Welcome to Russian History Retold.

Episode 331, Operation Barbarossa, Part 1.

Last time I interviewed David Chafetz, author of the book Raiders, rulers, and Traders.

Today, we start a series on the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany, known as Operation Barbarossa.

My sources are pretty much the same as those used in the episode on the Molotov-Ribbentrop Act.

First was on Stalin's team by Sheila Fitzpatrick.

Stalin, the Court of the Red Tsar by Simon Seabag Monafiore, and Khrushchev remembers. Additionally, I will utilize some of my numerous

works on military campaigns. As I mentioned in episode 328, relations between the Soviet Union and

Nazi Germany were deteriorating after the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Act. Throughout 1940, the two

powers were dealing with a number of issues that began to create a rift that they both knew

would escalate into an all-out war. Hitler and his military aides had planned the invasion of the Soviet

Union for 1941.

Backing up a bit, we have to talk about the Soviet war with Finland before we can talk about

Operation Barbarossa. The reason we need to do this is that the Soviet Red Army, led by

Clement Vorosheilov, was

performed poorly against its much, much smaller neighbor.

Based on the non-aggression pact the Soviets and Germans signed in 1939, Finland was to become

a satellite state of the USSR.

The Finns, for their part, weren't going to lay down

and let Russia take over yet again, as they had during the reign of the Tsars. They would be

invaded on November 30, 1939, marking the beginning of what would be known as the Winter War.

Despite an enormous advantage in the number of troops, the equipment edge, and air superiority,

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