After his failure at Smolensk and pushing his command into the unnecessary battle at Yelnia he should have been sacked. Complete primadonna and not a team player.
Very true, he often outran his flanks on his way to Moscow leaving his two flanks, one on the north, the other south, dangerously exposed, something no seasoned General would ever do especially if food and fuel was a life and death balance on the Russian front.
Absolutely fantastic video, very detailed and accurate! In Russia, it is the battles of Moscow and Stalingrad that are considered the most important and biggest turning points then comes Kursk and Berlin. My great-grandpa was leading that fight against Gudarian in the 1st Guards Cavalry Corps as a swordsman, his unit was the most responsible for driving the Panzer Corp back and the soldiers in the Red Army had a song about how the cavalry stopped the mighty tank army that conquered all of Europe!
This excellent piece confirms, what we have learnt from others. Majority of German army transportation was on foot and with horses; vast Soviet land; weather (mud and winter); great Soviet resources in manpower, manufacture/weapons, fuel, energy and food; and not the least, will power not to give up (unlike French).
You mean unlike the British, they're the ones who ran away from the battle in 1940. They did it again in 1942 at Singapore. Learn something about history before posting rubbish and making a fool of yourself.
Moscow on 22 July was NOT the most important objective, destruction of the Western Russian Army was objective. The plan was to encircle and destroy it before it could retreat. However the Germans hadn't realized that the Soviets were deployed in two echelons with a third echelon forming.
Wagnarian Opera Indeed. However this was no dramatic Romanticist struggle and sacrifice for a higher morality. It was, (and the soldiers and Generals knew what they were fighting for), a purposeful attempt to wipe out a culture and people that had lived in this area for millenia.(U.S.A. "manifest destiny" sounds about right). Just remember why more than how.
@@Styx8314 I don’t make the mistake of conflating Bolshevism and Russianism as one. It was a crusade against Bolshevism is what it was and the only one exterminating the Russian people was Stalin both before the war and during the war by sending countless millions of them towards their death against German bullets
I can watch WW2 videos especially of the Eastern Front over and over again because the battles were so epic throughout the war. The casualties were like no other war in history and we have the previous holder of greatest human destruction of WW1 to measure this against. Smolensko? Seriously is there a real person narrating this video or what. Disappointing
Being interpreted into many different languages sir. People do the best they can. Using some local pronunciations also im certain. Some place names altered over time.
Interesting and informative. Excellent photography job enabling viewers to better understand what the orator was describing. Professional class A research project!!! Special thanks to veteran soldiers/civilians sharing personal information/combat experiences making this documentary more authentic and. Possible. Fighting/perishing/surviving knowing certain death/debilitating wounds were often possible. Yet still advanced forward regardless of the consequences. That's true grit style determination to succeed. Had the disillusioned amphetamine addict Hitler. Not deviated from invading/conquering Moscow. Gave general Zhukov enough time to reorganize his demoralized forces. And reinforce the perimeter of Moscow thus denying General Guderian easy access to the Kremlin. Moscow was the transportation hub of Russia. Who's rail 🚆 way system reached to the eastern border with China. Making it possible to rail 🚆 infantry troops to the eastern front. Confronting the invading German forces with very high casualty rates. Once again disillusioned leadership in Berlin lead to further military blunders. Not allowing the experienced/seasoned generals whom were at the front guide military operations.
You neglect the fact that they where only focused on the battles and heir hitler had to focus on the actual ability to supply theses armies and the logistics- well failures didn’t all just fall on Hitler. The German army still moved on foot and horse back and the delay’s in advancing allowed the weather to help the Russians defeat the German Wehrmacht
@@JDDC-tq7qm...you're forgetting that circumstances were vastly different in 1941 from what they were in 1812!!! Regardless, the Russians have a long history of eventually expelling invaders of their country: even if the Germans had been able to conquer the USSR, the Germans would have NEVER been able to hold on to it- THERE WERE JUST TOO DAM MANY RUSSIANS, and the Germans couldn't possibly kill them fast enough!!!
@@JDDC-tq7qm yeah but logistics back then were horse and mule not railways. Moscow was the center that connected the north and south, a major intersection. It would have paralyzed the military with no access to fuel and trucks from the lend lease program from America. It all came through Moscow.
It appears to me that Stalin might always have thought during the commencement of Operation Barbarossa, that the Soviet Union would never be defeated by Germany, however many Red Army conscripts were killed or captured by the Heer. It might also be that Stalin believed that whatever the situation may be, the German forces would never be at an advantage. The Soviet attitude towards Stalin seems to be that of a flock towards their shepherd.
Here's your problem Fritz. Panzer Divisions can advanced rapidly but don't have the bayonet strength to consolidate. The infantry Divisions are marching hundreds of kilometers. I will presume that they are not air mobile. Infiltrate with small teams to attack the panzers. Slip blocking detachments behind the Panzer Divisions to harass the infantry Divisions. If done well this might cause a blitzkrieg backwards
Army Group North was supposed to have captured Leningrad, and then move south on Moscow for the envelopment in concert with AGC. However after the capture of Kiev, a city in which the Russians heavily mined with delayed action bombs, it has been speculated that Hitler was less adamant about occupying urban areas. Hence, Hitler settled on a siege strategy, tying up the whole of AGN essentially for the rest of the war. Though the Nazis did make an assault on Moscow, they did so with far less troops than originally planned. At that point, an encirclement was not possible.
The Japanese ground army would not have had a chance against the red army, there was zero infrastructure in that part of Siberia, even the Germans could have gone as far as the Astrachan Archangels line, because after that it would have been impossible to supply the army. Not to mention that the Japanese had to fight an equally fanatical Soviet enemy.
I do not understand why Germans thought the fall of Moscow would be the end of the Soviets war effort. Germany was bound to loose this battle on June 22 1941.
German failure was not a given until Stalingrad and Kursk. We do not know how close or far Germany was from victory in 1941. On December 5 1941, the Germans had lost ~> 1 million troops, and the Soviets ~3 million troops, but apparently Germany was nowhere near victory.
@@jrus690 even Kursk was a glorified rearguard action. The Germans simply could not hold back the Russians. Their country was just too big. Stalingrad of course was stupidity on Hitlers' part.
@@jrus690 you are thinking on a small scale. War is just as just as much about logistics as manpower, if not more. Germany never had the logistics to conquer Russia it was just far too big of a land mass. The only hope was for a 1917-esq collapse of the Soviets. Any hope in defeating the Soviets was a delusion of grandeur. The Wehrmact performed a war game and the Commander Officer, Friedrich Paulus (the same Paulus that commanded the 6th Army at Stalingrad), concluded that Germany did not have the logistical capability to perform a successful invasion of Russia. The French was well ahead of 99% of the Soviet Union when it comes to infrastructure. On the other hand the Soviet Union hardly had any infrastructure and the little it had was all in the west. The further into the Soviet the harder things would be. No eating off the land on the steppe and no one to steal from. It should've never happened and Hitler put idealism over logic, which was his biggest flaw.
The west never understood that in order to win against the Soviets one would have to attack from the East and also the West near Vladivostok. Unfortunately, Japan wasn’t interested in aiding Nazi Germany by attacking from this front but had they done so, the war with the Soviets would of been over by October 1943! Two attacking world powers, one from the East, the other from the West would have surely destroyed any hope for aid from the US and Britian reaching the Soviets. Even the southern route by the Caucasus would eventually close due to the Nazis and Imperial Japanese linking up near Central Kazakhstan. But as fate would have it, the Germans and Japanese couldn’t and didn’t realize the importance of attacking the Soviets from two sides to bring a quick end.
Japan was in a stalemate with china their armies would have gotten wrecked if they invaded russia also they need resources anyways and america would likely embargo them if they did invade Soviet Union so it makes no sense
Russia is too vast for that to happen and Japan did not have the resources or manpower, if Japan didn't have China control. to deal with they still couldn't afford the equipment and soldiers to cross 4 or 5 timezones. Also mother nature that year would have delt them the same fate as the Natzis.
i would love to know why if the Germans were so Exhausted they continued to push so hard towards Moscow in that condition? Didn't they know at that time the Russian fight force numbers?
The Germans knew about it, and they were in very rough shape, but they had also massed up for the lunge for Moscow. They would not just quit after coming so far.
Strategic Question: If the Wehrmacht had focused solely (or very nearly so) on occupying the Soviet Capital (center of everything) would Germany have won this titanic struggle? I ask because Hitler stupidly ordered this forces to go willy nilly in search of easy wins.
I've seen a documentary where Guderian wanted to take his tanks & attack straight to Moscow or Stalingrad. Eventhough, his infantry hadn't caught up. However, his point was that at that moment the whole Soviet Army was in such confusion & disarray. Retreating, surrendering, getting their butts kicked, & thouroughly out classed from one end of the battle field to the other. At that point with the momentum with the Germans. And then for the Soviets to suddenly see German tanks already in the streets of Moscow, would have been devistating. And, beyond belief for the soviets. But, Hitler said "no". And, here's the thing that I think is ironic. Stalin had purged his military of most of it's best leaders. And, Hitler new this. And he is famous for saying.."We but have to kick the door in". "And, the whole rotten mess will fall down". Now there is Gudarian offering to do that very thing. It was Hitlers own words embodied, come to life. And, Hitler didn't see it. Of course the world couldn't have the NAZI's win. I'm just sayen how odd that his own words were so prophetic. Yet when the moment came, he is the one that missed it.
Good but not great. Subject description is extremely superficial. Completely omitted logistics analysis, makes whole described events unclear, also creates a false impression of the Typhoon operation. It is not my task to clear it , since it would involve about 2 hours explaining why German army started Typhoon Operation having supplies only for 14 days of combat. These operation is greatest military success of all time, and great military blunder in the same time. Success - because 3 Russian fronts collapsed with over 1 000 000 soldiers. Nobody ever in human history before or after lost so many soldiers and equipment. Blunder - because it was supposed to end the war. Instead - Brauchitsch had to report to Hitler, that after annihilating 1 000 000 russian soldiers, there's another army in front of Wehrmacht. And Halder had to report, that red army regenerates and resupplies faster, than wehrmacht. It involves of hours explanations on how Russians won the war in 41-42 by losing every single battle. And why after whole operation Hitler called Wilhelm Otto Max Kleinmann to his Headquarter, and in extremely aggressive ton communicated him: "It's all entirely your fault! Gestapo will take care of you!". But why it happened, and if he was right or not, it's entirely other, long and fascinated story. Story about how to lose a war by winning every single battle. Best regards.
When I heard SmolenskO, instead of Smolensk, I thought I heard wrong... then SmolenskO sounded again and yet again. At the fourth time, I quit this roll. Evidently, a narrator deserves no credibility, one who does not know the proper name of one of the oldest European and Russian cities, esp important for the sake of this particular video ... once such a non-trivial mistake is repeatedly made, then everything else in the clip clearly has no dependability. Stopped watching, disliked and voted for misinformation!
Everyone always believes that the Wehrmacht was the same as the Nazis. yes they were fighting under the Nazi Government and forced by the Government to join the Nazi party , But everyone was forced to become a member or you would be considered a enemy of the state. With that said , The German Wehrmacht was the greatest fighting force of the time. That was despite Hitler and the Nazis. After Hitlers blunder at Stalingrad, It was Guderian's Tactics at kharkiv that saved the whole German from total collapse. Hitler gave orders not to give one inch of ground. Guderian deceived Hitlers orders and set a trap for the Reds and they walked right into it. If Hitler just listened to Guderian ideas , he would have made it so costly to the Russians they would be forced to sue for peace.
@@blrenx Loss of food would have sealed the fate of the soviets (unless helped by foreign powers fighting for communism) The soviets got enough food from the USA to feed its soldiers for the rest of the war, 12 million boots , 60 percent aluminum and steel, a lot of tin , 90 percent of railway equipment ( the soviets would never have been able to conduct offensives so fast and transfer their main armies to critical points , 300000 trucks were given , 65 percent of aviation fuel and much more apart from 15 percent tanks ,aircrafts Soviet sympathizers say "only 15 per cent was given to USSR"
@@waynelittle646 You're right , FDR like the rest of the Government at the time wanted to turn America into socialism. We should have never stuck our nose into that war, But FDR forced it behind the scenes.I just learned the truth about the Battle of Kursk and it was nothing close to what we were told. Like they say, History is written buy the victors. It really makes me wonder what really happen in that war
You guys are funny Poles took Moscow when Russia was at it's worse time (Time of troubles) but they were driven out of Russia the same thing would happen to Germans
Even before things got brutal at Yelnya, the 7th Panzer Division was down to FIVE (5) Mark III tanks -- ZERO Mark (0) IV tanks -- TWO (2) Mark II tanks. Its corps 'buddy' at the time, Das Reich had no tanks at all, so once some tanks were repaired, the 7th had to send a clutch of tanks, a task force, north to help DR with its immobile defense. The pop history notion that the panzer force was in ANY condition to drive on to the East is false. Adolf was right. Guderian had totally run beyond Germany's logistical ability. The idea of going north with Hoth, south with Guderian was inspired by un-destroyed logistics -- the railways -- to the north and south. Along the main axis, Stalin had replicated the defense schemes used against Napoleon, scorched earth. To do this, the Red Army had to totally focus its manpower. The zones to the north and south were thus, untouched; the Red Army was still using them. This was that early in the campaign. THIS is why Guderian was the ONLY general who seriously advocated going further east. In his accounts, he never mentions this little detail. This meeting occurred primarily because of the utter destruction of the Luftwaffe's Ju-52 fleet! Kept top secret for years, even after the war, the Germans had destroyed their cargo planes as they attempted to land on scarcely prepared farm fields -- crushing their landing gear! Hundreds of these planes were now sited all along the route of advance, unable to fly. [ On a total panic basis, the RLM designed a field-fix kit. It took weeks for these to reach the front, repairing the Ju-52s, bringing them back into service.* ] These landings were the sole reason for Guderian and Hoth's rapid advance. Fuel trucks were actually unable to get through the perpetual traffic jams to refuel the tanks -- and everything else. To keep the jump going, Guderian had been flying in an amazing amount of fuel -- and spare parts -- such as oil for his air filters -- just to keep his tanks rolling. [ For modern readers, the air filters you know of from your automobile did not exist in 1941. The technology had not been invented. Engines of that period used induced/forced air flow through a wire mesh wicking oil -- because of engine vibration. When such engines roll through Russia/North Africa -- they gobble up this oil -- it is plain motor oil -- same as in the crankcase. THIS is what is causing the mechanics to stay up all night. By the time of Yelnya, the Krauts had diverted so much motor oil to their air filters that their engines were being ruined by tardy oil changes. I'm talking about the entire tank force, all at the same time. Any tank with a dead engine is itself a dead duck. No wonder the Kraut generals sought a pause in operations. All engines at the front were on their last legs, nothing could be flown in, and the boys were utterly exhausted. But Guderian was ready to rumble! From this point forward, everything was being held together with bailing wire and chewing gum -- sometimes, even duck tape. * The RLM then designed a total replacement air cargo plane. (Ar 232) When Stalingrad called for air supply, it was still in prototype. The US Army/ US Air Force studied Stalingrad, the Chosen fiasco and so Lockheed (Kaiser & Hughes) designed the C-130 -- which is still flying, today. The USAAF never attempted to land on unprepared strips, inventing the landing mat, instead. ( Biplanes COULD land on pastures -- so light -- so slow. )
@@JohnCaliston-e3h There are films of P-38s landing in Alaska -- with the strip flooded with water. What the viewer is not told is that particular plane is then grounded. It's engines have been so contaminated they must be replaced. No-one would take them into the air again. It's not just a case of landing. The issue really is -- 'can you take off again?' The honest answer is NO. The C-47/ DC-3 was originally designed to survive landing in farm fields. Think what was normal practice circa 1931. Douglas wanted civilians to know that their plane could survive any trouble by just landing -- dang near anywhere. This notion is now utterly alien to passengers. But, we do see, in Russia, in Siberia, that modern jets CAN land all over. They just can't fly again. (!) That does get expensive. In the Pacific Campaign, mud was a nightmare almost everywhere. Which is why the landing mat was given such a priority for the Pacific. In Europe, the 'landing mat' was repurposed chicken fencing. (!) My own Father delivered same to the British in 1944. He was in an engineering battalion whose primary mission was none other than these landing mats. If you Google around, you can find a training film on instant road construction where sand is an issue (North Africa) that shows EXACTLY what this matting entailed. Its original purpose was road construction for TORCH. Then it was discovered that it proved most useful to hold down sand back at the air strip. Because of its flimsy ( incredibly cheap ) construction, the boys had to stay at the strip, repairing it over and over. The Krauts were landing on fields that had been plowed -- but not harrowed. The dunces in the German Army kept cracking up their Ju-52 fleet all during the first weeks of their campaign. I don't think Guderian realized what was up. Field grade officers dared not tell Heinz the bad news. In all of their wargaming, the Krauts had totally forgotten traffic jams. In peacetime, Germany had so few motor vehicles, that it had never witnessed a traffic jam that turned into a parking lot. Yes, the phenomenon was that novel... for Germany. Not the USA. This situation occurred during Market-Garden. It's why the British dared not land their gliders on the island between Arnhem and Nijimegan. It's even brought up in the film.
Nicely ungiased. In truth the Germans facing a real Soviet Union would have had their shit pushed back in. But superior tech and a Russian population that were yearning to be free helped the Germans nearly conquer them
It was a big mistake to turn south to Kiev. If Guderian had steamed on to Moscow in August Russia would have crumbled. Stalin knew this & had a peace offer ready. Kiev got him off.
That even I'm not sure of it. I have to admit I was taken back by it & it's not the only word that's spelled like that. I would've considered an error but there's quite a few of them to be just errors methinks... At least we know what cities it's talked about.
@@zillsburyy1 Hitler's diversion of forces is largely why the southern front, the strongest front at the onset of the war, completely collapsed with the largest encirclement in history at Kiev proving devastating to the Red army. Those units would have just been redeployed to Moscow and used in its defense, notable as the conscripts were of a much lower combat quality than the men encircled at the southern front.
Wouldn't have happened. German logistics were amateurish and could they barely feed their horses (during the Stalingrad campaign for example, more train capacity was committed to veterinary and horse fodder than for food and ammunition). The German Quartermaster, Wagner, predicted that the Germans would only be able to sustain continuous operations as far as Smolensk.
In 28 march 1933 Atatürk watched a propaganda film sent by hitler: After they had watched it Atatürk says: "This man as you have seen in the film started as necessity of the role the work with a strike. Today he has the germany's all military power behind him. Tomorrow he will start a war. He and copying him mussolini are busy preparing for the war. Yes in a near future they will start the war. They will start it because they are not soldiers, they do not know what war is. War is a disaster, especially for this allies it is a certain death. Luck has given germany such land that it is destined to stay between two fires. With blindly desires, no calculations and automatic army they will tremendously show strength but as soon as they get heart/handicapped from one side they will be smashed. That industrious people will be overrun and there will be no hitler or his organisation. mussolini has none seen eager, as soon his master has disappeared he will be gone."
One only has to kick down the front door and the whole rotten structure will come crashing down. ...My Furor there's another structure. And another and another and another and another and another. and........
Really good, can’t understand you aren’t more popular. I like the neutral voice! No crazy shit, just telling the information.
Eastern front; the most savage war of all time!
Nothing can be compared to Eastern front ww2
@@JDDC-tq7qmTrue in WW2, but Napoleons campaign in Russia was a slaughter house.
@@kungfuwitcher7621that was the prequel
The largest land invasion of all time tends to lead to that
You did excellent work with this,Sergio.
It's a AI voice
@@methamphetamineaddict5217 Yes. Which explains frequent name mispronunciations.
Perfect as usual ❤
I really enjoy these documentaries.
Guderian should have been awarded the rank of field marshal for his leadership of PzG 2 in Operations Barbarossa and Typhoon
After his failure at Smolensk and pushing his command into the unnecessary battle at Yelnia he should have been sacked. Complete primadonna and not a team player.
Very true, he often outran his flanks on his way to Moscow leaving his two flanks, one on the north, the other south, dangerously exposed, something no seasoned General would ever do especially if food and fuel was a life and death balance on the Russian front.
According to Hitler, for you to be awarded the rank of field marshal, that meant you lost the battle. Just ask Field Marshal Paulus.
@@whutdatytopsy9651Rommel? Von Bock?
Agree but listen to the expert commenters. 😂
Guderian just about invented Blitzkrieg.
If he couldn't do it then no one could.
Absolutely fantastic video, very detailed and accurate! In Russia, it is the battles of Moscow and Stalingrad that are considered the most important and biggest turning points then comes Kursk and Berlin. My great-grandpa was leading that fight against Gudarian in the 1st Guards Cavalry Corps as a swordsman, his unit was the most responsible for driving the Panzer Corp back and the soldiers in the Red Army had a song about how the cavalry stopped the mighty tank army that conquered all of Europe!
lol such bullshit
Hopefully you are not in the Russian nazi army invading Ukrainia!
This may be a silly question, but did he fight with a sword instead of a gun?
excellent content! outstanding analysis. well done!
This excellent piece confirms, what we have learnt from others. Majority of German army transportation was on foot and with horses; vast Soviet land; weather (mud and winter); great Soviet resources in manpower, manufacture/weapons, fuel, energy and food; and not the least, will power not to give up (unlike French).
would not say they are a great resource of food the loss of Ukraine
Napoleon Bonoparte, Bismarck and Kaiser Wilhelm II killed off most of real French manhood. Not much of it left by 1940.
The French generals lost the war, not the soldiers.
You forgot the loads of material that the allies sent to Stalin: flat bed trucks, ammo, spare parts and medical supplies.😆
You mean unlike the British, they're the ones who ran away from the battle in 1940. They did it again in 1942 at Singapore. Learn something about history before posting rubbish and making a fool of yourself.
Moscow on 22 July was NOT the most important objective, destruction of the Western Russian Army was objective. The plan was to encircle and destroy it before it could retreat. However the Germans hadn't realized that the Soviets were deployed in two echelons with a third echelon forming.
Paulus tried to tell Hitler, but?
Good history Channel
The greatest historic epic, mark my words, in generations to come, Barbarossa will be the Wagnerian epic of millennia
Ugh. Wagnerian Racial bullshit.
Wagnarian Opera Indeed. However this was no dramatic Romanticist struggle and sacrifice for a higher morality. It was, (and the soldiers and Generals knew what they were fighting for), a purposeful attempt to wipe out a culture and people that had lived in this area for millenia.(U.S.A. "manifest destiny" sounds about right). Just remember why more than how.
@@Styx8314 I don’t make the mistake of conflating Bolshevism and Russianism as one. It was a crusade against Bolshevism is what it was and the only one exterminating the Russian people was Stalin both before the war and during the war by sending countless millions of them towards their death against German bullets
The comparison with the Monroe doctrine and the conduct by 19th century US is valid. Apparently Hitler enjoyed Hollywood westerns!
😊love ur docs always quoklatey
👍👍🔥🔥🙌🙌👌👌🙏🤲 thank you 😊😊
I can watch WW2 videos especially of the Eastern Front over and over again because the battles were so epic throughout the war. The casualties were like no other war in history and we have the previous holder of greatest human destruction of WW1 to measure this against. Smolensko? Seriously is there a real person narrating this video or what. Disappointing
Being interpreted into many different languages sir. People do the best they can. Using some local pronunciations also im certain. Some place names altered over time.
Interesting and informative. Excellent photography job enabling viewers to better understand what the orator was describing. Professional class A research project!!! Special thanks to veteran soldiers/civilians sharing personal information/combat experiences making this documentary more authentic and. Possible. Fighting/perishing/surviving knowing certain death/debilitating wounds were often possible. Yet still advanced forward regardless of the consequences. That's true grit style determination to succeed. Had the disillusioned amphetamine addict Hitler. Not deviated from invading/conquering Moscow. Gave general Zhukov enough time to reorganize his demoralized forces. And reinforce the perimeter of Moscow thus denying General Guderian easy access to the Kremlin. Moscow was the transportation hub of Russia. Who's rail 🚆 way system reached to the eastern border with China. Making it possible to rail 🚆 infantry troops to the eastern front. Confronting the invading German forces with very high casualty rates. Once again disillusioned leadership in Berlin lead to further military blunders. Not allowing the experienced/seasoned generals whom were at the front guide military operations.
You neglect the fact that they where only focused on the battles and heir hitler had to focus on the actual ability to supply theses armies and the logistics- well failures didn’t all just fall on Hitler.
The German army still moved on foot and horse back and the delay’s in advancing allowed the weather to help the Russians defeat the German Wehrmacht
The madman send guderian to the south if not he would have taken Moscow
at moscow germans realized that all of a sudden they no longer face poorly armed border troops wich consisted mostly of ukranians.
Even if the Germans took Moscow it wouldn’t have ended the war. It would have been a big victory like Kiev but not overwhelming decisive
Some major Military Historians think it may have caused the collapse of the Soviet Union because of the major railheads and moral blow.
@@jorgen-55 K.
Napoleon took Moscow but Russians never surrendered
@@JDDC-tq7qm...you're forgetting that circumstances were vastly different in 1941 from what they were in 1812!!!
Regardless, the Russians have a long history of eventually expelling invaders of their country: even if the Germans had been able to conquer the USSR, the Germans would have NEVER been able to hold on to it- THERE WERE JUST TOO DAM MANY RUSSIANS, and the Germans couldn't possibly kill them fast enough!!!
@@JDDC-tq7qm yeah but logistics back then were horse and mule not railways. Moscow was the center that connected the north and south, a major intersection. It would have paralyzed the military with no access to fuel and trucks from the lend lease program from America. It all came through Moscow.
good vid. am glad not there. was 82nd ab medic and escaped war, but i was available.
Whats a Smolensko?...Do you mean Smolensk?
If Guderian couldn't do it then no one could.
great
It appears to me that Stalin might always have thought during the commencement of Operation Barbarossa, that the Soviet Union would never be defeated by Germany, however many Red Army conscripts were killed or captured by the Heer. It might also be that Stalin believed that whatever the situation may be, the German forces would never be at an advantage. The Soviet attitude towards Stalin seems to be that of a flock towards their shepherd.
As the brain washed German army?
Germans tried to eradicate their people. Hard to assume anybody wouldn't do the same
Here's your problem Fritz. Panzer Divisions can advanced rapidly but don't have the bayonet strength to consolidate. The infantry Divisions are marching hundreds of kilometers. I will presume that they are not air mobile. Infiltrate with small teams to attack the panzers. Slip blocking detachments behind the Panzer Divisions to harass the infantry Divisions. If done well this might cause a blitzkrieg backwards
Guderian and War Academy channel❤
was it feasible putting moscow under siege instead of trying to take the city ?
after what happened with leningrad, i dont think they were even able to siege it or even take it.
Army Group North was supposed to have captured Leningrad, and then move south on Moscow for the envelopment in concert with AGC. However after the capture of Kiev, a city in which the Russians heavily mined with delayed action bombs, it has been speculated that Hitler was less adamant about occupying urban areas. Hence, Hitler settled on a siege strategy, tying up the whole of AGN essentially for the rest of the war. Though the Nazis did make an assault on Moscow, they did so with far less troops than originally planned. At that point, an encirclement was not possible.
It didnt work in Leningrad. They beseiged the living sh## out of poor Leningrad, and it still didnt work.
The narrator is calling Smolensk "Smolensko" but on the map it shows Smolensk, silly😅
It feels like the final final final charge of Zelinsky conscripts 🤣
When Napoleon captured Moscow the Russians did not surrender but went on to DESTROY the Grand Army....
Exactly. Taking Moscow doesn't defeat the Soviets.
The German debacle before Moscow definitely swayed Japan to stay out of Siberia and instead focus on conquering SE Asia.
The Japanese ground army would not have had a chance against the red army, there was zero infrastructure in that part of Siberia, even the Germans could have gone as far as the Astrachan Archangels line, because after that it would have been impossible to supply the army. Not to mention that the Japanese had to fight an equally fanatical Soviet enemy.
I do not understand why Germans thought the fall of Moscow would be the end of the Soviets war effort. Germany was bound to loose this battle on June 22 1941.
Neither do I, and Germany was condemned to lose this war already from the beginning, it was just a too big of a bite for them!!!
German failure was not a given until Stalingrad and Kursk. We do not know how close or far Germany was from victory in 1941. On December 5 1941, the Germans had lost ~> 1 million troops, and the Soviets ~3 million troops, but apparently Germany was nowhere near victory.
The answer starts with an ' H '
@@jrus690 even Kursk was a glorified rearguard action. The Germans simply could not hold back the Russians. Their country was just too big. Stalingrad of course was stupidity on Hitlers' part.
@@jrus690 you are thinking on a small scale. War is just as just as much about logistics as manpower, if not more. Germany never had the logistics to conquer Russia it was just far too big of a land mass. The only hope was for a 1917-esq collapse of the Soviets. Any hope in defeating the Soviets was a delusion of grandeur. The Wehrmact performed a war game and the Commander Officer, Friedrich Paulus (the same Paulus that commanded the 6th Army at Stalingrad), concluded that Germany did not have the logistical capability to perform a successful invasion of Russia. The French was well ahead of 99% of the Soviet Union when it comes to infrastructure. On the other hand the Soviet Union hardly had any infrastructure and the little it had was all in the west. The further into the Soviet the harder things would be. No eating off the land on the steppe and no one to steal from. It should've never happened and Hitler put idealism over logic, which was his biggest flaw.
Is that empire earth i heard at the end?!
The west never understood that in order to win against the Soviets one would have to attack from the East and also the West near Vladivostok. Unfortunately, Japan wasn’t interested in aiding Nazi Germany by attacking from this front but had they done so, the war with the Soviets would of been over by October 1943!
Two attacking world powers, one from the East, the other from the West would have surely destroyed any hope for aid from the US and Britian reaching the Soviets. Even the southern route by the Caucasus would eventually close due to the Nazis and Imperial Japanese linking up near Central Kazakhstan. But as fate would have it, the Germans and Japanese couldn’t and didn’t realize the importance of attacking the Soviets from two sides to bring a quick end.
So 25mln civilians killed by Germans in Poland, Ukraine, Belarus and Russia sounds fortunate or unfortunate for you?
Japan was in a stalemate with china their armies would have gotten wrecked if they invaded russia also they need resources anyways and america would likely embargo them if they did invade Soviet Union so it makes no sense
Russia is too vast for that to happen and Japan did not have the resources or manpower, if Japan didn't have
China control. to deal with they still couldn't afford the equipment and soldiers to cross 4 or 5 timezones. Also mother nature that year would have delt them the same fate as the Natzis.
i would love to know why if the Germans were so Exhausted they continued to push so hard towards Moscow in that condition? Didn't they know at that time the Russian fight force numbers?
Probably Hitler's crazy orders!!!
The Germans knew about it, and they were in very rough shape, but they had also massed up for the lunge for Moscow. They would not just quit after coming so far.
Its not "Smolensko" .. its Smolensk
A.i narrated. What you gonna do..
First photo. Author! Poor American diletant! Why do you you mean, that German officers were transvestits?
28:58 Why do you call this a battle? this was obviously a campaign for several months
Strategic Question: If the Wehrmacht had focused solely (or very nearly so) on occupying the Soviet Capital (center of everything) would Germany have won this titanic struggle? I ask because Hitler stupidly ordered this forces to go willy nilly in search of easy wins.
I've seen a documentary where Guderian wanted to take his tanks & attack straight to Moscow or Stalingrad. Eventhough, his infantry hadn't caught up.
However, his point was that at that moment the whole Soviet Army was in such confusion & disarray. Retreating, surrendering, getting their butts kicked, & thouroughly out classed from one end of the battle field to the other. At that point with the momentum with the Germans. And then for the Soviets to suddenly see German tanks already in the streets of Moscow, would have been devistating. And, beyond belief for the soviets.
But, Hitler said "no". And, here's the thing that I think is ironic. Stalin had purged his military of most of it's best leaders. And, Hitler new this. And he is famous for saying.."We but have to kick the door in". "And, the whole rotten mess will fall down". Now there is Gudarian offering to do that very thing. It was Hitlers own words embodied, come to life. And, Hitler didn't see it.
Of course the world couldn't have the NAZI's win. I'm just sayen how odd that his own words were so prophetic. Yet when the moment came, he is the one that missed it.
للاسف قايد عسكري كبير لم يحظ بالنصر وهو من اقدر القاده الالمان
Good but not great. Subject description is extremely superficial. Completely omitted logistics analysis, makes whole described events unclear, also creates a false impression of the Typhoon operation. It is not my task to clear it , since it would involve about 2 hours explaining why German army started Typhoon Operation having supplies only for 14 days of combat. These operation is greatest military success of all time, and great military blunder in the same time. Success - because 3 Russian fronts collapsed with over 1 000 000 soldiers. Nobody ever in human history before or after lost so many soldiers and equipment. Blunder - because it was supposed to end the war. Instead - Brauchitsch had to report to Hitler, that after annihilating 1 000 000 russian soldiers, there's another army in front of Wehrmacht. And Halder had to report, that red army regenerates and resupplies faster, than wehrmacht.
It involves of hours explanations on how Russians won the war in 41-42 by losing every single battle. And why after whole operation Hitler called Wilhelm Otto Max Kleinmann to his Headquarter, and in extremely aggressive ton communicated him: "It's all entirely your fault! Gestapo will take care of you!". But why it happened, and if he was right or not, it's entirely other, long and fascinated story. Story about how to lose a war by winning every single battle.
Best regards.
When I heard SmolenskO, instead of Smolensk, I thought I heard wrong... then SmolenskO sounded again and yet again.
At the fourth time, I quit this roll.
Evidently, a narrator deserves no credibility, one who does not know the proper name of one of the oldest European and Russian cities, esp important for the sake of this particular video ... once such a non-trivial mistake is repeatedly made, then everything else in the clip clearly has no dependability.
Stopped watching, disliked and voted for misinformation!
You should do some about atomic bomb. Why is so cool this story about The Discovery of 300 divisions😂?
Smolensko? In Spain?
The Germans were well-trained, and the men were amazing fighters.
Heroes RIP
Glory to Germany
Everyone always believes that the Wehrmacht was the same as the Nazis. yes they were fighting under the Nazi Government and forced by the Government to join the Nazi party , But everyone was forced to become a member or you would be considered a enemy of the state. With that said , The German Wehrmacht was the greatest fighting force of the time. That was despite Hitler and the Nazis. After Hitlers blunder at Stalingrad, It was Guderian's Tactics at kharkiv that saved the whole German from total collapse. Hitler gave orders not to give one inch of ground. Guderian deceived Hitlers orders and set a trap for the Reds and they walked right into it. If Hitler just listened to Guderian ideas , he would have made it so costly to the Russians they would be forced to sue for peace.
@@blrenx
Loss of food would have sealed the fate of the soviets (unless helped by foreign powers fighting for communism)
The soviets got enough food from the USA to feed its soldiers for the rest of the war,
12 million boots , 60 percent aluminum and steel, a lot of tin , 90 percent of railway equipment ( the soviets would never have been able to conduct offensives so fast and transfer their main armies to critical points , 300000 trucks were given , 65 percent of aviation fuel and much more apart from 15 percent tanks ,aircrafts
Soviet sympathizers say "only 15 per cent was given to USSR"
@@blrenxNo one forced by nazis they joined because hitler turned Germany from weak to one of the most powerful countries in Europe before ww2
@@waynelittle646 You're right , FDR like the rest of the Government at the time wanted to turn America into socialism. We should have never stuck our nose into that war, But FDR forced it behind the scenes.I just learned the truth about the Battle of Kursk and it was nothing close to what we were told. Like they say, History is written buy the victors. It really makes me wonder what really happen in that war
You guys are funny Poles took Moscow when Russia was at it's worse time (Time of troubles) but they were driven out of Russia the same thing would happen to Germans
Smolensk not SmolenskO lol
Even before things got brutal at Yelnya, the 7th Panzer Division was down to FIVE (5) Mark III tanks -- ZERO Mark (0) IV tanks -- TWO (2) Mark II tanks. Its corps 'buddy' at the time, Das Reich had no tanks at all, so once some tanks were repaired, the 7th had to send a clutch of tanks, a task force, north to help DR with its immobile defense.
The pop history notion that the panzer force was in ANY condition to drive on to the East is false. Adolf was right. Guderian had totally run beyond Germany's logistical ability. The idea of going north with Hoth, south with Guderian was inspired by un-destroyed logistics -- the railways -- to the north and south. Along the main axis, Stalin had replicated the defense schemes used against Napoleon, scorched earth. To do this, the Red Army had to totally focus its manpower. The zones to the north and south were thus, untouched; the Red Army was still using them. This was that early in the campaign. THIS is why Guderian was the ONLY general who seriously advocated going further east. In his accounts, he never mentions this little detail.
This meeting occurred primarily because of the utter destruction of the Luftwaffe's Ju-52 fleet! Kept top secret for years, even after the war, the Germans had destroyed their cargo planes as they attempted to land on scarcely prepared farm fields -- crushing their landing gear! Hundreds of these planes were now sited all along the route of advance, unable to fly. [ On a total panic basis, the RLM designed a field-fix kit. It took weeks for these to reach the front, repairing the Ju-52s, bringing them back into service.* ] These landings were the sole reason for Guderian and Hoth's rapid advance. Fuel trucks were actually unable to get through the perpetual traffic jams to refuel the tanks -- and everything else. To keep the jump going, Guderian had been flying in an amazing amount of fuel -- and spare parts -- such as oil for his air filters -- just to keep his tanks rolling. [ For modern readers, the air filters you know of from your automobile did not exist in 1941. The technology had not been invented. Engines of that period used induced/forced air flow through a wire mesh wicking oil -- because of engine vibration. When such engines roll through Russia/North Africa -- they gobble up this oil -- it is plain motor oil -- same as in the crankcase. THIS is what is causing the mechanics to stay up all night. By the time of Yelnya, the Krauts had diverted so much motor oil to their air filters that their engines were being ruined by tardy oil changes. I'm talking about the entire tank force, all at the same time. Any tank with a dead engine is itself a dead duck.
No wonder the Kraut generals sought a pause in operations. All engines at the front were on their last legs, nothing could be flown in, and the boys were utterly exhausted. But Guderian was ready to rumble! From this point forward, everything was being held together with bailing wire and chewing gum -- sometimes, even duck tape.
* The RLM then designed a total replacement air cargo plane. (Ar 232) When Stalingrad called for air supply, it was still in prototype. The US Army/ US Air Force studied Stalingrad, the Chosen fiasco and so Lockheed (Kaiser & Hughes) designed the C-130 -- which is still flying, today. The USAAF never attempted to land on unprepared strips, inventing the landing mat, instead. ( Biplanes COULD land on pastures -- so light -- so slow. )
Right. The steel landing mat was the solution for landing in unprepared airstrips. Am curious, can a C-47 land on on it on say muddy airstrips?
@@JohnCaliston-e3h There are films of P-38s landing in Alaska -- with the strip flooded with water. What the viewer is not told is that particular plane is then grounded. It's engines have been so contaminated they must be replaced. No-one would take them into the air again.
It's not just a case of landing. The issue really is -- 'can you take off again?' The honest answer is NO.
The C-47/ DC-3 was originally designed to survive landing in farm fields. Think what was normal practice circa 1931. Douglas wanted civilians to know that their plane could survive any trouble by just landing -- dang near anywhere. This notion is now utterly alien to passengers.
But, we do see, in Russia, in Siberia, that modern jets CAN land all over. They just can't fly again. (!) That does get expensive.
In the Pacific Campaign, mud was a nightmare almost everywhere. Which is why the landing mat was given such a priority for the Pacific.
In Europe, the 'landing mat' was repurposed chicken fencing. (!) My own Father delivered same to the British in 1944. He was in an engineering battalion whose primary mission was none other than these landing mats.
If you Google around, you can find a training film on instant road construction where sand is an issue (North Africa) that shows EXACTLY what this matting entailed. Its original purpose was road construction for TORCH. Then it was discovered that it proved most useful to hold down sand back at the air strip. Because of its flimsy ( incredibly cheap ) construction, the boys had to stay at the strip, repairing it over and over.
The Krauts were landing on fields that had been plowed -- but not harrowed. The dunces in the German Army kept cracking up their Ju-52 fleet all during the first weeks of their campaign. I don't think Guderian realized what was up. Field grade officers dared not tell Heinz the bad news.
In all of their wargaming, the Krauts had totally forgotten traffic jams. In peacetime, Germany had so few motor vehicles, that it had never witnessed a traffic jam that turned into a parking lot. Yes, the phenomenon was that novel... for Germany. Not the USA.
This situation occurred during Market-Garden. It's why the British dared not land their gliders on the island between Arnhem and Nijimegan. It's even brought up in the film.
Sometimes the PREDATOR dies when swallowing a larger pray... for Germany the USSR been just a bit too much to digest!!
Nicely ungiased. In truth the Germans facing a real Soviet Union would have had their shit pushed back in. But superior tech and a Russian population that were yearning to be free helped the Germans nearly conquer them
the germans ran out of gasoline and hay
👍👍👍
It was a big mistake to turn south to Kiev. If Guderian had steamed on to Moscow in August Russia would have crumbled. Stalin knew this & had a peace offer ready. Kiev got him off.
That & stalingrad.
Smolensko or smolensk?
Depends on what language.
@@florinelenaradamilea what langauge calls Smolensk - "Smolensko"?
That even I'm not sure of it. I have to admit I was taken back by it & it's not the only word that's spelled like that. I would've considered an error but there's quite a few of them to be just errors methinks... At least we know what cities it's talked about.
Moscow was a foolish primary objective for Barbarossa. Halder poorly planned Barbarossa.
without watching .... whermacht ... too extended too worn out.
a month earlier they would have taken moscow
Nah
Unfortunately
perhaps hitler could have taken it if he didnt divert his forces
@@zillsburyy1 Hitler's diversion of forces is largely why the southern front, the strongest front at the onset of the war, completely collapsed with the largest encirclement in history at Kiev proving devastating to the Red army. Those units would have just been redeployed to Moscow and used in its defense, notable as the conscripts were of a much lower combat quality than the men encircled at the southern front.
Wouldn't have happened. German logistics were amateurish and could they barely feed their horses (during the Stalingrad campaign for example, more train capacity was committed to veterinary and horse fodder than for food and ammunition). The German Quartermaster, Wagner, predicted that the Germans would only be able to sustain continuous operations as far as Smolensk.
In 28 march 1933 Atatürk watched a propaganda film sent by hitler: After they had watched it Atatürk says:
"This man as you have seen in the film started as necessity of the role the work with a strike. Today he has the germany's all military power behind him. Tomorrow he will start a war. He and copying him mussolini are busy preparing for the war. Yes in a near future they will start the war. They will start it because they are not soldiers, they do not know what war is. War is a disaster, especially for this allies it is a certain death. Luck has given germany such land that it is destined to stay between two fires. With blindly desires, no calculations and automatic army they will tremendously show strength but as soon as they get heart/handicapped from one side they will be smashed. That industrious people will be overrun and there will be no hitler or his organisation. mussolini has none seen eager, as soon his master has disappeared he will be gone."
🪖🇷🇺🫡⚓️
It is not Smolensko, it is Smolensk.
respect and eternal glory from Turkey to the glorious german army
Dial it back a notch or 3 for the nazis. Def had the best vibe style-wise though absolutely 💯
@@dl2415 lol Facts
Yes glorious losers
@@redarrowhead2 1 VERSUS 1,the reds and allies would have been poor little girls against the germans
Glory to the victorious dead!
Smolensk....not Smolensko..whats with the O after everything?
It's an AI voice
RIP heiliges Deutschland ❤
jawohl
One only has to kick down the front door and the whole rotten structure will come crashing down. ...My Furor there's another structure. And another and another and another and another and another. and........
Eternal glory to the Heroes of the Great Patriotic War 🇷🇺💪
the soviets,you consider heroes, would have been ''poor little girls'' If usa and britain hadn't come to their rescue
The trucks alone saved the USSR , given to them by the United States …
This war was a crime and Guderian was responsible.
why lip sync..use your own voice...
SmolenskO??? Jesus, wtf? 😂
Exactly !!!🧐😟😃
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂