Germany and the Second World War Volume IV: The Attack on the Soviet Union

, by Boog, Horst; Forster, Jurgen; Hoffman, Joachim; Klink, Ernst; Muller, Rolf-Dieter; Ueberschar, Gerd R.; Osers, Ewald

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ISBN: 9780198228868 | 0198228864
Cover: Hardcover
Copyright: 2/18/1999

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Nine months after the beginning of the Second World War, German dominance over much of Europe seemed assured. Hitler not only stood on the pinacle of his popularity in Germany but more than ever his ideological fixations and political calculations determined German war policy. This volume, the fourth in the acclaimed Germany and the Second World War series, examines the thinking behind the decision to go to war with the Soviet Union which was to prove the undoing of the German war effort. The authors examine in revealing detail the military and political policies behind the attack on the Soviet Union and the strategic conduct of the war. They explore not only the command principles and practices, but also the expenditure and attrition of the forces, and show that by the end of 1941 it was clear that it was in the eastern theatre that the Second World War would be decided and the map of Europe redrawn. This is the fourth in the comprehensive and authoritative series, Germany and the Second World War . The six volumes so far published in German take the story to 1943, and have achieved international acclaim as a major contribution to historical study. Under the auspices of the Militärgeschichtlichtes Forschungsamt [Research Institute for Military History], a team of renowned historians has combined a full synthesis of existing material with the latest research to produce what will be the definitive history of the Second World War from the German point of view. The comprehensive analysis, based on detailed scholarly research, is underpinned by a full apparatus of maps, diagrams, and tables. Intensively researched and documented, Germany and the Second World War is an undertaking of unparalleled scope and authority. It will prove indispensable to all historians of the twentieth century.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

xiii

(2)

LIST OF TABLES

(2)

NOTES ON THE AUTHORS

xvii

(2)

NOTE ON THE TRANSLATION

xix

(1)

ABBREVIATIONS

(12)

GLOSSARY OF FOREIGN TERMS

xxxii

INTRODUCTION

(12)

PART I German War Policy and the Soviet Union 1940-1941

(512)

I. HITLER'S DECISION IN FAVOUR OF WAR AGAINST THE SOVIET UNION

(39)

JURGEN FORSTER

1. The Situation after the War in the West

(12)

2. The Turn to the East: Hitler's Decision of 31 July 1940 and its Consequences

(5)

3. Programmatic Objectives vis-a-vis the Soviet Union and their Acceptance among the German Officer Corps

(8)

4. Euro-Asian Continental Bloc and Maritime Strategy: Alternatives to the Turn to the East?

(4)

5. German-Soviet Relations from Molotov's Visit to the Beginning of the War

(10)

II. THE SOVIET UNION UP TO THE EVE OF THE GERMAN ATTACK

(66)

JOACHIM HOFFMANN

1. Origin and Development of the Red Army

(20)

2. The Red Army until the Beginning of the German-Soviet War

(22)

3. Soviet Aid to Germany

(24)

III. FROM ECONOMIC ALLIANCE TO A WAR OF COLONIAL EXPLOITATION

118

(107)

ROLF-DIETER MULLER

1. War-economy Aspects and Consequences of the Alliance with the Soviet Union 1939-1940

118

(18)

(a) German-Soviet Trade Exchange and Hitler's War Policy up to the Summer of 1940

120

(8)

(b) The Concept of Large-space Economy and the Russian Problem

128

(8)

2. Economic Preparations for the War against the Soviet Union

136

(51)

(a) Economic Aspects of the Operational Plan

136

(6)

(b) First Preparatory Steps by the War Economy and Armaments Department

142

(8)

150

(4)

(d) The Establishment of the Economic Organization East

154

(7)

(e) The Involvement of Private Enterprise

161

(9)

(f) Economic Objectives of the Campaign

170

(17)

3. Economic Framework for Military Planning

187

(12)

(a) The German War Economy until the Spring of 1941

187

(4)

(b) Intensification of German-Soviet Trade

191

(8)

4. The Equipment of the Eastern Army

199

(26)

IV. THE MILITARY CONCEPT OF THE WAR AGAINST THE SOVIET UNION

225

(161)

1. Land Warfare

225

(101)

ERNST KLINK

(a) The Red Army in the Judgement of the Army High Command after September 1939

226

(14)

(b) Early Phases in Planning within the Army High Command up to July 1940

240

(15)

255

(2)

(d) The Operational Studies by Marcks and Lo(Beta)berg

257

(18)

(e) Planning by the Army General Staff and Directive No.21

275

(10)

(f) The Deployment Directive for the Army

285

(7)

(g) The Preparations of the Quartermaster-General

292

(13)

(h) The Structure of the Army in the East and Deployment

305

(15)

(i) The Assessment of the Red Army before the Attack

320

(6)

2. The German Air Force

326

(50)

HORST BOOG

(a) The Luftwaffe between the Battle of Britain and Barbarossa

326

(10)

(b) Assessment of the Soviet Air Forces 1939-1941

336

(17)

353

(23)

3. The German Navy

376

(10)

ERNST KLINK

V. GERMANY'S ACQUISITION OF ALLIES IN SOUTH-EAST EUROPE

386

(43)

JURGEN FORSTER

1. Romania in the Political and Economic Field of Force of the Great Powers

386

(7)

2. The Vienna Arbitration Award of August 1940 and the Dispatch of a German Military Mission

393

(5)

3. Military Aspects of Romania's Inclusion in the Barbarossa Plan

398

(11)

4. The Position of Hungary and Slovakia in the Preparatory Phase of Barbarossa

409

(20)

(a) Hungary

409

(15)

(b) Slovakia

424

(5)

VI. THE INVOLVEMENT OF SCANDINAVIA IN THE PLANS FOR BARBAROSSA

429

(52)

GERD R. UEBERSCHAR

1. Finland's Place in Hitler's Calculations at the Time of the Resumption of his `Eastern Programme' in the Summer of 1940

429

(7)

2. Finland as a Political and Economic Sphere of Interest between Stalin and Hitler

436

(7)

3. Military Aspects of Finland's Inclusion in the Plans for Barbarossa

443

(12)

4. German-Finnish Arrangements and Measures for Finland's Participation in the War against the Soviet Union

455

(16)

5. Sweden's Position during the Preparatory Phase of the War against the Soviet Union

471

(10)

VII. OPERATION BARBAROSSA AS A WAR OF CONQUEST AND ANNIHILATION

481

(44)

JURGEN FORSTER

1. Plans and Preparations for Securing `Living-space'

481

(10)

2. Hitler's Ideological Intentions Translated into Orders

491

(22)

(a) The Regulation of SS Activity in the Operations Area of the Army

491

(5)

(b) The Limitation of Military Jurisdiction

496

(11)

507

(6)

3. Propaganda Preparations for the War of Annihilation and the Attitude of the Military Leaders

513

(12)

PART II The War against the Soviet Union until the Turn of 1941/1942

525

(731)

1. THE CONDUCT OF OPERATIONS

525

(308)

1. The Army and Navy

525

(238)

ERNST KLINK

(a) The Opening of the Campaign

525

(1)

(i) The offensive of Army Group Centre until the capture of the `land-bridge' between Vitebsk and Smolensk

525

(12)

(ii) The offensive of Army Group North

537

(9)

(iii) The battles at the frontier in the sector of Army Group South and the German advance into the Ukraine

546

(23)

(b) Disputes about the Further Conduct of Operations

569

(1)

(i) The question of the deployment of forces for the second phase of the campaign

569

(3)

(ii) Vacillation in the directives for the conduct of the war from 19 July until the end of the month

572

(9)

(iii) The assessment of the enemy at the beginning of August

581

(7)

(iv) Hitler's acceptance of the need to eliminate Moscow

588

(6)

594

(17)

(i) The advance to the Crimea

611

(2)

(ii) The advance to the Don

613

(14)

(iii) The conquest of the Crimea

627

(4)

(d) The Attack on Leningrad

631

(23)

(e) The Actions of German Naval Forces in the Baltic until the End of 1941

654

(10)

(f) The Attack on Moscow

664

(8)

(i) The double battle of Bryansk and Vyazma

672

(12)

(ii) Plans for the resumption of the offensive

684

(9)

(iii) The failure of the second offensive

693

(9)

(g) The Repulse of the Winter Offensive of the Red Army

702

(1)

(i) Assessment of the situation and directives for the winter war

702

(5)

(ii) The crises in Army Group Centre and their effects on the command of the army

707

(18)

(iii) The fighting retreat of Army Group Centre until the stabilization of the front

725

(9)

(iv) Winter fighting in the area of Army Group North until the re-establishment of a solid front

734

(17)

(v) The defensive battles of Army Group South

751

(12)

2. The Luftwaffe

763

(70)

HORST BOOG

(a) The Surprise Attack against the Soviet Air Force

763

(5)

(b) Ground Support

768

(1)

(i) II and VIII Air Corps and the battles of encirclement of encirclement of Bialystok and Minsk

768

(2)

(ii) The battle of encirclement at Smolensk

770

(3)

(iii) II Air Corps in the area of Gomel, Bryansk, and Roslavl

773

(1)

(iv) The use of the anti-aircraft units

774

(1)

(v) The conduct of the air war in the Baltic until the beginning of August

775

(1)

(vi) The thrust towards Leningrad

776

(2)

(vii) V Air Corps support for Armoured Group I and Sixth Army to the Stalin line

778

(1)

(viii) The breakthrough of the Stalin line

778

(1)

(ix) IV Air Corps on the right wing of Army Group South

779

(1)

(x) The Luftwaffe in the battle of encirclement at Uman

780

(1)

(xi) The repulse of the Soviet thrust at Boguslav and Kanev

781

(1)

(xii) Mopping-up operations in the southern Dnieper bend

781

(2)

(xiii) Anti-aircraft units in the south

783

(1)

(xiv) The battle of encirclement at Kiev (28 August-26 September)

783

(2)

(xv) Support for the advance of Seventeenth and Sixth Armies by V Air Corps

785

(1)

(xvi) IV Air Corps and the conquest of the Crimea

786

(1)

(xvii) The setback at Rostov

787

(2)

(xviii) The Luftwaffe on the Volkhov and at Tikhvin

789

(1)

(xix) Air Fleet 2 and preparations for the attack on Moscow

790

(3)

(xx) The double battle of Bryansk and Vyazma

793

(1)

(xxi) The crisis west of Moscow

794

(5)

799

(3)

(d) Attempts at an Independent Strategic Air War against the Sources of Soviet Strength

802

(12)

(e) The Situation of the Luftwaffe at the Turn of 1941-1942

814

(19)

II. THE CONDUCT OF THE WAR THROUGH SOVIET EYES

833

(108)

JOACHIM HOFFMANN

1. The Beginning of the War

833

(3)

2. The Reorganization of the Supreme Command

836

(4)

3. The `Fatherland War': Fight against Disintegration. Mobilization of Material and Manpower Reserves

840

(18)

4. The Struggle for Leningrad

858

(7)

5. The Battle of Smolensk

865

(5)

6. The Fighting for the Ukraine

870

(6)

7. The Partisan War

876

(6)

8. The Repulse of the German Autumn Offensive at Leningrad and Rostov

882

(3)

9. The Repulse of the German Attack on Moscow

885

(11)

10. The Red Army's Counter-offensive at Moscow, December 1941

896

(7)

11. The Red Army's Counter-attacks at Leningrad and in the Crimea

903

(3)

12. Methods of a War of Annihilation

906

(13)

13. The Red Army's General Offensive in the Winter of 1942

919

(9)

14. The Establishment of the Anti-Hitler Coalition

928

(13)

III. STRATEGY AND POLICY IN NORTHERN EUROPE

941

(80)

GERD R. UEBERSCHAR

1. German Operations in the `Finland Theatre'

941

(31)

(a) Operation Platinum Fox (`Platinfuchs') against Murmansk

941

(4)

(b) Operation Arctic Fox (`Polarfuchs') against the Murmansk Railway

945

(8)

953

(7)

(d) Balance Sheet of Military Operations in Northern Finland to 1941-1942

960

(6)

(e) New Strategic Deliberations after the Turn of 1941-1942

966

(6)

2. Finnish Army Operations

972

(11)

(a) Recovery of the Former Finnish Territories in Ladoga-Karelia and on the Karelian Isthmus

972

(4)

(b) Conquest of East Karelia and Advance to the River Svir

976

(4)

980

(3)

3. Political Balance Sheet of German-Finnish `Brotherhood-in-arms' to the Winter of 1941-1942

983

(10)

4. The Attitude of Sweden Following the German Invasion of the Soviet Union

993

(10)

5. The Reaction of Occupied Denmark and Norway to Hitler's Attack on the Soviet Union

1003

(18)

IV. THE DECISIONS OF THE TRIPARTITE PACT STATES

1021

(28)

JURGEN FORSTER

1. The Committed Allies

1021

(20)

(a) Romania

1021

(7)

(b) Hungary

1028

(6)

1034

(3)

(d) Italy

1037

(4)

2. The Reluctant Allies

1041

(8)

(a) Bulgaria

1041

(2)

(b) Japan

1043

(6)

V. VOLUNTEERS FOR THE `EUROPEAN CRUSADE AGAINST BOLSHEVISM'

1049

(32)

1. The `Crusade' Aspect

1049

(4)

JURGEN FORSTER

2. Volunteers from Western and Southern Europe

1053

(17)

JURGEN FORSTER

3. Volunteers from Northern Europe at the Beginning of the War against the Soviet Union

1070

(11)

GERD R. UEBERSCHAR

VI. THE FAILURE OF THE ECONOMIC `BLITZKRIEG STRATEGY'

1081

(108)

ROLF-DIETER MULLER

1. Economic Policy in Anticipation of Victory

1081

(15)

2. First Modifications

1096

(11)

3. The Supply of the Army in the East until the Failure before Moscow

1107

(34)

(a) Army Group North

1114

(3)

(b) Army Group South

1117

(7)

1124

(17)

4. The Food-supply Issue: Starvation Strategy or Pragmatism

1141

(39)

(a) Self-supply by the Wehrmacht

1150

(7)

(b) Selective Starvation Policy against the Soviet Civilian Population

1157

(15)

1172

(8)

5. Economic Causes and Consequences of the Failed Blitzkrieg

1180

(9)

VII. SECURING `LIVING-SPACE'

1189

(56)

JURGEN FORSTER

1. Pacification of the Conquered Territories

1189

(36)

2. Implementation of the `Commissar Order'

1225

(10)

3. The Organization of `Living-space'

1235

(10)

OPERATION BARBAROSSA IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

1245

(11)

JURGEN FORSTER

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1256

(97)

I. Unpublished Sources

1256

(38)

II. Service Regulations

1294

(2)

III. Published Sources

1296

(57)

INDEX OF PERSONS

1353

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Germany and the Second World War Volume IV: The Attack on the Soviet Union

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

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