23 June 1941: The attack on Hitler’s former ally begins without formal warning along a front of 1,500 miles
Armoured car and anti-tank gun in action on the edge of a town during the German attack on the Soviet Union, June 1941. Photograph: ullstein bild/Getty ImagesArmoured car and anti-tank gun in action on the edge of a town during the German attack on the Soviet Union, June 1941. Photograph: ullstein bild/Getty ImagesGermany began an attack on Russia without formal warning along a front of 1,500 miles at dawn yesterday, with the assistance of the Rumanians, who have attacked Bessarabia. Mr Churchill has offered Russia whatever help we can give.
The Germans claim that they have Finnish help, but the Finnish Minister in Washington, after communicating with his Government by telephone, said last night, “Finland is not at war, but against her wishes has again been dragged into the midst of international turmoil.”
There is little news of the land fighting and none from the Russian side, but the Germans have bombed Russian towns and the Russians places in Finland. Some Moscow reports speak of a revolt in Estonia.
A proclamation by Hitler announcing that the German armies were on the march accused Russia of “working with Britain for the same ends,” condemned the Russian occupation of the Baltic states as “directed only against Germany,” and declared, “Bolshevism is opposed to National Socialism in deadly enmity.” Ribbentrop, in a note handed to the Soviet Ambassador in Berlin, alleged that Sir Stafford Cripps had been negotiating in Moscow for “still closer collaboration” between Britain and Russia.
To this Mr Molotoff, the Soviet Vice-Premier, replied with a broadcast statement in which he said that all responsibility for this “robber attack” fell on Hitler and his “bloodthirsty clique” of oppressors. He predicted that Hitler would meet the same fate as Napoleon.
The Moscow radio, heard in Stockholm last night, said that an alliance between Russia, Britain, and the United States was now under consideration. Rome radio said Italy now considered herself at war with Russia.
Russia told of Britain’s view
From our Diplomatic Correspondent
London, Sunday night
There is no doubt that the German attack upon Soviet Russia was long and carefully planned by the German General Staff. The Germans will devote stupendous effort to try in Russia as elsewhere to obtain a quick decision.
No demands or negotiations preceded this German attack for the simple reason that the Russians were to be completely surprised by the tearing up of the German-Russian Non-aggression Treaty overnight. The political propaganda campaign preceding Germany’s aggression had, after all, lasted for nearly twenty years, and even in the past two years the Germans had not stopped reading Mein Kampf; in the purely imperial aspects the anti-Russian ideas in that work were an ancient German heritage.
But it seems inconceivable that the Russians were not militarily fully on guard. Soviet Russian policy towards Germany has been almost unbelievably stupid, but there was never trust in the German Government. That the Germans should have placed at least a hundred of their divisions, which means the best of their Army, upon the enormous Russian frontiers shows their complete confidence that they will be able to fight the Russian campaign undisturbed on other European fronts. They may be wrong, but clearly they do not think so.
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