Operation Barbarossa could have easily brought an end to the Soviet Union, but thanks to a series of miscalculations and some old-fashioned hubris, Hitler's biggest invasion of World War II proved ... Barbarossa was the largest military operation in history—more men, tanks, guns and aircraft were deployed than in any other offensive. [390][391] The invasion opened the Eastern Front, the war's largest theatre, which saw clashes of unprecedented violence and destruction for four years and killed over 26 million Soviet people, including about ...

Understanding the Context

Frederick Barbarossa (December 1122 – 10 June 1190), also known as Frederick I (German: Friedrich; Italian: Federico), was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death in 1190. He was elected King of Germany in Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March 1152. He was crowned King of Italy on 24 April 1155 in Pavia and emperor by Pope Adrian IV on 18 June 1155 in Rome. Two ...

Key Insights

Barbarossa, Barbary pirate, appointed admiral of the Ottoman fleet in 1533, by whose initiative Algeria and Tunisia became part of the Ottoman Empire. For three centuries after his death, Mediterranean coastal towns and villages were ravaged by his successors. From humble tradesman to feared corsair and grand admiral of the Ottoman Navy, Barbarossa was a source of both awe and anxiety. Operation Barbarossa, during World War II, code name for the German invasion of the Soviet Union, which was launched on . The failure of German troops to defeat Soviet forces in the campaign signaled a crucial turning point in the war.

Final Thoughts

Learn more about Operation Barbarossa in this article.