 Fedor von Bock , the commander of Army Group Center , and almost all the German generals involved in Operation Barbarossa argued vehemently in favor of continuing the all @-@ out drive toward Moscow . Besides the psychological importance of capturing the enemy 's capital , the generals pointed out that Moscow was a major center of arms production , the center of the Soviet communications system and an important transportation hub . More significantly , intelligence reports indicated that the bulk of the Red Army was deployed near Moscow under Semyon Timoshenko for an all @-@ out defense of the capital . But Hitler was adamant , and he issued a direct order to the panzer commander Heinz Guderian — bypassing Guderian 's commanding officer , von Bock — to send Army Group Center 's tanks to the north and south , temporarily halting the drive to Moscow . 
