The Battle of Russia (1943) Reel 3: Balkan Conquests & Hitler Invades USSR

Reel 3 of The Battle of Russia (1943) chronicles Nazi Germany’s Balkan campaigns and the beginning of Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union. The reel opens with German domination of Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria, followed by Italy’s failed invasion of Greece and Germany’s devastating assaults on Yugoslavia and Greece, completing the conquest of the Balkans. The focus then shifts to the Soviet Union’s preparation for war, with scenes of industrial production, weapon manufacturing, and soldier training. The reel culminates on June 22, 1941, with Hitler’s launch of Operation Barbarossa. Two hundred Axis divisions advanced in three directions—toward Leningrad, Moscow, and Ukraine—marking the start of the Eastern Front and the Soviet Union’s monumental resistance to Nazi aggression.

• German diplomatic pressure on Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria
• Italy’s failed invasion of Greece and Germany’s rapid conquest of Yugoslavia and Greece
• Soviet war industry: factories, tank production, artillery assembly
• Training of Soviet troops and mobilization
• June 22, 1941 – Hitler launches Operation Barbarossa
• 200 Axis divisions advance on three fronts: Leningrad, Moscow, Ukraine
• Opening salvos of the Eastern Front