Role of Ideology & Strategy in Operation Barbarossa
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The German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 has often been described as "the greatest blunder of the Second World War" and historians have long debated the relative contributions of ideology and strategy to Hitler's decision to implement Operation Barbarossa, as the invasion was known, at this particular time (Rich 204). Although the notion of lebensraum, the acquisition of 'living room' for the expansion of the Aryan peoples, had long been a major factor in Hitler's plans for the Eastern front his planning had also included a commitment to avoid involving Germany in a two-front war. Despite the inevitability of fighting on two fronts because of the unexpected continuing strength of Britain and the United States' entry into the war, however, Hitler believed that Barbarossa was necessary in practical terms. While he certainly held that it was necessary on grounds related to his ideology of race this was not the only factor involved in the timing of the invasion. The racial program -- basically the maximizing of opportunity for Aryans and the elimination or enslavement of inferior peoples -- required the expansion of the Reich far into the East. But events in 1940 and 1941 conspired, in Hitler's view, to make it necessary to hasten the invasion in order to be prepared for an expanded war in the near future. Hitler's racist ideology was the foundation on which the idea of eventually dominating Russia was based and the invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941 was an
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control over the raw materials, food supplies, and labor reserves of Western Europe" (Schweller 100). Domination of Central Europe would ensure that Hungary and other nations were within Germany's sphere of influence. A central element of Hitler's plan, however, was what Hauner calls his "dearest political dream," that is, alliance with Great Britain, "the only viable partner for him on racial as well as strategic grounds" (26). But further blitzkriegs against the Scandinavian nations would ensure that an isolated Britain would be forced to surrender if it had not already accepted its role as a subordinate partner in Germany's conquests. This would free Germany to engage in the battle against the Soviet Union, the success of which would guarantee that the bulk of Eurasia was under its immediate rule or firmly under its influence. The Japanese had been assigned a special, albeit secondary, role in Hitler's racial program and the only remaining power that did not meet his standards was "the American continent dominated by the racially decomposed USA" (Hauner 25). After sufficient time had passed for fully absorbing the resources of the USSR Germany could then "unleash the inevitable conflict against the more remote" United Sta
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 4473
Approximate Pages = 18 (250 words per page)
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