Why did Germany invade the Soviet Union?

Question

Yes, Hitler was a crazy man, but what was the reason behind Germany actually having an all-out invasion on the Soviet Union? What, if anyone knows, was the thought process in the attack on the Soviet Union by Germany? The Soviet Union has always been a fierce adversary when it comes to war so there really seems no logical reason Germany would want to even begin to consider going to war with them. Does anyone know the reason behind this?

Answer 1

Although Germany and the Soviet Union were not necessarily “at odds” there were reasons to believe that they would not remain on peaceful terms for long. Actually the phrase “creeping up to war” has been used by the Soviet Union regarding the time period immediately before the war.

Germany wanted control of all Eastern lands and this would include the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was not at its strongest at this time and the German army had definitely grown and was stronger. The German army had, in fact, taken the country of France in only six weeks.

Germany surely knew also that the Soviet Union had possession of many resources the German’s would have found useful. Also, if the German army could overcome the Soviet Union, they would most likely have the resources to build an unbeatable army. Not to mention, if Germany won the Soviet Union, there would be less allies to which Great Britain could look to. With the Soviet Union in their control, the British would most likely be a very easy target.

For more details: http://latvianhistory.com/2011/11/27/why-hitler-invaded-the-soviet-union/

Answer 2

Why did Germany invade the Soviet Union? Actually, there were several reasons why Germany invaded the Soviet Union. Some of these reasons are:

• Germany did not want to fight a war so close to a country that had a huge and powerful military. If they won the Soviet Union, they would not have this worry.
• Germany wanted to completely eliminate Communism.
• The Soviet Union had good resources that would be useful to Germany, including oil.
• Living space for Nazis.