Operation Barbarossa: The Invasion That Doomed The Third Reich

Hitler's Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, began on June 22, 1941 and initially, German forces achieved significant breakthroughs, but Hitler's strategic blunders, such as diverting troops from Moscow to Kiev, and the harsh Russian winter stalled their advance. The brutal Battle of Stalingrad proved to be a turning point, with the German Sixth Army surrounded and forced to surrender in January 1943, marking a catastrophic defeat for Germany. This was followed by the Battle of Kursk in July 1943, where a well-prepared Soviet defence, coupled with new tanks like the T-34, decisively repelled the last major German offensive on the Eastern Front. These defeats shifted the tide of the war, ending Germany's offensive capabilities in the East and putting the Red Army on the path to ultimate victory.