A century and a half after facing annihilation from the greatest military force of a combined Europe under Napoleon, the Russians were again fighting with their backs to Moscow in the winter of 1941. But this time the stakes were higher, the Revolutionary French wanted to destroy and/or subjugate Russian statehood, but the German Nazis wanted destroy the Russians physically, wiping them from human history with the aid of their European vassals. By the first snowfall, Operation Barbarossa seemed to be going to plan if not a little delayed, but the Nazis were about to take one of their first major blows to their offensive, shattering Hitler’s dream of having the boys home for Christmas or “Yule”.

Feeling the pressure from the German march towards the capital, on December 5, 1941, Soviet troops launched a large-scale counteroffensive near Moscow. According to historians, this was the first strategic offensive operation of the Red Army of this scale in the fight against Nazism. The success of the Soviet troops, according to experts, was the beginning of a radical turning point not only in the Great Patriotic War, but also in the Second World War as a whole. Soviet troops managed to concentrate powerful groups of troops in the areas of the main attack. The effect of the suddenness of the offensive played an important role, coupled with the declining morale of the German soldiers.

Despite the fact that the Red Army had neither a quantitative nor a technical advantage, by January 7, 1942, it managed to push the enemy back 100-250 km from the capital of the USSR, eliminating the immediate threat to Moscow and creating the prerequisites for the continuation of the offensive. But how did the Russians shatter Operation Barbarossa and an opponent, who on paper and from the opinion of Western historians, seemed vastly superior in fighting potential?

– Bad Supply Lines: The Germans made the exact same mistake as the French in 1812 – they did not properly prepare for extended supply lines deep into enemy territory that had extremely hostile terrain and weather. Hitler’s inner-circle seemed to value the fanciness of their tanks and uniforms rather than the practicality of following the ancient rule that “armies march on their stomachs”. The Red Army was far better equipped for the given conditions. Their troops had felt boots (valenki), heavy but cheaply made padded jackets, and white camouflage. Their T-34 tanks had wider tracks for the snow, and their equipment was winter-lubricated.

-The Japanese Disappointed: In theory, the Japanese should have provided two-front pressure onto the Soviet Union, but in reality, they contributed virtually nothing. The USSR after defeating the Germans turned its efforts to remove the Japanese and did so with swiftness. Because of the timidness of Tokyo, Stalin was able to send large Siberian Divisions to defend Moscow rather than Vladivostok.

– Counter Blitzkrieg: Since the forces of the Red Army had been mostly falling back since the beginning of Operation Barbarossa, some level of arrogance had swept through the German leadership. When the Russians finally did launch their own offensive it came out of the blue.

– A Fate Worse Than Death: The Russians had no choice but to win or die at the hands of a fanatical murderous enemy who was at the gates of the capital.

– Spiritual Victory: The victory around Moscow corresponded with the celebration of Saint, Prince, and Military Leader Alexander Nevsky on December 6^th. St. Alexander is considered to have been a great commander and defender of Russia, who is revered in Orthodoxy as righteous and as an intercessor. It was he who defeated the Germanic Teutonic Knights to protect the Orthodox faith in the 13^th century. Nevsky is an eternal symbols of triumph over a specifically Western invader. Many Russian victories during WWII corresponded to the celebratory days of the Church despite the anti-religious policies of the Bolsheviks that proceeded the war. Many Russians then and today believe that this is more than mere coincidence.

It is important to note that the defeat of the Wehrmacht near Moscow became a worldwide sensation nearly instantly. The German military machine, which gained a reputation for invincibility after the campaign in Europe, received such a powerful blow for the first time. The battle for Moscow radically changed the entire situation on the Soviet-German front and finally thwarted Hitler’s plan of a “lightning war” against the USSR. The Nazi army was now forced to wage a protracted war of attrition against the enemy, and the USSR had time to accumulate reserves so that enterprises evacuated to the east of the country could be put into operation, for additional mobilization of the population and for the final formation of the anti-Hitler coalition. One of the reasons that the Nazis invaded Russia was to acquire new resources, but by the end of 1941, all those resources were being used to attrite them. The irony of this would be funny if millions hadn’t died.

Historians note that the successful defense of Moscow was of great moral importance for the USSR, both for the citizens of the country and for all forces in the world ready to fight Nazism and Fascism. After December 1941 the clearer minded of the German leadership knew that this war was not going to be an easy win.