nazi germany denied operation barbarossa in 1941
while the murder of jewish civilians had been ongoing in the occupied territories of poland and the soviet union plans for the total eradication of the jewish population of europeeleven million peoplewere formalised at the wannsee conference on 20 january 1942
 the decision to attack the soviet union and the decisive defeat at stalingrad led to the retreat of the german armies and the eventual loss of the war