The day Hitler attacked the Soviet Union – level 3

22-06-1941

On June 22, 1941, German planes dropped the first bombs on Soviet cities and military positions. Then 3 million German soldiers entered Soviet territory.

The Germans wanted to conquer the Soviet Union in three key places. In the north, the main target was the city of Leningrad; in the middle it was Moscow; and in the south, the Germans wanted to reach the oil fields at the Caspian Sea.

In the beginning, the Germans advanced very quickly. However, later they encountered increasing resistance from the Red Army, and their advance stopped. For some time, the Germans controlled a big part of Russia, but they failed to conquer both Leningrad and Moscow. They didn’t reach the oil fields near the Caspian Sea, either.

In 1943, the situation started to change, and it was the Red Army who started conquering land previously held by the Germans. The Germans had to retreat more and more. The Red Army continued its advance, and in May 1945, the Russians conquered Berlin.

Difficult words: conquer (to get control by fighting), encounter (to experience), retreat (to move away from the enemy because you are losing).

What obstacles did the German army face that hindered their conquest of the Soviet Union?

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