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1941 in the Soviet Union

  • Anglo-Soviet AgreementOn the 23rd of August 1939, the Soviet Union and Germany signed a non-aggression pact known as the Molotov, Ribbentrop Pact.
  • Battle of UmanThe Wehrmacht advanced eastward in the initial weeks of Operation Barbarossa, defeating several Soviet mechanized corps at the Battle of Brody between 23 and…
  • Hunger PlanGermany in the 1930s relied on foreign imports to feed its population. This dependency worsened when war broke out and the military requisitioned tractors…
  • Continuation WarOn the 13th of March 1940, the Moscow Peace Treaty ended a ten-week conflict that left Finland with significant territorial losses.
  • Battle of Smolensk (1941)On the 22nd of June 1941, Axis nations invaded the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa. The campaign met with spectacular success as surprised Soviet troops…
  • Soviet–Japanese Neutrality PactOn the 13th of April 1941, the Soviet Union and the Empire of Japan signed a non-aggression pact in Moscow. This agreement arrived two years after the…
  • Anglo-Soviet invasion of IranIn 1940, Britain faced a war with Germany in North Africa and grew deeply concerned about German access to the Persian Gulf.
  • First Battle of KharkovIn the fall of 1941, Kharkov stood as a vital rail and air link connecting Ukraine to Crimea, the Caucasus, the Dnieper region, and the Donbass.
  • Siege of Sevastopol (1941–1942)On the 22nd of June 1941, the Axis powers invaded the Soviet Union during Operation Barbarossa. Their land forces reached the Crimean peninsula in the autumn…
  • Soviet occupation of the Baltic states (1940)On the 18th of September 1939, a Polish submarine escaped from Tallinn into the Baltic Sea. This single event triggered a chain of ultimatums that would…
  • Occupation of the Baltic statesEarly in the morning of the 24th of August 1939, the Soviet Union and Germany signed a ten-year non-aggression pact. This agreement contained a secret…
  • Winter campaign of 1941–1942Soviet military command declared the period from the 5th of December 1941 to the 7th of May 1942 as a specific winter campaign.