Provides information about the war on the Eastern Front during World War II and the role of Russia and the Allied forces in defeating the German army. Includes a chronology, photos, a glossary, and an index.

Originally published as v. 5 in The Second World War. Oxford : Osprey, 2002-2003.

Introduction -- Chronology -- Background to war : a dictators' deal and a double-cross -- Warring sides : Germany gambles on a quick win -- Outbreak : Germany achieves surprise -- The fighting : Red Army battered but not beaten -- Portrait of a soldier : the German and the Russian view -- The world around war : propoganda, lend-lease and land grabs -- Portrait of a civilian : "we were as mobilized as the soldiers" -- How the war ended : Germany surrenders, Stalin joins the war on Japan -- Conclusion and consequences : from alliance to Cold War.