declaration; 2. reckon with ; 3. resistance; 4. Conquest ; 5. catching... off his guard ; 6. invasion; 7. press on 8. crucial 9. campaign ; 10. stand in the way; 11. bringing to a halt 12. launching 13.siege 14. drag on 15.take a gamble When Hitler decided to launch his___________(1) of Russia, he thought that nothing could _____ _____________________ (2)of his armies. ________________(3), it seemed was inevitable. He had surprise on his side, ________ Stalin___________________ (4) by________________ (5) his attack without a ________ (6)of war. Hitler expected the_________________ (7)to last only a few months. In the event, it was to _________________ (8)for much longer. Like Napoleon before him, he had made a fatal mistake in failing to ________ ___________ (9) the severity of the Russian weather. Many German soldiers were to die from the cold as winter set in, _________________ the German advance __________________ (10).