 In autumn 1940 , high @-@ ranking German officials drafted a memorandum on the dangers of an invasion of the Soviet Union . They said Ukraine , Belorussia and the Baltic States would end up as only a further economic burden for Germany . It was argued that the Soviets in their current bureaucratic form were harmless and that the occupation would not benefit Germany . Hitler disagreed with economists about the risks and told his right @-@ hand man Hermann Göring , the chief of the Luftwaffe , that he would no longer listen to misgivings about the economic dangers of a war with Russia . It is speculated that this was passed on to General Georg Thomas , who had produced reports that predicted a net economic drain for Germany in the event of an invasion of the Soviet Union unless its economy was captured intact and the Caucasus oilfields seized in the first blow , and he consequently revised his future report to fit Hitler 's wishes . The Red Army 's ineptitude in the Winter War against Finland in 1939 – 40 convinced Hitler of a quick victory within a few months . He did not anticipate a long campaign lasting into the winter , and therefore adequate preparations , such as the distribution of warm clothing and <unk> of vehicles and lubricants , were not made . 
