The Soviet Union in World War II: Military, Political, and Social History

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On June 22, 1941, Hitler invaded the Soviet Union. German troops surrounded Leningrad in the longest running siege in modern history, reached the outskirts of Moscow, and slaughtered millions of Soviet civilians. Of the 6 million Jews murdered by the Nazis, almost 2 million were killed on Soviet soil. Over 26 million Soviet citizens died in the war. Eventually, the Red Army came back from defeat to free the occupied territories and drive Hitler and amp;#39;s army back to Berlin. Using history, film, poetry, veterans' accounts, documentaries, and journalism, this course surveys the great military battles as well as life in the occupied territories and on the home front. It highlights the rise of fascism, the Stalinist purges of the Red Army, and the Nazi massacres of the civilian population. Occasional film screenings may be required.