Figure 1.--The incessent German bombing and shelling destroyed the water and drainage system in Leningrad, modern St. Petersburg. Civilians were forced to get their water from open mains in the streets. Here we see a broken main. Water was available from the Neva, but depending on where they lived, this could be a long walk and at a taxing struggle to carry the water back home. Unable to capture Leningrad and unwilling to engage in costly urbn warfare, Hitler cut off the city and set out to bomb and shell the city and its people into oblivion. Those who think the Allies used excessive force, should look at Leningrad. Source: Sovfoto

Conditions in Lenningrad rapidly deteriorated affter the city was cut off. German aerial bombs and artillery shells reined down constantly. Lennigraders learned the safest sides of sreeets to walk. Shortages developed quickly, especially food and fuel. Stocks were very limited and large amounts were destroyed when the main food storage warehouse complex was hit by a German aerial attack and set ablaze (September 8). Much of the city's food rserves were went up in the resulgting fire. [Wykes, p. 6] And this as only days into the seige. . Officials calculated that they were left with only sufficent for only for about 1-2 months. `This meant it was impossible to adequately feed the city's civilian population. Fuel stockpiles were also limited. Gas (petrol) had to be turned over to the military, Thus public transportation ceased to operate. As Winter 1941-42 descended on the City there was no heating, no city water, almost no electricity, and pitifully little food. City officials managed to evacuate many industril plants and the workers with their family (June-August), buuthey were replaced by desperate refugees flowing into the city. After the final rail line was cut (August 30), Stalin delayed civilian evacuations oveer Lake Ladoga several weeks. The result was the worst famine ever expedrienced by the residents of a major city (winter 1941-42). Despite the evacuations 2.5 million people were trapped in Leningrad with frightingly low food and fuel supplies. Only a trickle of supplies got through the German blockade. Rations for the civilian population had to be set at starvation level. The food rations fell to only 125 grams (about 1/4 of a pound) of bread per day (January 1942). Even getting rastions was moisery. People began linin up ar 4:00-5:00 in the morning. Refugees without Lenningrad ration cards were left to starve. Priority for food was given to the troops manning the defenses. There was no heating or lighting, running water or drainage. And if all of that was not bad enough, the winter proved to be one of bitterest on record. And the Germans constanly bombarded the city with air and artillery attacks. January 1942 proved to be was the most terribnle month of the entire siege. Authorities were forced to reduce rations ro the lowest level. Delectricity was turned off entirely. [Senchukov and Bogush] Non-workers' food rations mening children nd the elderly bwere completely stopped. This mean that there was no longer any dependable source of food. People were on their own to find food. And without electricity cooking was difficult. And now freeaing to death was added to starvation. Leningraders had go burn their books, furniture, and whatever else would burn. Waterpipes froze which mean staerbing people had to venture out into h cold to obtaun water. As a result, Leningraders died in appalling numbers. The result was mass mortalities. An estimated 0.2-0.5 million Leningraders died at the peak of the winter due to starvation and the cold (January-February 1942). Many children and the elderly starved that first Winter. Cats and dogs disappeared as well as pigeons. People turned to whtever was availble, including castoir oil, hay, lether, glycerin, vaselin, and wallpper (the paste had some nutritional value). Books wre burned for fuel. Terrible stories emerged. One mother killed here bby so thast her other two cvhildren jad a better chance of other three children surviving. [Barber and Dzeniskevich, p. 38] There were reports of canabilism. Available food was given primrily to combat troops. Several hundred thousand people were eventually evacuated from the City. Food was not the only problem. Incesesent German bombardment destroyed the city's water system. Water had to be obtained from broken mains and other pipes (figure1) or a long trudge to the Neva. Public transit ground to a hault. Efforts were made to keep life as normal as possible. Theaters and movie theaters continued to function. By the time that the German seige had been lifted, about a third of the population had perished, a third had been evacuated, and a third managed to survive in the city. Stalin has been accused of sacrificing Leningrad and indifference to the fate of the civiliand trapped in the city. There is no doubt that the needs of the Red Army had absolute priority in the Soviet war effort. The charge of indiference is probably accurte, but there were not a lot of options available to even a more empathetic leader. The city was cut off. Thre was no way of getting supplie into the city. And the German goal as part of Generalplan Ost was to starve and eventully demolish Soviet cities. Hitler's orders were to "... lay waste to the entire city and to annihilate its inhabitants without exception or remorse". [Wykes, p. 6.] No one at the time knew og Germny's true intentions. Soviet media at the time was attempting to foster NAZI-Soviet friendship. Surrender would have only meant that the Germans woukd do what hey did in Lenningrad and occupied Soviet cities to the rest of the country. Stalin can be blamed for delaying the evacuation of civilians across Lake Ladoga for several weeks after the railm links were cut.

Sources

Brber, John and Andrei Dzeniskevich. Life and Death in Besieged Leningrad, 1941-44. (New York, NY: Palgrave MacMillan, 2005).

Senchukov, Evgeny and Anatoly Bogush. Soviet Storm: World War II in the East Episode 5. (Janson Media: 2010)

Wykes, Alan. The Siege of Leningrad: Epic of Survival (New York, New York: Ballantine Books Inc., 1968).

Created: 7:04 AM 9/24/2008
Last updated: 4:20 PM 3/29/2022