# Operation Barbarossa (1941)

URL: https://history-russia.com/timeline/1941-operation-barbarossa
Categories: battle

Nazi Germany and its allies invaded the USSR on 22 June 1941 with about 3.8 million troops. Soviet forces suffered catastrophic losses; by autumn German armies were near Leningrad and Moscow and held most of Ukraine. Millions of Soviet prisoners of war died in German captivity. The invasion began the Great Patriotic War, which killed about 27 million Soviet citizens.

## Why it matters
The invasion began the Great Patriotic War, which killed about 27 million Soviet citizens.

Ruler at the time: [Joseph Stalin](https://history-russia.com/rulers/joseph-stalin)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Operation Barbarossa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Barbarossa)
- [Wikipedia — Eastern Front (World War II)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Front_(World_War_II))
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Operation Barbarossa](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Operation+Barbarossa)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of Russian history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Russian_history)