Moscow, Kiev, and Stalingrad

In early September 1941, Hitler moved his soldiers to take the two biggest cities after Moscow; Kiev and Stalingrad. Because Stalin's red army was so desperate, Hitler's army was able to capture 660,000 prisoners of war and quickly captured Kiev. Stalin knew that his only hope laid in Stalingrad and Moscow. But Stalingrad was starting to look like a forgotten cause. The day the Nazi's captured Kiev, Stalingrad suffered the worst bombardment of the war. Stalin had 30 divisions trapped in Stalingrad, but they received a lucky break when Hitler ordered nearly all of the soldiers surrounding Stalingrad up to Moscow. But even as the Nazi War Machine was moving towards Moscow, winter was starting to make a comeback. AS it approached, Russian troops were down 800,000 men, a total of 90 divisions, and 364 air craft. This was right as German was only 65 miles away from Moscow.

On October 15, Molotov advised British and American ambassadors to prepare to evacuate Moscow and head for Kuibyshev. Moscow was in a panic mood as Stalin called on an old enemy to save the day. Marshal Georgi Zhukov was to lead the defense of Stalingrad. He had done this very successful and was now to come to the aid of Moscow. He ordered one-quarter of a million people to build an anti-tank ditch. The bridges leading to Moscow were mined and if the German's started to advance, they would be blown. He also brought in the top Soviet commanders to organize the defense. Moscow appears ready for the Nazi's advances.

Josef Stalin

The Anti-Comintern Pact

The Beginning of Alliances

The Nazi-Soviet Pact

The Invasion of Finland

The Annexation of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania

Shifting Sides

Operation Barabossa

"The Russians Lost the War in Eight Days"

Cold Winter

Moscow, Kiev, and Stalingrad

The Battle for Moscow