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Admin moved page How did Joseph Stalin react to the German invasion during WWII? to How did Joseph Stalin react to the German invasion during WWII
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[[File: Stalin and Ribbentrop.jpg|thumbnail|230px250px|left|Stalin and Ribbentrop after signing pact 1939.]]
Joseph Stalin reacted extremely slowly to the invasion of his country by German forces in 1940. Indeed, not only did he react slowly, but he also ignored warnings that the Germans planned to attack his country. Stalin's response to the German invasion has perplexed historians for many years. It seems that the Soviet Leader had placed his trust in Hitler, and this almost led to the defeat of the Soviet Union.
== What was The Molotov–Ribbentrop Non-Aggression Pact between Germany and the USSR? ==
[[File: Molotov.jpg|thumbnail|300px250px|left|Ribbentrop and Molotov in Berlin, 1940]]
After the National Socialist Party rose to power in Germany in 1933, relations between Germany and the Soviet Union, as the two sworn enemy regimes, began to deteriorate rapidly, and trade between the two countries decreased and almost froze. The Soviet Union generally had good relations with the Weimar Republic.<ref>Boobyer, p 198</ref> Following several years of tension and rivalry, Germany and the Soviet Union eventually improved relations in 1939. The German economy thrived by exporting manufactured goods and industrial equipment worldwide in exchange for importing raw materials. On the other hand, the USSR was still an agrarian state. While it was rich in natural resources, it was struggling to transition to a more industrial economy. The Soviets were forced to purchase and import more than half of the necessary factory machinery from the United States. The pact was appealing to the two leaders because they were both at odds with the West. Driven by their mutual resentment for the West, the USSR's and Germany's interests briefly aligned, and they moved towards [[The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact- Stalin’s greatest mistake?|German-Soviet cooperation and an alliance]].
==What did the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact do? ==
[[File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_146-1974-099-19,_Russland,_Angriff_auf_ein_Dorf.jpg|thumbnail|left|300px250px|German Troops in the Soviet Union in 1941]]
The two dictators signed secret protocols dividing central Europe between Stalin and Hitler. It effectively lets both the USSR and Germany invade freely countries listed within their “spheres of influence. However, Germany and the Soviet Union's agreement was not sustainable and ultimately set the stage for the Eastern Front of World War II. Still, the initial improving relations with Germany meant that the Soviet Union could expand its territory in Eastern Europe unmolested into the Baltic States. Stalin believed that his understanding with Hitler would last, and he became complacent.<ref> Montefiore, Simon Sebag. ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400076781/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1400076781&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=eb9848bd0a98d402c5a3cab783e1108d Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar]''. (London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003), p. 117</ref>
== Why did Germany violate the pact with USSR with Operation Barbarossa? ==
[[File:Barb_2.jpg|thumbnail|325px255px|left|German soldier in front of BT-7 Panzer tank in Ukraine in 1941]]
In addition to weakness, the Soviet's showed in Finland, Germany had also been alarmed by the Soviet Union's seizure of part of Romania. Germany was concerned that Stalin would target the oil fields in Romania. These oil fields were vital to the German war effort. Germany moved several armored divisions into Poland and, in December 1940, issued a directive for the invasion of the Soviet Union, codenamed Operation Barbarossa. Several sources warned Stalin of the imminent threat of a German invasion. Soviet intelligence had monitored the German's actions. Stalin refused to believe it- instead, he continued to assume that Germany would abide by the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact.
====Stalin leads the fightback====
However, within weeks Stalin manages to recover from the shock and called for reinforcements. Although German troops had made huge advances into the heartlands of the Soviet Union and the rest of the government had been evacuated from Moscow, Stalin remained in the Kremlin and begun to take control of the country’s ailing military infrastructure. As German troops approached Moscow's Soviet capital, Stalin directed a devastating defensive policy, destroying any supplies or infrastructure that might benefit the enemy. Fresh competent USSR military commanders loyal to Stalin were allowed to control important strategic positions and military divisions. <ref>Bellamy, p. 117</ref> This scorched earth tactic denied the Germans key supplies. This was particularly the case as the German supply lines had become extended, and the men at the front did not receive the supplies they needed. The destruction of the infrastructure and anything else that could be utilized by the Germans caused immense suffering to the Soviet civilian population. However, it dramatically slowed the German advance. Stalin's policy contributed to the German army's failure to take Moscow in the early winter of 1941.<ref>Bellamy, p.112</ref>
== How did Stalin reorganize the Soviet Army? ==
