Quote Originally Posted by Upxl
Leningrad was nothing more then a symbolic target.
The true power of the SU lied more south/east.

It was the discussion Hitler had with his generals.
They wanted to attack the soviet supplies of raw materials and oil reserves.
Hitler wanted to Capture Leningrad to show the world he had crushed the SU.
Just another fatal mistake in a long line of military errors.

But to get back to the subject.

WW II was lost to the axes from the very beginning.
The 2 fatal mistakes Hitler never should have made:

*Attacking the Soviet Union: This was one of the most critical events that took place.
Because the Russians didn’t join the Allies to distribute the final punches in the 1st WW,
the Germans never did learn the lesson of the weight of a 2front war.


*Failing to invade England:

He left the Europe war scene without completing it.
Leaving behind a weakened but nevertheless dangerous enemy.
At the battle of Britain the little *prick* should have stayed destroying the Raf’s infrastructure.

All the decisions and event’s that came afterwards wouldn’t have made much difference.
The war could have lasted longer or be more disastrous, but the Axes would still have lost it.

(Language... though only mild. -Kraxis)

I would have to disagree.Leningrad was the second largest city of the Soviet Union.It also guarded the Northern railway line from Murmansk to Siberia where the Soviets builded up the industry to create weapons for the eventual counter attack against Germans in 1942-1945. If you look at the railway network of Russia you understand what i mean.About the attack on SU.If the Germans wouldnt have attacked SU.Soviet Union would have attacked Germany.
I think that the first starategig level error for the Germans was to attack Moscow in 1941. Hitlers generals proposed an creation of an defensive line in september,but Hitler did not listened. The initial German attack at 1941 drove infact too deep to Russia,If they would have stopped the attack before the weather conditions failed the attack.The first Soviet counter attack would have failed and the Germans could have continued their main assault on Army group center and North during spring 1942.
I agree that the Hitlers decision to target the cities of England instead of terminating the RAF was a huge mistake that eventually costed the Germans the whole Battle of Britain in the end.
About the WWI.The reason why the Russia didnt join in the final attack against Germany was,that the Russian Armies was already utterly beaten by the Germans. And infact Russia was in the middle of civil war at that point.