Barbarossa Derailed

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At dawn on 10 July 1941, German Army Group Center's Second and Third Panzer Groups crossed the Dnepr and Western Dvina Rivers, marking the beginning of what many believed would be a swift conquest of Moscow. Just weeks earlier, on 22 June, Hitler had launched Operation Barbarossa, aiming to defeat the Soviet Union's Red Army and remove Stalin from power. By 10 July, the Wehrmacht had advanced up to 500 kilometers into Soviet territory, inflicting heavy casualties on the Red Army. With the Soviet forces in disarray, German commanders anticipated a quick victory. However, the battles in the Smolensk region soon dashed these hopes. Upon crossing the rivers, the Wehrmacht encountered five fresh Soviet armies. Despite initial successes in destroying and encircling Soviet forces, the Germans faced fierce resistance. Throughout July and August, newly mobilized Soviet armies launched counterattacks, ultimately derailing Operation Barbarossa. As losses mounted, Hitler shifted his focus southward to the Kiev region. This setback at Smolensk became a critical turning point in the campaign. This study utilizes extensive Soviet and German archival materials to provide a detailed account of the battles in the Smolensk region from 10 July to 10 September 1941, appealing to both general readers and specialists through a structured narrative and accompanying maps and orders. Volume 1 reviews the initial weeks of Operation Barbarossa and detail