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8 September in military history: the siege of Leningrad begins, 1941

Military history · 8 September · Second World War · Full calendar

By Echoes of Battle

Location: Leningrad (Saint Petersburg), Russia.
Location: Leningrad (Saint Petersburg), Russia. Location map: © Echoes of Battle (data: Natural Earth, public domain)
Quick answer

On 8 September 1941 German forces cut the land routes from Leningrad to the rest of the Soviet Union, starting a siege that lasted 872 days, until 27 January 1944. The Germans chose to bomb and starve the city rather than storm it.

The ring closes

Axis forces reached Lake Ladoga at Shlisselburg, leaving only a corridor between the lake and the city unoccupied. Army Group North under Field Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb led the attack.1

Civilians built defensive lines, and civilians were mobilized in large numbers to build fortifications.

The cost

Historians put civilian deaths in the city at roughly 700,000 to one million, and estimates that include soldiers on the nearby fronts reach close to 2 million.

Our article on the Siege of Leningrad covers the siege from start to finish. › Siege of Leningrad, 1941 to 1944

Frequently asked questions

When did the siege of Leningrad begin?

It began on 8 September 1941, when land routes from Leningrad to the rest of the Soviet Union were cut.

How long did the siege last?

It lasted 872 days, until 27 January 1944.

How many people died?

Historians estimate roughly 700,000 to one million civilian deaths in the city, and close to 2 million including soldiers on the nearby fronts.

Notes

A number in the text points to a note; each note names the works that paragraph draws on, listed in full under Sources.

  1. Echoes of Battle, “Siege of Leningrad”. ↩

Sources

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