On a gray dawn in 1941, German armored convoys rumbled across the Soviet border, announcing a thrilling scene on the Eastern Front of World War II. In accordance with Hitler's "Barbarossa" plan, the army of Nazi Germany broke through the Soviet defense line with lightning speed. In the air, German bomber groups covered the Soviet sky, and on the ground, armored units rapidly advanced with infantry. Under this full-scale and in-depth offensive, the Soviet Western Front quickly collapsed unprepared.
The news soon reached the Kremlin's war room, where Stalin angrily slapped the table. In the smoke of war, Stalin faced not only the enemy's attack, but also the wrong decisions of his own people.
The launch of the "Barbarossa" plan
In the early morning of June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany, under the orders of Hitler, launched an all-out offensive called "Barbarossa". The scale and breadth of this strategic plan are unprecedented. The military force includes more than 3,900 aircraft, more than 3,500 tanks, more than 47,000 artillery pieces and 193 ships, from north to south across the Baltic Sea to the Carpathian Mountains, covering the vast front line of the entire Eastern Europe.
German planes whizzed through the sky and swooped down from the glimmer of dawn to deliver precise strikes at Soviet airfields, communications facilities, railway junctions, and military assembly points. At the same time, thousands of tanks and armored vehicles advanced in three main directions, crossing the defensive line of the border. German artillery units also began long-range bombardment of Soviet lines, trying to destroy any potential resistance.
In the Baltic region, the German Army Group North rapidly advanced towards Leningrad, and their goal was to encircle the city as quickly as possible and cut off the Soviet Union from the outside world. The German Army Group Center marched in the direction of Smolensk and Moscow, aiming to attack Moscow, the heart of the Soviet Union. And the task of Army Group South is to advance to the Ukrainian region, control the rich resources of this region, and further advance into the Caucasus.
German air power wreaked havoc on Soviet air defenses, which led to a significant reduction in the Soviet Union's ability to strike back. Soviet planes suffered heavy losses in the first wave of attacks, and many were destroyed on the ground before they even had time to take off. This initial air attack effectively weakened the Soviet Union's immediate response capability and provided the German ground forces with a huge tactical advantage.
At the same time, the tank units of the German army, having broken through the Soviet border defenses, quickly advanced inland. These tank units were virtually unstoppable as they traversed the open field, and they traveled far faster than the Soviet military expected. At the high speed of the German advance, many of the border guards of the USSR were quickly routed and could not organize an effective defense.
In addition, the Germans took advantage of their fine military coordination, through fast-moving motorized infantry and mechanized units, to implement multiple encirclement tactics in an attempt to encircle and cut off the retreat routes of Soviet troops. This tactic was repeated in multiple theaters, causing the Soviet army to fall into disarray, with many troops forced to retreat hastily.
The initial reaction of the USSR
With the rapid advance of the German army, on the evening of June 23, 1941, the commander of the Western Special Military District, Pavlov, issued a crucial order for the 10th Army of the Soviet Red Army to fight the German army in an organized manner and prohibit a disorderly retreat. This order was quickly communicated to all relevant division and regimental commanders, in the hope of stabilizing the situation with an organized defense and preventing further German advances.
Pavlov's order demanded that the 10th Army of the Red Army be deployed along the defensive line, and each unit must hold its ground and not retreat. They quickly erected makeshift fortifications on the front line, including ditches and improvised pillboxes, in the hope that these defenses would slow the German offensive. However, due to German air superiority and constant artillery bombardment, these makeshift fortifications soon showed their vulnerability.
Under Pavlov's instructions, the 3rd Army of the Soviet Red Army joined the ranks of the 10th Army and jointly resisted the growing German offensive. Both armies tried to form a continuous line of defense on the front line, deploying heavy artillery and mortars, as well as a small amount of tank support. Despite the lack of equipment and supplies, they managed to launch several local counteroffensives, trying to cause a breakthrough on the flanks of the Germans.
In the ensuing battle, the Soviet troops stubbornly resisted despite the difficulties they faced. In one exchange of fire, the Red Army soldiers tried to use the terrain and night to launch surprise attacks and disrupt the German army's movements. However, due to the tactical flexibility of the German army and the absolute superiority in firepower, the counter-assaults of the Red Army often failed to achieve the desired results.
For example, near a small village covered with forests, an infantry regiment of the 10th Army tried to conduct a raid on one of the German outposts at night. Supported by artillery fire, they cut through the thick darkness and approached the enemy's position. However, the German machine-gun and mortar regiments reacted quickly and launched a fierce counterattack, which caused the Soviet soldiers to suffer heavy losses and had to withdraw to their original positions before dawn.
The strategic encirclement of the German army with the dilemma of the Soviet Union
As time progressed, by June 25, 1941, the German army had penetrated deep into the hinterland of the Soviet Union's Western Front, carefully planning and executing the tactics of encirclement on both flanks. This tactic not only demonstrated the German army's deep understanding of the theory of blitzkrieg, but also exposed the shortcomings of the Soviet Red Army in strategic deployment and rapid response. The armored clusters and mechanized infantry units of the German army, taking advantage of their excellent mobility, quickly broke through the Soviet lines from both sides, and the strategic deployment of the Western Front began to collapse.
On 26 June, the situation worsened. The German panzer forces, including several panzer divisions and accompanying motorized infantry, continued to advance and eventually reached the outskirts of Minsk. The geographical location of this region was extremely critical to the control of all of Belarus, and the arrival of German troops directly threatened the strategic security of the Soviet Union. In the vast area between Bialystok and Minsk, the 3rd and 10th armies of the Soviet Western Front were surrounded by the rapid advance of the German troops.
The encirclement of the Germans was not only swift but also efficient. Using heavy tanks and self-propelled guns, they created multiple breaches on Soviet defensive lines, which they quickly passed deep behind enemy lines to cut off Soviet troops' supply lines and retreat routes. German air support also played an important role, with fighters and bombers delivering merciless strikes on Soviet units, further weakening the Red Army's will and ability to fight.
Under constant pressure from the Germans, the defense line of the Soviet Western Front began to break down. Although the Soviet troops put up fierce resistance, they struggled to withstand the well-armed Germans due to the lack of sufficient anti-tank weapons and modern air defense systems. In addition, the Germans' communications and command systems were far superior to those of the Soviets, allowing them to adjust tactics and deployments more flexibly and effectively.
Once the encirclement was formed, the Germans began to tighten the encirclement and gradually reduce the space for the movement of the trapped Soviet troops. The 3rd and 10th armies of the Red Army suffered heavy losses in continuous artillery fire and air raids, supply lines were cut off, and many soldiers were left in a desperate situation due to lack of ammunition and food. In the midst of the encirclement, the commanders of these units tried to organize a breakout or at least hold their positions, but their efforts often ended in failure in the face of total German suppression.
The mass capture of the Soviet Red Army with the wrath of Stalin
By July 9, the battle had been going on for several weeks. During this period, the situation of the Soviet Red Army was increasingly difficult, and the besieged troops experienced extreme shortages of supplies and continuous German attacks. Despite the numerous attempts of the Soviet commanders to organize a breakthrough, most of the attempts ended in failure. Only a very small number of troops managed to break out of the encirclement in extremely difficult conditions.
Eventually, after weeks of fierce fighting and siege, a total of 324,000 Soviet Red Army soldiers became prisoners of the German army. This figure is staggering and shows the huge losses suffered by the Soviet troops in this campaign. Many soldiers were forced to surrender due to a lack of food, medical supplies and ammunition. The Germans carried out a quick screening of these prisoners, and some of the soldiers deemed useful were sent to labor camps, while others remained in makeshift confinement facilities near the war zone.
In addition, the Germans managed to occupy the entire territory of Belarus during this series of operations. The strategic value of this area was extremely high for the German army, not only because of its geographical location that was crucial for further offensives, but also because of the abundance of resources in the area that could support the German war machine.
News of this series of events quickly reached the ears of the supreme leader of the Soviet Union, Stalin. Stalin was extremely outraged by this news, and he was extremely dissatisfied with the performance of the Western Front and, in particular, with the command of the commander Pavlov. He openly denounced Pavlov as a "pig commander", an assessment that caused an uproar in the top echelons of the Soviet Union and in the military. Pavlov's defeat was not only military, but also seen as a humiliation of the Soviet defense capability.
Given this situation, Stalin decided to make quick and decisive changes. He assigned Marshal Timoshenko to succeed Pavlov, hoping that Timoshenko would stabilize the situation on the Western Front and rebuild the defensive line. Marshal Timoshenko was an experienced military leader whose past performance in the Soviet army earned the trust of Stalin.
At the same time, Pavlov was recalled to Moscow. After returning to the capital, Pavlov faced severe scrutiny. He was swiftly removed from his post and was court-martial shortly afterwards on charges of military failure and miscommand.
The fate of Pavlov
On July 7, 1941, in Moscow, the capital of the Soviet Union, a serious incident was unfolding inside a military tribunal. This is about the trial of Pavlov, the former commander of the Western Front, who was severely rebuked for his performance in the "Barbarossa" plan against Nazi Germany. The Tribunal charged Pavlov with several serious charges, including the failure to perform his duties resulting in the loss of a large number of officers and soldiers, the loss of a large number of weapons and ammunition into the hands of the enemy, the unauthorized escape and the unauthorized issuance of evacuation orders.
In the course of the trial, the tribunal reviewed in detail Pavlov's decisions and actions during his command of the Western Front. The prosecution pointed out that after the German surprise attack, Pavlov failed to adjust his strategy and strengthen the defensive positions in time, which led to the rapid loss of the Western Front under the German blitzkrieg. To make matters worse, Pavlov issued an order to retreat at a critical moment without the approval of his superiors, a move that was seen as a major mistake in military command, exacerbating the confusion and directly leading to unnecessary losses of a large number of Soviet troops.
The trial also mentions the large quantities of Soviet weapons and ammunition captured by the German army during this series of battles. The loss of these weapons and ammunition not only weakened the defense capability of the USSR, but also provided additional resources for the enemy army. The Tribunal stressed that this significant loss of equipment was largely due to Pavlov's erroneous decisions.
The atmosphere in the courtroom was solemn and tense, with evidence and witness statements constantly presented, and every detail highlighted Pavlov's ineffective performance on the battlefield. After just a few hours of hearing, the court ruled that Pavlov's actions constituted a serious betrayal of the defense of the USSR and had a direct negative impact on the morale and combat effectiveness of the Soviet troops.
Therefore, the court sentenced Pavlov to death and ordered immediate execution for failing to perform his duties, resulting in the death of a large number of officers and men, a large number of weapons and ammunition falling into the hands of the enemy, fleeing without an order, and issuing an order to retreat without authorization. This verdict attracted widespread attention in Soviet military and political circles, not only because of its severity, but also because it sent a clear message: in this brutal war, any mistake that poses a threat to national security will be punished with the most severe punishment.
- Zhao Kai." Barbarossa's plan is a well-calculated gamble[J].National History of Humanities,2022(4):18-25