Operation Barbarossa – code name for the German Invasion of the Soviet Union – was one of the most significant moments in the first years of WWII. You will learn how Hitler and Stalin were positioning prior to the 1941 invasion, including the signing of a “Non-Aggression Pact” between the two countries. You will examine the immediate run-up to the invasion, the 3-major German armies and their key Russian targets, and how the initial phases of the war were fought. We’ll also examine how the American “Lend Lease” Program significantly aided the Russians, some key turning points in the war and how each nation’s war material production, and a key tank battle at Kursk, helped to determine the outcome of the war on the Eastern Front.