Why Did the German-Led Invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 Fall Short?

[Music in]

NARRATOR: In June, 1941, 135 divisions plunged deep [music out] into Russia on a 1500 mile front that stretched from the Baltic to the Black Sea. Hitler expected a quick, knockout blow within a matter of weeks.

Like Napoleon's invasion more than a century before, everything went almost too well. The German infantry found it difficult to keep up with the tanks that smashed through the Russian defenses.

[Music in]

Hundreds of thousands of prisoners were taken.

But the Soviets could afford to sacrifice both men and territory--they had plenty of both, and in their retreat they gained time. As the Germans advanced, all they found were burning buildings--for the Russians had "scorched the earth," depriving their enemy of winter quarters . . . and guerilla fighters sabotaged German lines of communication.

In the big cities like Stalingrad and Moscow, the people were put to work barricading the streets. The Russians are stubborn fighters, and they were going to fight for every street--every house.

Outside the towns, the women and old men were sent to dig huge tank traps to help stop the German advance. But with the Germans at the very gates of Moscow [music out] . . .

the deadly cold of a Russian winter arrived. Not having bothered to equip his troops with winter uniforms, Hitler was reluctantly forced to call a halt with victory almost within his grasp.