Cika wannan jumla: Bayan mamayar Soviet na gabashin Poland, na Baltic da na
Bessarabia da Arewacin Bukovina a cikin 1939-1940, Stalin ya dage kan mamaye kowane yanki na sabbin yankuna na Soviet; wannan motsi zuwa yamma ya sanya sojoji nesa da rumbunan ajiyar su, a cikin abubuwan da suka bar su cikin rauni ga kewaye. Yayin da tashin hankali ya karu a cikin bazara, 1941, Stalin ya yi ƙoƙari sosai kada ya ba Hitler wata damuwa da Berlin za ta iya amfani da ita a matsayin uzuri don harin Jamus; Stalin ya ki yarda da sojoji su shiga cikin shirin <unk> ko da yake sojojin Jamus sun taru a kan iyakoki kuma jiragen sama na Jamus sun tashi sama da kayan aiki. Wannan ƙi don ɗaukar matakan da suka dace ya taimaka wajen lalata manyan sassan Red Air Force, waɗanda suka yi layi a filayen jirgin samansa, a farkon kwanakin yakin Jamus da Soviet.