Operation Barbarossa 1941

A major new benchmark study of Operation Barbarossa by Christer Bergström, renowned WWII historian and author of the critically acclaimed The Ardennes 1944-1945: Hitler’s Winter Offensive and The Battle of Britain: An Epic Conflict Revisited. iOperation Barbarossa was the largest military campaign in history. Springing from Hitler’s fanatical desire to conquer the Soviet territories, defeat Bolshevism and create ‘Lebensraum’ for the German people, it pitted two diametrically opposed armed forces against one another. The invasion began with 4.5 million troops attacking 2.3 million defenders. On one side was the Wehrmacht, without any doubt the world’s most advanced military force. On the other were the Soviet armed forces, downtrodden, humiliated, decapitated and terrorized by an autocratic and crude dictator with no military education whatsoever. Based on decades of research work in both German and Russian archives, as well as interviews with a large number of key figures and veterans, Operation Barbarossa brings our knowledge on the war on the Eastern Front several big steps forward. It reveals and dispels many myths and misconceptions including: the myth of mass surrenders by Soviet soldiers; the myth about the vast differences in troop casualties between the two sides; the myth of the Soviet partisans and the myth that it was the Arctic cold that halted the German offensive. It also does not shy away from difficult truths such as the true nature of Finland’s participation in Operation Barbarossa, and the massive scale of rapes committed by German troops. Illustrated with over 250 photos, many never previously published, and several clear and detailed maps, this is an objective, balanced account, published in time for the 75th anniversary of the start of Operation Barbarossa on 22nd June 2016. Christer Bergström has once again produced what will be the definitive account of this monumental campaign. ”Even readers with a great knowledge on the subject will have much to learn from this book. Bergström presents several totally new aspects. For anyone who wants to understand Operation Barbarossa from the perspective of both sides, this is a must-have book.” - Niclas Sennerteg, military historian and author of several books on World War II.

Operation Barbarossa, Germany's surprise assault on the Soviet Union in June 1941, aimed at nothing less than the complete destruction of Communist Russia. This book focuses on Field Marshal von Rundstedt and Army Group South, tasked with the capture of the Ukraine and Crimea. Von Rundstedt's 46 divisions and single Panzer Group faced fierce resistance from the best equipped, trained, and commanded units in the Red Army, but ultimately succeeded in destroying the Soviet 6th and 12th Armies at Uman before inflicting a further 600,000 casualties at Kiev. Here, von Rundstedt's five-month advance to Rostov is examined in detail. Germany's surprise assault on the Soviet Union in June 1941, Operation Barbarossa, aimed at nothing less than the destruction of the Soviet Union. Adolf Hitler saw this as the last vital step in the establishing of Lebensraum for the German people in the East. South of the Pripyat Marshes Field Marshal von Rundstedt's powerful Army Group South was responsible for the capture of the Ukraine and the Crimea including the important cities of Kiev and Odessa. Von Rundstedt's force faced the Soviet Southwestern and Southern Fronts containing many of the best, equipped, trained and commanded units in the Soviet order of battle. The initial fighting in the south was characterized by fierce and effective Soviet resistance, and the German timetable was badly disrupted. Nevertheless, German superiority began to tell, and the entire Soviet 6th and 12th Armies were encircled and destroyed at Uman. In addition, Adolf Hitler directly ordered General Heinz Guderian's 2nd Panzer Group to turn south from Army Group Center to assist. This resulted in a still greater encirclement at Kiev that eliminated four entire Soviet field armies consisting of more than 600,000 men. By the beginning of October 1941, it appeared that the Red Army was in the final stages of collapse and nothing could stop the German juggernaut.