Via the Imperial War Museums. The Q should be, not why he invaded Russia, but didn’t invade Russia first and leave western Europe alone? Had he done that, he may have succeeded in his goals of expanding Germany. Western Europe would have strongly objective for sure, but would not have gone to war for a communist country like Russia. Maybe the world is better off he didn’t take that approach? The costs in lives is incomprehensible at as a result of the approaches he did take.
how would he get around Poland, though? Remember, they’re allies with UK and FR and as soon as one piss-sucking Nazi jackboot crosses the frontier Game On… bypass Poland and take the long way around through Ukraine?
Russia was hopelessly there like ripe fruit for Hitler, so tempting but, he really needed to secure the entrance to the Medeterrainian before dreaming so big as to invade Russia.
The Med, then the Oil Fields in the ME, which for the most part isn’t enough to goiad US participation in the War, but certainly set Hitler up for better things..
Edit to add being alligned with Japan was a millstone around Hitlers neck.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQXTTCLeecQ
This covers a bit of the topic. It would appear that Hitler had a pretty good batting average by going against his Generals advice. In 14 months he had taken most of Europe.
Not wiping out the English Army when the were trapped at Dunkirk. Not securing the entrance to the Mediterainian, not waiting to attack Russia at a better time.
Something I was thinking about earlier;
If you were a German General who fought in WWI, to be effective you had to have really studied what’s going on and how fast things were changing and be adaptable. Everyone like the Blitzkrieguntil you are rting to resupply Tanks, IFV’s and Artillery with Horses.
Believe it or not the German Army was still very, very reliant on Horses, Mules and Teamsters.
Try planning for that.
Part of why Hitler didn’t use gas at the front, he knew his equine supply train would be vulnerable to response in kind.
I lived in Schwienfurt for almost 10 years. I got to meet a very few WWII German Veterans. My Haus Meister was one of them. He said he was wounded and had lost his left hand, when he came to he was a POW,sitting in a ditch with a bandage, cigarettes and coffee.
He said “We sat there in that ditch for two days, watching trucks drive by hour after hour, trucks full of food and ammunition and I knew we had lost the war.”
Funny Unrelated Story;
The hand and Arm signal for “I’am ready to move, are you ready?” is a raised right arm with an open palm facing toward the vehicle behind you. When the signal has reached the rear vehicle and that vehicle is ready, the same signal is passed from rear to front, the same way.
So I’m in a small German Village at like 07:45 lined up in a nice row all ready to leave, I get the signal and send it back and upon the signal making its way back to the front of the formation to me I notice a very old Little Man throwing the best F’ing Nazi Salute you have eveer seen.
I believe I heard his heels ‘Clcik”.