Conclusion
The failure of Silberfuchs was to have a lasting effect on the course of the war. While the rest of the Soviet lines had collapsed in 1941, the forces of Roman Panin's Northern Front had held, causing casualties of up to 15% on the German attackers.
German failure can be attributed to a number of factors: the terrain, which hindered the advance, and led to an over-dependence on roads for mobility; second, a lack of proper intelligence preparation which led to faulty assumptions; third, a long and tenuous line of communication; fourth, supply problems caused by bad roads and British-Soviet attacks on German shipping; and finally, determined resistance from the Soviets, which made the necessary breakthrough impossible, and the stagnation of the front inevitable.
The port of Murmansk remained in Russian hands throughout the war, and around a quarter of all Lend Lease material was received through this port, and the port of Arkhangelsk. The supplies coming through this port helped the Soviets quickly recover from the disasters of 1941.
The war in the north dragged on until May 1945. In September 1944, the Finns sued for peace and the German retreat through Lapland began. In October 1944, the Red Army conducted the Petsamo-Kirkenes Operation, and achieved a decisive victory over the German forces in the Arctic.
Read more about this topic: Operation Silver Fox
Famous quotes containing the word conclusion:
“It is a great many years since at the outset of my career I had to think seriously what life had to offer that was worth having. I came to the conclusion that the chief good for me was freedom to learn, think, and say what I pleased, when I pleased. I have acted on that conviction... and though strongly, and perhaps wisely, warned that I should probably come to grief, I am entirely satisfied with the results of the line of action I have adopted.”
—Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95)
“Human affairs are so obscure and various that nothing can be clearly known. This was the sound conclusion of the Academic sceptics, who were the least surly of philosophers.”
—Desiderius Erasmus (1469–1536)
“We must not leap to the fatalistic conclusion that we are stuck with the conceptual scheme that we grew up in. We can change it, bit by bit, plank by plank, though meanwhile there is nothing to carry us along but the evolving conceptual scheme itself. The philosopher’s task was well compared by Neurath to that of a mariner who must rebuild his ship on the open sea.”
—Willard Van Orman Quine (b. 1908)