The German attack on the Soviet Union in June 1941 represents one of the major caesuras in European history. Its consequences could still be felt fifty years later. Thirty-five historians from nine different countries (including the former Soviet Union) offer a comprehensive survey of the origins, course and long-term impact of this event. The volume is not merely concerned with political and military history, but also with the experiences of ordinary soldiers and civilians.
Part I: The Period of Soviet-German Partnership Part II: Operation Barbarossa: Political Preconditions, Strategic Planning and Military Consequences Part III: Politics and Experience of the War of Annihilation Part IV: Soviet Politics and War Strategy 1941 Part V: Germany and the Soviet Union in International Politics