Why did Germany attack the Soviet Union

[Gedo_Boy]

for the amateur historians:

I have heard some reasons about why Germany did this but it doesn't make sense to me in light of the fact there was a non-agression pact btwn them. Here's what I heard:

1. Hitler hated Bolsheviks.
2. Hitler wanted the Caucus oil.
3. The Soviet Union was going to attack them anyways.

I think this one is a strong reason:

I have heard that Churchill was very desirous of a 2nd front opening for his benefit and he convinced Stalin that he might be inclined to sign an armistice with the Germans and then he convinced Germany would attack them. He took advantage of the mistrust btwn them and I'm sure there was espionage involved as well.


Anyways, I found the actual 1945 Victory Parade in Moscow which is said to be the best military parade ever.

It's actually in color too, which gives it a different feel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4xgYsNVDdc


post-war Berlin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcnEDTnyC7g


(Kinda looks like Mogadishu )

[King-of-Awdal]

I think opening a second front was ultimately the biggest blunder Hitler commited and the main reason he invaded was because he didnt think Great Britian would be able to fend off his Blitz operation's and ultimately frustrated invaded the soviets and thankfully he did because the outcome of the war would have changed.

[paidmonk]

Oil. End of story.

[Gedo_Boy]

[quote="King-of-Awdal"]I think opening a second front was ultimately the biggest blunder Hitler commited and the main reason he invaded was because he didnt think Great Britian would be able to fend off his Blitz operation's and ultimately frustrated invaded the soviets and thankfully he did because the outcome of the war would have changed. [/quote]


King-of-Awdal,

Yeah, but if you are frustrated by Britian you don't open up a new front Eastward and divert the majority of your manpower AWAY from the British.

[King-of-Awdal]

Gedo_Boy

It is a well known fact that Hitler Was really frustrated at his Generals who also warned him not to open another front and the reason he made a pact with stalin in 1939 was because he didnt want the soviets in the war and until he conquered western europe which he pretty much did but he also forgot a little part of history which is no nation ever could conquer the island of Britian.

[Gedo_Boy]

If I'm not mistaken the Romans occupied the British Isle and subjugated the then natives.

If it were UK vs. Germany you know the war would be won at least to a favorable truce by Germany. However, the British always find a way to get others invovled to do their fighting for them.

[King-of-Awdal]

Gedo_Boy


Yea the Romans came but they werent successfull either and at that time the Anglo_Saxons were the invaders which are the British. One more thing Winston Churchill knew Britian only had a year or two to fend off Germany but also knew the US one way or another would Join the war. Another Point is Britian was the King of the Sea's and thus Germany couldnt launch a full invasion but their Airforce was Supperior thus London was razzed to the ground.

[Gedo_Boy]

King,

Actually Anglo-Saxons themselves are Germanic peoples who displaced the native Britons
However, they came later.......centuries later than the Romans. So that would be conquest #2.

Also, as late as 11th/12th century The Scandinavians (I think) of Normandy invaded and conquered England as well.

Whoever was on the British Isle at the time, they were native Britons and they were conquered by the Romans.

And the British Isle had been conquered by

All I'm saying is that Britain shouldn't boast too much


BTW, I don't know if Churchill is considered some sort of hero but he was a significant fascist as well.

Here's a Churchill memo on the merits of using poison gas to support your colonization and misappropriation of a nation's resources:


Winston S. Churchill: departmental minute (Churchill papers: 16/16) 12 May 1919 War Office

I do not understand this squeamishness about the use of gas. We have definitely adopted the position at the Peace Conference of arguing in favour of the retention of gas as a permanent method of warfare. It is sheer affectation to lacerate a man with the poisonous fragment of a bursting shell and to boggle at making his eyes water by means of lachrymatory gas.

I am strongly in favour of using poisoned gas against uncivilised tribes. The moral effect should be so good that the loss of life should be reduced to a minimum. It is not necessary to use only the most deadly gasses: gasses can be used which cause great inconvenience and would spread a lively terror and yet would leave no serious permanent effects on most of those affected.

[King-of-Awdal]

Gedo-Boy

what ever they maybe Hitler caused his own downfall and for Winston Churchil well he was a very unpopular PM and even wining the War didnt help him keep his PM post, but lets be real the man was a genious.

[Gedo_Boy]

King,

From what I hear he was definitely very skilled in manipulation

[King-of-Awdal]

Yup one of his famous Quotes is " History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.

[xoogSADE14]

The Nazis attacked the Soviet Union because Hitler was an idiot. Thats what happens when men who have no knowledge of the strategies of war try to become generals overnight.

Hitlet, Nasser, Sadaam etc etc

[BABYGIRL123]

1. he conquered most of europe and believed the soviet would fall as easily.
2. he wanted the soviet oil reserves and made efforts to take them.
3. he feld in the battle for britian and wanted to make up the time he wasted.

japan made a mistake in not invading the soviet union and respecting the treaty they made after the 1930s mangolian war they could of broke the soviets back because the soviets simply invaded them in 1945 breaking the treaty how stupid.

[Ina Baxar]

Because Hitler believed that Poland in its entirety belonged to Germany { historically debatable Royal Prussia} just like WE believe Sool belongs to Somaliland .
A joke in reference to an article on Jiidbale the other day calling us occupiers .

[Steeler [Crawler2]]

The Germans had sufficient oil coming out of the Ploesti fields. Oil wasn't the driver.

The Germans also had sufficient food stuffs and raw materials, because they occupied all of western Europe and a good part of Eastern Europe.

Britain was essentially sidelined. The British were never going to develop the strength to challenge the Germans on continental Europe, and Hitler knew it.

Churchill certainly did direct that Stalin be informed of the impending German invasion, which British Intelligence had detected but Soviet intelligence strangely had not. The warning was ignored by Stalin, who, like Gedo, suspected British machinations in order to create a conflict and open a second front.

So why did Hitler invade Russia? Well, he told you why. He followed his game plan play by play, right out of Mein Kampf. But nobody except the Germans believed him. Amazing that by 1941, when he obviously was doing exactly what he said he was going to do 16 years before, still nobody took his stated plan seriously. He invaded Russia because he believed the Great German Nation needed more living space. He wanted Germany to be a massive country, with a massive German population (hence the reason the Nazis worked so hard to get rid or puritan ideas like you have to be married to have sex and children). He intended to enslave and kill off most of the slavic populations and replace them with Germans. And he said so.