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In this BBC Documentary historian David Reynolds reassesses Stalin’s role in the life and death struggle between Germany and Russia in World War Two, which he argues was ultimately more critical for British survival than ‘Our Finest Hour’ in the Battle of Britain itself War Stories is your one stop shop for all things military history. From Waterloo to Verdun, we'll be bringing you only the best documentaries and stories from history's most engaging and dramatic conflicts.

Pictures feature in Images of War: The Nazis' winter warfare on the Eastern Front, 1941-1945, by Ian Baxter They show the plight of German troops unaccustomed and ill-equipped for the fierce weather conditions Operation Barbarossa began in June 1941 and ultimately ended with Soviet troops' offensive on Berlin Wrapped up against the bitter cold with looks of grim resignation on their faces as they faced a resolute enemy, German troops are seen battling through the harsh Russian winter during their invasion of the Soviet Union. The rare image, taken in the cold months of 1941, is among hundreds which feature...

I was waiting to see of anyone would mention this and as of now no one has. 80 years ago today Germany invaded the Soviet Union in a surprise attack. It started one of the bloodiest and catastrophic episodes of W.W. II. The scope, scale, casualties , and atrocities almost dwarf anything that happened anywhere else in the ETO. Without the sacrifices the Russians made on the Eastern Front the invasion of Europe would not have been successful. Estimated deaths on the Eastern Front are not totally known but an estimated 20 million died

Before dawn on June 22, 1941, German bombers began to rain destruction down on a swath of Soviet cities from Leningrad to Sevastopol. It was the beginning of Operation Barbarossa, the largest military operation in the history of the world. By the end of the day, three million German soldiers and their allies crossed the Soviet border, inaugurating the bloodiest phase of World War II. The invasion also brought to a bloody conclusion 20 years of secret cooperation between Germany and the Soviet Union. While Soviet-German military cooperation between 1922 and 1933 is often forgotten, it had a decisive impact...

Sixty-nine-years ago today, 3.5 million German troops, plus another million from Nazi allies, invaded the USSR. (Geographically, the land now makes up Lithuania, Belarus, eastern Poland, Ukraine, and Moldavia). It was the largest army ever assembled, the most ambitious invasion ever attempted, and it led to the most staggering land battles ever fought—and to casualty rates that can only be rivaled by the mass starvations of the worst twentieth century tyrannies. That the opposing sides were in fact two of those tyrannies is not incidental. The Nazi’s goals were to kill Jews, enslave Slavs, steal resources (especially food and oil),...

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. .................................................................. .................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should...