When did the Germans begin to realize that invading the Soviet Union was a mistake? The understanding that invading the USSR was a mistake evolved over time for the Germans, but several key moments marked the shift in realization:
Early Winter 1941:
As the harsh Russian winter set in, German troops, unprepared for the severe cold and facing supply shortages, began to struggle. The failure to capture Moscow by the end of 1941 and the onset of winter exposed the vulnerabilities in the German plan.
Stalingrad (August 1942 – February 1943):
The defeat at Stalingrad was a major turning point. The encirclement and surrender of the German 6th Army was a significant blow to German morale and marked the beginning of a strategic shift in the war’s momentum. This defeat illustrated the overextension of German forces and the difficulties in maintaining a large-scale occupation.
The Battle of Kursk (July – August 1943):
The failure of the German offensive at Kursk, the largest tank battle in history, further demonstrated the inability to sustain the offensive against the increasingly capable Soviet forces.
These events led to a gradual recognition among German military leaders and officials that the invasion was deeply flawed and that their initial assumptions about a quick victory were overly optimistic. By 1943, it was increasingly clear that the war on the Eastern Front was not going to end in Germany’s favor.
