The WWII Eastern Front

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the eastern front of the Second World War is often overlooked by Western historians; however, the fierce battles and enormous amount of blood spilled between Russia and Germany during this time is almost unfathomable by modern standards of warfare. The author points out that some of the most brutal fighting of World War II took place in the modern-day Ukraine, which was targeted by Hitler because of its strong industrial and agricultural base. Additionally, he sought to misdirect Soviet forces from the Baltic States to the Ukraine further in the south. The paper relates that the physical geography of the eastern front made holding strategic locations difficult; the sprawling, open nature of the land generated a situation in which deception and surprise were minimal and thus, casualties were considerable.

From the Paper:

"While the southern and central portions of the nation are densely populated and have varied geographies, northern Poland is more sparsely populated and almost uniform in its physical characteristics. The climate is generally cool and similar to that in central North America. The average temperature in the summer is between 60 F and 70 F, while the winter average is about 30 F. It has the capacity to reach very cold temperatures, and can be quite unaccommodating to massive military forces. Unfortunately, this climate was not enough to stop Russian and German armies from ravaging Poland's countryside. "Geographically, Poland stood as a tasty morsel between the jaws of Germany and Russia. An agricultural nation with no natural barriers or frontiers, Poland could not, like Switzerland, look to the mountains, money, or a strong industry for protection.""

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