The Nazis blew an opportunity in Ukraine. The country was oppressed by the Soviets so if the Nazis weren’t so barbaric, they would have received support from the Ukrainian population against the Red Army.
[The Nazis blew an opportunity in Ukraine. The country was oppressed by the Soviets so if the Nazis weren’t so barbaric, they would have received support from the Ukrainian population against the Red Army.]
What the Nazis did was completely understandable, based on Hitler’s war aims, which was to kill the entire Slavic population and repopulate the territory with Aryans (Balts, Germans, Frenchmen, et al). The problem, though, is that Hitler was doing something no other empire-builder had ever attempted. Every prior one conquered as much as for population as for land. One reason - not only do people make things - they are also needed to fight wars, replace your losses and guard the land you conquered. Alexander, Genghis, Napoleon - all recruited fighting men and skilled artisans from conquered lands and promoted them according to ability.