Operation Barbarossa

Operation Barbarossa, the largest military operation of all time, was Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union which began in summer 1941. It was a 'Blitzkrieg' ('lightning war') that saw the German Wehrmacht and its allies advance over greater distances in less time than any other of their campaigns. It aimed to reach the capital of the USSR, Moscow, before the dreaded Russian winter set in, but failed to do this. The Luftwaffe worked in co-ordination with the Panzer Divisions to ensure as rapid an advance as possible. This put great logistical strain on the Axis forces. This, coupled with tenacious defence by the Soviet Red Army, and the fact that the Soviet T34 tank was far better than anything the Germans then had available, probably stopped Hitlers' Generals (e.g. Guderian) from achieving their objectives. The Battle of Stalingrad in late 1942/early '43 was the turning point in the War on the Eastern Front, and a Nazi victory became practically impossible after that.