Directive 21: Operation Barbarsossa

[cardboard_killer]

[80 years ago yesterday]: "On the 18th December 1940 Hitler issued formal orders to the German armed forces to begin the detailed planning for the invasion of Russia, known as Operation Barbarossa."

 

A horrible thing, but certainly the move that doomed Nazi Germany, at the cost of millions of innocent Soviet lives.

 

 

 

"Adolf Hitler attends a Christmas party in December 1940 with SS Obergruppenfuhrer Sepp Dietrich, seated to left of microphone, and members of the Waffen SS."

Edited December 19, 2020 by cardboard_killer

[Bremspropeller]

It was his original plan. Anything up to this point had just been prologue.

Britain and France declaring war wasn't originally anticipated and not being able to stop Britain from constantly spitting onto his plate was the first of many little threads, compiling into the noose around his neck

[Heliopause]

Some staff officers where already informed about Barbarossa in de summer of 1940. W. Warlimont was one of

those and he was informed on 29th July 1940. Then the planning took place and finalised gave way to

directive 21. In the meantime trains kept supplying Germany with oil (also wheat?) from Russia.

Warlimont didn't  get a good feeling about this. In the autumn of  '40 he had his family moved out of Berlin. 

Edited December 19, 2020 by Heliopause