Eastern Front #10 “We Have Underestimated the Russian Colossus”

Last time we spoke about Hitler’s Orders vs Reality: Chaos on the Eastern Front. In the summer of 1941, the Wehrmacht aimed to capture Moscow, bolstered by early victories under General Fedor von Bock. However, the Red Army, under Marshal Semyon Timoshenko, mounted a fierce defense, demonstrating unexpected resilience despite heavy losses. The Germans encircled Smolensk, celebrating its capture on July 16, yet their supply lines grew perilously thin. As battles intensified, Soviet forces reorganized, relocating factories to ramp up production of tanks and aircraft. In August, the Germans found their advance stymied by a revitalized Soviet spirit, which mobilized millions to replenish its ranks, even amid staggering losses. The Uman encirclement concluded, forcing the Soviets into a desperate fight, but German victories came at an alarming cost. Encountering manpower shortages, the Wehrmacht faced a critical juncture as the harsh realities of war set in. 

This episode is “We Have Underestimated the Russian Colossus”

Well hello there, welcome to the Eastern Front week by week podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800’s until the end of the Pacific War in 1945. 

As the fierce battles of Smolensk and Uman reached their climactic moments, the Wehrmachtwas gearing up for a critical third offensive movement. The Panzers of Army Group Center, which had previously borne the brunt of the assault against the Soviet Union, were now poised to transition into a supporting role. Their mission was no longer directly targeting the heart of Soviet defenses but instead to bolster the ongoing attacks on Leningrad in the north, renowned for its strategic importance as a major port city and Kyiv in the south, the capital of Ukraine and a vital economic center. Before embarking on their new assignments, the Panzers were tasked with securing the flanks of Field Marshal Fedor von Bock's forces. This maneuver was essential to ensure the stability of their front lines as they prepared to assist their comrades engaged in combat in both the northern and southern sectors.

Last week, we concluded our discussion with a deep dive into the strategic plans for the impending renewal of the offensive, focusing particularly on the precarious situation surrounding Smolensk. At that juncture, Soviet General Semyon Timoshenko was desperately trying to batter his way back into the city, a vital stronghold that had seen fierce fighting. This week, we will explore how this dramatic saga unfolds during the second week of August, specifically from the eighth to the sixteenth. As the fighting intensified, the other two army groups were left anxiously awaiting the support of the panzer divisions led by Generals Hermann Hoth and Heinz Guderian. These armored units were crucial to the German strategy, their mobility and firepower essential for breaking through Soviet defenses. In our previous discussion, we delved into the manpower reserves of both the Axis and Soviet forces, examining how these reserves were being translated into replacements on the battlefield. This week, however, we'll shift our focus slightly to investigate the status of military aid being dispatched from the United States and the United Kingdom, a critical yet often misunderstood aspect of the War in the East. To set the stage for this discussion, let’s begin with a brief overview of how military and economic assistance was organized and handled in America, an essential factor influencing the overall dynamics of the conflict.

The 1930s began with the Great Depression and experienced a minor recession in 1937-1938. In response to the aftermath of World War I and ongoing war debts, the U.S. Congress enacted several Neutrality Acts aimed at maintaining non-interventionism by prohibiting Americans from selling arms to warring nations. However, as the situation escalated in Europe and Asia, President Roosevelt sought to amend these acts to allow cash sales of military goods to Britain and France, leading to the Neutrality Act of 1939, which marked a shift from isolationism toward interventionism. After the Fall of France in June 1940, the British Commonwealth became the primary force against Axis powers, but Britain faced dwindling resources. In response, Roosevelt proposed the Lend-Lease program, allowing the U