One of persistent WWII myth
is that the Red Army enjoyed staggering numerical advantage over Axis forces on
the eastern front.
If we compare Human
resources of Axis country versus Soviet Union,
it is difficult to understand haw this myth has persisted for so long.
Population of Soviet Union in
June1941 was 196,716,000. This include newly acquired population of
Baltic states, Eastern Poland and territory gained from Romania.
Axis population base was as
below;
The Third Reich census of
May 1939-population 79,375,281. This included since 1935
with Saargebiet (Saar district), since 1938 with Ostmark (Austria) and
Sudetenland, since March 1939 with Memelland acquired from Lithuania.
Additionally,
Germany
acquired population of Polish ethnic German1,100,000.
approximately
(my estimation) 450,000 Ethnic Germans
from Protectorate of Czech and Moravia France, Belgium,
Netherlands and Yugoslavia should be taken under
consideration.
This will
give total German population on territories controlled in June 1941 by III Reich close to 81,000,000
Slovakia population in 1941-2,750,000
Hungary-9,350,000
Romania-13,6000,000
Finland (not member of Axis but actively participated in
Eastern Front fighting)-3,710,000
Total population of Axis
Countries and associates in June 1941 was approximately 110,000,000 vs
population of Soviet Union approximately
196,000,000.
For clarity, I have not
included Italians(Italian army in Russia)
and Spanish Blue Division as well as SS divisions formed from different
nationalities such as French, Nordic countries, Croatia, Ukraine, Russian
renegades and so on.
During first months of Barbarossa, Germany
occupied all Baltic states, Belarus, Ukraine,
territories of Eastern Poland and part of Western Russia
with population as below;
Lithuania -2,879,070
Latvia-1,995,000
Estonia-1,134,000
Eastern Poland-13,000,000
Belarus population 1939 census- 5,568,994
Ukraine population 1939 census 23,667,509
Total
population loss by Soviet Union Including western Russia-(my estimation) will
be in the range of 50,000,000 less population evacuated east during the mass
evacuation of industry beyond Ural. This number is unknown but, taking as an
example Baltic States, this evacuation did not
exceed 20% including mobilised soldiers.
Taking
above under consideration, unoccupied Soviet Union
population was in the range of 150-160 millions.
Soviet
Union industry employed only Soviet Union citizens where Germany used human resources of entire Europe to supply workforce for German economy.
Where
the myth of overwhelming Soviet superiority in numbers come from?