8 September 1941 – 27 January 1944 blockade of Leningrad by the Axis From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The siege of Leningrad was a siege in Leningrad during World War II.[1] The siege started on 8 September 1941, when the last road to the city was severed.
Siege of Leningrad | |||||||||
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Part of Eastern Front (World War II) | |||||||||
Soviet antiaircraft battery in Leningrad near Saint Isaac's Cathedral, 1941 | |||||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||||
Germany Republic of Finland[2][3] > Naval support: Italy[4] | Soviet Union | ||||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Strength | |||||||||
Initial: 725,000 | Initial: 930,000 | ||||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||||
Army Group North: 1941: 85,371 total casualties[5] 1942: 267,327 total casualties[6] 1943: 205,937 total casualties[7] 1944: 21,350 total casualties[8] Total: 579,985 casualties |
Northern Front: Baltic Fleet: 55,890 Leningrad Front: 467,525 Total: 523,415 | ||||||||
Soviet civilians: 642,000 during the siege, 400,000 at evacuations[9] |
Although the Soviet Union forces managed to open a narrow path to the city on 18 January 1943, the siege was only stopped on 27 January 1944, 872 days after it began. It is thought of as one of the most destructive sieges ever to happen. It was possibly the heaviest in terms of casualties, killing over 1 million innocent people. Also, because of the siege, no food was allowed to enter Leningrad, leaving the residents to eat things such as:
Because of the German operations, no people or supply trucks were allowed to enter or leave the city, leaving the occupants without food often for weeks or months.[11]