The 'Great Patriotic War' - The Soviet Union in WWII
Background
1920s: USSR ostracized
• Allies backed Whites in Civil War
• Excluded from
• Failed Communist revolutions (Germany, Italy, Hungary, Baltics) + Comintern → West feared ‘world revolution’
• Defeat vs Poland (1920) + failed revolutions → USSR turned to self-defence → ‘Socialism in One Country’ (1927)
1930s: USSR focused on security
• (Foreign Commissar) signed non-aggression pacts (Poland, Baltic States, France, China)
• 1934: USSR joined League fearing Hitler
• 1939: League powerless, Britain & France appeasing Hitler → Stalin made
Great Patriotic War: Events
22 June 1941: Nazis launched Operation → took Stalin by surprise
Dec 1941: Nazis took vast areas but failed at Leningrad & Moscow
1942-43: Nazi Sixth Army defeated at
July-Aug 1943: Nazis lost Battle of (biggest tank battle)
1944: Nazis driven from USSR
2 May 1945: Soviets captured Berlin
Why Did the USSR Win?
1. ‘War of the ’: Stalin appealed to nationalism, communism, religion → used radio + Church
2. : propaganda (slogans, songs, posters, theatre) → inspired troops to fight to the death
3. Industry relocated: 1500 factories moved to Urals/Central Asia (out of Luftwaffe’s reach)
4. Economy devoted to war: full mobilisation for military production
5. Labour: workers in heavy industry got double rations; no holidays; overwork/malnutrition killed millions
6. Russia’s size: vast distances stretched German supply lines
7. ‘’: Russians destroyed everything in retreat → Nazis had no local supplies
8. ‘’: German troops froze to death in -40°C temperatures
9. Red Army discipline: generals who retreated were shot; soldiers forced to attack
10. Red Army heroism: extreme bravery in battles like Stalingrad
11. Women in combat: 800k joined Red Army → snipers, tank crews, bomber pilots (‘Night Witches’)
12. Spy Ring: Soviet agents gave USSR German military plans (1941-44) → eg. alerted USSR to ‘Operation Citadel’ (Battle of Kursk)
13. Foreign aid: Lend-Lease → US sent $11.3bn in materials (fuel, metals, radio gear); Britain & Canada sent 4m tonnes of arms → Stalin acknowledged it was vital but resented delayed Western front (1944)
14. Stalin’s leadership: all decisions through Stalin → ‘’ (Order No. 227) → millions died, esp. in Berlin assault
Results of the War
• Deaths: 26m Soviets died (combat, starvation, overwork)
• Industry ruined: factories overused → 1946 Five-Year Plan focused on industry, leaving living standards low
• Agriculture devastated: enemy action, scorched earth, worker conscription → food shortages, rationing, malnutrition → recovery took a decade
• Destruction: 70k villages, 100k kolkhozy, 40k miles railway ruined
• Homelessness: 5m houses destroyed → 25m people homeless
• Orthodox Church tolerated
• Cold War: Soviet troops stayed in E. Europe → Cold War began
• Remembrance: Victory Day still key Russian holiday
Background
1920s: USSR ostracized
• Allies backed Whites in Civil War
• Excluded from LEAGUE OF NATIONS
• Failed Communist revolutions (Germany, Italy, Hungary, Baltics) + Comintern → West feared ‘world revolution’
• Defeat vs Poland (1920) + failed revolutions → USSR turned to self-defence → ‘Socialism in One Country’ (1927)
1930s: USSR focused on security
• LITVINOV (Foreign Commissar) signed non-aggression pacts (Poland, Baltic States, France, China)
• 1934: USSR joined League fearing Hitler
• 1939: League powerless, Britain & France appeasing Hitler → Stalin made NAZI-SOVIET PACT
Great Patriotic War: Events
22 June 1941: Nazis launched Operation BARBAROSSA → took Stalin by surprise
Dec 1941: Nazis took vast areas but failed at Leningrad & Moscow
1942-43: Nazi Sixth Army defeated at STALINGRAD
July-Aug 1943: Nazis lost Battle of KURSK (biggest tank battle)
1944: Nazis driven from USSR
2 May 1945: Soviets captured Berlin
Why Did the USSR Win?
1. ‘War of the MOTHERLAND’: Stalin appealed to nationalism, communism, religion → used radio + Church
2. SOVINFORMBURO: propaganda (slogans, songs, posters, theatre) → inspired troops to fight to the death
3. Industry relocated: 1500 factories moved to Urals/Central Asia (out of Luftwaffe’s reach)
4. Economy devoted to war: full mobilisation for military production
5. Labour: workers in heavy industry got double rations; no holidays; overwork/malnutrition killed millions
6. Russia’s size: vast distances stretched German supply lines
7. ‘SCORCHED EARTH’: Russians destroyed everything in retreat → Nazis had no local supplies
8. ‘GENERAL WINTER’: German troops froze to death in -40°C temperatures
9. Red Army discipline: generals who retreated were shot; soldiers forced to attack
10. Red Army heroism: extreme bravery in battles like Stalingrad
11. Women in combat: 800k joined Red Army → snipers, tank crews, bomber pilots (‘Night Witches’)
12. LUCY Spy Ring: Soviet agents gave USSR German military plans (1941-44) → eg. alerted USSR to ‘Operation Citadel’ (Battle of Kursk)
13. Foreign aid: Lend-Lease → US sent $11.3bn in materials (fuel, metals, radio gear); Britain & Canada sent 4m tonnes of arms → Stalin acknowledged it was vital but resented delayed Western front (1944)
14. Stalin’s leadership: all decisions through Stalin → ‘NOT A STEP BACK’ (Order No. 227) → millions died, esp. in Berlin assault
Results of the War
• Deaths: 26m Soviets died (combat, starvation, overwork)
• Industry ruined: factories overused → 1946 Five-Year Plan focused on industry, leaving living standards low
• Agriculture devastated: enemy action, scorched earth, worker conscription → food shortages, rationing, malnutrition → recovery took a decade
• Destruction: 70k villages, 100k kolkhozy, 40k miles railway ruined
• Homelessness: 5m houses destroyed → 25m people homeless
• Orthodox Church tolerated
• Cold War: Soviet troops stayed in E. Europe → Cold War began
• Remembrance: Victory Day still key Russian holiday
