The Eastern Front: Russia’s Role in WWII

Lesson Plan - Get It!

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Operation Sea Lion

In the summer and fall of 1940, the skies over Great Britain were anything but peaceful.

Night after night, German bombers roared over British cities, dropping explosives in a relentless attempt to crush the British spirit. The Blitz, as it was called, was terrifying.

• But Britain’s response?

Defiance. The Royal Air Force (RAF) had to be strategic, often letting bombers through because there simply weren’t enough planes to counter every attack. The goal was survival, not just in the air but in the hearts of the British people.

Hitler’s plan, known as Operation Sea Lion, was to weaken British morale and destroy their air force so that by September 1940, Nazi troops could storm the beaches of England and take control of Western Europe.

But things didn’t go as planned.

Despite the onslaught, British morale remained unbroken. The RAF's strategic use of their limited resources kept the German air force at bay, and by the end of 1940, it was clear: the Germans weren’t going to invade anytime soon.

Operation Sea Lion was shelved, but Hitler wasn’t done. The Blitz continued into 1941, with Hitler hoping to wear down Britain’s resolve.

To see the impact of these bombings and hear the unyielding determination of the British people, watch this powerful speech by Winston Churchill as he addresses the nation after the German Blitz. Notice how much destruction England endured, yet how unshaken they remained.

The Blitz finally ended in May 1941.

• But was this a sign that Hitler was giving up?

Not quite.

Operation Barbarossa

With the invasion of England stalled and the Blitz failing to break British morale, Hitler made one of the most fateful decisions of World War II: he turned his attention eastward.

In June 1941, just a month after the Blitz ended, Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa, a massive invasion of the Soviet Union. The move shocked the world. Hitler had broken the non-aggression pact with Stalin, setting the stage for a brutal conflict on the Eastern Front.

• Why does this matter?

By attacking the Soviet Union, Hitler created an unlikely alliance between Britain and the USSR. Despite their mutual distrust, Churchill and Stalin were now fighting the same enemy.

Britain was no longer alone in the war, and this new alliance would change the course of history.

To understand the significance of this moment, watch this video on how Hitler turned on Stalin and the consequences of this betrayal.

The German advance was initially swift, pushing within 20 miles of Moscow. But instead of pressing on to the Soviet capital, Hitler made a critical error. He diverted his forces south toward Stalingrad.

• The reasons?

One practical, one personal. The practical: Germany was running out of oil, and capturing the oil-rich city of Baku in the Caucasus was vital. The personal: Hitler wanted to conquer the city named after his rival, Stalin.

• But what stopped the seemingly unstoppable German advance?

The infamous Russian winter. Just as it had defeated Napoleon over a century earlier, the brutal cold halted the German army in its tracks.

Unprepared for the freezing temperatures, millions of German soldiers found themselves trapped without proper winter gear. As the Soviet army regrouped, the invasion slowed, and what seemed like a sure victory for Hitler turned into a costly stalemate.

Take a look at this map of the Eastern Front by the winter of 1941. Notice how far the German army had advanced and how close they came to Stalingrad. But despite their progress, the tide was turning against them.

Pearl Harbor

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, an event occurred that would dramatically shift the balance of power in the war. The attack on Pearl Harbor didn’t happen in Europe, but its impact was felt across the globe.

To get a sense of how American President Franklin Roosevelt viewed Hitler even before the U.S. entered the war, watch this speech where Roosevelt speaks about the "cancer" of Nazism.

This speech was given in 1940, a year before Pearl Harbor.

Roosevelt clearly believed that the U.S. should join the fight against Hitler, but he knew that the American public wasn’t ready. That all changed after Pearl Harbor.

Four days after the attack, as Roosevelt wrestled with how to bring America into the European conflict, Hitler made the decision for him. Germany declared war on the United States.

With this bold move, Hitler turned what was already a difficult war into a global conflict. Even as his armies struggled in the Russian winter, he now faced the industrial might of the United States.

The Atlantic Wall

As 1942 dawned, Hitler’s decisions had turned a regional war into a battle against two of the world's strongest powers. His invasion of Russia and declaration of war on the United States had stretched his forces thin, forcing him to defend on multiple fronts.

Great Britain, still recovering from the Blitz, wasn’t yet ready to invade Nazi-held Europe. But the United States was rapidly militarizing, and with Britain and the Soviet Union as allies, they could strike anywhere along the vast Atlantic coast.

To prepare, Hitler began constructing the Atlantic Wall—a series of bunkers, defenses, and obstacles along the coast to repel any Allied invasion.

Hitler had to guess where the Allies would strike and commit vast resources to defending every possible landing point. These fortifications would become the focus of one of the most famous military operations in history, but that’s a story for another lesson.

The Mediterranean

While the Atlantic Wall was being built, another crucial front was opening in the Mediterranean.

During 1941 and 1942, the British Navy managed to maintain control of the Mediterranean Sea, making it incredibly difficult for Italian and German forces to move resources. This control was the first step in what would become the reconquest of Europe in 1943.

To get a glimpse of what life was like aboard a ship protecting the Mediterranean, watch a portion of this interview with Prince Philip, who served in the Royal Navy during the war. He describes the experience of being stationed on a battleship, where every day was a fight for survival.

Imagine being a young sailor like Prince Philip, thrust into the bloodiest war in history, facing enemy ships and planes. Even those who had trained for combat were often shocked when the real thing happened.

• Wouldn't you be surprised if you suddenly found yourself under fire?

As you move into the Got It? section, remember: while the war was driven by the ambitions of leaders like Hitler, it was fought by ordinary people—citizens turned soldiers, doing their best to survive in an extraordinary time.