Hitler struck East in Operation Barbarossa on June 22, 1941, breaking the Non-Aggression Pact and invading Russia. Early on, the German Wehrmacht racked up victories and captured vast amounts of Soviet territory, but the advance ground to a halt in the winter of 1941. Just 20km short of Moscow, the German army bogged down, and was subjected to a brutal winter even by Soviet Russian standards. German tanks and vehicles froze, and the men were unprepared for that bitter cold, having not been issued suitable winter clothing. The Germans vowed never to be so poorly prepared for another winter campaign, and began producing large amounts of winter clothing that was issued on the Eastern Front. That winter gear was worn from before the German high water mark at Stalingrad, and through the retreat all the way back to Berlin. This German Army WW2 Eastern Front Rabbit Fur Winter Cap is in Excellent Condition, with only a small tear in the skin and some light bare patching in the fur evident at the edge of the front left ear flap. Most interestingly, it’s crafted of crisp grayish green feldgrau wool with a clean brown cotton lining, sports thick, warm rabbit fur trim around the front bill and fold down ear/neck flaps, and is dated "43" in the fully legible maker’s stamping inside. It's marked a Size "55" (US Size 6 7/8), features the original, fully intact gray HBT cotton tie tapes on the ear flaps, which also carry a gray plastic button and cord loop closure, and is a beautiful example of a rare, original German Army WW2 Eastern Front Rabbit Fur Winter Cap.