 Although Hitler was warned by his general staff that occupying " Western Russia " would create " more of a drain than a relief for Germany 's economic situation " , he anticipated compensatory benefits , such as the demobilization of entire divisions to relieve the acute labor shortage in German industry ; the exploitation of Ukraine as a reliable and immense source of agricultural products ; the use of forced labor to stimulate Germany 's overall economy ; and the expansion of territory to improve Germany 's efforts to isolate Great Britain . Hitler was convinced that Britain would sue for peace once the Germans triumphed in the Soviet Union . 
