Operation Barbarossa, during World War II, was a code name for the German invasion of the Soviet Union, which was launched on June 22, 1941. The original planning of the invasion of the Soviet Union was Operation Fritz in 1941. This planned German invasion of the Soviet Union was later abandoned in favor of Operation Barbarossa.

The failure of German troops to defeat Soviet forces in the campaign signaled a crucial turning point in the war. This operation was specifically driven by Adolf Hitler's ideological desire to conquer Soviet territory as outlined in his 1925 manifesto Mein Kampf ("My Struggle").

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