The German's at War?

Question

Why did Hitler decide to invade the Soviet Union, and why this proved to be a serious mistake?

Answer 1

In addition to the previous answer, I would only add that the reason given for the invasion was the supposed need for "Lebensraum" (living space). It was part of Hitler's vision of a "Greater Germany" to occupy huge areas to the East and to enslave the Slavic inhabitants. Hitler was actually reluctant to invade and conquer England, since he looked upon the English more as distant cousins than a traditional enemy. But Germany had long considered the Russians to be enemies. Hitler was obsessed by his predecessor Frederick the Great's "victory" against the Russians and thought that he could replicate the Prussian victory of long ago. (It wasn't much of a victory, however: Frederick was in dire danger when suddenly the Russian Empress Elizabeth died and was replaced by Paul III, a sychophantic admirer of Frederick who immediately sued for peace). The cultural memory of this "victory," plus the more recent experience of defeating the Russians in such battles as Tannenberg in World War I, plus the centuries old prejudices married to recent developments in Aryan-centered racist theories , made Hitler and the n***s contemptuous of the Slavic peoples, regarding them as "sub-human."

As is often stated by historians, Hitler learned nothing from Napoleon. Hitler thought that a vast invasion could deliver a "knock-out punch" and overwhelm the Russians quickly. Unexpected resistance slowed their progress. One German general remarked that "the Russian soldier shows only contempt for death." The German armies didn't even bring along winter clothing. Winter arrives early in Russia. Stalin practised a scorched-earth policy; the retreating Russian armies would burn crops and destroy whatever they could not transport. So by the time the Germans were almost within reach of Moscow, with winter raging and temps dropping to -30 degrees fahrenheit, they were cold, short of supplies (such as oil and proper clothing), and over-extended. Then, instead of taking Moscow, which would have been a psychological victory if nothing else, Hitler ordered the armies to the South to capture the oil-rich lands near Stalingrad. That's when they got bogged down. Stalin could count on more and more manpower from Siberia to make up for his huge losses. Then the tide began to turn.

Another mistake the n***s made when they invaded Russia is that they failed to come as liberators, although some naive people at first regarded them as such. If the n***s hadn't been such jerks, they could have enlisted the native peoples to fight with them against the Stalinist regime. Instead they alienated everyone (except for a few local collaborators). It seems that the Ukrainians and others preferred to be tyrannized by a foe they knew well (Stalin) rather than a foreignor. The n***s enabled the various peoples of the Soviet Union to temporarily ignore their differences and unite against the invader. Stalin took advantage of this in calling it the "Great Patriotic War."

Much more could be added to this, but I hope it helps.

Answer 2

Despite what these other say, Hitler came within days of winning the war.  His mistake in invading the Soviet Union was waiting until June.  Had he gone in April, which was the plan, he almost certainly would have won.  He didn't though, and why he didn't will be one of those questions that historians will debate a thousand years from now.

Answer 3

Because Hitler was an Idiot.  

Hitler had a variety of reasons for attacking Soviet Russia none of them a basis for sound strategic military reasons.  Hitler was a thug a bully he wanted to seize the material & mineral resources of Russia, he wanted to 'stomp out' Comminism, and Hitler thought that he was a military genus and felt that by conquering Russia he would prove it to the world.  And Hitler 'knew' that the only way he could cling to power in Germany was to provide military victories.

What went wrong?  Everything and not all of it was Hitler's fault.  In addittion to Hitler being an idiot the German Military was an arrogant pig-headed corp of simpering sychophants who operated on the principal that the Russians were a bunch of complete morons who were incapable of fighting against their superior German Might and supposed intellect.  Poor planning, a late start in the Season, a lack of stragetic & tactical cohesion, all combined with the sheer enormity of the task.  Despite Soviet Blundering the Soviets who 'afford' to waste millions of men and a huge chunk of their territory while they mounted a counterattack and though it took well into 1943 to do so once the Soviet Juggernaut was ready to roll it was unstoppable.

The price for Hitler's folly was the loss of  the War along with a large chunck of Germany being given to Poland, while an even larger chunk of Germany fell under Russian domination until the 1980s.

Peace///////////////////////////\\\\\\...

PS  Oh and do not discount the fact that Hitler loved hearing how many 'Slavs' were killed - - - that gave Hitler a viscreal thrill....