Reasons Behind the Failure of Operation Barbarossa

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At the beginning of 1941, Nazi Germany had almost achieved its ambitions of World War 2 regarding Western Europe. All the nations (except Britain) were either under its control or chose to remain neutral. At that time, Hitler decided to conquer the Soviet Union to punish Russians for adopting communism.

Operation Barbarossa Significance

Hitler initially had a pact with the USSR at the start of World War 2 to avoid war on two fronts. However, there wasn’t any requirement to continue this pact due to favorable conditions for Germans on the battlefield.

Therefore, Germany launched Operation Barbarossa in June 1941 to annex the entire area of Eastern Europe. Hitler planned to annihilate the Slavs and inhabit their areas with Germans after occupation. He received assistance from his allies in this campaign, including Romania, Italy, Hungary, Finland, and others.

The initial phase of the operation proceeded according to plan. After inflicting heavy losses on the enemy, the Germans captured many areas of Central and Eastern Europe. However, they faced real resistance during their attempt to capture the main Russian-speaking cities.

Germans failed badly during their campaigns in Leningrad and Moscow. Soviets not only defended these important cities but also started their counteroffensive. This resulted in the complete failure of Operation Barbarossa and later World War 2 for Germany.

Why Did Operation Barbarossa Fail?

The following are important reasons behind the failure of Operation Barbarossa.

  • Delay in Starting Operation

A major mistake committed by Germany was the failure to start Operation Barbarossa according to their plan. They were well aware of the chilling winters of Russia and needed to start this operation in May 1941. However, the failed Italian campaign in Greece forced Germany to send additional troops to the Balkans for assistance. It resulted in delaying of operation setup for weeks. In the later stages of the battle, this delay proved disastrous for invading forces.

  • Early Onset of Winters

Even after a few weeks of delay, the Germans were optimistic that they would complete their operation timely with better management and rapid victories. However, their plan failed due to the earlier-than-normal arrival of winter in Russia. This early onset of winters made the roads of Russia extremely muddy and marshy (due to rain and frost), making it difficult to transport heavy armor.

German forces were also not well-equipped (less warm clothes and fuel shortage) and had not experienced Russia’s extreme winters before. On the other hand, the Soviets were well prepared and experienced such conditions in their native areas. They survived the initial offensive in winter and then launched their successful counteroffensive.  

  • Extreme Resistance by Soviet Military and Civilians

Despite unfavorable weather conditions, German forces were competent and armed with the latest weaponry. Soviets were no match for Germans in fighting abilities. But they compensate for their weakness with their steadfastness. Soviet military and civilians fought till the end while defending the important cities of Moscow and Leningrad.

The German attempt to occupy these cities continued for months or even years (the Siege of Leningrad was broken after more than 2 years) because they faced resistance from every resident. Hundreds of thousands perished during these important battles but they refused to surrender. This unbending resistance was one of the most important reasons for the failure of Operation Barbarossa.

  • Hitler’s Plan to Annihilate Slavs

Soviet leadership was committed to defending its important cities at any cost. It is the reason that Stalin passed orders to everyone in these cities that surrender or retreat would result in the death penalty. But the real motivation for the Soviets (especially their civilians) came due to the plans of Hitler after the occupation of the USSR.

Hitler had already told his commanders that he had no interest in feeding the defeated population of Soviet areas. He planned to annihilate (or enslave) the entire Slav population and settle their areas with ethnic Germans. People were aware of these ambitions. They had no misconception about the outcome of their defeat. They had just two options: victory or death. It resulted in the stiff resistance shown by the Soviets overall.

  • Large Soviet Reserve Force

The initial advance of the Germans was swift and successful. Soviets suffered a large number of casualties and it was difficult for them to defend their important areas with the always waning defending forces. However, they were fortunate to have a large reserve force available for the second half of Operation Barbarossa.

 

USSR had a pact with Japan that allowed the delivery of hundreds of thousands of reserve military that replaced the already exhaustive forces. On the other hand, Germany was short of the military. They already had fewer men for invasion and it was difficult to transport more men to the eastern battlefield due to multiple reasons (difficult and long terrain, extreme weather, a continuation of the war on the western front, etc.).

  • Continuous Supply of Soviet Arms

There was no shortage of tanks, jet fighters, and other ammunition for the Soviet Union. They had outnumbered Germans in all types of weapons on the battlefield. Soviet jet fighters were of low standard, but their tanks were at par with German tanks. During the operation, their factories continuously constructed new tanks and other weapons. It allowed them to replace their destroyed and captured weapons without any problem. The unending supply of strategic weapons (especially high-quality tanks) on the battlefield allowed the Soviets to continue their resistance till the end.  

  • German Miscalculations and Unnecessary Delay

German intelligence failure and tactical delays also played their part in the overall German defeat. After completing the first phase of operations, Hitler and his commanders wasted a lot of precious time starting the second phase only due to their policy differences. They were short of a plan on how to proceed after early victories.

German intelligence was aware of the presence of Soviet reserves and their possible entrance during battle. However, they underestimated their total numbers (they estimated 50 divisions, but the Soviets brought 200 reserve divisions). As the operation was partially based on information provided by German intelligence, this failure in comprehending a large number of troops can also be blamed for the German failure of Operation Barbarossa.

  • Scorched-Earth Technique by the Soviets

Russians were masters of a scorched-earth policy. Their victory against Napoleon Bonaparte was also the result of the same policy. They again used this tactic very effectively against the Germans during Operation Barbarossa. In the initial stages of Operation Barbarossa, many Soviet areas were rapidly captured by invading forces. However, the later advances were slowed down by the Soviets using several tactics, especially the scorched-earth policy.

While escaping the fronts after defeat, the Soviets not only burned crops and destroyed bridges, but they even dismantled all the steel and munitions plants and transported them to the eastern USSR by rail. Soviets also destroyed the railway system before retreating, making it difficult for Germans to advance rapidly. All these actions delayed the onset of important offenses in major Russian cities before winter and played an important role in the failure of the entire operation.

  • Insufficient Assistance From Allies

Due to the shortage of troops (around 3 million men in 150 divisions), Germans relied heavily on their allies on various fronts. However, they faced several issues in securing these forces during the battle. Finns were mostly interested in liberating their areas already annexed by the Soviets. They were reluctant to supply their troops to take part in Russian cities. On the other hand, Italians and Hungarians were not well trained and better equipped. They proved weak allies of Germany. These things were also exploited by the Soviets, especially during their counteroffensive.

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