Operation Barbarossa Part 1, Planning the Catastrophe

There is an old saying that goes like this Russia is never as strong as it looks and Russia is never as weak as it looks. Unfortunately for Hitler it was so true.

Actually, I ve read the documents of Guderian and other generals, Guderian said in his memoirs that '' I had to change the numbers of the enemy tanks because of propaganda purposes. In my book Actung Panzer, mentioning 20.000 tanks in the enemy lines. I had to force cut that number by 10.000 ''.
I think they where know that is a difficult task to number the enemy forces, BUT many sources like the personnel witch went to Russia in the past years could tell that for a big country like that and to export with this ease, It could stack up much bigger stock in tanks and personnel. Also in the pact they had sign it was to examine the war products and soviet personnel visit the factories of war. When they saw the factories and the process, they where nervous and motioned that '' This must not be your true state of war prep. Show us the bigger tanks and armament'' and himself had to say a lot of times that that s ALL. This says a lot about the fact that they caught them sleeping, bec they knew pretty well they cant win.
To be clear, a team of generals really believed that they could win but I disagree it was the majority. Russia in ww1 was unstable and without a leader but it is not the same case.
They could never win, only if stalin attacked them first and the allies joined the axis...witch is a really low chance fighting with the same country that sinks everything in the other side of them map.

I mean, what did they expect? They did go in basically saying we are here to exterminate you all and colonize your land. Of course the russians fight to death than. They could have win easily by saying we are here to free you from communism but the russian people are not the enemy and when the war is over you can continue your life like before

Broke: Launching Barbarossa cost Hitler the war

Woke: Starting the war cost Hitler the war

My guess would be that the Nazis probably did have some idea there would be additional soviet military personnel in relatively large numbers, but they were deluding themselves into thinking they could win fast enough to subdue the country before it could mobilize a full force defense and counter attack, kinda like in France. That, and the whole "ubermensch" thing, making them think they could Triumph of the Will their way to victory over the USSR.

So essentially the planning for Barbarossa involved believing their own farts didn't stink, and saying "fuck it, we ball" and just lobbing a hail mary down the field for every play.

Reasons why Barbarosa failed:
1. Russia is BIG. Like, really big. Bigger than all the conquered german territory put together.

2. Communists give exactly ZERO effs about human life. So unlike the french or polish or the rest if europe, the Soviets were more than happy to put MILLIONS of men, women, and children between Moscow and the not sees if it meant slowing their advance. Hell, more russians died at Stalingrad thant allied forces on the western front combined.

3. Russia is COLD. And wet. And undeveloped (by modern standards). Anyone who's lived in the Northeast of America or really anywhere with cold, snowy winters can tell you just how bad the roads get in the spring. "Potholes" foesnt even begin to describe it. Even modern paved roads are destroyed by the winter. Russia in the 1940s by contrast is much colder, much wetter, and the roads that are chewed up by thawing and freezing ice are mostly dirt-turned-mud. So after freezing to death without proper winter supplies that German high command didnt plan for, the men and materiel coming to your reacue in the spring are bogged down and stuck hundred of miles away because the entire countey becomes one giant mud pit in the spring

4. "Just conquer russia, bro" isnt a very coherent strategy. Thatd be like if the chinese landed on the shores of california with the game plan of "head to washington". Good luck

It was "potentially" a good plan...

what is this? Pre school history lessons? Where's Barney the dinosaur. Heaven forbid you should act like an adult! Pathetic

The German generals' memoirs after the war were written to absolve blame and distance themselves from Hitler, so by relying on those you haven't scrutinised the sources.

Still looking for the statement that the logistical support plan was developed based on the requirements of the operational plan, which was based on INTELLIGENCE ESTIMATES.
There is a pecking order for Barbarossa's failure and the Intelligence folks are at the top all by themselves. NO ONE made a blind decision on this, the decisions were based on what information the Intel folks provided. The operational planners built a campaign plan to destroy the Red Army in size and geographical disposition as provided by the Intelligence arm of the Wehrmacht, then the Log planners built their support plan based on burn rates according to time, distance, level of enemy resistance expected. That's how planning works.

Me when the thing I didn’t plan didn’t go the way I planned 💀

Krauts didn’t even pack their mittens ffs…. 🙄


Sun Tzu dedicated a whole chapter to mittens and the importance of stowing them earnestly

Hitler’s strategy for conquering Russia:

1. Kick in front door
2. Whole stinking edifice collapses

Bigger than fuck and withstanding Tunguska, each kraut you send here has a date with Babushka. 🪆

IIRC: during some wargames, Paulus found that it would be hard to invade and hold Stalingrad, especially resupply it.

Two things saved the Soviet Union in ww2. ……. Greece and the words “ Little mother Russia “ .

That intro was insane🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

I very much appreciate how you give credit to those historians that you study (Stahel, Glantz, Citino, etc.)

Why does every European Autocrat who takes all of Western Europe then think its a good idea to invade the Bear?

Huh, this sounds familiar....

great video, theres a few points I think you missed:

1. Germany and Russia did have some beef between them- Germany being a capitalist country hated the idea of communist control and did not want its influence to affect its people, & Russia being a communist country hated the idea of capitalists and also did not want its influence to affect its people.

1b. During the Warsaw pact between Germany and Russia, where they agreed to split poland in half; Russia took more territories than what was agreed upon- this left a bad taste in germany's mouth of course.

2. Germany did have a plan on how to defeat Russia- their plan was to infiltrate what was called the "Great Basin of Russia" which was the western part (around ukraine area), this area provided most of the food for Russia and they thought by taking this, they'll starve Russia, and also bolster their own resources of food. They also intended to take the caucasus, a location far south of ukraine that contained the majority of Russia's oil fields and oil supply- something the Germans desperately needed, they've had fuel shortages since the beginning of the war. By taking control of these 2 locations, the Germans intended to bleed Russia out of food and resources and make them combat ineffective.

Germany's desperate need for oil was the reason Hitler ended up splitting Army Group South into Army Group A and Army Group B, Group A was to continue on and take Stalingrad and Group B was to proceed south and take the oil fields

"Reichschtag" finally as a native German i know how to pronounce it

Lol "nazis actually evil ideology" lmao, every version of socialism is evil bro. Secret police, genocides, stealing other countries wealth and resources to stave off poverty, blaming small groups for everything the soviet union and nazi germany were literally parallel societies.

What is this, a kid's show? Barney the Dinosaur at Stalingrad? Insulting

One often overlooked aspect of Operation Barbarossa is that most German foot soldiers had to walk. Walking for such great distances means you'll burn more calories and consume your rations faster. A starving army can't fight, not to mention the Soviets were burning everything as they retreated.

“We fought the wrong enemy” -my lord and savior sir Patton

I feel bad for that logistics guy.

The Germans wanted the vast resources in the Soviet Union to fund their war effort....saying you don't know that discredits your research capability or dishonesty so as to push a narrative....no desire whatsoever to watch the othet episodes...no thanks

Halder in August 1941: SUCCESS! WE DID IT!

1945 in Berlin:
IT WAS YOUR FAULT!

The Germans didn't plan on the blitz working in Russia.

Russia is like China in Asia, Japan couldn't defeat China because it is big and they need oil.

Great summary of Stahel.

Fast Forward to December 2022 and VladNazi Putin has taken a leaf from Hitler's playbook. by invading Ukraine !!!

Imagine being so evil that the people who hated the evil regime who had previously ruled them. Sided with their previous evil regime to defeat you.

The soviet union was evil, tho.