The Soviet Union went to war against Germany in World War II primarily due to Adolf Hitler's decision to launch Operation Barbarossa, a massive invasion of the Soviet Union. The invasion was launched on June 22, 1941, and caught the Soviet Union by surprise. There were several key factors that led to this conflict:
Nazi Ideology: Adolf Hitler's expansionist ambitions and Nazi ideology viewed the Soviet Union as an ideological enemy and a target for territorial conquest.
Lebensraum: Hitler believed in the concept of Lebensraum, which meant acquiring more living space for the German people by annexing and colonizing territories, including those in the Soviet Union.
Non-Aggression Pact: Initially, Germany and the Soviet Union had signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in August 1939, which was a non-aggression agreement. However, Hitler violated this pact and decided to invade the Soviet Union.
Access to Resources: Germany sought to gain control over the vast resources, such as oil, grain, and other raw materials, present in the Soviet Union.
Strategic Importance: For Germany, the Soviet Union represented a significant strategic target in Eastern Europe, and its defeat was considered crucial to the overall German war effort.
The invasion of the Soviet Union marked a major turning point in World War II and became a brutal and devastating conflict known for its ferocity and large-scale casualties. The Soviet Union's resistance and eventual victory in the Eastern Front played a pivotal role in the overall defeat of Nazi Germany.