Siege of Leningrad
Emma Poirier
Background
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/leningrad.htm
5-7 sentence: overview of siege of leningrad... use link
use your notes on the siege--- Describe, explain, cite (DEC)
Germany and the Soviet Union had a non-aggression pact, but in 1941, Germany invaded because they wanted more living space for their 'superior' citizens. The siege of Leningrad began on September 8, 1941 when German troops encircled the city, cutting it off completely, in an attempt to save resources to take Moscow by letting the city die without attacking it directly. No supplies could get into the city and by September the city's oil had run out, leaving the people exposed to the harsh Russian winter. The food was rationed and shortly after the siege began, rations had been cut to 1/3 of the amount needed daily by an adult. People lay dead in the streets, 53,000 were estimated to be dead by December, and the ground was too cold to dig graves. The people were cold, hungry, and death was nearly impossible to escape.