It was a very deadly war--the Great War produced new forms of guns, bombs, and gas weapons which proved to be devastating.
The Great War, World War I, saw the emergence of tanks, rapid fire machine guns, grenades, mustard gas, and well as airplanes. The method of trench warfare in addition to highly accurate and deadly weapons led to both large numbers of causalities and stalemates. These weapons made it difficult to move position causing need for new techniques or new technology to allow movement.
Hitler had always wanted to see Germany expand eastwards to gain Lebensraum or 'living space' for its people. After the fall of France Hitler ordered plans to be drawn up for an invasion of the Soviet Union. He intended to destroy what he saw as Stalin's 'Jewish Bolshevist' regime and establish Nazi hegemony.
