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Admin moved page How did Joseph Stalin react to the German invasion during WWII? to How did Joseph Stalin react to the German invasion during WWII
==What did the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact do? ==
[[File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_146-1974-099-19,_Russland,_Angriff_auf_ein_Dorf.jpg|thumbnail|left|300px250px|German Troops in the Soviet Union in 1941]]
The two dictators signed secret protocols dividing central Europe between Stalin and Hitler. It effectively lets both the USSR and Germany invade freely countries listed within their “spheres of influence. However, Germany and the Soviet Union's agreement was not sustainable and ultimately set the stage for the Eastern Front of World War II. Still, the initial improving relations with Germany meant that the Soviet Union could expand its territory in Eastern Europe unmolested into the Baltic States. Stalin believed that his understanding with Hitler would last, and he became complacent.<ref> Montefiore, Simon Sebag. ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400076781/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1400076781&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=eb9848bd0a98d402c5a3cab783e1108d Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar]''. (London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003), p. 117</ref>
====Stalin leads the fightback====
However, within weeks Stalin manages to recover from the shock and called for reinforcements. Although German troops had made huge advances into the heartlands of the Soviet Union and the rest of the government had been evacuated from Moscow, Stalin remained in the Kremlin and begun to take control of the country’s ailing military infrastructure. As German troops approached Moscow's Soviet capital, Stalin directed a devastating defensive policy, destroying any supplies or infrastructure that might benefit the enemy. Fresh competent USSR military commanders loyal to Stalin were allowed to control important strategic positions and military divisions. <ref>Bellamy, p. 117</ref> This scorched earth tactic denied the Germans key supplies. This was particularly the case as the German supply lines had become extended, and the men at the front did not receive the supplies they needed. The destruction of the infrastructure and anything else that could be utilized by the Germans caused immense suffering to the Soviet civilian population. However, it dramatically slowed the German advance. Stalin's policy contributed to the German army's failure to take Moscow in the early winter of 1941.<ref>Bellamy, p.112</ref>
== How did Stalin reorganize the Soviet Army? ==
