Barbarossa, Operation

In World War II, German code name for the plan to invade the USSR, launched on 22 June 1941. The plan was initially successful but by the end of 1941, the German advance had stalled. Large sections of the USSR, particularly the Ukraine, remained in German hands until 1944 and fighting continued elsewhere until then, notably the sieges of Leningrad and Stalingrad.

The Germans deployed massive resources for the campaign, organized in three Army Groups. Some 3,330 German tanks were deployed, with four Luftwaffe air fleets providing total air superiority. With its Finnish and Romanian allies, the German invasion force attacked over a 2,880 km/1,800 mi border from the Arctic Circle to the Black Sea. Initial progress was rapid and immense quantities of prisoners and equipment fell into German hands, while most of the Soviet air force was destroyed on the ground. However, due to interference from Hitler, the impetus of the drive toward Moscow was slowed, so that winter set in before the city could be invested. With the failure to take Moscow, Barbarossa itself was at an end as the German plan lay in ruins. The prime cause of failure was the late start to the operation due to delays caused by the Balkan campaign.