German general s diary reveals Hitler s plans for Russia
On this day in 1943 upon the German armys invasion of Pskov 180 miles from Leningrad Russia the chief of the German army general staff General Franz Halder records in his diary Hitlers plans for Moscow and Leningrad To dispose fully of their population which otherwise we shall have to feed during the winter.On June 22 the Germans had launched a massive invasion of the Soviet Union with over 3 million men.Enormous successes were enjoyed thanks in large part to a disorganized and unsuspecting Russian army.By July 8 more than 280000 Soviet prisoners had been taken and almost 2600 tanks destroyed.
The Axis power was already a couple of hundred miles inside Soviet territory.Stalin was in a panic even executing generals who had failed to stave off the invaders.Franz Halder as chief of staff had been keeping a diary of the day-to-day decision-making process.As Hitler became emboldened by his successes in Russia Halder recorded that the Fuhrer is firmly determined to level Moscow and Leningrad to the ground.
Halder also records Hitlers underestimation of the Russian armys numbers and the bitter infighting between factions within the military about strategy.Halder among others wanted to make straight for the capital Moscow Hitler wanted to meet up with Field Marshal Wilhelm Leebs army group which was making its way toward Leningrad.The advantage Hitler had against the Soviets would not last.
Winter was approaching and so was the advantage such conditions would give the Russians.
