrifice and following Stalin to heroic victory

What were the unifying factors of the GPW? (4)

fear and hatred of the Germans, patriotism to defend the motherland, faith in the revolution, faith in Stalin

How did the German occupation affect the soviet economy? (4)

destroyed the basis of the economy in industry and agriculture, vast areas were occupied, whole sectors of industry were ruined by bombardment, much of the new productive capacity was lost

What was the solution to save the economy during the war?

relocating everything

How many trains were used to relocate equipment, workers and factories?

20,000

How many wagons per day took steel factory equipment from the Dnieper area?

3000

How many wagons per day took electrical industry equipment from the Dnieper area?

3000

How many wagons in one week shifted factories from Ukraine?

25,000

How many wagons moved 500 factories from Moscow?

80,000

What was the economic system which was key to Russia's success in the GPW?

command economy

What did the USA send to Russia during the GPW? (3)

armaments, industrial goods, foodstuffs

What was the policy of US foreign aid to Russia in the GPW called?

Lend-Lease

What were the two main routes for the supply line from the USA to Russia?

arctic convoys and Persian corridor

How many US trucks transported supplies to Russia during the GPW?

over 300,000

When were US supplies particularly vital for Russia and why?

winter of 1942 to 1943, USSR was recovering from heavy losses earlier in the war