The name of the operation to invade Germany in the USSR - how much did it reflect the reality of the plan?

The attack of Hitler's Germany on the Soviet Union was one of the most mysterious events of not only the twentieth century, but the whole history of human civilization. Those historians who tried to understand the circumstances of 1941, preceding June 22, raised a lot of questions. But the answers ...

The name of the operation on the invasion of Germany into the USSR, or rather, its plan, is well known. The difference is substantial, it was not possible to implement the main provisions of this document in practice, despite the obvious successes of the first months of the war.

The plan was named in honor of Friedrich Barbarossa, a knight who distinguished himself in many battles, the conqueror of Italian lands, the German king and the Roman emperor. Here is the first mystery: the fact is that the fate of the red-bearded conqueror was sad, he folded his head during the third crusade. Of course, there is a beautiful legend that he is not really dead, but only asleep, but he will wake up and see everything, and he will revive the great empire. Nevertheless, the name of the operation to invade Germany in the USSR does not seem very successful. First, and the previous campaigns of Frederick were with varying success, all the time interfered with the objective difficulties: the plague, then the hunger, but suddenly the enemy came across a strong one. And secondly, the subsequent events showed that while he was still awake.

The mystery also remains that the plan for Germany's invasion of the USSR was a set of disjointed directives unconnected. Work on its compilation began in December 1940, and for six months they were never completed. The directions of blows in different directions testify to the complete military ignorance of the author of the strategic plan. With this approach, even in the case of temporary success, the front line will continuously lengthen, and the troops will no longer be, because losses are inevitable. In addition, in every captured village it is necessary to leave at least a small occupation garrison.

In general, the name of the operation to invade Germany in the USSR fully corresponded to its content. Mystical spells and runic symbols are a bad substitute for careful preparation and reasonable evaluation of one's own strengths. By the way, planning was made only up to a certain point. By the fall of 1941, the German General Staff had begun to debate whether to go to Moscow or turn south, to sources of oil. If the plan existed, the disputes would be absolutely superfluous, it was necessary simply to get it, read it and act, as it is written there, with the vaunted German pedantry.

The mention of the Arkhangelsk-Volga line deserves special attention. There, abroad of Asia, in the opinion of Hitler's marshals and generals, obviously, was the end of the world. Paralyze the industry created beyond the Urals in the thirties, they were going to blows from the air. Only here is the problem - the Luftwaffe aviation did not possess strategic bombers not only in the metal, but even in the drawings. At that time, they were only among Americans, and without them ironing cities and factories is difficult.

The name of the operation on the invasion of Germany in the USSR reflects the essence of the adventurous character and red-bearded Friedrich Barbarossa, and Adolf Hitler himself. All hope was a miracle: crusaders, German soldiers will come, the whole population will be submerged and stand under banners with a swastika ... Winter warm clothes are not needed, everything will end until the fall. Three thousand tanks are enough, the Russians will see them and run.

All was: and hospitable residents, joyfully greeted the "liberators", and successful operations to cover the large military units of the Red Army. However, the military and economic potential of the Soviet Union Hitler clearly underestimated, like the courage of the people. In his last days, the Nazi leader realized that Germany's invasion of the USSR was the main mistake of his life, which he wrote about in his political will.

However, the German General Staff was developing other plans. The possibility of occupation of Canada and the US was seriously considered, and for the seizure of India they even started mass production of cork helmets. The factory on which they were made, worked until April 1945 ...