Hitler had to attack Russia otherwise Stalin would have invaded from the East. The reason the Germans caught the Russians so off guard was because they were drawn up into OFFENSIVE dispositions and not defensive; this is also the reason they broke the Red Army so easily at the start of the invasion.
I've known the name Erwin Rommel my entire life, and I am not a history major nor do I even have a college degree. I'm simply a citizen that is aware of the world around him, and well versed in modern history and politics.