Eastern Front Prelude #0.10 Planning Operation Barbarossa

Last time we spoke about the Blitzkrieg in Western Europe. In 1939, Europe teetered on the brink of war as tensions surged following the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Stalin and Hitler, which divided Eastern Europe. With fierce ambition, Germany initiated its blitzkrieg strategy, invading Poland swiftly and decisively. In a mere thirty-five days, Polish defenses crumbled under overwhelming German might. Following Poland’s fall, Hitler’s forces turned to Denmark and Norway, capturing these territories with remarkable speed, establishing German dominance in Scandinavia. The focus then shifted westward, as Belgium and the Netherlands were quickly overrun, leading to the rapid collapse of French defenses. By June 14, 1940, the Germans stormed into Paris, signaling the end of France's defense. This sequence of events unfolded with shocking speed, causing global astonishment. The blitzkrieg campaign established Germany as a formidable force, setting the stage for a conflict that would engulf the world and dramatically alter its landscape.

This episode is Prelude #10 Planning Operation Barbarossa 

Well hello there, welcome to the Easter 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. 

Hello again, today we are edging closer to the beginning of the Eastern Front. Following the disastrous Winter War with Finland, Stalin aimed to reorganize the Red Army. Fresh from the purges, he also opted for a reshuffling of leadership. While tensions ran high, very few, if any, leaders of the Red Army faced purges due to the outcomes of the Winter War. In February 1940, General of the Army Zhukov was summoned to Moscow to assume the role of Chief of the General Staff. Now Zhukov will be a towering figure in this series, so why not go through a short bio on him?

Zhukov was born into a struggling peasant family of Russian descent in Strelkovka, located in the Maloyaroslavsky District of the Kaluga Governorate in western Russia, about 62 miles east of Moscow. His father, Konstantin, who was orphaned at the age of two and later adopted by Anuska Zhukova, worked as a cobbler. His mother, Ustin'ya, was a peasant laborer. Zhukov was believed to have taken after his mother, claiming he inherited her physical strength; Ustin'ya was reportedly capable of handling tough tasks, such as transporting 200-pound sacks of grain over long distances. At a time when most individuals from the lower and working classes in Russia received only two years of education, Zhukov completed a three-year primary schooling at his local school. He later became an apprentice to his uncle Mikhail in Moscow, learning the furrier trade. While working with his uncle, Zhukov enhanced his education by reading various subjects, including the Russian and German languages, science, geography, and mathematics, alongside his cousin Alexander. He also enrolled in night school, completing courses as time allowed while working in his uncle's shop. By 1914, he finished his apprenticeship and started his own fur business, employing three young workers. 

In 1915, Zhukov was drafted into the Imperial Russian Army, serving in the 10th Dragoon Novgorod Regiment, where he was wounded during combat against the Germans at Kharkov. Throughout World War I, he was awarded the Cross of St. George twice for his bravery and was promoted to non-commissioned officer ranks due to his valor in battle. After the October Revolution of 1917, he joined the Bolsheviks, where his background of poverty served as an advantage in party circles. Following a severe bout of typhus, he participated in the Russian Civil War, serving in the Second Cavalry Brigade under Commander Semyon Timoshenko, which was later incorporated into the 1st Cavalry Army led by Semyon Budyonny. In 1920, he completed a cavalry officer training course and received his commission as an officer. In recognition of his role in suppressing the Tambov Rebellion in 1921, he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

Zhukov rapidly progressed through the ranks, becoming the commander of a cavalry troop and squadron, then the deputy commander of a cavalry regiment. By late May 1923, he was appointed as the commander of the 39th Cavalry Regiment. The following year, he entered the Highe