Beyond Barbarossa: The Eastern Front of World War 2

This was armoured warfare at its most brutal, with tanks slugging it out at point-blank range. The tanks were as close as 10–15m. Once hit, many of the crews had little chance of bailing out and were splattered all over the insides of their tanks. Those who did try to escape their blazing tanks were mown down and their lifeless bodies left obscenely charred and shrivelled.Map 1: The Kursk Salient Map 2: The battle of Kursk — the southern sector Map 3: The northern sectorMap 4: Another look at the battle of Prokhorovka Sources:Ian Baxter, Kursk 1943: Last German Offensive in the East. Havertown, PA: Casemate Publihsers (US), 2019.Antony Beevor, The Second World War. London, UK: Little, Brown and Co., 2012. Robin Cross, Citadel: The Battle of Kursk. UK: Lume Books, 2018.Evan Mawdsley, Thunder in the East: The Nazi-Soviet War, 1941–1945. London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2016.Anthony Tucker-Jones, Slaughter on the Eastern Front: Hitler and Stalin’s War 1941–1945. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press, 2017Wikipedia: The Battle of Kursk.Katyusha sound effect by Sound Effect by kuiycb from PixabaySome tank sound effects by Dennis from Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The iconic battle on the Kursk salient in July 1943 builds into the greatest confrontation between armoured forces ever — and a four-part series on Beyond Barbarossa.Map 1: The Kursk salient, 5 to 11 July 1943 Map 2: The northern sector Source: OnWar.comMap 3: The southern sector Sources:Ian Baxter, Kursk 1943: Last German Offensive in the East. Haverstown, PA, USA: Casemate Publishers (US), 2019.Antony Beevor, The Second World War. London, UK: Little, Brown and Co., 2012. Robin Cook, Citadel: The Battle of Kursk. London, UK: Lume Books, 2018.Evan Mawdsley, Thunder in the East: The Nazi-Soviet War, 1941–1945. London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2016.Anthony Tucker-Jones, Slaughter on the Eastern Front: Hitler and Stalin’s War 1941–1945. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press, 2017Wikipedia: The Battle of Kursk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

(Originally posted 22 June 2024)Three seasons! 51 episodes! This season begins with a catch-up on the Eastern Front, and the planning that led to the biggest battle in the history of warfare: Operation Zitadelle and the Battle of Kursk.Map: The Kursk salient, spring 1943 Source: Wikipedia Production and loss tablesTable 1: Comparative armaments production, January 1941 – December 1942 1941 1942 GermanyUSSRGermany USSRRifles1,359.0002,421,0001,370,0004,049,000Machine guns96,000149,000117,000356,000Artillery3,80041,00041,000128,000Tanks + self-propelled guns8,4006,6006,20024,700Combat aircraft 12,40011,60021,700 German and Soviet war production. 1942–1944 (thousands of units) 1942 1943 1944 GermanyUSSRGermanyUSSRGermanyUSSRRIfles + submachine guns1,6024,6192,5094,8013,0853,006Machine guns117356263458509439Artillery4112874130148122Tanks + self-propelled guns62411241829Combat aircraft122219303433 Soviet tank and self-propelled gun losses 19411942194319441945Tanks and self-propelled guns available28,20035,70047,90059,10048,900Losses Heavy tanks9001,2001,300900900Medium tanks2,3006,60014,70013,8007,500Light tanks17,3007,2006,4002,300300Self-propelled guns01001,1006,8005,000Source: Mawdsley, Thunder in the East, 2016Images: The German Tiger tank,Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausf. ETiger tank in Kharkiv, 1943The German Panther tank, Panzerkampfwagen V Panther Source: Wikipedia.Sources:Antony Beevor, The Second World War. London, UK: Little, Brown and Co., 2012. Evan Mawdsley, Thunder in the East: The Nazi-Soviet War, 1941–1945. London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2016.Anthony Tucker-Jones, Slaughter on the Eastern Front: Hitler and Stalin’s War 1941–1945. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press, 2017Wikipedia: The Battle of Kursk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this special episode, a special treat for listeners: new theme music by composer Nicolas Bury. At the mid-point of the fighting on the Eastern Front of World War II, it's a good time to take a look back at what's happened in the USSR and around the world. Map 1: Operation Barbarossa to Operation Typhoon Map 2: Operation Blue Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On 25 April 1945, 700 bombers and fighters of the U.S. 15th Air Force raided Linz, Germany, the town where Adolf Hitler grew up. Although neither the air crews nor the people of Linz could know it, it would be the last major Allied air raid of the Second World War. And one of the costliest in terms of U.S. casualties.Mike Croissant's uncle Ellsworth Croissant was one of the bombardiers on that air raid. That connection led the retired CIA analyst to write a book about it: Bombing Hitler's Hometown: The Untold Story of the Last Mass Bomber Raid of World War II in Europe.It's a very personal story that brings the reader onto the airplanes. Author Mike Croissant tells us about the raid, its aftermath, the people there, and how he came to write it.You can read my review of the book on my blog, https://writtenword.ca/2024/04/the-last-major-air-raid-of-world-war-ii/.You can get the book in electronic and hardcover formats from Kensington Books. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author Mike Croissant describes the family connection that inspired his research into the last mass bombing raid of the Second World War in Europe.His book, Bombing HItler's Hometown: The Untold Story of the Last Mass Bomber Raid of World War II in Europe, was published in March. It's available in better bookstores and through online e-tailers through Kensington Publishing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mussolini was not happy about being in the Axis by 1943. And Stalin refused to attend the Casablanca Conference with Churchill and Roosevelt. Meetings of the summit and other senior leaders of the Axis and Allied powers through the war show the evolution of each side's war aims between 1939 and 1945.Map: The Kursk salient, spring 1943 Image 1: Roosevelt and Churchill aboard the HMS Prince of Wales at the Argentia Conference, August 1941. Seated: President Franklin D. Roosevelt (left) and Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Standing directly behind them: Admiral Ernest J. King, USN; General George C. Marshall, U.S. Army; General Sir John Dill, British Army; Admiral Harold R. Stark, USN; and Admiral Sir Dudley Pound, RN. At rear: Harry Hopkins talking with W. Averell Harriman. Source: Wikimedia Commons.Image 2: The Second Moscow Conference, August 1942 Left to right: UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill, USSR Premier Josef Stalin, and W. Averrell Harriman, representing President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Office of War Information Photograph (Wikimedia Commons).Sources:Antony Beevor, The Second World War. London, UK: Little, Brown and Co., 2012.Evan Mawdsley, Thunder in the East: The Nazi-Soviet War 1941–1945. London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2016.Sean McMeekin, Stalin's War. New York: Basic Books, 2021.Anthony Tucker-Jones, Slaughter on the Eastern Front: Hitler and Stalin’s War 1941–1945. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press, 2017Wikipedia: various pages. Sound effects by Zapsplat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In April 1943, Jewish people forced into the grossly overcrowded ghetto in Warsaw rose up against the nazis, killing hundreds of SS soldiers. The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising failed, but its memory lives on. SS members force Jewish people out of shelters for deportation to death camps, spring, 1943. Source: Wikimedia Commons. A map of the Warsaw Ghetto, the area nazi oppressors forced Jewish people to remain in. SS-Brigadeführer Jürgen Stroop (center), commanded of the SS brigade that destroyed the Warsaw Ghetto. In April and May, the SS systematically destroyed every building in the Warsaw Ghetto. SS soldiers continuing to destroy the Warsaw Ghetto, May 1943. Image source: Wikimedia Commons. "Waves of stone, crushed bricks, a sea of brick. There isn’t a single wall intact — the beast’s anger was terrible." — Soviet journalist Vasily Grossman, Warsaw, 1945. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After their stunning, bloody defeat at Stalingrad, the Germans withdrew west to the Donets River in Ukraine, and the Red Army swept ahead as much as 800 km. But the Germans were still a potent force, and in March 1943, were ready to retake Kharkiv. Map 1: The counter-attack in the Donbas Map 2: The advances on Kharkiv Map 3: Withdrawal from the Rzhev salientMaps 4 and 5: The front in March 1943 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the 6th Army's surrender at Stalingrad, rapid, far-ranging mobility returns to the war on the Eastern Front, as German and Soviet forces advance and retreat hundreds of kilometres.Map 1: The Kuban Bridgehead Map 2: Operation Star Map 3: Von Manstein's counter-offensive A Tiger tank near Kharkiv, 1943 Source: Pinterest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Red Army finally scores two major victories in January 1943 — in the two cities where it mattered most. The surrender of the Sixth Army: https://stalingrad.net/german-hq/surrender/surrender.htm Map 1: End of the battle of Stalingrad Map 2: Operation Iskra Source: WikipediaPhotos: The surrender at Stalingrad Left to right: Field Marshal F. Paulus, C-in-C, 6th Army; Gen. W. Schmidt, Chief of Staff; Col. Adam, Paulus' adjutant. General Konstantin Rokossovsky, commander of the Don Front that captured the 6th Army in Stalingrad. The aftermath in Stalingrad. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Germans in the Stalingrad cauldron reject the Soviets' final offer of surrender. The Red Army responds by crushing the cauldron. Map 1: The end of the KesselSource: Military History Now The ultimatum to Stalingrad: https://www.stalingrad.net/russian-hq/the-russian-ultimatum/rusultimatum.html Images: 3-engine German transport plane lands at Pitomnik airfield. Red Army soldiers attack in the ruins of Stalingrad.Sources:Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege 1942–1943. Penguin Books, 1998.Antony Beevor, The Second World War. London, UK: Little, Brown and Co., 2012.William Craig, Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad. Old Saybrook, CT, USA: Konecky & Konecky, 1973.Anthony Tucker-Jones, Slaughter on the Eastern Front: Hitler and Stalin’s War 1941–1945. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press, 2017Sound effects by Zapsplat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the Germans of the 6th Army, Christmas 1942 was a hungry Yule in the freezing Cauldron.Map 1: Operation Uranus, November and December 1942 Map 2: Operation Winter Storm: The German relief attempt Map 3: Operation Winter Storm stalled Failure: Luftwaffe supplies the trapped 6th Army in the Kessel Failure: Operation Winter Storm German soldiers in the Kessel/Cauldron Red Army soldier writes home, December 1942 By December, the Red Army soldiers' morale was very different from the Germans'. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Warfare usually slows down in winter. Not so in Russia in 1942. The Germans launch another huge attack to relieve the 6th Army in Stalingrad. But the Red Army has its own ideas. Map 1: The long, long German lines to Stalingrad Map 2: Operation UranusSource: Awesome storiesMap 3a: Operation Winter StormSource: https://alchetron.com/cdn/operation-winter-storm-ee2a434c-cf0a-4ef4-a3c3-e87d2e84c08-resize-750.jpeg Map 3b: Operation Winter Storm failsSource: WWIIincolor.com Historical pictures A Panzer III on the steppe in southern Russia, December 1942 Source: Wikimedia Commons Soviet forces in southern Russia, winter 1942.Source: Wikimedia Commons Sources: Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege 1942–1943. Penguin Books, 1998.Antony Beevor, The Second World War. London, UK: Little, Brown and Co., 2012.Anthony Tucker-Jones, Slaughter on the Eastern Front: Hitler and Stalin’s War 1941–1945. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press, 2017Sound effects by Zapsplat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As three Red Army Fronts move on the German flanks west and south of Stalingrad, two more attack the Rzhev-Vyazma salient west of Moscow. Is it a diversion, or is Mars the twin of Uranus?Map 1: The Rzhev-Vyazma salientMap 2: Operation Mars Historical imagesWorkers from Moscow suburbs handing over new tanks to Soviet servicemen. Source: Commons:RIA NovostiSourcesAntony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege 1942–1943. Penguin Books, 1998.Antony Beevor, The Second World War. London, UK: Little, Brown and Co., 2012.Geoffrey Roberts, Stalin's General: The Life of Georgy Zhukov. London, UK: Icon Books, 2012.David Glantz, Zhukov's Greatest Defeat: The Red Army's Epic Disaster in Operation Mars, 1942. Lawrence, Kansas: University of Kansas Press, 1999.Anthony Tucker-Jones, Slaughter on the Eastern Front: Hitler and Stalin’s War 1941–1945. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press, 2017Sound effects by Zapsplat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Soviet high command's strategy to defeat the Germans at Stalingrad took the invaders by surprise. Map 1: The German flanks Map 2: Operation Uranus in action Red Army soldiers in winter camouflage charge across the steppe The T-34 in action in Uranus Northern and southern pincers meet Red Army commanders from the 5th Tank Army and the 4th Mechanized Corps meet on the steppe near Kalach, 23 November 1942. The end of the beginning. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The third installment describing the biggest single battle in history: the siege of Stalingrad. By November 1942, the casualties for attackers and defenders was unsustainable for both sides. The Soviet high command, Stavka, makes a new plan. Pavlov's HouseMap 1: The city of StalingradMap 2: The plan for Operation UranusSourcesAntony Beevor, The Second World War.Antony Beevor, Stalingrad: the Fateful Siege 1942–1943. .William Craig, Enemy at the Gates.Anthony Tucker Jones, Slaughter on the Eastern Front: Hitler and Stalin’s War 1941–1945. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the autumn of 1942, the German 6th Army with Romanian, Hungarian and Italian armies in support, ground into Stalingrad—a hell of their own making. Map: Stalingrad city layout Photos Red Army soldier prepare to defend Stalingrad suburb Stalingrad on fire after bombing, 2 October 1942 The Red October Factory's ruins became hiding places for Red Army defenders Loading a Katyusha rocket launcherKatyusha from military museumGeneral Friedrich Paulus Second from left, Gen. Vasily Chuikov in his headquarters in Stalingrad, 1942.SourcesAntony Beevor, Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege 1942–1943. Penguin Books, 1998.Antony Beevor, The Second World War. London, UK: Little, Brown and Co., 2012.William Craig, Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad. Old Saybrook, CT, USA: Konecky & Konecky, 1973.Anthony Tucker-Jones, Slaughter on the Eastern Front: Hitler and Stalin’s War 1941–1945. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press, 2017Sound effects by Zapsplat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A conversation with Romeo Kokriatski and Anthony Bartaway of the Ukraine Without Hype podcast. We talked about the Second World War in Ukraine, and the current war in Ukraine. Ukraine Without Hype Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ukraine-without-hype/id1537219548Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8zY2E5ZGNlYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ukraine-without-hype YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqAUk2oJ9jvb-QcoOoPaiIw Twitter: @HypeUkraine PlayerFM: https://player.fm/series/ukraine-without-hype-3319360 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

National resistance to German and Soviet occupation played a significant role in the war on the Eastern Front. This episode takes a closer look at the large, organized and powerful resistance armies in Poland and Ukraine. Map: Ukrainian border shifts between 1939 and 1945Source: Paul Robert Magosci and Geoffrey J. Matthews, cartographer: Ukraine: A Historical Atlas. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1985. Used with the gracious permission of the author. Photos "To Arms!" poster recruiting members to join the Warsaw Uprising in 1944. Poster by Mieczysław Jurgielewicz and Edmunt BurkeA unit portrait from the Polish Home Army. Source: U.S. Holocaust MuseumUPA propaganda poster showing a UPA soldier standing on the banners of the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. The Cyrillic text is official greeting of the OUN/UPA: Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!. UPA soldiers in the forest, circa 1944. Source: Encyclopedia of Ukraine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Ukraine to Poland to Estonia, across the Eastern Front, partisans and guerrillas fought for the independence of their nations—from both nazi Germany and the communist USSR. And yes, I call communists and nazis "con artists," "fools" and "dupes."Get your free books!Leave a rating and/or a review on your podcatcher of choice. Send the link to it to [email protected], and I will send you three e-books: Army of Worn Soles, Under the Nazi Heel and Walking Out of War. I will also enter your name in a draw for a signed paperback copy of The Eastern Front Trilogy, which includes all three books! Facebook: Beyond Barbarossa https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082862966326 Map: Operation Barbarossa, 22 June 1941You can see the Baltic States and key cities, including Tallinn, Narva, RIga, and Vilnius. Nazi Germany's war flagSourcesAntony Beevor, The Second World War. London: Little, Brown and Company, 2012.Robert Magosci, A History of Ukraine. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1996.Orest Subtelny, Ukraine: A History. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1988.Wikipedia:Polish resistance movement in World War IIBelarusian resistance during World War IIResistance in Lithuania during World War IIGerman occupation of Latvia during World War IIEstonian anti-German resistance movement 1941–1944Larysa Zariczniak, "The Ukrainian Trial of the Century: Bilas and Danylyshyn," Wandering the Edge podcast, 15 August 2023. https://www.wanderingtheedge.net/podcast/episode/4bd50314/the-ukrainian-trial-of-the-century-bilas-and-danylyshyn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lend-Lease sent 17 million tonnes of ammunition, food, fuel, weapons, tanks, airplanes and even railroad locomotives to the USSR during the Second World War—most of it from the USA. This episode describes how the icon of capitalism saved the workers' and peasants' paradise from fascism. Map1: Lend-Lease routesMap 2: Arctic convoy routeMap 3: Persian corridorMap 4: Pacific routeSources: Antony Beevor, The Second World War. London: Little, Brown and Company, 2012.Max Gethings, "Britain Alone — Rethinking One of the Second World War’s Enduring Myths". Military History Now, 18 May 2023 https://militaryhistorynow.com/2023/05/18/britain-alone-rethinking-one-of-the-second-world-wars-enduring-myths/Franklin D. Roosevelt, "Fireside Chat On the Arsenal of Democracy," December 29, 1940.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Franklin_D._Roosevelt_-_December_29,_1940_-_On_the_%22Arsenal_of_Democracy%22.ogg Wikipedia: Lend-Lease https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lend-Lease Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The greatest siege in history begins as the German 6th Army and the Luftwaffe assault Stalingrad. Map 1: Fall Blau, Operation Blue. Note the positions of Voronezh, Stalingrad, the proximity of the great bends of the Don and Volga Rivers, and the Volga's route that leads from the Caspian Sea all the way to Moscow. Map 2: Stalingrad in 1942, showing the German advancePlacesThe Children's Khorovod in front of Railway Station No. 1, after the air raidsPeople Panzer General Friedrich Paulus, commander of the German 6th Army Colonel-General Wolfram von RIchtofen, commander of the Luftflotte (air fleet) 4, 1942Major-General Hans Hube, commander of the 16th Panzer Division People's Commissar Nikita Khrushchev (left) and General Andrey Yeremenko (far right), commander of the South-Eastern Front (later renamed the Stalingrad Front), December 1942 General Vasily Chuikov (second from left), commander of the 62nd Red Army, December 1942SourcesAntony Beevor, The Second World War. London: Little, Brown and Company, 2012.William Craig, Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad. Old Saybrook, CT, USA: KOnecky & Konecky, 1973. Anthony Tucker-Jones, Slaughter on the Eastern Front: Hitler and Stalin's War 1941–1945. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press, 2017. Wikipedia: Battle of Stalingrad https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stalingrad— Case Blue https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Case_Blue Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nazi Germany opens up its second summer of the war in the East with a campaign of eerie echoes with the previous summer, and the Soviets respond in the same way. History doesn't repeat, but it rhymes. Map 1: The Caucasus Map 2: The plan for Case BlueMap 3: Into the Caucasus Credit where credit is dueAnthony Beevor, The Second World War. London: Little, Brown and Company, 2012. William Craig, Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad. Old Saybrook, CT: Konecky & Konecky, 1972. Clayton Donnel, The Defense of Sevastopol, 1941–1942: The Soviet Perspective. Barnsley, UK: Pen & Sword Books Ltd., 2016.Anthony Tucker-Jones, Slaughter on the Eastern Front: Hitler and Stalin's War 1941–1945. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press, 2017. Wikipedia, Battle of the Caucasus. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Caucasus Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's coming up in Season 2.Thank you to all the Patreon supporters. https://www.patreon.com/BeyondBarbarossa Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 29 is the first anniversary! One year ago, on 22 June 2023, this podcast launched on the 81st anniversary of Operation Barbarossa. For this special episode, Kristaps Andrejsons joins to talk about podcasting, and the real-world impact of the Second World War on Latvian culture and society—impacts that people deal with to this day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From 16 June, the Germans kept coming closer. Even the Red Army knew the end was coming. Map: the Battle of Sevastopol, June 1942 The ruins of the Palace of Pioneers, Sevastopol, 1942 Sources: Clayton Donnell, The Defence of Sevastopol, 1941–1942: The Soviet Perspective. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Books, 2016Antony Beevor, The Second World War. London, UK: Little, Brown and Co., 2012. Petr A. Morgunov, Heroic Sevastopol. Moscow: Nauka, 1979 (Cited in Donnell, The Defence of Sevastopol, 1941–1942.)Anthony Tucker-Jones, Slaughter on the Eastern Front: Hitler and Stalin’s War 1941–1945. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press, 2017Wikipedia: various pages. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Crimea was a critical asset to hold for Germany's plans for its summer 1942 offensive. Especially its best harbour, and the base for the Soviet Black Sea Fleet: Sevastopol. Map: The Battle of Sevastopol, 1942 Figure 1: Western Crimea by satellite. Severnaya Bay is the long, narrow estuary going east from the Black Sea. Sevastopol is in the narrow bay that comes south from it. Figure 2: Sturmgeshutz III "StuG III" self-propelled assault gun Figure 3: Goliath disposable explosive vehicle Figure 4: Thor's brother, Karl-Geralt super-heavy mortarFigure 5: An unexploded 600-mm shell in Crimea, 1942Figure 6: Dora, the biggest gun ever made, firing 800 mm shells Figure 7: The sunken Abkhazia transport ship in Sevastopol Harbour, 1942 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

StAs the first anniversary of Operation Barbarossa approaches, the Soviet high command knows that the Germans are planning another major offensive. But the Germans have a way of surprising their enemies. Map 1: The Soviets push back the Germans, winter 1942Map 2: German Case Blue objectives, 1942Map 3: Leningrad front Sturmgeschutz III self-propelled assault gun Karl-Gestat super-heavy mortarSources:Clayton Donnell, The Defence of Sevastopol, 1941–1942: The Soviet Perspective. South Yorkshire, UK: Pen & Sword Military Books, 2016.Anthony Tucker-Jones, Slaughter on the Eastern Front: Hitler and Stalin's War 1941–1945. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press, 2017.Antony Beevor, The Second World War. London, UK: Little, Brown and Co., 2012. Wikipedia: Timeline of the Second World War, 1942— Karl-Gerat https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl-Gerat— Lend-Lease https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lend-Lease Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the spring of 1942. As the German Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe rebuild, the high command plans a new offensive in the east. Meanwhile, the Soviets strike back in Crimea and Kharkiv. Map 1: The Crimean peninsulaMap 2: Kerch peninsula Map 3: The Second Battle of KharkivSourcesAntony Beevor, The Second World War. London, UK: Little, Brown and Co., 2012. Ray Harris, The History of World War II podcast. https://worldwariipodcast.net David Glantz, Operation Barbarossa: Hitler's Invasion of Russia 1941. Stroud, Gloucestershire: The History Press, 2011David Stahel, Operation Typhoon: Hitler's March on Moscow, October 1941. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2013.David Stahel, Operation Barbarossa and Germany's Defeat in the East. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Stahel reveals the real reason that Operation Barbarossa failed, a conclusion he reached after the deepest research into wehrmacht records. Author of Operation Barbarossa and Germany's Defeat in the East, as well as several other books on the Second World War in the east, he's a Senior Lecturer in European History at the University of New South Wales in Canberra, Australia. He joins Beyond Barbarossa for an eye-opening conversation. David Stahel's books:Operation Barbarossa and Germany's Defeat in the East. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Kiev 1941: Hitler's Battle for Supremacy in the East. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2012. Operation Typhoon: Hitler's March on Moscow, October 1941. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2013. The Battle for Moscow. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2015. Retreat from Moscow: A new history of Germany's winter campaign, 1941–1942. New York: Picador, 2019.Hitler's Panzer Generals: Guderian, Hoepner, Reinhardt and Schmidt Unguarded. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, coming May 2023.As editor: With Alex J. Kay and Jeff Rutherford: Nazi Policy on the Eastern Front, 1941: Total War, Genocide, and Radicalization. University of Rochester Press, 2012. Joining Hitler's Crusade: European Nations and the Invasion of the Soviet Union, 1941. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2017. With Alex J. Kay: Mass Violence in Nazi-Occupied Europe. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 2018.With Craig W.H. Luther and R. L. DiNardo: Soldiers of Barbarossa: Combat, Genocide and Everyday Experiences on the Eastern Front, June–December 1941.Lanham, MD USA: Stackpole Books, 2020. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Stahel offers a fresh perspective on the Eastern Front, one that turns the common conception of the war upside-down. Author of The Battle for Moscow and several other books on the Second World War in the east, he's a Senior Lecturer in European History at the University of New South Wales in Canberra, Australia. He joins Beyond Barbarossa for an eye-opening conversation. David Stahel's books:Operation Barbarossa and Germany's Defeat in the East. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Kiev 1941: Hitler's Battle for Supremacy in the East. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2012. Operation Typhoon: Hitler's March on Moscow, October 1941. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2013. The Battle for Moscow. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2015. Retreat from Moscow: A new history of Germany's winter campaign, 1941–1942. New York: Picador, 2019.Hitler's Panzer Generals: Guderian, Hoepner, Reinhardt and Schmidt Unguarded. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, coming May 2023.As editor: With Alex J. Kay and Jeff Rutherford: Nazi Policy on the Eastern Front, 1941: Total War, Genocide, and Radicalization. University of Rochester Press, 2012. Joining Hitler's Crusade: European Nations and the Invasion of the Soviet Union, 1941. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2017. With Alex J. Kay: Mass Violence in Nazi-Occupied Europe. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 2018.With Craig W.H. Luther and R. L. DiNardo: Soldiers of Barbarossa: Combat, Genocide and Everyday Experiences on the Eastern Front, June–December 1941. Lanham, MD USA: Stackpole Books, 2020. Books about the Nazi occupation of Norway mentioned in the episode: J.L. Oakley, The Jossing Affair. J.L. Oakley, publisher, 2016.— The Quisling Factor. J.L. Oakley, publisher, 2020. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stalin orders a general counter-offensive designed to drive the Germans back to Berlin by the end of 1942. Does it work?Map 1: The Soviet counter-offensive, Winter 1941–1942Map 2: The Rzhev salientMap 3: The Lozovoya-Toropets offensiveSources: David Glantz, Operation Barbarossa: Hitler's Invasion of Russia, 1941. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press, 2011. Walter Kerr, The Russian Army: Its Men, Its Leaders and Its Battles. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1944.David Stahel, Retreat from Moscow: A New History of Germany's Winter Campaign, 1941_1942. New York, USA: Picador, 2020.—, Operation Typhoon: Hitler's March on Moscow, October 1941. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2013. Anthony Tucker-Jones, Slaughter on the Eastern Front: Hitler and Stalin's War 1941–1945. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press, 2017.Maps: Wikipedia. Sound effects: Zapsplat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After stopping Operation Barbarossa, at the opening of 1942, the Red Army launches a series of offensives to drive the Germans back to Berlin. A series of offensives that became a series of bloody failures. Map 1: The Soviet Winter Offensives, December 1941 – May 1942 Map 2: The Crimean Peninsula Map 3: The Kerch PeninsulaThe Red Army and Navy land on the eastern extremity of CrimeaMap 4: The Lyuban Offensive, or the Battle of Volkhov Map 5: The Demyansk Pocket Sources:Clayton Donnell, The Defence of Sevastopol, 1941–1942: The Soviet Perspective. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Books Ltd., 2016David Glantz, Operation Barbarossa: Hitler's Invasion of Russia 1941. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press, 2011David Stahel, Operation Typhoon: Hitler's March on Moscow, October 1941. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2013 David Stahel, Retreat from Moscow: A New History of Germany's Winter Campaign, 1941–1942. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2019 Anthony Tucker-Jones, Slaughter on the Eastern Front: Hitler and Stalin's War 1941–1945. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press, 2017 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A crucial prelude to Operation Barbarossa and the war on the Eastern Front of World War II: the Winter War between the USSR and Finland. Spoiler alert: The Soviet Union gets its ass kicked by a force less than half the size.This episode is the first part in a three-part series on the Winter War; parts 2 and 3 will be for supporters and members only. Map 1: The Mannerheim Line of Finnish defences across the Karelian Isthmus.Map 2: The USSR's four main attacks on Finland, 30 November 1939 Map 3: Soviet advances in the Karelian Isthmus, December 1939Map 4: Ladogo Karelia, north of Lake Ladoga Sources:Philip Jowett and Brent Snodgrass, Finland at War 1939–45. New York, NY: Osprey Publishing, 2006.Wikipedia: Timeline of World War II (1939)—: The Winter WarThe Winter War. Captivating History, 2020.Vesa Nenye, Peter Munter, Toni Wirtanen and Chris Birks, Finland at War: The Winter War, 1939–40. New York, NY: Osprey Publishing, 2018.Sound effects obtained from Zapsplat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A very special guest joins the podcast this week: the one and only Daniele Bolelli of the History on Fire podcast.Sources: The History on Fire podcasthttp://historyonfirepodcast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In December 1941, the German army meets its match: General Winter arrives. So do huge Soviet reinforcements, and the Wehrmacht's advance on Moscow halts and has to back up. Map 1: The Moscow Counter-Offensive, December 1941 Map 2: Tikhvin and Leningrad, Nobember 1941 Sources:David Glantz, Operation Barbarossa: Hitler's Invasion of Russia 1941. Stroud, Gloucestershire: The History Press, 2011David Stahel, Operation Typhoon: Hitler's March on Moscow, October 1941. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2013.David Stahel, Operation Barbarossa and Germany's Defeat in the East. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Anthony Tucker-Jones, Slaughter on the Eastern Front: Hitler and Stalin's War 1941-1945. Stroud, Gloucestershire: The History Press, 2017.Wikipedia, Timeline of World War II (1941). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_World_War_II_(1941) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ray Harris, 'caster of the History of World War II Podcast, joins me to talk about the significance of the Eastern Front of the Second World War, and some of the surprises he found in his work.https://worldwariipodcast.net/all-podcasts/ Interested in World War II history? Check out Ray's podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What was life like for the people living in the lands occupied by nazi German in the East? We take a close look. LinkRemembering the Holodomor: Ukraine Without Hype podcasthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-35-remembering-the-holodomor/id1537219548?i=1000587845635Sources: Paul Robert Magosci, A History of Ukraine. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1996. Shevchenko Scientific Society, Volodymyr Kubijovyc, editor, Ukraine: A Concise Encyclopedia. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1963.Orest Subtelny, Ukraine: A History. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2000. Wikipedia: The Eastern Front of World War II.- Generalgouvernement- Reichskommissariat Ostland- Reichskommissariat Ukraine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of my favourite podcasters, Sebastian Major of Our Fake History, joins me for a talk about historical myths about the Eastern Front of World War II. It's one of the best podcasts out there about history. Listen to it on your preferred podcasting app, and find it at OurFakeHistory.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The battle for Crimea is almost a microcosm of the entire war on the Eastern Front of World War II. Satellite photo of southern Crimea: Severnaya Bay is the long, narrow bay curving upward into the land. Sevastopol is located on the smaller bay at right angles. This image was taken by the Nasa Expedition 20 crew. - NASA Earth Observatory. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Map source: Nations Online Project. https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/map/Crimea-map.htm Other sources:Clayton Donnell, The Defence of Sevastopol, 1941–1942: The Soviet Perspective. Barnsley, UK: Pen & Sword Books Ltd., 2016.David Glantz, Operation Barbarossa: Hitler's Invasion of Russia 1941. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press, 2011. David Stahel, Operation Barbarossa and Germany's Defeat in the East. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A conversation with Larysa Zariczniak, host and producer of the Wandering the Edge podcast on Ukrainian culture and history, with a spot of travel—when Ukraine isn't being invaded. We spoke about Ukrainian culture, history, parallels between 1941 and 2022, and what the experiences of those two periods can tell us about the Ukrainian cultural identity.Wandering the Edge is available on all podcasting platforms. Visit the website at WanderingTheEdge.net. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 900 Days of Leningrad's siege saw the greatest destruction in modern history, and the larges loss of life in a modern city. It dwarfed urban campaigns elsewhere in the Second World War by a factor of magnitude. This episode links this immense struggle with the rest of the war in the East. Map 1: Finnish and Soviet forces on the eve of Barbarossa, 1941 Map 2: Finnish offensive operations in Karelia, summer and autumn, 1941 Map 3: The siege of Leningrad Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The German 36th Mountain Corps moves through Lapland to cut the vital Murmansk Railroad to Leningrad. But under the midnight sun, it meets a foe even more difficult than the Red Army.Map 1: Finland 1940-41The red area around Salla is the target for the 36th Mountain Corps. Figure 1: Finnish soldiers moving through the Arctic forest on their way to the Murmansk railroad Sources:David Glantz, Operation Barbarossa: Hitler's Invasion of Russia 1941. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press, 2011.David Stahel, Operation Barbarossa and Germany's Defeat in the East. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2009.Operation Silver Fox: The History of Nazi Germany's Arctic Invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II. Charles River Editors, 2016.Timeline of World War II (1941). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_World_War_II_(1941) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Operation Silver Fox in the farthest northern reaches of continental Europe had a direct impact on the war in the Eastern Front.Map 1: Finland from 1920 to 1938Map 2: The Winter War, 1939-1940Map 3: Areas Finland ceded to the USSR after the Winter War Sources: Operation Silver Fox: The History of Nazi Germany's Arctic Invasion of the Soviet Union During World War IIPublished by Charles River Editors, 2016Operation Barbarossa and Germany's Defeat in the East, by David Stahel. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2009. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My apologies. It will be another week for the full episode 10 on Operation Silver Fox. BUT there is a bonus episode available for supporters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

German's final, final assault on the capital of the USSR in November 1941. Map 1: The Battle of Moscow, November 1941.Map 20: The bigger picture. Source: U.S. Army archives. Soviets fighting back during "offensive weather":Rasputitsa: Defense of Moscow: Women militia training in Moscow, fall 1941:New T-34 tanks roll off the assembly line, 1941Soviet air power: The Yakovlev Yak fighterIlyushin Il-2 in flight near Moscow, December 1941Winter Abandoned German vehicles in the snow, on the highway from Volokolamsk to Moscow, December 1941:Wrecked Panzer III, December 1941: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Wehrmacht assembles its biggest concentrated force for the largest single campaign of Operation Barbarossa. Image 1: German half-track, deep in the mud of rasputitsa. Image 2: Pulling vehicles through the mud of Russia in fall. Image 3: Eventually, the Germans had to resort to horses to haul even their field guns during rasputitsa. Map: The push toward Moscow in the fall of 1941. If you enjoyed this podcast, consider leaving a five-star rating on your preferred podcaster.You can also support the podcast through Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/BeyondBarbarossaSources: David M. Glantz: Operation Barbarossa: Hitler's Invasion of Russia 1941. Stroud, Gloucesgershire, UK, The History Press, 2013. Peter G. Tsouras, editor: Fighting in Hell: The German Ordeal on the Eastern Front. New York, NY: Ivy Books, 1995.David Stahel: Operation Typhoon: Hitler's March on Moscow, October 1941. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2013. David Stahel: Operation Barbarossa and Germany's Defeat in the East. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sponsor: The Eastern Front Trilogy by Scott BuryThe true story of a Canadian drafted into the Soviet Red Army in World War II. https://scottburyauthor.com/books/the-eastern-front-trilogy/As the Germans strangle Leningrad and sweep across Ukraine, we can see just how complicated the Eastern Front is, and how connected to events and decisions a world away. Map 1: Closing on Leningrad.Photos: RasputitsaHorses sank up to their bellies in mud in Ukraine during rasputitsa. Even tracked vehicles became mired in the deep mud. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Having captured most of Ukraine and with a choke-hold on Leningrad, Germany appears to be winning as it advances on Moscow. But the big picture looks different close up. The Battle of Smolensk may just be the big turning point in the was in the East. This episode sponsored by The Eastern Front Trilogy, the true story of a Canadian drafted into the Red Army in World War II. The Eastern Front Trilogy.All proceeds from the sales of The Eastern Front Trilogy in paperback or its constituent e-books will go to helping Ukrainian refugees until all Ukrainians can return home safe from Russian military aggression. Contact the author by email to [email protected] Support the podcast on Patreon.Map 1: The situation in the summer of 1941Map 2: The Battle of Smolensk The best tank of the war: the Soviet T34 This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Attribution: Лишь человек The Soviet KV-1 heavy tank The Soviet PTRD-41 anti-tank gun Source: RIA Novosti archive, image #4408 / N. Bode / CC-BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The Katyusha The Katyusha in action This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.Attribution: RIA Novosti archive, image #303890 / Zelma / CC-BY-SA 3.0 Books cited in this episode: David Glantz: Operation Barbarossa: Hitler's Invasion of Russia 1941. Stroud, Gloucetershire, UK, 2011. David Stahel: Operation Barbarossa and Germany's Defeat in the East. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.