The purpose of this paper, though, is not to discuss the historical implications of the Soviet victory in World War II. I intend to explain why the Soviets were victorious, and, similarly, why the Nazis were defeated. I believe that in this process it will become evident that the tremendous power wielded by the Soviets during the Cold War age was predicated on the very things that made them successful in World War II.

Before going into an explanation of why the Soviets were successful, I think it is important to give an overview of the actual events of the Barbarosa at

The most obvious advantage enjoyed by the Soviets over their Nazi enemies was in human resources. The tremendous population of Russia was able to sustain higher casualty levels than any other country involved in World War II (many estimates put the number near 10 million) and still come out victorious. The Soviet military consisted of 360 divisions, 160 more than German intelligence had stated prior to the war (Freeze, p. 327). These vast human resources allowed for massive offensives where heavy losses were acceptable. With less regard for human losses, Soviet commanders were able to advance at a quicker, less-cautious pace than their Allies.

The system run by Stalin proved to be better than that of the Czars in many other ways as well. Stalin himself proved to be an effective war leader. He was able to unite the Russian people in the war effort by encouraging them to fight not only for Communism, but primarily for Mother Russia. Stalin's gift for organization came in handy as well. By drafting 16% of their population into the military, the Soviets created a huge vacuum for agricultural and industrial workers (Freeze 330). Stalin and his supporters were able to organize the labor force where it was most needed and feed the country, although food shortages did occur. A significant contribution in making up for the lost workers was made by women. The new propaganda was full of images of great leaders from Russian history. Unlike Hitler, Stalin was wise enough to let his generals make the strategic decisions. Many officers were released from work camps in Siberia to fill the need for experienced leadership. The system was also successful in recognizing and promoting competent officers.

The competency of the Soviet leadership to handle a German attack was greatly underestimated by the Nazis. This was very likely caused by the weak showing of the Soviet military in the Winter War with Finland in 1939. Hitler believed that the Russian people would turn on Stalin after a few German victories. Much discontent with the Communist system did exist; however, vast policies of liberalization conducted by Stalin during the war led many to believe that even more reforms would come after victory. In fact, the reforms made during the war were repealed when the threat of invasion came to an end.

Several things led the Soviets to question their relationship with France. The Spanish Civil War, starting in 1936, saw the Fascist forces of Francisco Franco backed by the Germans and Italians defeat a coalition of all the anti-Fascist parties. The defeated group had been aided by the Soviets, but the Capitalist powers had not helped. The last straw came at the Munich Conference in 1938 when Britain and France essentially sold out Czechoslovakia to the Nazis without consulting the Czechs. When France and Britain formed an alliance promising Poland assistance in the event of a German invasion and asked the Soviets to cooperate, Stalin opted to deal with the Germans.

After World War I, the Germans and Russians were seen as the outcasts of Europe. The German government of the Weimar Republic was in tremendous debt making war reparations while Capitalist European governments that were fearful of their rhetoric of world revolution despised the newly Communist Russians. It was only natural that they turned to each other. The Rapollo Pact in 1922 and the Friendship Pact shortly thereafter established formal diplomatic and trade relations between the two countries, allowed the German military to train in Russia, and gave the Soviets access to superior German military technology. The new relationship was mutually beneficial until 1933, the year Adolph Hitler took power.

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Approximate Word count = 2827
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)