A Powerful Story
I recently read a wonderful book written by Kristin Hannah titled “The Winter Garden.” It was the story of two daughters who knew next to nothing about their elderly mother who refused to let them get close to her. After the daughters bury their father, their mother finally tells the story of how she survived through the deadly siege of Leningrad where millions of people had died. Books and stories are so wonderful that they can take you to a different time in history and we can learn from mistakes of the past.
Hitler Begins World War II
When Hitler took power in Germany his ambition was to create a great empire and a superior race and he would let nothing stand in his way. His first goals were to take Austria and Czechoslovakia by way of annexation.
Germany invaded Poland Sept 1, 1939 and within a short period of times had defeated and brought Poland under German rule. Poland was just part of Hitler’s plan to control all of Europe. By May 10, 1940 Hitler and the German Army were invading The Netherlands, Luxembourg and Belgium.
Not satisfied with just those countries, Germany went after France. In June 1940 France agreed to divide France into German controlled France and a small portion know as Free France.
Germany Attacks Great Britain
Germany now controlled most of Europe and in June of 1940 began an assault on Great Britain with massive air raids. However, Great Britain proved to be tough to defeat. The British held fast and managed to defend themselves and stop the Germans from seizing Great Britain. Hitler then made the decision to go after Russian territory.
Hitler Targets Leningrad
Unable to conquer England, Hitler made the decision to conquer Moscow and defeat Russia and take control of Russian territory. But to get to Moscow, Hitler’s army would have to defeat and control the beautiful city of Leningrad, known at that time for its culture. Leningrad was also valuable to the Germans because it was a major industrial city which produced armaments and tractors.
By September, Germany had attacked Russia borders where Russia was under prepared and taken by surprise. Leningrad was its first target on the path to take Moscow and defeat Russia. While the men of Leningrad were off fighting the Germans it fell to the women of Leningrad to build defensive fortifications to help to defend Leningrad. The young women of Leningrad were called to build miles of trenches, string barbwire fences and other defenses to protect Leningrad from being invaded by the enemy. These young women worked long hard hours with limited tools and little protection from the weather or enemy bombs. Later many of these young women held positions in the armament factories.
Sergey Strunnikov (1907–1944)
Hitler Begins The Siege Of Leningrad
Hitler at that time decided that he would starve the people of Leningrad into surrendering. Thus began 872 days (over two years) of siege and bombings with no way out for the citizens, mostly women and children. German forces had control of the railways and roads out of Leningrad. Although some of the citizens had been evacuated to safer areas of Russia, millions remained trapped within the city of Leningrad.
Two Years Of Desperation
Almost two years of living under food shortage, fuel shortages, disease, lack of medication millions in Leningrad had died. During the summer months, citizens managed to plant gardens which would hopefully help them to survive the winter months. But the final winter of the siege would be brutal. People could be found lying frozen to death in the streets. Rations kept being cut due to lack of supplies. There were no longer any pets or rodents in Leningrad. Anything that was possible to eat was used even leather and wall paper was boiled and drank. There were reports of cannibalism as well. And still the people died from starvation. The ground was too frozen to bury the thousands of people who were dying on a daily basis. That last deadly winter proved to also be the downfall of the German Army who coincided defeat and withdrew from the Russian border on Jan 27, 1944.
Lake Ladoga: The Road of Life
With the roads and railways under German control food and other essential supplies were cut off. The only way for supplies to reach Leningrad was across Lake Ladoga. Some barges managed to make it through but not enough to supply all of Leningrad. In the winter months the lake had to be frozen solid before it was safe to drive on. Thus it earned the name: The Road Of Life that final winter. After the Lake froze solid some supplies began to trickle into Leningrad and more people were able to evacuate the city across The Road of Life.
Longest Deadliest Siege In History
The siege of Leningrad was the longest and worst siege in history. Over two years some of the most determined citizens managed to survive and tell their stories, although Stalin managed to suppress many of the stories from being told. Approximately 600,000 to 800,000 citizens were the victims of Hitler and his greed for power.
I recommend reading the novel by Kristen Hannah, “The Winter Garden.” It’s a powerful and moving story. It is fiction and the characters although fictional, I found myself feeling that they were real.
https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/the-city-that-would-not-die-siege-of-leningrad
https://www.history.com/articles/the-siege-of-leningrad
