What city was besieged for 872 days in WW2?

The Siege of Leningrad, also known as the Leningrad Blockade, was a prolonged military blockade undertaken mainly by the German Army Group North against Leningrad, historically and currently known as Saint Petersburg, in the Eastern Front theatre of World War II. The siege started on 8 September 1941, when the last road to the city was severed. Although the Soviets managed to open a narrow land corridor to the city on 18 January 1943, the siege was only lifted on 27 January 1944, 872 days after it began. It is regarded as one of the longest and most destructive sieges in history. It was possibly the costliest in terms of casualties.

Leningrad's capture was one of three strategic goals in the German Operation Barbarossa and the main target of Army Group North. The strategy was motivated by Leningrad's political status as the former capital of Russia and the symbolic capital of the Russian Revolution, its military importance as a main base of the Soviet Baltic Fleet, and its industrial strength, housing numerous arms factories. By 1939, the city was responsible for 11% of all Soviet industrial output. It has been reported Adolf Hitler was so confident of capturing Leningrad that he had invitations printed to the victory celebrations to be held in the city's Hotel Astoria.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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29 Comments

Jas Newman

GreedyJoel, You seem to think the USSR wanted to dominate eastern Europe because of the "failed diplomacy of England and France." You are ignoring the fact that Stalin and Hitler were allies, allowing Hitler to launch the attacks that drew Britain and France into the war. Without the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of 1939 between the USSR and Germany, western diplomacy would have had a much better chance of succeeding.

jmw

I have read books on th is horrible seige. People starved to death, and there was no heat. The survivors had severe malnutrition, children didn't grow, teeth fell out, bones broke easily. People slept in groups for the heat. Older people simply stopped eating so children and grandchildren had more of a chance of survival. Mothers with newborn babies were found dead and frozen in apts.

billyboy915

Roland Anderson, You are sorely mistaken. Stalingrad and Leningrad are NOT the same city. In 1914, the Imperial Government in Russia changed St Petersburg's name to Petrograd. This was mainly due to the fact that they wanted to separate themselves from any German sounding name (Peter and Burg were both very Germanic names/words). Then, during the October revolution when Lenin overthrew the government, he re-named the city Leningrad in honor of him and his achievements. From St. Petersburg, to Petrograd, then to Leningrad. The last time the name changed was in 1991 when there was a popular vote to elect a new leader, as well as to change the name of the city from Leningrad back to St Petersburg. This was mainly done because Lenin had fallen out of favor with the majority of people and the referendum vote on the change of the city name. Next we have Volgograd, a.k.a. Stalingrad! From the 1500's to 1920 Volgograd was named Tsaritsyn under the rule of various different leaders. In the 1920's, the named was changed again to Stalingrad in order to recognize the efforts of Stalin in freeing the country from Tsars as well as to celebrate the great power that Stalin had given the people of Russia, or so they thought. However, after years of oppression and hardship, the people of Russia voted to change the name to Volgograd as part of the 'de-Stalinization' which happened after Stalin's death. Try to have facts on your side before commenting.

GreedyJoel

JMW, That is one of the reasons the Russians didn't feel comfortable giving up the satellite countries in Eastern Europe at the end of WW2. They never again wanted to depend on the failed diplomacy of England and France. That failed diplomacy had pointed Hitler to the East. Churchill, who was not in the cabinet, warned of the dire consequences of that "failed" diplomacy.

Wayne Roberts

Check out the film ‘’Enemy at the Gate’.

Richard D. Boyle

billyboy915, z Thank you for the excellent and accuratr history lesson. It is good to see facts mobilized and sent to rescue truth.

carlthedad

It is nice to see that beautiful city being given back its name. Instead of being named after the demented communist murderer it was named after.

Helen Guinness

St Petersburg is a beautiful city.

vasily tchaikovsky

very good Q and correct comments surprisingly 56.3% people has no clue about WW II Newman is right Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact 1939-initiate WW ii Thank you Dude for good Q

dvdeaton

military arsenal useless. The German soldiers, had to exit their tanks and join their fellow foot soldiers. The Russians, used to the frigid winters and having the home advantage, pounced on the German soldiers, and out of 500,000, 83,000 lived..

dvdeaton

Eventually, the Russians did the same thing to the Germans that they did to the French. The let their "visitors stick around," just long enough for the Russian winter. At that point, the German tanks fuel lines froze, rendering Germany (ctd)

Carroll Price

Russia suffered more casualties in this one battle than the United States suffered from the entire Normandy invasion.

ninakamwene

No clue and informative trivia. Thank you.

David Roy

Shostakovich wrote a powerful symphony about it

Ian Swindale

Another of Hitler's madcap military decisions. Thank heavens the Austrian Lance Corporal took all the strategic military decisions rather than his Generals