7 - Reasons for German defeat and results

When did German failure seem inevitable?

late 1944

Why was the German defeat and armistice delayed?

The Allies insisted that Germany would have to surrender unconditionally

What competition was there between the Allied powers?

Stalin wanted to win the ‘race for Berlin’ before the Americans did

What was the process of the ‘race for Berlin’ like?

Soviet forces gradually pushed the Germans back and took key capital cities (Warsaw, Budapest, Prague, Vienna) as the went. Process was very costly but Stalin repeatedly ordered all-out frontal assaults, despite the very high casualties

How had Germany’s war efforts been hampered by 1945?

Destructive bombing (e.g. Dresden)

When did the Red Army reach the outskirts of Berlin?

April 1945

What move did General Eisenhower make in regards to the race for Berlin?

To avoid clashes with Soviet forces, he ordered the Allied advance in the West to be slowed down on 27 March, thereby allowing the Red Army to reach Berlin first

What was the final battle for Berlin like?

USSR worked alongside American forces, General Zhukov implemented strategies that meant incredibly high casualties

In what way was Stalin’s wish to completely defeat Germany political as well as military?

He wanted to control as much of Central Europe and Germany as possible to provide a buffer zone against future threats to the USSR

What became the symbol of Soviet victory ovre the Germans?

The storming of the Reichstag (the German Parliament building) on 2 May 1945

What could be categorised as the three main reasons for the Germans’ defeat by the USSR?

Soviet strengths, German weaknesses, contribution of Allies

Reasons for Soviet victory - size (ability to attack)

The USSR’s vast geographical size meant it was near-impossible to administer a decisive, knock-out blow and achieve swift victory

Reasons for Soviet victory - size (lines of communication)

Given how spread out German forces were, they constantly faced issues with their dangerously overstretched lines of communication

Reasons for Soviet victory - size (industry and army)

The USSR’s size meant that new armies and industry could safely be built up in the East, far away from Germany’s reach and allowing the Soviet economy to continue to function

Reasons for Soviet victory - population

The population of the USSR (171 million in 1941) was almost three times that of Germany (although Hitler could exploit the manpower of occupied countries between 1938 and 1941). It was easier for the USSR to replace losses.

Reasons for Soviet victory - natural resources

The USSR had vast natural resources such as oil that allowed the country’s military industry to continue to grow stronger and stronger as the war progressed. Contributed to their ability to out-produce Germany in war industries in 1943

Reasons for Soviet victory - command economy

The USSR’s command economy was already well-established before the war and was well-suited to the ‘total war’ approach adopted by the government. Facilitated the emergency mobilisation of workers and industry

Reasons for Soviet victory - leadership

Although it got off to a rocky start, the military leadership of the USSR became ruthlessly effective and Stalin went on to prove himself an effective leader with highly competent generals

Reasons for Soviet victory - motivation and leadership

Propaganda and patriotism were successfully weaponised to motivate the armed forces as well as the civilian population to fight and endure

Reasons for Soviet victory - slow pace

Hitler was unable to achieve the swift victory that he had hoped, meaning Russia ended up draining German resources and manpower

Reasons for Soviet victory - two-front war

Germany’s failure to achieve a swift victory meant that from December 1941, Germany was fighting a two-front war

Reasons for Soviet victory - raw materials

Unlike the USSR, Germany lacked sufficient raw materials to sustain self-sufficiency. By 1943-44, the German war effort was dependant on the exploitation of the dwindling economic and human resources they had left

Reasons for Soviet victory - Hitler’s strategic mistakes

He sacked many of his best generals and instead replaced them with ‘yes-men’

Reasons for Soviet victory - alienation

Germany alienated people in occupied countries (e.g. forcibly requsitioning grain in occupied countries and demanding more than the Soviet government had), provoking resistance movements and partisans

Reasons for Soviet victory - bombing campaigns

Britain and the USA conducted a series of destructive bombing campaigns on Germany from 1943 that significantly weakedned them

What was the USSR established as as a result of the defeat of Germany?

A world superpower

Why was the USSR the dominant power in Europe after the end of the wra?

The war had badly damaged lots of other European powers and whilst the USSR was very badly hit, it had unleashed its economic potential during the war and its size meant that damage could be mitigated

How did the war bolster communism?

It seemed to vindicate communist ideology, offering the ‘road to socialism’ as a replacement for fascism

Which previously independant states were brought under the USSR’s control as Soviet Republics?

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania (the Baltic States) as well as parts of Eastern Prussia

How was the USSR’s control extended beyond even the Soviet Republics?

The Red Army continued to have a presence in eastern/central Europe and was in a position to establish pro-Soviet regimes there

How had the war caused migration?

The Soviet victory in the war caused one of the greatest waves of migration in history as 12 million refugees fled westwards in 1944-45 as the REd Army advanced

What was Stalin still worried about after the end of the war?

the economic power of the USA and its potential implications in Europe, the potential resurgence of Germany, distrusted his own people

Who was Stalin’s regime ruthless in repressing after the war?

Those who had been outside the USSR during the war (e.g. as forced labour in the Third Reich or as POWs)

What caused significant, recurrent disputes between the USSR and other Allied powers after the war?

The division of Berlin - despite being deep within East Germany, Berlin was divided into four zones ruled by a joint Allied Control Commission

How many citizens of the USSR died during the wra?

20 million

How many USSR civilians died during the war?

12 million