After a deluge of bombs from the Luftwaffe, four million soldiers deploy along three axes: south toward Ukraine, central toward Moscow, and north toward Leningrad. The offensive catches the Red Army by surprise, many of whose senior officers had been decimated during the Great Purges of 1937-1938.

With Operation "Typhoon," the "last battle," a rain of fire falls upon the Soviet forces as the panzers break through their lines. The population, fed by propaganda, is still unaware of the rapid advance of the Germans, greeting the tank crews whom they mistake for fellow countrymen.