Why did Hitler attack the Soviet Union in 1941?

On June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarossa — the largest German military operation of World War II. Hitler believed the Soviet Union could be defeated quickly, giving Germany access to vast territory, food, oil, and raw materials.

But Barbarossa was about more than military strategy.

Hitler had spent years imagining a German empire in Eastern Europe. His plans were driven by ideology, Lebensraum, anti-communism, economic ambitions, and the belief that Germany had to destroy the Soviet Union before its enemies became too powerful.

In this documentary, we examine why Hitler chose to invade the Soviet Union, why he believed victory was possible, and how the decision ultimately helped bring about the destruction of Nazi Germany.

From the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and Hitler's plans for Lebensraum to Operation Barbarossa, the Battle of Moscow, Stalingrad, and the final Soviet advance into Berlin, this is the story of Hitler's greatest gamble.

Why did Hitler attack the Soviet Union?

The answer was far more complicated — and far more dangerous — than simply hatred of communism.

0:00 The Fateful Decision of June 1941
2:23 The Quest for Resources and Territory
5:30 Ideology and the Enemy Within
9:03 The Fragile Pact and Strategic Shifts
13:37 A War of Annihilation
22:32 The Catastrophic Failure of the Gamble


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