1. Large Population: As the largest country in the world by land area at the time, Russia had a significantly large population compared to other European nations. With a higher total population, proportionally, a greater number of individuals could be mobilized for war.
2. German Barbarossa Campaign: The German invasion of the Soviet Union, known as Operation Barbarossa, was one of the largest military operations in history. Hitler's goal was to swiftly conquer the Soviet Union, aiming for economic resources, including agricultural land and oil, and to eliminate communism as an ideology. The brutal and extensive nature of this invasion resulted in significant human losses.
3. Frontline Geography: The Soviet Union had thousands of kilometers of frontlines to defend against the German forces, particularly on the Eastern Front, which stretched from the Arctic Ocean to the Black Sea. This vast frontier required a massive deployment of troops, making the Eastern Front the most extensive and violent theater of war in WWII.
4. Prolonged Occupation and Siege: Many Soviet cities and regions were subjected to prolonged occupation and sieges by German forces. Notable cities like Leningrad, Moscow, and Stalingrad witnessed immense suffering among the civilian population due to starvation, disease, and destruction. These factors contributed to the high mortality rate.
5. Poorly Equipped Military: The Soviet military faced considerable challenges at the beginning of the war. Despite rapid industrialization, many troops were poorly equipped, lacking proper weapons and supplies compared to the German military, which had modern tanks and aircraft. This inadequacy led to higher casualties.
6. Strategic Policies and Purges: Joseph Stalin's policies, particularly the purges of military leaders and officers in the 1930s, left the military weakened in terms of experienced leadership, contributing to early defeats and heavy losses.
7. Guerrilla Warfare: As the war progressed, Soviet tactics adapted to include extensive guerrilla warfare and scorched earth policies, which also resulted in significant casualties among the civilian population.
8. Harsh Combat and Winter Conditions: The vastness of the Soviet Union, combined with harsh winter conditions in the eastern regions, made combat particularly challenging. The severe cold and lack of proper winter gear contributed to the suffering and deaths of many Soviet soldiers.
It's important to note that the high number of casualties in the Soviet Union was not solely a result of deliberate targeting or extermination policies, as was the case with the Holocaust. While Nazi Germany did enact atrocities and genocidal policies during their occupation, the significant Soviet losses were more a consequence of the scale of the conflict, military strategies, and the vast frontline in the Eastern Front.