World War Two and Eastern Europe

Discussions about World War Two are often split into 'theatres', which describe defined areas of war where significant territories were targeted or won. Eastern Europe, or the 'Eastern Front' is commonly thought of as one of the most bitterly contested regions, where more troops were killed in battle than in all other theatres combined.

The main reason why this region was so bitterly disputed was the determination of the Axis Powers to conquer the Balkan Peninsula and the Soviet Union. The push was also racially charged, based on the Nazi desire to wipe out Slavic peoples. In fact, Adolf Hitler was so set on defeating Allied forces on the Eastern Front that he delivered only a moderate defence in Normandy and the western borders of Axis territory.

Ultimately, the Soviet Red Army launched a counteroffensive that drove Axis forces back in 1945, six years after they had begun their push across Eastern Europe.

Click on the links below to find out more about the battles that raged around this infamous theatre of war: