The fascist aggression against the Soviet Union, named after the Roman emperor “the plan of Barbarossa”, was a fleeting military campaign with one single goal: to defeat and destroy the USSR. The deadline for completing hostilities was the fall of 1941.
The year before the war began, in December 1941, in the late evening, the Führer signed the directive under serial number 21. It was printed in nine copies and kept in the strictest confidence.
The directive received a code name - the Barbaross plan. It envisaged ending the campaign of defeating the USSR before the end of the war against Great Britain.
What was this document and what were the objectives of the Third Reich? The Barbaross Plan is a carefully designed aggression directed against the Soviet Union. With his help, Hitler, intending to achieve world domination, was to remove one of the main obstacles to his imperial goals.
The main strategic targets were Moscow, Leningrad, Donbass and the Central Industrial District. This capital was given a special place, its capture was considered decisive for the victorious outcome of this war.
Hitler planned to use all German ground forces to destroy the USSR, except for those that were supposed to remain in the occupied territories.
Barbaross’s plan was to release the forces of the Nazi Air Force to assist the ground forces of this eastern operation so that the ground part of the campaign could be completed as quickly as possible. At the same time, the directive ordered by all means to minimize the destruction of eastern Germany by enemy aircraft.
Naval operations against the Northern, Black Sea and Baltic Soviet fleets were to be carried out by the ships of the Navy of the Reich together with the naval forces of Romania and Finland.
For a lightning attack on the USSR, the Barbaross plan considered the participation of 152 divisions, including armored and motorized, two brigades. Romania and Finland intended to set up 16 brigades and 29 land divisions in this campaign.
The armed forces of the satellite countries of the Reich were to operate under a single German command. Finland's task was to cover the northern groups of German troops that were supposed to attack from Norwegian territory, as well as the destruction of Soviet troops on the Hanko Peninsula. At the same time, Romania was supposed to bind the actions of the Soviet troops, helping the Germans from the rear areas.
Barbaross's plan set specific goals, which were based on clearly expressed class contradictions. It was the idea of the outbreak of war, which turned into the destruction of entire nations with unlimited use of methods of violence.
In contrast to the military invasion of France, Poland and the Balkans, the blitz campaign against the Soviet Union was very thoroughly prepared. The Hitler leadership spent enough time and effort to develop a plan for Barbarossa, so the defeat was ruled out.
But the creators could not accurately assess the strength and strength of the Soviet state and social system. Based on the exaggeration of the economic, political and military potentials of the fascist empire, they underestimated the power of the USSR, the combat effectiveness and morale of its people.
The Hitlerite “machine” was gaining momentum for victory, which seemed very easy and close to the leaders from the Reich. That is why the fighting should have been a blitzkrieg, and the offensive was a continuous advance into the USSR, and at a very high speed. Short breaks were provided only for pulling up the rear.
At the same time, Barbaross's plan completely excluded any delays due to the resistance of the Soviet Army. The reason for the failure of this seemingly victorious plan was overconfidence in its strength, which, as history has shown, destroyed the plans of the fascist generals.