the defeat of nazi germany

Operation Bagration

• Began 22 June 1944 (3rd anniversary of Barbarossa).

• Destroyed German Army Group Centre.

• Around 28 German divisions destroyed.

• 400,000+ German casualties.

• USSR liberated Belarus and advanced into Poland.

This is often considered the most devastating German defeat of the war.

order 270

16th August 1941

Issued after the surrender of 100,000 encircled men at Uman in Northwest Ukraine.

‘Commanders and commissars who leave the front or surrender will be considered deserters and their families liable to arrest.  The families of Red Army men surrendering to captivity will be deprived of state entitlements and assistance.’

discuss some nazi weaknesses

The Nazis alienated people in occupied countries leading to resistance.

Hitler made crucial mistakes - such as sacking of generals.

From December 1941 the Nazis had to fight on two war fronts.

The USSR’s population was 171m and three times greater than Germany's.  This enabled the USSR to deal with much greater losses than Germany.

fourth five year plan

1946 Stalin announced the Fourth Five Year Plan (1946-50).  This was to be centrally planned, as based on previous experience, with 85% devoted to heavy industry, including heavy armaments.  Everyone was mobilsed, including the workers of Leningrad who had to contribute an additional 30 hours a month, on top of their 8 hour work day.  Additional labour came from 2 million prisoners of war and 2.5 million from labour camps.

industrial recovery

1945-1950

coal - 149.3 m/t - 261.1.m/t

electricity - 43.2m/t - 91.2 m/t

pig iron 12.3 m/t - 27.3 m/t

agriculture disaster

what was impacted + who

• There was a shortage of agricultural labour since most of Red Army had been peasants and there had been a heavy loss of life.

• State procurement took up 70% of agricultural yield.  In 1946-7 this contributed to 3 million dying through famine. 

• 98,000 collective farms destroyed

  137,000 tractors lossed

  49,000 combine harvesters lost

  
  

Loss of livestock and agricultural failure

7m horses killed

17m cattle killed

20m pigs killed

27m sheep killed

Food production only 60% of 1940 level

25% loss of harvestable land

20m citizens killed 

1946 driest year since 1891

battle of berlin

• Began 16 April 1945.

• Soviet forces led by Marshal Zhukov and Marshal Konev.

• Around 2.5 million Soviet troops involved.

• Street-by-street fighting in Berlin.

Important events:

• 30 April 1945 – Adolf Hitler commits suicide.

• 2 May 1945 – Berlin falls.

• 8 May 1945 – Germany surrenders (VE Day).

ussr soldiers

• USSR mobilised 34.5 million soldiers during the war.

• Huge population allowed continual replacement of losses, they had 171m 3x more than germany

• 27 million soviet deaths

industrial mobilisation

1523 Factories relocated east in 1941 continued producing huge quantities of weapons.

Production by 1943–45:

• T-34 tanks: ~57,000 produced

• Aircraft: ~137,000 during the war

• Artillery pieces: ~516,000

The T-34 tank was faster and easier to produce than many German tanks.

industrial production

Industrial production 73% higher than 1940 levels in 1950

failure of grain harvests

47.3 m/t in 1945 to 39.6m/t in 1946

the impact on humans

• famine of 1946-1947

• rationing continued until 1947.

• 25 million were left homeless

meat production did not recover until 1953

military expenditure

because of the cold war the revival of the economy was hampered by excessive military expenditure it was 18% in 1950 but 25% in 1952

first atomic bomb

• Conducted 29 August 1949.

• Developed with help from espionage against US nuclear research.

This transformed the USSR into a nuclear superpower.