| Original caption: “Hitler at the headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, Field Marshal von Brauchitsch. From left to right at the map table: Field Marshal Keitel, Field Marshal von Brauchitsch, Hitler, Colonel General Halder.” Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel (September 22, 1882 – October 16, 1946); Generalfeldmarschall Walther von Brauchitsch (October 4, 1881 – October 18, 1948), Führer und Reichskanzler (“Leader and Reich Chancellor”) Adolf Hitler (April 20, 1889 – April 30, 1945) and Generaloberst Franz Halder (June 30, 1884 – April 2, 1972) discuss the siege of Leningrad. On July 21, 1941, Hitler flew to Malnava, Latvia, which was the Headquarters of Army Group North, under the command of Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb (September 5, 1876 – April 29, 1956) from July 12-28, 1941. The reason for the choice of location was practical: Malnava Agricultural School, which was located in a former manor house, had modern facilities: electric lighting, centralized water supply, showers, and sewerage. The headquarters of Group North was in 1 of the manor’s side blocks, while the rest of the building continued to operate as an agricultural school. Hitler and his entourage arrived in 2 Junkers Ju-52 aircraft, accompanied by 9 Messerschmitt Bf-109 fighters. The students of Malnava Agricultural School remembered the visit for the rest of their lives. The Nazi Germans were recovering from a surprise counterattack that started on July 14, which recovered Soltsy and pushed the Axis forces back 40 kilometers (25 miles). The Soviet Red Army directed the North Western Front, under Lieutenant General Nikolai Vatutin (December 16, 1901 – April 15, 1944), to utilize intelligence that fell into their hands. Valutin directed the 11th Army to strike Erich von Manstein’s (November 24, 1887 – June 10, 1973) LVI Panzer Corps, which cut off the Heer’s 8th Armored Division. Manstein reacted quickly to stabilize the Nazi German lines, but Valutin saved Leningrad from offensive action during the summer of 1941. Luftwaffe Oberst Nicolaus Von Below (September 20, 1907 – July 24, 1983) wrote in his diary: “In those July days of 1941, it seemed to me that Hitler was overestimating the operational success of the campaign. The number of prisoners taken by Army Group Center was no doubt impressive, but Russia had an immeasurable reserve of people. Furthermore, as our divisions rolled ever onwards into the vastness of the Russian hinterland, we would encounter greater problems. Above all, we would need time. Hitler’s intentions, ever since the initial plans were first drafted, were to seize all Baltic ports, including Leningrad, and, in the south, the entire Black Sea coast as far as Rostov. To hammer home this point afresh to the military commanders on the spot, we flew to Malnava, Army Group North, on July 21. Generalfeldmarschall Ritter von Leeb had been firmly opposed to the campaign from the start, but exuded optimism and saw no obstacles blocking his advance, provided that he received reinforcements from Panzer Group 3. Hitler reminded him of how much importance was attached to the capture of the Baltic ports and to establishing a link with the Finns through the port of Leningrad.” In his own diary, von Leeb recorded: “0700-0800 Hours – Visit by the Führer: The Führer hopes that Russia will collapse militarily by the end of August. The Führer is considering deploying Panzer Group 3 in a wide right-hook maneuver against Leningrad to prevent the Russians from escaping. I support this idea, as I am personally unable to prevent an escape; this would also allow forces directed against Leningrad to be reinforced—though the decision must be made very soon, given that divisions of the 16th Army are already advancing toward the northeast. Commander-in-Chief regarding the Führer’s visit […]: The Führer spoke of the possibility of wheeling Panzer Group 3 northward, passing east of Ostashkov. This relieves the right flank of the 16th Army and enables the deployment of additional forces for an attack on Leningrad in the area between Lake Ilmen and Lake Peipus. At the conference, Hitler and his generals believed that the superiority of Nazi Germans – both their racial characteristics and their quality and quantity of weapons and tactics – would preclude the Red Army from stopping the Wehrmacht from capturing Leningrad. But a determined defense – and horrific sacrifices by the population of Leningrad – kept the city out of Axis hands. Ritter von Leeb’s offensive stalled, even with reinforcements, and von Manstein’s Panzer Corps, while it disrupted the Red Army’s counteroffensive, never broke through. The siege was lifted after 872 days, years later, on January 27, 1944. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0303.jpg |
| Image Size | 307.14 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2000 x 1252 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | July 21, 1941 |
| Location | Malnava Agricultural School, Army Group North Headquarters |
| City | Malnava |
| State or Province | Latgale |
| Country | Latvia |
| Archive | Bundesarchiv |
| Record Number | Bild 146-1971-070-61 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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