Result : Soviet victory
Siege lifted by Soviet forces Territorial changes Axis forces are repelled 60–100 km (37–62 mi) away from Leningrad.
Belligerents Germany Finland[1][2] Italy[3] Soviet Union Commanders and leaders Nazi Germany Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb Nazi Germany Georg von Küchler Finland C.G.E. Mannerheim Finland Erik Heinrichs
Soviet Union Markian Popov Soviet Union Kliment Voroshilov Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov Soviet Union Ivan Fedyuninsky Soviet Union Mikhail Khozin Soviet Union Leonid Govorov Soviet Union Kirill Meretskov
Strength Initial: 725,000 Initial: 930,000 Casualties and losses Nazi Germany Army Group North: 1941: 85,371 total casualties[4] 1942: 267,327 total casualties[5] 1943: 205,937 total casualties[6] 1944: 21,350 total casualties[7] Total: 579,985 casualties
Soviet Union Northern Front: 1,017,881 killed, captured or missing[8] 2,418,185 wounded and sick[8] Total: 3,436,066 casualties
Russian estimate of killed, captured or missing:[9] Baltic Fleet: 55,890 Leningrad Front: 467,525 Total: 523,415 Soviet civilians: 642,000 during the siege, 400,000 at evacuations[8]
Operation Barbarossa The siege of Leningrad (Russian: блокада Ленинграда; German: Leningrader Blockade) was a prolonged military blockade undertaken from the south by the Army Group North of Nazi Germany against the Soviet city of Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) on the Eastern Front in World War II. The Finnish army invaded from the north, co-operating with the Germans, and completed the ring around the city.
The siege began on 8 September 1941, when the Wehrmacht severed the last road to the city. Although Soviet forces managed to open a narrow land corridor to the city on 18 January 1943, the Red Army did not lift the siege until 27 January 1944, 872 days after it began. The blockade became one of the longest and most destructive sieges in history, and it was possibly the costliest siege in history due to the number of casualties which were suffered throughout its duration. In the 21st century, some historians have classified it as a genocide due to the systematic starvation and intentional destruction of the city's civilian population
Leningrad fortified region
Antiaircraft guns guarding the sky of Leningrad, in front of St. Isaac's Cathedral On Friday, 27 June 1941, the Council of Deputies of the Leningrad administration organised "First response groups" of civilians. In the next days, Leningrad's civilian population was informed of the danger and over a million citizens were mobilised for the construction of fortifications. Several lines of defences were built along the city's perimeter to repulse hostile forces approaching from north and south by means of civilian resistance.[2] In the south, the fortified line ran from the mouth of the Luga River to Chudovo, Gatchina, Uritsk, Pulkovo and then through the Neva River. Another line of defence passed through Peterhof to Gatchina, Pulkovo, Kolpino and Koltushy. In the north the defensive line against the Finns, the Karelian Fortified Region, had been maintained in Leningrad's northern suburbs since the 1930s, and was now returned to service. A total of 306 km (190 mi) of timber barricades, 635 km (395 mi) of wire entanglements, 700 km (430 mi) of anti-tank ditches, 5,000 earth-and-timber emplacements and reinforced concrete weapon emplacements and 25,000 km (16,000 mi)[26] of open trenches were constructed or excavated by civilians. Even the guns from the cruiser Aurora were removed from the ship to be used to defend Leningrad.[27] Establishment The 4th Panzer Group from East Prussia took Pskov following a swift advance and reached Novgorod by 16 August. After the capture of Novgorod, General Hoepner's 4th Panzer Group continued its progress towards Leningrad.[28] However, the 18th Army – despite some 350,000 men lagging behind – forced its way to Ostrov and Pskov after the Soviet troops of the Northwestern Front retreated towards Leningrad. On 10 July, both Ostrov and Pskov were captured and the 18th Army reached Narva and Kingisepp, from where advance toward Leningrad continued from the Luga River line. This had the effect of creating siege positions from the Gulf of Finland to Lake Ladoga, with the eventual aim of isolating Leningrad from all directions. The Finnish Army was then expected to advance along the eastern shore of Lake Ladoga.[29] The last rail connection to Leningrad was cut on 30 August, when the German forces reached the River Neva. In early September, Leeb was confident Leningrad was about to fall. Having received reports on the evacuation of civilians and industrial goods, Leeb and the OKH believed the Red Army was preparing to abandon the city. Consequently, on 5 September, he received new orders, including the destruction of the Red Army forces around the city. By 15 September, Panzer Group 4 was to be transferred to Army Group Centre so it could participate in a renewed offensive towards Moscow. The expected surrender did not materialise although the renewed German offensive cut off the city by 8 September.[30] Lacking sufficient strength for major operations, Leeb had to accept the army group might not be able to take the city, although hard fighting continued along his front throughout October and November.[31]
source: wikipedia
