In June 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union. Catching the Red Army off guard, the Germans were able to advance as far as 50 miles into Russian territory on the first day. The Germans entered Stalingrad in September of 1942, and by October had captured the tractor factories, installations critical to the Russian defense. Later, Germans captured the workers’ settlement and numerous beachheads on the Volga, almost 80 percent of the city. Stalingrad was so critical to the Russian defense that the Red Army had sent all ten of its Reserve Armies to this one city. But the Soviets managed to halt the Germans here, and after months of bloody fighting drove the invaders from their city. Stalingrad was Russia’s line in the sand, marking the height of Germany’s advance and the turning point in the war.
How did the Soviet Union manage to turn the tide and defeat the tactically superior German Army in this conflict? Ultimately, the Red Army’s victory over Germany came because of their superior leadership, both civilian and military. Three factors caused Russia’s victory. The first factor was the Red Army’s institution of military reform, including reorganization and employment of different training methods. The second was the Russian people, who rose up against the German occupation, aiding the Red Army through guerilla activity, support of production, or military enlistment. This popular uprising was aided and encouraged by the Soviet military, which sent supplies and equipment to aid guerillas. The third factor was Russia’s economic mobilization for total war, which allowed them to quickly replace units destroyed by Germany. Often cited as the reason for Russian victory, production was overseen by Soviet engineers and merely supported military operations. All of these factors arose from Russia’s expert leadership, allowing them to achieve victory in this conflict.
The Soviet Union made major, important changes during the course of the war, and most of their...