In
June 1941, Operation Barbarossa began, setting off a bloodbath that was
supposed to bring the Soviet Union to its knees. Yet when Adolf Hitler
turned his attention away from Europe and towards the Soviet Union, the
course of World War II changed dramatically. For four years, Operation
Barbarossa tore through the Eastern Front – and though it began as the
largest surprise attack in military history, it quickly became one of
the world’s biggest and deadliest conflicts.
Despite Hitler’s
hopes, the Soviet Union and its people refused to back down, altering
the course of WWII and ultimately bringing Nazi Germany to defeat. The
Russian path to victory wasn’t without great struggle, though; the
Soviet Union was plagued with military losses, deaths, and even
starvation of its people over the course of the operation.
