Hitlerite Germany’s attack on the Soviet Union became one of the most mysterious events not only of the 20th century, but of the whole history of human civilization. Those historians who tried to understand the circumstances of 1941 preceding June 22 had a lot of questions. And here are the answers ...
The name of the operation to invade Germany into the USSR, or rather, its plan, is well known. The difference is significant, it was not possible to implement the main provisions of this document in practice, despite the obvious successes of the first months of the war.
The plan was named after Frederick Barbarossa, a knight who distinguished himself in many battles, the conqueror of Italian lands, the German king and the Roman emperor. That’s the first mystery: the fact is that the fate of the red-bearded conqueror was sad, he folded his head during the third crusade. Of course, there is a beautiful legend that he really did not die, but only sleeps, but wakes up - he will show everyone, and he will revive the great empire. Nevertheless, the name of the operation to invade Germany in the USSR does not seem very successful. Firstly, Frederick’s previous campaigns came with varying success, objective difficulties kept interfering all the time: either the plague, the famine, or suddenly a strong enemy. And secondly, subsequent events showed that he had not woken up yet.
The fact that the German invasion plan for the USSR was a set of disparate directives that were not connected together remained a mystery. Work on its compilation began in December 1940, but was not completed within six months. Directions of strikes in different directions indicate complete military ignorance of the author of the strategic plan. With this approach, even in case of temporary success, the front line will continuously lengthen, and there will be no more troops, because losses are inevitable. In addition, at least a small occupational garrison must be left in each captured settlement.
In general, the name of the operation to invade Germany in the USSR was fully consistent with its content. Mystical spells and runic symbols are a poor substitute for careful preparation and a reasonable assessment of one's own strengths. By the way, planning was done only up to a certain point. Already by the fall of 1941, disputes had begun in the German General Staff whether to go to Moscow or turn south to oil sources. If the plan existed, then the disputes would be completely redundant, you just had to get it, read and act, as it is written there, with vaunted German pedantry.
Of particular note is the mention of the Arkhangelsk-Volga line. There, beyond the borders of Asia, according to Hitler’s marshals and generals, there was obviously the end of the world. To paralyze the industry created beyond the Urals in the thirties, they were collected by air strikes. But the trouble is that Luftwaffe aviation did not possess strategic bombers not only in metal, but even in the drawings. At that time, they were only with the Americans, and without them it is difficult to iron cities and factories.
The name of the German invasion of the USSR operation reflects the essence of the adventurous character of the red-bearded Friedrich Barbarossa and Adolf Hitler himself. All hope was for a miracle: here the crusaders, German soldiers would come, the whole population would submit and stand under the banners with a swastika ... Winter warm clothes are not needed, everything will end until autumn. Three thousand tanks is enough, the Russians will see them and run.
Everything was: both hospitable residents, joyfully meeting the "liberators", and successful operations to cover large military units of the Red Army. However, Hitler clearly underestimated the military and economic potential of the Soviet Union , as did the courage of the people. In his last days, the Nazi leader realized that the German invasion of the USSR was the main mistake of his life, which he wrote about in his political will.
However, the German General Staff developed other plans. The possibility of occupying Canada and the United States was seriously considered, and to capture India they even began to mass-produce cork helmets. The factory where they were made worked until April 1945 ...