Summer, 1941. The Soviets are deep in Germany. Their main army are closing on Moscow. The generals want to hit hard, take the city and end the war fast.
But Hitler says no.
He wants to go south to Ukraine’s food and the oil fields further down. Therefore, the tanks turn away from Moscow and turn south. At first it works. A big Soviet army is crushed by the Germans and much of the land is taken. However, it consumes two whole months.
By October the weather turns and they go back toward Moscow. Roads are turned into mud by heavy rain. Tanks and trucks are stuck. All slows down.
Winter comes and it’s brutal. The Germans do not have warm clothes. Their machines stop. Soldiers suffer. Meanwhile, Soviet fresh troops, used to the cold, come to defend the city.
The Soviets strike back in a surprise attack in early December. The cold and exhausted Germans are forced to retreat.
What happened to that two month delay? It killed their shot at Moscow, and maybe at winning the war.
They blew their opportunity. It never returned.
