# Operation Barbarossa (1941)

URL: https://germany-history.com/timeline/1941-operation-barbarossa
Location: Soviet Union
Categories: battle, main-event

On 22 June 1941 Germany invaded the Soviet Union with over three million soldiers. It was a war of annihilation. Mass shootings of Jews began behind the front.

## Why it matters
It opened the decisive front of the war.

Ruler at the time: [Adolf Hitler](https://germany-history.com/rulers/adolf-hitler)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia – Operation Barbarossa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Barbarossa)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica – Operation Barbarossa](https://www.britannica.com/event/Operation-Barbarossa)