Hitler sets date for Barbarossa
30th April 1941: The date for the invasion of Soviet Russia starts the final countdown for the movement of over 3 million troops to the east
On 30th April 1941, Hitler met with his military High Command and finalised a date for the surprise invasion of Soviet Russia. The invasion of Yugoslavia and Greece had pushed the expected target date back from 15th May, first set when Hitler had issued his Directive No. 21 in December 1940.
Franz Halder, the Chief of Staff of the Army High Command (OKH), noted in his diary1 that there was little flexibility in the movement plans for the different ‘transport echelons’ that had to be moved into Poland and eastern Germany. Most relied on the railways for at least part of their journey east. So just as in the First World War, the German railway capacity had significant consequences for the unfolding sequence of events.
Of the thirty divisions needed for the GHQ Reserve, eleven were currently in the Balkans, and five were in the west. It was noted that the 10cm siege guns being sent to Libya for the siege of Tobruk would be ‘badly missed’.
A cover story had to be developed for the movement of three million troops, to be boosted by a further 800, 000 from Finland, Hungary and Romania. These Axis countries had not yet been told that their participation in the largest invasion in history was planned:
Fuehrer:
a. Formula for talks with Hungary, Finland, and Romania: “Major developments possible in the west. Hence, protection of the east essential. Russia has treated us unfriendly on several occasions, and we had better provide against surprises. “ Talks may start probably around 23 May.
b. Need for safeguarding Ploesti, Cernavodă. [The oil refinery and a transport hub in Romania]
c. Von Schobert [General to be transferred from west to east to take over 11th Army] will take over command six weeks before the start of operations, i.e., on 15 May at the latest.
Meanwhile, Hitler was unaware of the false documents produced on his behalf in Britain, or that 30th April was to be another significant date for him in just four years.
