Foreign policy

What was operation Barbarossa, June 22 1941-1942

• Was the codename for nazi germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union during ww2 

• it was the largest ground offensive in history, involving over 3 million German troops and 1 million pro axis forces 

• the invasion was launched under Hitler’s directive 21

Causes of operation Barbarossa

• Hitler sought lebensraum and viewed soviet controlled Ukraine as valuable farmland 

• the Caucasus region was an essential source of oil for the nazi war machine 

• Hitler aimed to destroy soviet communism and believed the USSR’s vast resources and population could strengthen Germany’s war effort 

What was operation Barbarossa, June 22 1941-1942

• Was the codename for nazi germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union during ww2 

• it was the largest ground offensive in history, involving over 3 million German troops and 1 million pro axis forces 

• the invasion was launched under Hitler’s directive 21

Causes of operation Barbarossa

• Hitler sought lebensraum and viewed soviet controlled Ukraine as valuable farmland 

• the Caucasus region was an essential source of oil for the nazi war machine 

• Hitler aimed to destroy soviet communism and believed the USSR’s vast resources and population could strengthen Germany’s war effort 

Outcomes of operation Barbarossa

• Germans advanced rapidly, capturing vast soviet territory but met strong resistance 

• by early July over 1 million German soldiers had reached Leningrad 

• Hitlers underestimation of soviet resistance and the harsh Russian winter led to the failure of the blitzkrieg tactic 

• the siege of Leningrad (lasting 872 days) resulted in mass starvation but became a symbol of soviet resistance 

• operation Barbarossa weakened Germany’s forces, leading to their eventual defeat in the eastern front

What was the Anglo soviet agreement, July 12 1941

a military alliance between the Soviet Union and Great Britain in which both nations pledged to assist each other and not seek a separate peace with Germany 

Causes of the Anglo soviet agreement

• Germany's invasion of the USSR forced Stalin to seek alliances with former adversaries 

• Britain wanted to prevent German dominance in Europe and saw the Soviet Union as a critical ally 

Outcomes of the Anglo soviet agreement

• strengthened soviet ties with the western allies 

• the alliance led to further agreements, including US aid to the USSR through lend lease act 

What was the industrial evacuation, June 30 1941

• the soviet government relocated more than 1,500 factories from Ukraine and Moscow to the urals, Siberia and Central Asia to prevent them from falling into German hands 

Causes of the industrial evacuation

• the rapid German advance threatened key industrial cities 

• the Soviet Union needed to maintain war production away from the front lines

Outcome of the industrial evacuation

• the urals became the new center of soviet heavy industry, producing iron, coal and chemicals 

• despite harsh conditions, soviet workers, many of them women, maintained high levels of production 

• by 1945, women made up nearly half of the soviet workforce and participated in combat roles 

What was the battle of Stalingrad from august 2nd 1942-February 2nd 1943

• a major turning point in ww2

• Saw the soviet red army defeat the German 6th army 

• was the first major German loss that Hitler publicly acknowledged 

Causes of the battle of stalingrad

• Hitler wanted to capture Stalingrad as a symbolic victory and gain control of oil fields in the Caucasus 

• Stalin issued order no.227 (not a step back) threatening execution for any soldier who retreated 

Outcomes of the battle of stalingrad

• soviet counteroffensive, operation Uranus, trapped about 300,000 german soldiers 

• extreme winter and lack of food led to the surrender of German forces 

• around 100,000 German soldiers were taken as prisoners; few survived soviet captivity 

• Stalingrad became a symbol of soviet resilience and marked the beginning of the German retreat 

What was the US soviet cooperation and lend lease aid of 1941-1945

through the lend lease act, the US provided the Soviet Union with roughly 11 billion dollars in aid, including weapons, food and raw materials 

Causes of the lend lease aid

• the Soviet Union needed supplies to sustain its war effort 

• the us sought to weaken Germany by supporting its enemies 

Outcomes of the lend lease aid

• helped the Soviet Union maintain military production despite heavy losses 

• strengthened US-soviet relations during the war, though tensions remained post war 

What was popularity with the allies, 1942-1945

During ww2, Stalin was seen as a crucial leader in the fight against nazi germany 

Causes of popularity with the allies

• the soviet union's success in key battles improved Stalin's reputation 

• allied leaders (Churchill and Roosevelt) recognised the USSR’s importance in the war efforts 

Outcome of popularity with the allies

• Stalin was named time magazines “man of the year” in 1942 

• he met with churchill and Roosevelt in wartime conferences, securing soviet influence in post war Europe 

What was the Tehran confnce, November 28-December 1 1943

the first meeting between Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt to discuss wartime strategies

Outcomes of the Tehran conference

• an agreement to open a second front in Western Europe (D DAY in June 1944)

• Stalin agreed to declare war on japan after Germany’s defeat 

What was the Yalta conference , February 4-11 1945

a meeting to discuss post war Europe, particularly the division of Germany 

Outcomes of the Yalta conference

• Germany was divided into four occupation zones (US,USSR,UK,France) 

• Stalin gained influence over Eastern Europe 

• the declaration of liberated Europe promised free elections, which Stalin ignored 

What was the Potsdam conference, July 17 - august 2 1945

a conference between Stalin, us president truman and new british PM Atlee to finalise post war plans 

Outcomes of the Potsdam conference

• further defined Germany’s vision and reparations 

• increased tensions as Truman opposed soviet expansion in Eastern Europe 

What was the soviet expansion, 1945-1947

the USSR established communist governments across Eastern Europe, creasing a buffer zone against the west

Causes of the soviet expansion

• Stalin sought to prevent future invasions from the west 

• this division of Germany into occupation zones gave the USSR control over east Germany 

Outcomes f the soviet expansion

• communist regimes formed in Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and czechoslovakia 

• Yugoslavia remained communist but independent from Stalin 

What was cominform, 1947

• aimed to coordinate communist parties across Europe under soviet influence 

• dissolved in 1956 

What was Comecon, 1949

• created to counter the US Marshall plan 

• promoted economic cooperation among soviet bloc countries 

What was the Berlin blockade and airlift, June 24 1948 - may 12 1949

stalin blocked all road and rail access to West Berlin, attempting to force the western allies to abandon the city

Outcomes of the Berlin blockade and airlift

• the allies launched the Berlin airlift, supplying West Berlin by air for nearly a year 

• the blockade failed, and Stalin lifted it in may 1949 

• led to the formal division of Germany into west Germany (federal republic) and east Germany (German democratic republic)

• marked a key escalation in the Cold War 

What was the nazi 1939 soviet pact

• a non aggression pact between nazi germany and the Soviet Union 

• secreley divided Eastern Europe between the two powers, allowing Germany to invade Poland without soviet interference 

Causes of the nazi soviet pact

• Stalin sought time to rebuild the soviet military 

• Hitler wanted to avoid a two front war while planing the invasion of France 

• mutual distrust between the USSR and western democracies, especially after the Munich agreement 

Outcomes of the nazi soviet pact

• Germany invaded Poland starting ww2 

• the USSR occupied eastern Poland, the Baltic states and parts of Finland 

• Hitler later violated the pact with operation Barbarossa, leading the USSR to join the allies 

What was the grand alliance, 1941-1945

a wartime alliance between the USSR, USA and UK against nazi germany 

Causes of the grand alliance

• Germany’s invasion of the USSR/ operation barbarossa

• japan’s attack on pearl harbour which brought US into the war 

Outcomes of the grand alliance

• successful cooperation in defeating nazi germany and imperial japan 

• growing tensions between the USSR an the west, leading to the Cold War 

What was the winter war, 1939-1940

• a war between the USSR and Finland from November 1939 to march 1940

• the Soviet Union attempted to annex Finnish territory, particularly Karelia but faced strong resistance 

Causes of the winter war

• Stalin sought to expand soviet borders to protect Leningrad from potential attacks 

• finland refused soviet territorial demands 

Outcome of the winter war

• Exposed the weakness of the soviet red army, despite its victory 

• The treaty of Moscow forced Finland to cede 11% of its land, but it retained independance 

• it influence operation Barbarossa as Hitler saw the soviet military as weak

What was the soviet occupation, 1945- 1949

Stalin expanded soviet influence across Eastern Europe, installing communist governments in Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Bulgaria and east Germany

Causes of the soviet occupation

• Stalin sought to create a buffer zone to protect the USR from future western invasion 

• the Yalta and Potsdam conferences allowed soviet control over Eastern Europe 

• Soviet Union used military force and political repression to establish pro soviet regimes 

Outcome of the soviet occupation

• Led to tensions with the west and the start of the Cold War 

• contributed to the creation of NATO and the Warsaw pact

• strengthened Stalin's control over the eastern bloc

What was the Truman doctrine and soviet response, 1947

A U.S. policy aimed at containing communism, particularly in Greece and Turkey. The Truman Doctrine provided military and economic aid to countries threatened by communism.

Soviet response to the Truman doctrine

• Stalin condemned the policy as an American attempt to undermine Soviet influence.

• Led to the formation of Cominform (1947) and Comecon (1949) to strengthen communist control over Eastern Europe.