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The invasion of Russia was the largest military campaign of the Second World War. , as it was known, was launched on 22 June 1941 and completely took Russia by surprise. The widening war raging in Africa and eastern Europe were key distractions for Hitler from his ....

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.... up of over 3 million men which moved into Russia. As one army group headed north towards Leningrad, a center group headed towards Moscow and a southern group moved to capture the food producing area of the Ukraine. By now, the Germans were thrilled with their fast advancements and initial success, including the fact that they had captured over 400 000 Russian soldiers. In late July, the advance on Leningrad and Moscow slowed, with forces moving south to capture Kiev and the Ukraine. While Germans generals wanted to make Moscow the primary target so that a final battle could take place to crush the red Army, Hitler believed that seizing territory wa ....