In June 1941, the Soviet Union had the world's largest army and air force, more tanks than the rest of the world combined, and Stalin had an immense amount of intelligence indicating the likelihood of a German attack. The Soviet army was nevertheless severely defeated in the initial battles, in part because the Soviets were halfway through a massive program of re-equipment and expansion, in part because the Soviet army was still demoralized from the prewar purges, and in part because of Stalin's own severe misjudgments of Germany's intentions. In the first six months of the war, about 2.5 million Soviet soldiers were taken prisoner, nearly 700,000 of them in the first weeks of the Battle of Moscow. About 2 million prisoners had died by the end of the year from German neglect.
In June 1941, the Soviet Union had the world's largest army and air force, more tanks than the rest of the world combined, and Stalin had an immense amount of intelligence indicating the likelihood of a German attack. The Soviet army was nevertheless severely defeated in the initial battles, in part because the Soviets were halfway through a massive program of re-equipment and expansion, in part because the Soviet army was still demoralized from the prewar purges, and in part because of Stalin's own severe misjudgments of Germany's intentions. In the first six months of the war, about 2.5 million Soviet soldiers were taken prisoner, nearly 700,000 of them in the first weeks of the Battle of Moscow. About 2 million prisoners had died by the end of the year from German neglect.
The people of Moscow responded to the initial German attack with a flood of volunteers to join the army. Volunteers came from the intelligentsia, from factories, and from schools. They included substantial numbers of women, who served as everything from nurses to pilots to snipers. Twelve volunteer divisions were formed, and they suffered such large losses in the Battle of Moscow that five had to be disbanded. The common belief is that these volunteers were sent into the field unarmed and unprepared. Most of them did have adequate uniforms, weapons, and some training, and were little worse off than soldiers in the regular army, who in 1941 were also poorly equipped and trained.
Living conditions in Moscow during the fall and winter of 1941 deteriorated seriously, though they were never as dire as they were during the Siege of Leningrad (1941-1944). Food supplies, sanitation, and heating were all on the verge of breakdown. Nevertheless, the cultural life of the city continued even as battles raged on the outskirts of the city.