Historical Background
In August of 1939, negotiations between Germany and the Soviets led to the signing of the German-Soviet Nonaggression pact, a secret agreement that divided Poland among the two nations.
"On June 22, 1941 at 3:00 AM", Operation Barbarossa was launched by Germany. "The Germans sent in three million men, over a thousand tanks and 2,500 aircraft. Over 4,000 Soviet fighters and bombers were destroyed on the ground in the first hours of the attack." This was due to Hitler’s belief that the Soviets had a secret alliance with Britain. "The Red Army, totally unprepared, went into full retreat and the Nazis quickly defeat[ed] the USSR" (Berman), allowing German forces to reach 300 miles into Soviet territory within a few days. |
After the devastating aftermath of Operation Barbarossa, the Soviets became the first to allow women into combat because of an influential female aviatrix, Marina Raskova.
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