Question

Why did Hitler invade Russia on June 22nd 1941 (Battle of Stalingrad?)

I know what the battle was, and that is was named operation barbarrosa but I would like to know WHY Hitler invaded. There were no previous provocations as far as I know and they had signed a non-aggression pact.

Answer 1

Primarily for living space as part of the Third Reich he had envisioned. Much like many of his agreements, Hitler often used them only as tools of convenience.

The peace arrangement was convenient to keep the Soviets at bay while he ran wild over Western Europe. It was a surprise to everyone who believed that Hitler and Stalin would never sign a pact together as they were politically opposed to each other. But Hitler had planned to turn against his ally for quite some time and the Nazis were ideologically against Communism.

Reports of the Soviet army's reputed weaknesses (such as the stinging defeat they had suffered at the hands of Finland during the Winter War) had also convinced Hitler that the Soviets were in no position to resist his armies. After all, they were fresh off of having brought continental Europe under his heel. Hitler remarked to Albert Speer that ""We have only to kick in the door and the whole rotten structure will come crashing down.".

Most of his own generals, however, were against invading the Soviet Union and tried to convince Hitler otherwise. But the course was set and Hitler was the supreme commander and had managed to convince them that it was possible. To him, it was a crusading blitzkrieg to create vast farmlands and living space for the citizens of the Third Reich.