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In the early morning of 22 June 1941, Hitler officially violated the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact and invaded the Soviet Union.<ref> Montefiore, p. 245</ref> Historians claim that Stalin was stunned by the invasion and refused to accept the news was true. The Soviet leader had also ignored all warnings from the US, British governments and even his own intelligence officers. Economic and diplomatic relations between the USSR and Germany rapidly deteriorated and were abruptly terminated. The Soviets were not prepared for a war against Germany. The Red Army troops were scattered and dispersed among several fronts. Furthermore, Stalin’s purges of army officers in the 1930s had crippled the Soviet military machine. During the early days of the war the Red Army lacked trustworthy and skillful generals and suffered several disastrous losses. The Red Army ultimately allowed Nazi troops to almost reach the Kremlin gates. <ref>Joseph Stalin and World War II - http://www.history.com/topics/joseph-stalin</ref> The German assault on the Soviet Union was wildly successful. During he early weeks of Operation Barbarossa, Germany averaged gains of 50 miles a day. This rapid advance was abetted by the lack of direction from Stalin. For some time, the Red Army languished without any direction from Stalin.<ref> Montefiore, p. 245</ref>.