Britannica
Sources used in this answer
- Operation Barbarossa - Later actions
- Eastern Front - From the German invasion to the gates of Moscow (June–December 1941)
- Siege of Leningrad
- Eastern Front - Russian winter counteroffensive (December 1941–March 1942)
- World War II - The Germans’ summer offensive in southern Russia, 1942
- Eastern Front - Planning of Operation Barbarossa
Why did Hitler stop the direct drive on Leningrad?
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Operation Barbarossa
German soldiers fighting in the Soviet Union as part of Operation Barbarossa, 1941.
Hitler canceled the direct assault on Leningrad because he feared his armies would become entangled in costly and protracted urban warfare. Instead, he chose to rely on the German military's strength in maneuver warfare in open terrain. Consequently, he ordered the city to be cut off and besieged, a blockade that lasted for nearly 900 days.12
This decision was part of a broader strategic shift in which Hitler diverted his focus toward other objectives, such as the renewed advance on Moscow and the drive toward the Caucasus to secure vital oil supplies. By splitting his forces in these divergent directions, Hitler handicapped his chances of achieving a quick victory in the Soviet Union.314