Week by week history of WW2

[dexter]

The Fallschirmjäger were Germany's own paratrooper branch, designed to deal a swift and fatal blow behind the enemy's lines. They were deployed with great success in Scandinavia and the Benelux, but they come too close to the sun when they attempt to invade Crete.

 

[dexter]

This week, the German Army invades Greece and Yugoslavia as it launches Operation Marita and Operation 25 respectively. They also take some remarkable captives in North-Africa.

 

[PanzerKiel]

This week, the German Army invades Greece and Yugoslavia as it launches Operation Marita and Operation 25 respectively. They also take some remarkable captives in North-Africa.

And i am more worried since i am constantly changing my D Day for Barbarossa. What if it could have been launched in Apr or even May....what if....!

 

[bananarepublic]

That would have never changed the fundamental issue of supplying the German army and the three prongs through such long distances.
The dodgy supply lines were the reason for the german Halts and gave enough time for the soviets to amass troops for a counter attack.
And the fact is that the vast plans in may/april become muddy and german motorised divisions would've had a hard time traversing it.

And i am more worried since i am constantly changing my D Day for Barbarossa. What if it could have been launched in Apr or even May....what if....!

 

[PanzerKiel]

That would have never changed the fundamental issue of supplying the German army and the three prongs through such long distances.
The dodgy supply lines were the reason for the german Halts and gave enough time for the soviets to amass troops for a counter attack.
And the fact is that the vast plans in may/april become muddy and german motorised divisions would've had a hard time traversing it.

as far as mud is concerned, the muddy season was in Oct. Summers were the perfect time for launch of offensives in Russia.

moreover, despite supply problems, availability of good cross country mobility would have allowed Germans a better chance for Moscow. Even with supply problems, mud problems and chill, they managed till outskirts of Moscow.

 

[bananarepublic]

as far as mud is concerned, the muddy season was in Oct. Summers were the perfect time for launch of offensives in Russia.

moreover, despite supply problems, availability of good cross country mobility would have allowed Germans a better chance for Moscow. Even with supply problems, mud problems and chill, they managed till outskirts of Moscow.

The German war economy was never made in mind of a "war of attrition". They exhausted their resources by the end of November and by December army group center had halted completely so that resources had to be brought to the frontline. The Germans had to even halt both Army group North and South just to attack Moscow.
Which gave enough time for the Soviets enough time to strengthen their numbers and defense.
April/May seasons also brings bad conditions for the flat plains of Ukraine, and the Blitzkrieg would not have had the same effectiveness as in later months where the land became firm .
The Germans did have well developed supply mechanism but I would highly recommend you read up on the equipment Germans and Soviets used to supply their soliders i.e trucks . in short the German truck's had a hard time traversing USSR and were not made for the east.

An example is that the the air filters German trucks used would get cogged up from the dust and debris of the summer in russia and for every Filter the Soviets used the Germans had to use 3.

Yes they may have reached till the outskirts of Moscow , what then? Will the Germans taking over Moscow might've knocked out the Soviets?
Simply no, USSR was a whole different country than than France and would fight till the last man or women surviving. The War of the East was a war of attrition an in no way could've the Germans pull out a Win for them.
And there are numerous factors that would lead to the German suppy lines getting crippled, and the germans could never solve all of them.

 

[PanzerKiel]

The German war economy was never made in mind of a "war of attrition". They exhausted their resources by the end of November and by December army group center had halted completely so that resources had to be brought to the frontline. The Germans had to even halt both Army group North and South just to attack Moscow.
Which gave enough time for the Soviets enough time to strengthen their numbers and defense.
April/May seasons also brings bad conditions for the flat plains of Ukraine, and the Blitzkrieg would not have had the same effectiveness as in later months where the land became firm .
The Germans did have well developed supply mechanism but I would highly recommend you read up on the equipment Germans and Soviets used to supply their soliders i.e trucks . in short the German truck's had a hard time traversing USSR and were not made for the east.

An example is that the the air filters German trucks used would get cogged up from the dust and debris of the summer in russia and for every Filter the Soviets used the Germans had to use 3.

Yes they may have reached till the outskirts of Moscow , what then? Will the Germans taking over Moscow might've knocked out the Soviets?
Simply no, USSR was a whole different country than than France and would fight till the last man or women surviving. The War of the East was a war of attrition an in no way could've the Germans pull out a Win for them.
And there are numerous factors that would lead to the German suppy lines getting crippled, and the germans could never solve all of them.

Of course i am not all suggesting that Germans could have managed to take ALL of Russia. I am just analyzing Moscow from a military point of view, hub of all communication and road networks in Western Russia, seat of the government at that time. Generals were all of it since it was better to take it and base defence around it rather than staying in the open during the winters, which they eventually did and suffered.

The point whether Russia would have fought to the last man etc, is, in my opinion, debatable (Keeping in view Stalin's excesses against the locals, purges of Soviet Armed Forces 1937 onwards and some other factors). The cooperation, with Germans, of army officers like Gen Vlassov, of communities like White Russians and Cossacks (of which in the end a whole Corps was fighting along side Germans), they all seem to suggest that Russia was NOT strong as a Nation.

Your point regarding the supply system of German army is valid. Apart from things you highlighted, German infantry was still mostly horse-drawn instead of motorized.

Overall, one can conclude that the German army, as a whole, was not capable for going somewhere deep like Russia.

 

[bananarepublic]

Of course i am not all suggesting that Germans could have managed to take ALL of Russia. I am just analyzing Moscow from a military point of view, hub of all communication and road networks in Western Russia, seat of the government at that time. Generals were all of it since it was better to take it and base defence around it rather than staying in the open during the winters, which they eventually did and suffered.

The point whether Russia would have fought to the last man etc, is, in my opinion, debatable (Keeping in view Stalin's excesses against the locals, purges of Soviet Armed Forces 1937 onwards and some other factors). The cooperation, with Germans, of army officers like Gen Vlassov, of communities like White Russians and Cossacks (of which in the end a whole Corps was fighting along side Germans), they all seem to suggest that Russia was NOT strong as a Nation.

Your point regarding the supply system of German army is valid. Apart from things you highlighted, German infantry was still mostly horse-drawn instead of motorized.

Overall, one can conclude that the German army, as a whole, was not capable for going somewhere deep like Russia.

Valid points, USSR had its whole rain network centered around Moscow and it might've put them back in regards to logistics. Then again the USA had supplied them 35k truck and would've supplement their lack of Logistics through lend-lease.
Same can be said about Germans , when Warsaw was "Liberated" the locals cheered them as heroes for freeing them from the Reds and later on they learned of how the "Aryans" were there to replace the inferior race.
USSR and its citizens knew that there was no going back regarding the Germans. They had invaded the nations and replace the inferior "Slavs". Many memoirs support the German mindset.
More importantly we should first look at the seige of Leningrad which should be taken as a sample to how the reds would've defended Moscow.
Your point is valid regarding the German army as the desired level of motorization was never achievement mainly due to the fact that the germans never had tbe resources available i.e Oil.
While the Panzar Divisions were motorized

 

[Mumm-Ra]

 

[Mumm-Ra]

 

[PanzerKiel]

Timeline is heading towards my favorite and most researched theatre of war... Eastern Front.

 

[Mumm-Ra]

Timeline is heading towards my favorite and most researched theatre of war... Eastern Front.

Same. Been waiting for this since the start of this series

 

[vostok]

Valid points, USSR had its whole rain network centered around Moscow and it might've put them back in regards to logistics. Then again the USA had supplied them 35k truck and would've supplement their lack of Logistics through lend-lease.
Same can be said about Germans , when Warsaw was "Liberated" the locals cheered them as heroes for freeing them from the Reds and later on they learned of how the "Aryans" were there to replace the inferior race.
USSR and its citizens knew that there was no going back regarding the Germans. They had invaded the nations and replace the inferior "Slavs". Many memoirs support the German mindset.
More importantly we should first look at the seige of Leningrad which should be taken as a sample to how the reds would've defended Moscow.
Your point is valid regarding the German army as the desired level of motorization was never achievement mainly due to the fact that the germans never had tbe resources available i.e Oil.
While the Panzar Divisions were motorized

Who liberated whom in Warsaw? Warsaw got its independence from Russia in 1918 and Russian army came back there only in 1944.

 

[Mumm-Ra]

 

[Mumm-Ra]

This channel makes maps for the the WW2 channel that does week by week updates. So the author combined all the updates of the first year of the war into one video.