In which cities was the war of 1941 1945. Years of the Great Patriotic War

The Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) is one of the most important events in the history of the Russian people, who left an indelible mark in the soul of every person. Our g ...

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10.04.2018 02:00

The Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) is one of the most important events in the history of the Russian people, who left an indelible mark in the soul of every person. For, it would seem, almost 100 million human lives were lost for short four years, more than 30 thousand industrial enterprises and at least 60 thousand kilometers of roads were disrupted. Our state experienced a strongest shock, which is hard to realize even now, in peacetime. What was the war of 1941-1945? What stages can be allocated during the fighting? And what are the consequences of this terrible event? In this article we will try to find answers to all these questions.

The Second World War

The Soviet Union was not the first to attack the fascist troops. Everyone knows that the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 began only 1.5 years after the start of the World War. So what events began this terrible war, and what fighting was organized by fascist Germany?

First of all, it is worth mentioning the fact that on August 23, 1939, a non-fire agreement was signed between Germany and the USSR. Along with him, some secret protocols were signed regarding the interests of the USSR and Germany, and including the section of Polish territories. Thus, Germany, who had the goal of attacking Poland, secured himself from the response steps from the Soviet leadership and actually made the USSR partner of the partner of Poland.

So, on September 1, 39 years of the XX century, fascist invaders attacked Poland. Polish troops did not properly resist, and already on September 17, the troops of the Soviet Union entered the Eastern Poland lands. As a result of this, the territory of the Soviet state joined the territories of the West of Ukraine and Belarus. September 28 of the same year, Ribbentrop and V.M. Molotov entered into an agreement on friendship and boundaries.

Germany failed to implement the planned blitzkrieg, or the lightning outcome of the war. Military actions on the West Front until May 10, 1940 are called the "Strange War", since no events during this period did not occur.

Only in the spring of 1940, Hitler resumed the offensive and seized Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France. The operation for the seizure of England "Sea Lion" was unsuccessful, and then the plan "Barbarossa" was adopted for the USSR - the plan of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945).

Preparation of the USSR to war


Despite the nonsense pact prisonered in 1939, Stalin understood that the USSR will in any case will be drawn into the world war. Therefore, a five-year plan for preparing for it was adopted in the Soviet Union, carried out in the period from 1938 to 1942.

A priority task in preparation for war 1941-1945 was the strengthening of the military-industrial complex and the development of heavy industry. Therefore, in the title period, numerous heat and hydroelectric power plants were built (including the Volga and Kame), coal mines and mines were developed, oil production increased. It was also of great importance to the construction of railway tracks and transport hubs.

The construction of dubler enterprises in the eastern part of the country was carried out. And the cost of defense industry has increased several times. At this time, new models of military equipment and weapons were also released.

An equally important task was to prepare the population to war. Work week Now consisted of seven eight-hour days. The size of the Red Army was significantly increased due to the introduction of mandatory military service from 18 years. For the workers it was mandatory to obtain a special education; For violations of discipline, criminal liability was introduced.

However, real results did not meet the planned guidance, and only in the spring of 1941, 11-12-hour work was introduced for the workers. And on June 21, 1941 I.V. Stalin gave an order to bring troops into combat readiness, but the orders came to the border guards too late.

Entry of the USSR in the war

At the dawn on June 22, 1941, the fascist troops without the announcement of war attacked the Soviet Union, from now on the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 began.

At noon of the same day, Vyacheslav Molotov spoke on the radio, declaring the Soviet citizens about the beginning of the war and the need to resist the enemy. The next day the top rate was created. Commanding, and on June 30 - state. The Defense Committee actually received all the power. The Chairman of the Committee and the Commander became I.V. Stalin.

Now go to K. brief description Great Patriotic War 1941-1945.

Barbarossa plan


Hitler's plan "Barbarossa" was as follows: he assumed a quick defeat of the Soviet Union with the help of three groups of the German army. The first of these (North) would make an offensive to Leningrad, the second (central) - to Moscow and the third (South) - to Kiev. All the offensive Hitler planned to complete for 6 weeks and to reach the Volga Lane Arkhangelsk-Astrakhan. However, confident rebuff of the Soviet troops did not allow him to implement a "lightning war."

Considering the forces of the parties in the war of 1941-1945, it can be said that the USSR, although slightly, but inferior to the German army. Germany and its allies had 190 divisions, while the Soviet Union was only 170. 48 thousand German artillery were exhibited against 47,000 Soviet artillery. The number of opponents army in both cases was approximately 6 million people. But by the number of tanks and aircraft of the USSR, Germany significantly exceeded (in the amount of 17.7 thousand against 9.3 thousand).

In the first stages of the USSR war, the USSR failed due to the wrong elected wargoing tactics. Initially, the Soviet leadership was planned to lead the war on someone else's territory, not the launch of fascist troops into the territory of the Soviet Union. However, such plans did not bring success. Already in July 1941, six Soviet republics were occupied, the Red Army lost more than 100 of their divisions. However, Germany suffered considerable losses: in the first weeks of the war, the enemy lost 100 thousand people and 40% of tanks.

The dynamic resistance of the troops of the Soviet Union led to the breakdown of the Hitler's plan of the lightning war. During the Smolensk battle (July 10, 1945), the German troops needed to go to defense. In September 1941, the heroic defense of the city of Sevastopol began. But the focus of the enemy focused on the capital of the Soviet Union. Then the preparation for attacking Moscow and the plan for its seizure was started - the Typhoon operation.

Battle for Moscow


The battle for Moscow is considered one of the most important events of the Russian war of 1941-1945. Only stubborn resistance and courage of Soviet soldiers allowed the USSR to survive in this difficult battle.

On September 30, 1941, German troops began to carry out the Typhoon operation and began an offensive to Moscow. The offensive began for them successfully. The fascist invaders managed to break through the Defense of the USSR, as a result of which surrounding the army near Vyazma and Bryansk, they captured more than 650 thousand Soviet soldiers. The Red Army suffered significant losses. In October-November 1941, battles were only 70-100 km from Moscow, which was extremely dangerous for the capital. October 20 in Moscow introduced a siege position.

From the beginning of the battle for the capital, the Commander-in-Chief on the West Front was appointed G.K. Zhukov, however, he managed to stop the offensive of the Germans only by the beginning of November. On November 7, a parade was held on the metropolitan Red Square, from which the soldiers immediately went to the front.

In mid-November, a German offensive began again. When protecting the capital, the 316th Infantry Division of General I.V. Panfilova, which at the beginning of the offensive reflected several aggressor tank strikes.

On December 5-6, the troops of the Soviet Union, having received reinforcement from the Eastern Front, began a counteroffensive, which was denoted by the transition to the new stage of the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945. During the counteroffensive troops of the Soviet Union, almost 40 German divisions were broken. Now the fascist troops were "discarded" from the capital by 100-250 km.

The victory of the USSR significantly influenced the Spirit of the soldiers and the whole Russian people. The defeat of Germany was given the opportunity to other countries to begin the formation of the anti-Hitler coalition of states.

Stalingrad battle


The successes of Soviet troops made a deep impression on state leaders. I.V. Stalin began to count on the rapid completion of the war 1941-1945. He believed that in the spring of 1942, Germany will repeat the onset of Moscow, so ordered to focus the main forces of the army in the Western Front. However, Hitler considered otherwise and prepared a large-scale offensive in the southern direction.

But before the beginning of the offensive, Germany planned to master the Crimea and some cities of the Ukrainian Republic. So, Soviet troops were defeated on the Kerch Peninsula, and on July 4, 1942 it was necessary to leave the city of Sevastopol. Then Kharkov, Donbass and Rostov-on-Don were followed; A direct threat to Stalingrad was created. Stalin, too lately aware of his miscalculations, July 28 published an order "Neither step back!", I formed barrier detachments for unstable divisions.

Up until November 18, 1942, residents of Stalingrad heroically defended their city. Only from November 19, the USSR troops switched to counteroffensive.

Soviet troops organized three operations: "Uranus" (11/19/1942 - 2.02.1943), Saturn (16-30.12.1942) and "Ring" (10.11.1942 - 2.02.1943). What was each of them?

The "Uranian" plan assumed the environment of the fascist troops from three fronts: the front of Stalingrad (commander - Eremenko), Don Front (Rokossovsky) and South-Western Front (Vatutin). Soviet troops planned to meet on November 23 in the city of Kalach-on-Don and give Germans organized battle.

The Small Saturn operation was aimed at protecting petroleum deposits located in the Caucasus. The Operation "Ring" in February 1943 was the final plan of the Soviet command. Soviet troops were supposed to close the "ring" around the army of the enemy and defeat his strength.

As a result, on February 2, 1943, the enemy group surrounded by the USSR troops surrendered. The Commander-in-Chief of the German Army Friedrich Paulus himself was in captivity. The victory under Stalingrad led to a rooted fiber in the history of the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945. Now the strategic initiative was in the hands of the Red Army.

Kursk battle


The next most important stage of the war was the battle of a Kursk arc, which lasted from July 5 to August 23, 1943. The German command was adopted by the "Citadel" plan, aimed at the surroundings and defeat of the Soviet Army on the Kursk Army.

In response to the opponent's plan, two operations were planned by the Soviet command, and it was assumed to begin with active defense, and then chop all the forces of basic and reserve troops on the Germans.

The Kutuzov operation was a plan for an attack on German troops from the north (Eagle City). The commander of the Western Front was appointed Sokolovsky, Central - Rokossovsky, and Bryansky - Popov. Already on July 5, Rokossovsky inflicted the first blow to the army of the enemy, ahead of his attack for just a few minutes.

On July 12, the troops of the Soviet Union began a counteroffensive, marking a fracture during the Kursk battle. On August 5, Belgorod and Eagle were liberated by the Red Army. From August 3 to 23, the Soviet troops operated an operation on the final defeat of the enemy - the "commander of the Rumyantsev" (commander - Konev and Vatutin). She was a Soviet offensive in the Belgorod area and Kharkov. The enemy suffered another defeat, having lost more than 500 thousand soldiers.

In the short army's troops, Kharkov, Donbass, Bryansk and Smolensk turned out to be released. In November 1943, the siege of Kiev was removed. War 1941-1945 was nearing its completion.

Defense of Leningrad

One of the most terrible and heroic pages of the Patriotic War of 1941-1945 and our entire history is the dedication of Leningrad.

The blockade of Leningrad began in September 1941, when the city was cut off from food sources. Its most terrible period was very cold winter 1941-1942. The only way to salvation was the road of life, which Ladoga lakes paved on the ice. At the initial stage of the blockade (until May 1942), under constant bombing of the enemy, Soviet troops managed to deliver more than 250 thousand tons of food to Leningrad and evacuate about 1 million people.

For a better understanding of what kind of deprivation was tolerated by the residents of Leningrad, we advise you to see this video.

Only in January 1943 the blockade of the enemy was partially broken, and the supply of the city of food and medicines, weapons began. A year later, in January 1944, Leningrad blocade was completely removed.

Plan "Bagration"


From June 23 to August 29, 1944, the USSR troops conducted a major operation in the Belarusian front. She was one of the largest in the whole of the Great Patriotic War (Great Patriotic War 1941-1945.

The goal of the Operation "Bagration" was the final crushing of the army of the enemy and the liberation of Soviet territories from the fascist invaders. Fascist troops in the areas of individual cities were broken. Beserla, Lithuania and part of Poland were liberated from the enemy.

The Soviet command planned to begin to be released from the German troops of the peoples of European states.

Conference


On November 28, 1943 a conference was held in Tehran, which gathered the leaders of the "Big Three" countries - Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill. The conference has established the dates of opening the second front in Normandy and confirmed the obligation of the Soviet Union to enter into war with Japan after the final liberation of Europe and break the Japanese army.

The next conference was held 4-11.02 1944 in Yalta (Crimea). The leaders of the three states discussed the conditions of occupation and demilitarization of Germany, held negotiations on the convening of the Constituent UN Conference and the adoption of the Declaration on Liberated Europe.

Potsdam conference took place on July 17, 1945. The US leader on it was Truman, and on behalf of Great Britain, K. Ettley was opposed (from July 28). The conference was aware of new borders in Europe, a decision was made on the size of the reparation from Germany in favor of the USSR. At the same time, the prerequisites of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union have emerged at the Potsdam Conference.

End of World War II

According to the requirements, a comprehensive at conferences with representatives of the "Big Three" countries, August 8, 1945, the USSR declared the war of Japan. The Army of the USSR was inflicted a powerful blow to the Kwantung Army.

In less than three weeks, the Soviet troops under the leadership of Marshal Vasilevsky managed to defeat the main forces of the Japanese army. On September 2, 1945, an act of the surrender of Japan was signed on the American ship "Missouri". The Second World War is over.

Effects

The consequences of the war 1941-1945 are extremely diverse. First, the military forces of aggressors were crushed. The defeat of Germany and its allies meant the collapse of dictatorial regimes in Europe.

The Soviet Union finished the war of one of the two superpowers (along with the United States), and the Soviet army was recognized as the most powerful worldwide.

In addition to positive results, there were incredible losses. In war, the Soviet Union lost about 70 million people. The state economy was at a very low level. Scary losses suffered the major cities of the USSR, who assumed the strongest blows of the enemy. Before the USSR, the task of restoring and confirming the status of the greatest superpower of the world.

It is difficult to give an unequivocal answer to the question: "What is the war of 1941-1945?" The main task of the Russian people is to never forget about the greatest feats of our ancestors and proud and "with tears in the eyes" celebrate the main holiday for Russia - the day of victory.

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On the radio on July 2, 1941. In this speech I.V. Stalin also used the terms "Domestic Liberation War", "National Patriotic War", "Patriotic War with German Fascism."

Another official approval of this name was the introduction of the Odean of Patriotic War on May 2, 1942.

1941 year

On September 8, 1941, Leningrad blocade began. 872 days the city was heroically resisted by German invaders. Not only resisted, but also worked. It should be noted that during the blockade, Leningrad provided weapons and ammunition of the troops of the Leningrad Front, and also supplied military products to the neighboring fronts.

September 30, 1941 began a battle for Moscow. The first major battle of the Great Patriotic War in which German troops suffered a serious defeat. The battle began as a German offensive operation "Typhoon".

On December 5, the counteroffensiveness of the Red Army under Moscow began. The troops of the Western and Kalinin fronts dropped the opponent with places by more than 100 kilometers from Moscow.

Despite the victorious offensive of the Red Army near Moscow, it was only the beginning. The beginning of the Great Battle with fascism, which will last for a long time 3 years.

1942 year

The hardest year of the Great Patriotic War. This year, the Red Army suffered very heavy lesions.

Huge losses turned the offensive under Rzhev. More than 250,000 was lost in the Kharkov Boiler. The failure ended attempts to break the blockade of Leningrad. Died in Novgorod swamps 2nd shock army.

The main dates of the second year of the Great Patriotic War

From January 8 to March 3, the Rzhev-Vyazemic Operation was held. The final stage of the battle for Moscow.

From January 9 to February 6, 1942 - Toropetsco-Holm offensive operation. The troops of the Red Army advanced almost 300 kilometers, freeing the many settlements.

On January 7, the Demyanian offensive operation began, according to the results of which, the so-called Demyansky boiler was formed. Surrounded was the troops of the Wehrmacht with the total number of more than 100,000 people. Including the elite division of the SS "Dead Head".

After some time, the environment was broken, but all the miscalculations of the Demyan operation were taken into account when eliminating the surrounded grouping near Stalingrad. In particular, it concerned the interruption of the supply of air and strengthen the defense of the outer ring of the environment.

On March 17, as a result of an unsuccessful Lyuban offensive operation near Novgorod, the 2nd Impact Army is surrounded.

On November 18, after heavy defensive battles, the troops of the Red Army were transferred to the offensive and surrounded by a German grouping in the Stalingrad area.

1943 - year of the fracture during the fighting of the Great Patriotic War

In 1943, the Red Army managed to pull the initiative from the hands of the Wehrmacht and to start a victorious procession to the borders of the USSR. In some places, our parts have advanced more than 1000-1200 kilometers for the year. The experience gained by the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War, made himself felt.

January 12, the Iskra operation began, as a result of which the blockade of Leningrad was broken. A narrow corridor with a width of 11 kilometers tied a city with "Big Earth".

On July 5, 1943, the battle of Kursk arc began. The turning battle during the Great Patriotic War, after which the strategic initiative has completely passed on the side of the Soviet Union and the Red Army.

Already during the Great Patriotic War, contemporaries appreciated the significance of this battle. General of Wehrmacht Guderian said after the Kursk battle: "... There was no calm days on the eastern front ...".

August - December 1943. Battle for the Dnieper - Left Bank Ukraine was completely liberated, Kiev took place.

1944 - year of liberation of our country from fascist invaders

In 1944, the Red Army almost completely cleaned the territory of the USSR from the German fascist invaders. As a result of a number of strategic operations, Soviet troops came close to the borders of Germany. More than 70 German divisions were destroyed.

This year, the troops of the Red Army entered into the territory of Poland, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Norway, Romania, Yugoslavia and Hungary. From the war from the USSR came out Finland.

January - April 1944. The liberation of the Right Bank of Ukraine. Exit to the state border of the Soviet Union.

On June 23, one of the largest operations of the Great Patriotic War began - an offensive Operation "Bagration". Belarus completely liberated, part of Poland and almost the entire Baltic. Army group "Center" is crushed.

On July 17, 1944, for the first time during the war years, the Moscow streets held a column of almost 60,000 prisoners captured in Belarus.

1945 - a year of victory in the Great Patriotic War

The years of the Great Patriotic War, conducted by the Soviet troops in the trenches, were felt about themselves. 1945 began with the Vorol-Oder offensive operation, which will subsequently be called the most rapid attack in the history of mankind.

In just 2 weeks the troops of the Red Army passed 400 kilometers, freeing Poland and defeating more than 50 German divisions.

On April 30, 1945, Adolf Hitler, Reichscancler, Führer and Supreme Commander-in-Chief of Germany committed suicity.

On May 9, 1945, a unconditional surrender of Germany was signed at 0 hours 43 minutes.

From the Soviet side, the charter of the Soviet Union was accepted, commander of the 1st Belarusian Front of Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov.

Ended 4 years, 1418 days of the most severe and bloody war in the history of Russia.

On May 9, May 9, to commemorate the full victory over Germany, Moscow Saluteoval 30 artillery volley from a thousand guns.

On June 24, 1945, the Victory Parade took place in Moscow. This solemn event was completed the final point in the Great Patriotic War.

It should be noted that the Great Patriotic War ended on May 9, but the 2nd World War. In accordance with the Allied Agreements, August 8, the USSR entered war with Japan. In just two weeks, the troops of the Red Army defeated the largest and most powerful army of Japan in Manchuria - the Kwantung Army.

Practically completely lost his ground forces And the opportunity to wage war on the Asian continent, on September 2, Japan capitulated. September 2, 1945 is the official date of the end of the Second World War.

Interesting fact. Formally, the Soviet Union was in a state of war with Germany until January 25, 1955. The fact is that after Germany capitulated, the peace treaty was not signed. Legally, the Great Patriotic War ended when the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR accepted the Decree. This happened on January 25, 1955.

By the way, the United States stopped the state of war with Germany on October 19, 1951, and France and the United Kingdom - July 9, 1951.

Authors of photographs: Georgy Selma, Yakov Ryumkin, Evgeny Halja, Anatoly Morozov.

On June 22, 1941 at 4 o'clock in the morning, fascist Germany without declaring the war treacherously invaded the USSR. This attack ended the chain of aggressive actions of Hitler's Germany, which, thanks to the connivance and incitement of the Western powers, grossly violated elementary norms of international law, resorted to the robber seizures and monstrous atrocities in occupied countries.

In accordance with the Barbaross plan, the fascist offensive began on a wide front with several groups in various directions. Army was stationed in the north "Norway"coming to Murmansk and Kandalaksha; A group of army came from East Prussia to the Baltic States and Leningrad "North"; The most powerful grouping of armies "Centre" It was aimed at split parts of the Red Army in Belarus, to master Vitebsk - Smolensky and take Moscow with the go; Army Group "South" It was focused from Lublin to the mouth of the Danube and led an offensive to Kiev - Donbass. The plans of the Nazis were reduced to the application of a sudden strike in these directions, the destruction of the border and military units, a breakthrough into a deep rear, the seizure of Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev and the most important industrial centers of the southern regions of the country.

The command of the German army extended to complete the war for 6-8 weeks.

In the offensive against the Soviet Union, 190 enemy divisions were thrown, about 5.5 million soldiers, up to 50 thousand guns and mortars, 4,300 tanks, almost 5 thousand aircraft and about 200 warships.

War began in exceptionally favorable conditions for Germany. Before attacking the USSR, Germany seized almost all Western Europe, whose economy worked on the fascists. Therefore, Germany had a powerful material and technical base.

The military products of Germany supplied 6,500 largest enterprises of Western European countries. More than 3 million foreign workers were involved in the military industry. In the Western European countries, fascists awarded a lot of weapons, military property, trucks, cars and steam locomotives. Germanic resources of Germany, its allies significantly exceeded the resources of the USSR. Germany fully mobilized his army, as well as the army of its allies. Most of the German army focused on the borders of the Soviet Union. In addition, imperialist Japan threatened with an attack from the East, which distracted a significant part of the Soviet Armed Forces for the defense of the country's eastern borders. In theses of the Central Committee of the CPSU "50 years of the Great October Socialist Revolution" An analysis of the causes of the temporary failures of the Red Army in the initial period of war is given. They are related to the fact that the Nazis used temporary advantages:

  • militarization of the economy and the whole life of Germany;
  • long-term preparation for the celestial war and more than two years of experience in conducting hostilities in the West;
  • superiority in the arms and number of troops, concentrated in the border zones in advance.

Economic and military resources of almost all Western Europe were at their disposal. The allowed miscalculations in determining the possible deadlines for the attack of Hitler's Germany to our country and the associated omissions in preparation for the reflection of the first blows were played. There were reliable data on the concentration of German troops at the borders of the USSR and the preparation of Germany to attack our country. However, the troops of Western military districts were not given in a state of complete combat readiness.

All these reasons set the Soviet country into a difficult situation. However, the enormous difficulties of the initial period of war did not break the morale of the Red Army, did not lay the persistence of the Soviet people. From the first days of the attack, it became clear that the plan of the lightning war was collapsed. Getting used to easy victories over western countriesThe governments of which treacherously gave their people to tackle the invaders, the fascists met stubborn resistance from the Soviet Armed Forces, border guards and the entire Soviet people. War lasted 1418 days. On the border courageously fought groups of border guards. The garrison of the Brest Fortress was covered with disadvantaged glory. The defense fortress was led by Captain I. N. Zubachev, the regimental commissioner E. M. Fomin, Major P. M. Gavrilov, and others. June 22, 1941 at 4 am 25 minutes, the fighter pilot I. Ivanov made the first ram. (In total during the war years, about 200 Taranians were committed). On June 26, the crew of Captain N. F. Gastello (A. A. Burdenyuk, G. N. Sneorobogted, A. A. Kalinin) - on a burning plane crashed into a column of enemy troops. Hundreds of thousands of Soviet soldiers from the first days of the war showed samples of courage and heroism.

Two months lanced Smolensk Battle. Here under Smolensk born soviet Guard. The battle in the area of \u200b\u200bSmolensk delayed the offensive of the enemy until mid-September 1941
During the Smolensk battle, the Red Army threw the plans of the enemy. The delay of enemy occurrence in the central direction was the first strategic success of the Soviet troops.

The communist party has become the leading and guiding power of the defense of the country and the preparation of the destruction of the Hitler's troops. From the first days of the war, the party was made emergency measures to organize the aggressor, a huge work was carried out on the restructuring of all work on a military manner, the transformation of the country into a single military camp.

"For warring war, I wrote V. I. Lenin," a strong organized rear is needed. The best army, the most devoted revolution, people will be immediately exterminated by the enemy, if they are not sufficiently armed, equipped with food, trained "(Lenin V.I. Full. Coll. Op., Vol. 35, p. 408).

These Lenin instructions were based on the organization of the fight against the enemy. On June 22, 1941, on behalf of the Soviet government, with a report on the "robbery" attack of fascist Germany and a call to combat the enemy, acted on Radio Peace of Foreign Affairs of the USSR V. M. Molotov. On the same day, the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was adopted on the introduction of military situation in the European territory of the USSR, as well as a decree on the mobilization of a number of ages in 14 military districts. On June 23, the Central Committee of the CPSU (b) and the Council of Sciences of the USSR adopted a decree on the tasks of party and Soviet organizations in the conditions of war. On June 24, the Evacuation Council was formed, and on June 27 by Decree of the Central Committee of the CPSU (b) and SCA of the USSR "On the procedure for the export and placement of human contingents and valuable property", the procedure for evacuation of productive forces and the population to the eastern regions was determined. In the Directive of the Central Committee of the CCP (b) and SCSR of the USSR, from June 29, 1941, the party and Soviet organizations of the front-line regions were set forth the most important tasks for the mobilization of all forces and funds in the defeat of the enemy.

"... In the war imposed on us with fascist Germany," said this document, "the question of the life and death of the Soviet state decides, to be the peoples of the Soviet Union free or fall into enslave." The Central Committee and the Soviet government encouraged to realize the depth of danger, rebuild all the work on a military way, to organize comprehensive assistance to the front, to enlarge the production of weapons, ammunition, tanks, aircraft, with a forced departure of the Red Army to export all valuable property, and what can not be removed - destroy In the area occupied by the enemy, organize partisan detachments. On July 3, the main provisions of the Directive were set forth in the speech of I. V. Stalin on Radio. The directive determined the nature of war, the degree of threat and danger, the tasks of the transformation of the country into a single combat camp, the full strengthening of the armed forces, restructuring the work of the rear to the Military Pad, mobilizing all the forces to resist the enemy. On June 30, 1941, an emergency authority was created for the rapid mobilization of all forces and means of the country to rebuff and defeat the enemy State Defense Committee (GKO) headed by I. V. Stalin. In the hands of GKO, the entire fullness of power in the country, state, military and economic leadership was concentrated. He united the activities of all state and military institutions, party, trade union and Komsomol organizations.

In the context of the war, the restructuring of the entire economy was of paramount importance. At the end of June was approved "Mobilization People's Plan for III quarter of 1941", and on August 16 "Military Economic Plan for the IV quarter of 1941 and in 1942 by the districts of the Volga region, Urals, Western Siberia, Kazakhstan and Central Asia" Over the five months of 1941, over 1360 major military enterprises were relocated and about 10 million people were evacuated. Even on the recognition of bourgeois specialists evacuation industry In the second half of 1941 and the beginning of 1942 and its placement in the East should be attributed to the number of the most striking feats of the peoples of the Soviet Union during the war. The evacuated Kramatorsky plant was launched 12 days after arrival at the place, Zaporizhia - after 20. Already by the end of 1941, the Ural gave 62% cast iron and 50% of steel. In terms of wise and meaning, it was equal to the largest battles of wartime. Perestroika of the national economy on the military field was completed by mid-1942

The party conducted a large organizational work in the army. In accordance with the decision of the Central Committee of the CSP (b) the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on July 16, 1941 issued a decree "On the reorganization of the political propaganda bodies and the introduction of the Institute of Military Commissars". From July 16 in the army, and from July 20, at the Navy, the Institute of Military Commissars was introduced. For the second half of 1941, up to 1.5 million communists and more than 2 million Komsomolov residents were mobilized to the army (up to 40% of the entire composition of the party sent to the existing army). Venidaya party leaders L. I. Brezhnev, A. A. Zhdanov, A. S. Shcherbakov, M. A. Suslov and others were aimed at party work in the existing army.

On August 8, 1941, the Supreme Commander of All Armed Forces of the USSR was appointed I. V. Stalin. In order to concentrate all the functions of managing military actions, the Supreme Commander-in-chief rate was formed. Hundreds of thousands of Communists and Komsomol residents went to the front. About 300 thousand. The best representatives of the working class and the intelligentsia of Moscow and Leningrad entered into the ranks of the national militia.

Meanwhile, the enemy stubbornly rushed to Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev, Odessa, Sevastopol and other essential industrial centers of the country. An important place in the plans of fascist Germany occupied the calculation of the international isolation of the USSR. However, from the first days of the war, an anti-Hitler coalition began to develop. On June 22, 1941, the Government of Great Britain announced the support of the USSR in the fight against fascism, and on July 12, he signed an agreement on joint actions against fascist Germany. On August 2, 1941, US President F. Roosevelt declared economic support for the Soviet Union. September 29, 1941 in Moscow gathered conference of representatives of the three powers (USSR, USA and England), which developed a plan for Anglo-American assistance in the fight against the enemy. The calculation of Hitler for international insulation of the USSR failed. On January 1, 1942, a declaration of 26 states was signed in Washington antihytler coalition On the use of all resources of these countries to fight against the German bloc. However, the allies were in no hurry with the implementation of effective assistance aimed at the defeat of fascism, seeking to weaken the warring parties.

By October, German-fascist invaders, despite the heroic resistance of our troops, managed to approach Moscow on three sides, while turning off the offensive on Don, in the Crimea, near Leningrad. Odessa and Sevastopol were harvested heroically. On September 30, 1941, the German command begins first, and in November - the second general attack on Moscow. The fascists managed to take Wedge, Yahroma, Naro-Fominsk, Istra and other cities of the Moscow region. Soviet troops led the heroic defense of the capital, showing samples of courage and heroism. In fierce battles, the rifle 316th division of General Panfilov was to death. A partisan movement unfolded in the rear of the enemy. Only near Moscow, about 10 thousand partisans fought. On December 5-6, 1941, Soviet troops were transferred to a counteroffensive near Moscow. At the same time, offensive operations on Western, Kalininsky and south-western fronts unfolded. The powerful offensive of the Soviet troops in the winter of 1941/42 was discarded the fascists in a number of places to 400 km from the capital and was their first major defeat in World War II.

Chief result Moscow battle It was that the strategic initiative was broken from the hands of the enemy and the plan of the lightning war was failed. The defeat of the Germans near Moscow was a decisive turn in the military actions of the Red Army and had a great influence on the entire further course of the war.

By the spring of 1942, the production of military products was established in the eastern regions of the country. By the middle of the year, most evacuated enterprises unfolded in new places. The translation of the country's economy to military rails was mainly completed. In the deep rear - in Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Siberia, in the Urals - there were over 10 thousand industrial buildings.

Instead of the men who went to the front, women and young people came to the machines. Despite the very difficult domestic conditions, Soviet people worked selflessly, providing victory on the front. Worked on a half - two shifts to restore industry and supply the front with everything necessary. All-Union Socialist Competition, whose winners were awarded Red banner GK.. The workers of agriculture were organized in 1942. Superplant crops to the Defense Fund. The collective farm peasantry supplied the front and rear of food and industrial raw materials.

An exceptionally difficult situation in the temporary occupied regions of the country was. The fascists robbed the city and sat down, mocked over the civilian population. German officials who are supervised at work were appointed at the enterprises. The best lands were selected under the farms for German soldiers. In all occupied settlements, German garrisons were held at the expense of the population. However, the economic and social policy of the fascists, which they tried to conduct in the occupied territories, immediately suffered a failure. Soviet people brought up on the ideas of the Communist Party, believed in the victory of the Soviet country, were not amenable to Hitler's provocations and demagogy.

Winter offensive of the Red Army in 1941/42 It caused a powerful blow to fascist Germany, according to her military car, but the Hitler's army was still strong. Soviet troops led stubborn defensive battles.

In this situation, the National Fight of Soviet people in the rear of the enemy played a big role, especially partisan traffic.

Thousands of Soviet people went to the partisan detachments. The partisan war in Ukraine, in Belarus and Smolensk region, in Crimea and in a number of other places, widely unfolded. In cities and villages temporarily occupied by the enemy, underground party and Komsomol organizations operated. In accordance with the Decree of the Central Committee of the CPSU (b) of July 18, 1941 "On the organization of the struggle in the rear of the German troops" 3,500 partisan detachments and groups, 32 underground committees, 805 public utilities and district participants, 5429 primary party organizations, 10 regional, 210 interdistrict city and 45 thousand primary Komsomol organizations were created. To coordinate the actions of partisan detachments and underground groups with the units of the Red Army by decision of the Central Committee of the CSP (b) on May 30, 1942, at the expense of the Supreme Command central Headquarters of the Partisan Movement. Headquarters in the leadership of the partisan movement were formed in Belarus, in Ukraine and in other republics and regions occupied by the enemy.

After the defeat near Moscow and the winter offensive of our troops, the Hitler's command was preparing a new major offensive with the aim of capturing all southern regions of the country (Crimea, the North Caucasus, Don) up to the Volga, the capture of Stalingrad and rejection of the Transcaucasus from the center of the country. This was an extremely serious threat to our country.

By the summer of 1942, an international situation was changed, characterized by the strengthening of the anti-Hitler coalition. In May - June 1942, agreements were concluded between the USSR, England and the United States on the Union in the war against Germany and the post-war collaboration. In particular, an agreement was reached on the opening in 1942 in Europe second Front against Germany, which would significantly speed up the defeat of fascism. But the allies in every way tightened his discovery. Using this, the fascist command moved the division from the Western Front to the Eastern. By the spring of 1942, the Hitler's army had 237 divisions, massive aircraft, tanks, artillery and other types of technology for a new offensive.

Intensified leningrad blockadeAlmost daily exposed to artillery shelling. The Kerch Strait was captured in May. On July 3, the Supreme Command gave an order to heroic defenders of Sevastopol to leave the city after 250 days defense, since it was not possible to keep the Crimea. As a result of the defeat of Soviet troops in the area of \u200b\u200bKharkov and Don, the enemy came to the Volga. Created in July Stalingrad Front accepted powerful blows of the enemy. Returning with heavy battles, our troops applied a huge opponent damage. In parallel, the fascist offensive in the North Caucasus, where Stavropol, Krasnodar, Maikop were occupied. In the area of \u200b\u200bMozdok, the onset of fascists was suspended.

The main battles unfolded on the Volga. The enemy was trying to master Stalingrad. The heroic defense of the city was one of the bright pages of the Patriotic War. Work class, women, old people, teenagers - the entire population rose to the defense of Stalingrad. Despite the deadly danger, the workers of the tractor plant were sent daily to the advanced positions of tanks. In September, fights for each street have unfolded in the city, for each house.

USSR, Eastern and Central Europe

Aggression Germany

The victory of the USSR, unconditional capitulation of the Armed Forces of Germany

Territorial changes:

The collapse of the Third Reich. The formation of a socialist camp in Eastern Europe. Separation of Germany.

Opponents

Italy (until October 1943)

Romania (after September 1944)

Finland (until September 1944)

Bulgaria (after October 1944)

Romania (until September 1944)

Blue Division (Spain) (Volunteers, until 1943)

Commander

Joseph Stalin

Adolf Gitler †

Georgy Zhukov

Fedor background side †

Boris Shaposhnikov †

Ernst Bush

Alexander Vasilevsky

Geinz Guderian

Konstantin Rokossovsky

Herman Gering †

Ivan Konev

Evald von Maggyst

Alexey Antonov

Günther von Kulia †

Ivan Bagramyan

Georg von Kühler

Semen Budne

Wilhelm von Leeb

Clement Voroshilov

Wilhelm Sheet

Leonid Govorov

Erich von Manstein

Andrei Yeremenko

Walter model †

Mikhail Kirponos †

Friedrich Paulus

Rodion Malinovsky

Walter background Reichenau †

Kirill Metskov

Herd von Rundstedt

Ivan Petrov

Ferdinand Steurner

Markian Popov

Erhard Rus

Semen Tymoshenko

Benito Mussolini †

Ivan Tyulenev

Giovanni Messe

Fedor Tolbukhin

Italian Gariboldi

Ivan Chernyakhov †

Peter Dimitreska

Mikhal Zimezsky

Konstantin Konstantinesca

Konstantin Vasiliu Rashkin

Karl Gustav Emil Mannerheim

Emmanuel ionescu

Karl Lennart Esche

Nikolae Mark.

Gustav Yani.

Damyan Velchev

Ferenz Szombatey

Vladimir Stolechev

Josip Broz Tito

Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) - War of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics against Nazi Germany and its European allies (Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, Croatia, Spain); Decisive part of World War II.

Name

In the appeal of the word "the Great" and "domestic" are used separately. For the first time, this phrase in the usual form was applied to this war in the articles of the True newspaper dated 23 and 24 June 1941 and initially perceived not as a term, but as one of the newspaper clichés, along with other similar phrases: "Sacred People's War" , "The Sacred Domestic People's War", "The Victorious Patriotic War." Term " Patriotic War"Was enshrined by the introduction of the Military Order of the Patriotic War, established by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 20, 1942. The name is maintained in the post-Soviet states (UKR. Great Vitchiznyan Vіin, Bel. Vyazykaya Aychyna Vaina, ABC. Auckle? Lyt? AndEybashrad. and etc.). IN foreign countrieswho were not part of the USSR, where the Russian language is not the main language of communication, the name "" is practically not used. In English-speaking countries, it replaces the term - Eastern. FRONT WORLD WAR II (eng.) (Eastern Front of the Second World War), in German historiography - Deutsch-Sowjetischer. Krieg., Russlandfeldzug., Ostfeldzug. (it.) ( German Soviet War, Russian Hike, East Hike).

Recently, in Russia, the term began to periodically use the term "Great War"What is historically not entirely correct - in the late 1910s, this term was applied to the First World War.

Position by June 22, 1941

By June 22, 1941, three armies groups were focused on the borders of the USSR (only 181 divisions, including 19 tank and 14 motorized, and 18 brigades) supported by three air fleets. In the lane from Goldup to the Memer on the front with a length of 230 km, the group of army "North" was located (29 German divisions with the support of the 1st Air Fleet) under the command of General Field Marshal V. Leeba. The division included in its composition was combined in the 16th and 18th army, as well as the 4th tank group. Directive of January 31, 1941 she was tasked to destroy the enemy forces acting in the Baltic States and the seizure of ports in the Baltic Sea, including Leningrad and Kronstadt, deprive the Russian fleet of his support bases."In the Baltic to support the North Army Group and the actions against the Baltic Fleet, about 100 ships were allocated, including 28 torpedo boats, 10 mine barrels, 5 submarines, guard ships and trawls.

South, in the strip from Goldapa to Vlodava at the front with a length of 500 km - a group of the Army Center "Center" (50 German divisions and 2 German brigades, supported by the 2nd air fleet) under the command of General Field Marshal F. Boca. Divisions and brigades were combined into the 9th and 4th field armies, as well as the 2nd and 3rd tank groups. The task of the group was - " Being a major forces on the flanks, defeat the enemy's troops in Belarus. Then, focusing moving connections, the coming south and north of Minsk, it is possible to reach the Smolensk area and thereby create the prerequisites for the interaction of large tank and motorized forces with the North Army Group in order to destroy the enemy's troops acting in the Baltic States and the Leningrad region.»

In the Woodland Strine to the Black Sea on the front with a length of 1300 km, the group of the "South" armies (44 German, 13 Romanian divisions, 9 Romanian and 4 Hungarian brigades, which were supported by the 4th air fleet and Romanian aviation) under the command of G. Rundstedta. The grouping was divided into the 1st Tank Group, 6th, 11th and 17th German Army, 3rd and 4th Romanian Army as well as the Hungarian Corps. According to the plan "Barbarossa" the troops of the "South" group were prescribed - having ahead of the tank and motorized compounds and inflicting the head of the left wing to Kiev, destroy Soviet troops in the Galicia and the Western part of Ukraine, to seize the crossing of the Dnieper in a timely manner in Kiev and south to provide further offensive Eastern Dnipro. The 1st tank group was prescribed in collaboration with the 6th and-17th armies to break through between Rava-Russian and the jet and through Berdichev, Zhytomyr to go to the Dnieper in the Kiev region. Further, moving along the Dnieper in the south-east direction, she had to prevent the departure of the defending Soviet parts on the Right-Bank Ukraine and destroy them with a blow from the rear.

In addition to these forces on the territory of the occupied Norway and in Northern Finland, from Varanger Fjord to Suomussalmi - a separate army of the Wehrmacht "Norway" was deployed under the command of General N. Falkenhorst. She was in direct submission of the High Command of the German Armed Forces (OKV). The Norway's army was set up tasks - to seize Murmansk, the main naval base of the Northern Fleet polar, Peninsula Ryboby, and the Kirov Railway north of Belomorsk. Each of the three of her buildings was deployed on an independent direction: the 3rd Finnish corps - on Keszengsky and Ukhta, the 36th German corps - on the Kandalaksksky and the Mornetral German Corps "Norway" - in Murmansk.

In the reserve, OKOs were 24 divisions. In total, more than 5.5 million people were concentrated for the attack on the USSR., 3,712 tanks, 47,260 field guns and mortars, 4,950 combat aircraft.

On June 22, 1941 in the border districts and fleets of the USSR, there were 3,289,850 soldiers and officers, 59,787 guns and mortars, 12,782 tanks, of which 1475 T-34 and KV tanks, 10,743 aircraft. The composition of three fleets had about 220 thousand personnel, 182 of the cruise classes (3 lincars, 7 cruisers, 45 leaders and destroyers and 127 submarines). The direct protection of the state border was borderless (land and maritime) eight border districts. Together with the operational parts and units of the internal troops, they had about 100 thousand people. The reflection of a possible attack from the West was aged on the troops of five border districts: the Leningrad, the Baltic special, Western special, Kiev special and Odessa. From the sea of \u200b\u200btheir actions were to support three fleets: the North, Red Baltic Baltic and Black Sea.

The troops of the Baltic Military District under the command of General F. I. Kuznetsov included the 8th and 11th army, the 27th Army was on the formation of the west of Pskov. These parts were defensed from the Baltic Sea to the southern border of Lithuania, on the front with a length of 300 km.

The troops of the Western Special Military District under the command of General D. G. Pavlov covered the Minsk-Smolensk direction from the southern border of Lithuania to the River Pripyat on the front with a length of 470 km. The composition of this district included the 3rd 4th and 10th Army. In addition, the compounds and parts of the 13th army were formed in the Mogilev region, Minsk, Slutsk.

The troops of the Kiev Special Military District under the command of General M. P. Kirponosa as part of the 5th, 6th, 12th and 26th armies and compounds of the district subordination occupied positions at the front with a length of 860 km from Pripyat to Lipkan.

The Troops of the Odessa Military District under the command of General Ya. T. Cvevichenko covered the border on the plot from Lipkan to the mouth of a reservoir with a length of 480 km.

The troops of the Leningrad Military District under the command of General M. M. Popov should have protected the boundaries of the North-Western regions of the country (Murmansk region, the Karelian-Finnish SSR and Karelian Estones), as well as the northern coast of the Estonian SSR and Hanko Peninsula. The length of the land border on this site reached 1300 km, and the sea is 380 km. Here were the 7th, 14th, 23rd Army and the Northern Fleet.

It should be noted that in the opinion of modern historians, the obvious high-quality superiority of the vehochemus did not have. So, all the tanks had in service with Germany were lighter than 23 tons, while RKKA had medium tanks T-34 and T-28 weighing over 25 tons, as well as heavy tanks of the KV and T-35 weighing over 45 tons.

Nazi plans for the USSR

The initial political and ideological goals of the operation of Barbarossa testify the following documents:

The head of the headquarters of the OPB operational leadership after the appropriate edit was returned to him on December 18, 1940. The department "Defense of the country" Document Document "Guidelines on Special Problems of Directive No. 21 (version of the Barbarossa Plan") ", making it say that this project may be Führera is reported after refinement in accordance with its following position:

The upcoming war will appear not only by the armed struggle, but also at the same time the struggle of two worldviews. To win this war in conditions when the enemy has a huge territory, it is not enough to break its armed forces, this territory should be divided into several states headed by its own governments with which we could conclude peace treaties.

The creation of such governments requires large political skills and developing well-thought-out general principles.

Any revolution of a large scale causes such phenomena to life that cannot be simply discarded. Socialist ideas in the current Russia is no longer possible to eradicate. These ideas can serve as an internal political basis when creating new states and governments. The Jewish-Bolshevik intelligentsia, which is a oppressor of the people, must be removed from the stage. Former bourgeois-aristocratic intelligentsia, if it is also, primarily among emigrants, should not be allowed to power. It is not perceived by the Russian people and, in addition, she is hostile to the German nation. This is especially noticeable in the former Baltic states. In addition, in no case should we admit the replacement of the Bolshevik state by nationalist Russia, which ultimately (what the story testifies) will again withstand Germany.

Our task is to create these socialist states as quickly as possible with the lowest spent military efforts.

This task is so difficult that one army is not able to solve it.

Record from March 3, 1941 in the diary of the headquarters of the Operational Manual of the Master Command of the Wehrmacht (OKV)


30.3.1941 ... 11.00. A great meeting of the Fuhrer. Almost 2.5-hour speech ...

The struggle of two ideologies ... the huge danger of communism for the future. We must proceed from the principle of the soldiers' partnership. The communist has never been and never becomes our comrades. We are talking about fighting for destruction. If we do not look so, then, although we will break the enemy, in 30 years there will again arise a communist danger. We are not a war in order to make your opponent.

The future political map of Russia: Northern Russia belongs to Finland, Protectors in the Baltic States, Ukraine, Belarus.

Fight against Russia: the destruction of the Bolshevik commissarians and the communist intelligentsia. New states must be socialist, but without their own intelligentsia. It should not be allowed to form a new intelligentsia. It will only be enough for a primitive socialist intelligentsia. It is necessary to fight against the demoralization poison. This is not a military judicial question. Commanders of parts and units are obliged to know the goals of the war. They must lead in the struggle ..., firmly keep troops in their hands. The commander must give his orders, taking into account the mood of the troops.

War will be sharply different from the war in the West. In the east, cruelty is a blessing for the future. Commanders must go for victims and overcome their fluctuations ...

Diary of the Chief general Staff Ground Forces F. Galder

Forces who fought on the side of Germany

The Wehrmacht and the SS troops replenished over 1.8 million people from among the citizens of other states and nationalities. Of these during the war years, 59 divisions were formed, 23 brigades, several separate regiments, legions and battalions. Many of them wore names on state and nationality: Vallonia, Galicia, Bohemia and Moravia, Viking, "Denmearc", "Hembes", "Langemark", Nordland, "Nederland", " Charleman "and others.

In war against the Soviet Union, the Army of the Allies of Germany - Italy, Hungary, Romania, Finland, Slovakia, Croatia participated. The Army of Bulgaria was brought to the occupation of Greece and Yugoslavia, but the Bulgarian land on the Eastern Front did not fight.

The Russian Liberation Army (ROA) under the command of General Vlasov A. A. also performed on the side of Nazi Germany, although the Wehrmacht was not included.

A huge number of South Caucasian and North Caucasian detachments in the service of the Third Reich. The largest of which SonderVerband Bergmann (Bergmann Battalion). Also Georgian Legion of Wehrmacht, Azerbaijani Legion, North Caucasian SS detachment, etc.

In the composition of the army of Nazi Germany, the 15th Cossack Cavalry Corps SS General General Panviana was fought. In order to substantiate the use of Cossacks in the Armed Fight on the side of Germany, the "Theory" was developed, according to which the Cossacks were declared descendants of the sharp.

On the side of Germany, the Russian Corps of General Stephone, Lieutenant General Corps tsarist army Peter Nikolayevich Krasnova and a number of individual parts formed from the citizens of the USSR.

Territories of military action

the USSR

Belarusian SSR, Ukrainian SSR, Moldavian SSR, Estonian SSR, Karelian-Finnish SSR, Latvian SSR, Lithuanian SSR, as well as a number of territories of other republics: Leningrad, Murmansk, Pskov, Novgorod, Vologda, Kalininskaya, Moscow, Tula, Kaluga, Smolensk , Orlovskaya, Bryansk, Kursk, Lipetsk, Voronezh, Rostov, Ryazan, Stalingrad region, Krasnodar, Stavropol Territory, Kabardino-Balkarian, Crimean, Ossetian, Chechen-Ingush Republic, Krasnodar region (fighting at sea), Chuvash ASSR (avialine), Astrakhan (aviation), Arkhangelsk (aviation), Gorky (aviation), Saratov (aviation), Tambov (airliners), Yaroslavl (aviation) of the RSFSR field, Kazakh SSR (airline on Guriev's city), Abkhaz ASSR (GSSR).

Other countries

From the Great Patriotic War, the fighting of the Soviet Armed Forces on the territory of other occupied countries and the states of the Fascist Blok - Germany, Poland, Finland, Norway, Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, as well as part of Germany, created by the Hitler regime Croatia and Slovakia.

Initial period of war (June 22, 1941 - November 18, 1942)

On June 18, 1941, some compounds of the Cross-Border Military Districts of the USSR were presented in combat readiness. On June 13-15, 1941, the Western Districts sent directives of NPOs and GS ("to increase combat readiness ...") on the beginning of the extension of parts of the first and second echelons to the border, under the guise of "exercises". The rifle parts of the counties of the first echelon according to these directives were to occupy defense in 5-10 km from the border, the second echelon parts, rifle and mechanized cases, should have been defensed 30-40 km from the border. These directives are published in the collection of documents under the general guidance of A. Yakovlev "Russia. XX century. 1941 Documents "KN.2.

On June 18, an additional team was followed by bringing in full combat readiness of all parts of Western districts. This telegram-order is mentioned in the interrogation protocols of the Command of the Zapovo, who have not fulfilled orders from June 13-15, nor the subsequent orders to bring into full combat readiness of their parts of June 18. In more detail, these Directive describes in their memoirs Marshal I. H. Bagramyan back in 1971, describes how they were communicated to the command of the districts and how these directives actually were performed. Some parts of Western districts, the same mechorts K. K. Rokossovsky in Coo, were not notified on these orders and directives, and entered into war, learning about the attack only on June 22, 1941

The military political leadership of the state at 23:30 June 21 decided to partially bring the five border military districts into combat readiness. The Directive ordered only part of the activities to bring into complete combat readiness, which were determined by operational and mobilization plans. The directive, essentially, did not give permission to commission the cover of the cover in full, as it was prescribed "not to succumb to any provocative actions that could cause major complications." These restrictions caused bewilderment, requests followed in Moscow, while before the beginning of the war remained a few minutes.

However, in essence, this "Directive No. 1 of 21.06.41" In fact, just (and above all) reported the likely date of the German attack - "... 1. During June 22-23, 1941, a sudden attack of the Germans on the fronts of the Lavoy, Pribe. OVO, Zap. OWO, COVE, OD. OVO .... " Also, this directive prescribed parts to be in full combat readiness, rather than bring parts to the full B.G. Thus, the Directive No. 1 of 21.06.41 confirms that before her in part of Western districts have already gone orders and directives to bring parts into combat readiness - the directives of NPOs and GS from June 12-13, and the GSH telegrams about bringing in full combat Readiness of June 18. Directive No. 1 of its contents is suggested that it does not give a team at all to bring the parts of Western districts in combat readiness. The purpose of this directive is just a message enough accurate date And reminding the command of the districts "To be in full combat readiness, to meet the possible sudden blow to the Germans or their allies."

The army exacerbated in time aggravated the flaws in the combat readiness of the army and thereby sharply increased the objectively existing advantages of the aggressor. The time that troops had not received from their command in the districts of orders from June 15-18, to bring full combat readiness, after receipt of the Directive No. 1 of June 21, it turned out clearly not enough. On the alert of troops to bring them in combat readiness instead of 25-30 minutes, there was an average of 2 h 30 min. The fact is that instead of the signal "proceed to the fulfillment of the opening plan of 1941" Combines and connections received an encrypted directive with restrictions on the cover of the cover plan. However, the same Bagramyan quite fairly writes that GSH could not give a direct order for the introduction of a "cover plan" in the situation of June 1941. Thus, bringing parts of Western districts in combat readiness should have passed in gradually, within a few days From June 13-15, when the SFA and GS directives on the beginning of the "exercises" for parts of these districts came to the districts on June 12-13 for parts of these districts and nominate them on the frontier of defense according to the cover plans. However, the open and hidden failure to comply with the command of Western districts (especially in Belarus) directives of June 12-13 and led to a breakdown of bringing these districts into combat readiness.

Under these conditions, even the compounds and parts of the first echelon armies of the cover, which had a permanent combat readiness in the range of 6-9 h (2-3 hours - on the rise of the alarm and the collection, 4-6 hours - to nominate and organizing defense), did not receive this time. Instead of the specified period, they had no more than 30 minutes, and some compounds were not even notified at all about Directive No. 1 of 21.06.41. Delay, and in some cases, the breakdown of the team was due to the fact that the enemy was largely due to Disrupt wired connection with troops in border areas. As a result, the headquarters of the districts and armies were not able to quickly convey their orders.

Zhukov declares that the command of the Western (Western special, Kiev special, Baltic special and Odessa) border military districts at this time were put forward on the field command points, which should have arrived at all June 22. Also, G. K. Zhukov points out in his "memories and reflections" that a few days before the attack of the Western districts really received orders to start the nomination to the ruins of defense (under the guise of "exercises") to the border. These orders (Zhukov called them "recommendations") proceeded from the People's Commissar of Tymoshenko S. K. to the commander of Western districts.

However, the command of these districts strangely began to sabotage these orders and "recommendations". This sabotage was especially open occurred in Belarus, in Zapovo, where he commanded the General of the Army D. Pavlov. In the indictment in Pavlov, in the end, it was recorded - "weakened the mobilization readiness of the troops."

Summer-autumn campaign 1941

June 22, 1941 at 4:00 AMPERSK Foreign Minister Ribbentrop presented to the Soviet Ambassador in Berlin Deanozov Note about the declaration of war and three applications to it: "Report of the Minister of Internal Affairs of Germany, Reichsführera SS and the Chief of the German Police to the German Government on the sabotage work of the USSR, Directed against Germany and National Socialism "," Report of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the propaganda and political agitation of the Soviet government "," Report of the High Command of the German Army to the German Government on the concentration of Soviet troops against Germany. " Early in the morning of June 22, 1941 after artillery and aviation training, German troops switched to the border of the USSR. Already after that, at 5:30 am, the German Ambassador to the USSR V. Shuleburg was to the People's Commissioner of the USSR of the USSR V. M. Molotov and made a statement, the content of which came down to the fact that the Soviet government conducted a subversive policy in Germany and in the occupied her Countries, conducted foreign policy directed against Germany, and "focused on the German border all his troops in full combat readiness." The application was submitted by the following words: "Führer, therefore ordered the German armed forces to confront this threat to all means at their disposal." Together with a notot, he handed a set of documents identical to those that Ribbentrop presented with dealerosis.

In the North Baltic, the implementation of the Barbaross plan began on the evening of June 21, when German mine barrels based in Finnish ports, put two large mine fields in the Gulf of Finland. These mine fields were ultimately able to locate the Soviet Baltic fleet in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland.

On June 22, Romanian and German troops forced Prut, and also tried to force the Danube, but the Soviet troops did not give them to do this and even seized the bridgeheads in the Romanian territory. However, in July-September 1941, Romanian troops, with the support of German troops, occupied all Bessarabia, Bukovina and Mezhdra and the Dniester and South Bug (more. See Article Defense Operation in Moldova, Romania in World War II).

At 12 o'clock in the day, on June 22, 1941, Molotov spoke on the radio with official appeal to the USSR citizens, informing German attack on the USSR and declaring the beginning of the Patriotic War.

In accordance with the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of June 22, 1941, from June 23, mobilization of military-rich 14th ages (1905-1918 of birth) was announced in 14 military districts from 17. In three other districts - Trans-Baikal, Central Asian and Far Eastern - Mobilization was announced in a month in a special decision of the government with a secretive way as "big training fees."

On June 23, a headset rate was created (from August 8, the Supreme Commandment rate) at the head of I. V. Stalin, who from August 8 became also the Supreme Commander. On June 30, the State Defense Committee (GKO) was established. Since June, the people's militia began to form.

Finland did not allow the Germans to make a direct blow from their territory, and German parts in Petsamo and Salla were forced to refrain from the border crossing. There were episodic shootings between the Soviet and Finnish border guards, but in general the Soviet-Finnish border remained a calm situation. However, starting on June 22, German Luftwaffe bombers began to use Finnish airfields as a refueling base before returning to Germany. On June 23, Molotov caused the Finnish ambassador to himself. Molotov demanded from Finland a clear definition of its position in relation to the USSR, but the Finnish ambassador abstained from the comments of Finland actions. On June 24, the Goland of the Ground Forces of Germany sent an indication of the representative of the German command at the bid of the Finnish army, which said that Finland should prepare for the beginning of the operation east Ladoga Lake. Early in the morning of June 25, the Soviet command decided to apply the airfield of 18 airfields of Finland using about 460 aircraft. On June 25, in response to the USSR large-scale air raids on the cities of South and Central Finland, including Helsinki and Turku, as well as the fire of Soviet infantry and artillery on the state border Finland declared that he was again in a state of war from the USSR. During July - August 1941, the Finnish army in the course of a number of operations occupied all the territories departed to the USSR in the results of the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940.

Hungary did not immediately take part in the attack on the USSR, and Hitler did not require direct assistance from Hungary. However, the Hungarian ruling circles convinced the need to join Hungary in the war in order to prevent the resolution of the territorial dispute to the Hitler about Transylvania in favor of Romania. June 26, 1941 allegedly had the fact of the bombing of Kosice by Soviet Air Force, however, there is an opinion that it was the German provocation that gave Hungary casus.belli. (formal reason) for joining war. Hungary declared War of the USSR on June 27, 1941. On July 1, 1941, on the instructions of Germany, the Hungarian Carpathian group of troops attacked the Soviet 12th Army. Attached to the 17th German army, the Carpathian group advanced far deep into the southern part of the USSR. In the autumn of 1941, the fighting on the side of Germany began the so-called blue division from Spanish volunteers.

On August 10, GKO issued a decree on mobilizing the military-ridicated 1904-1890 years of birth and conscripts of 1922-1923 in the territory of the Kirovograd, Nikolaev, Dnepropetrovsk regions and areas of the West Sovereign - Bryansk - Sevsk of the Oryol region. On August 15, this mobilization was distributed to the Crimean ASSR, on August 20 - on the Zaporizhia region, September 8 - on a number of areas of the Oryol and Kursk regions, October 16 - to Moscow and the Moscow region. In general, by the end of 1941, over 14 million people were mobilized.

In the meantime, German troops seized the strategic initiative and dominance in the air and in border battles caused defeats by Soviet troops. Which lost 850 thousand people and prisoners of about 1 million people killed and wounded.
The main events of the summer-autumn campaign 1941:

  • Belostok-Minsk Battle (June 22 - July 8, 1941),
  • Battle for Dubno - Lutsk - Brody (1941) (June 24 - June 30, 1941),
  • Defense operation in Moldova
  • Smolensk battle (July 10 - September 10),
  • Battle under Uman (the end of July - August 8, 1941),
  • Battle for Kiev (August 7 - September 26, 1941),
  • Defense of Leningrad and the beginning of its blockade (September 8, 1941 - January 27, 1944),
  • Defense of Odessa (August 5 - October 16, 1941),
  • The beginning of the defense of Sevastopol (October 4, 1941 - July 4, 1942),
  • The defensive period of the battle for Moscow (September 30 - December 4, 1941),
  • Surroundings of the 18th Army of the South Front (October 5-10, 1941).
  • Tula defensive operation (October 24 - December 5, 1941)
  • Fights for Rostov (November 21-27, 1941),
  • Kerch land (December 26, 1941 - May 20, 1942).

The results of the initial period of war

By December 1, 1941, RKKK losses only with prisoners amounted to 3.5 million servicemen. The German troops captured Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus, Moldova, Estonia, a significant part of the RSFSR, Ukraine, advanced incur to 850-1200 km, having lost 740 thousand people (of which 230 thousand killed).

The USSR lost the most important commodity and industrial centers: Donbass, Krivoy Rudy Ruddy Pool. Minsk, Kiev, Kharkov, Smolensk, Odessa, Dnepropetrovsk were left left. Founded in the blockade Leningrad. They fell into the hands of the enemy or turned out to be sliced \u200b\u200bfrom the center of essential sources of food in Ukraine and the south of Russia. Millions of Soviet citizens turned out to be in the occupied territories. Hundreds of thousands of civilians died or were hijacked to slavery in Germany. The German army, however, was stopped near Leningrad, Moscow and Rostov-on-Don; The strategic goals scheduled for the Barbaross plan, could not be achieved.

Winter campaign 1941-1942.

On November 16, the Germans began the second stage of the attack on Moscow, planning to surround it from the north-west and south-west. In the Dmitrov direction, they reached the Moscow-Volga Channel and crossed his eastern shore under Yahroma, in Khimkinsky seized Wedge, forced the Istra reservoir, took Solnechnogorsk and Red Polyana, in Krasnogorsk, they took Istr. In the south-west Guderian approached Kashira. However, as a result of the fierce resistance of the Army, the Germans in late November - early December were stopped in all directions. Attempt to take Moscow failed.

During the winter campaign of 1941-1942, a counterattack under Moscow was held. Was removed the threat to Moscow. Soviet troops dropped the enemy in the western direction by 80-250 km, completed the liberation of the Moscow and Tula regions, many areas of Kalinin and Smolensk regions were released. On the South Front, Soviet troops defended a strategically important Crimea.

On January 5, 1942, an expanded meeting was held at the TGC rate to discuss strategic plans for the near future. The main report was made by the head of the General Staff Marshal B. M. Shaposhnikov. He outlined not only the plan for further discarding the enemy from Moscow, but also plans for large-scale strategic offensive on other fronts: a breakthrough of the blockade of Leningrad and the defeat of the enemy in Ukraine and in the Crimea. Against the plan of strategic offensive, G. K. Zhukov spoke. He pointed out that due to lack of tanks and artillery, it is not possible to break through the German defense, and that the proposed strategy will only lead to useless losses in the vibrant strength. Zhukova supported the head of the USSR N. A. Voznesensky, who indicated the impossibility of providing the proposed plan sufficient number Techniques and arms. In support of the plan, Beria and Malenkov were made. By summing up the discussion, Stalin approved the plan, saying: "We have to quickly break the Germans so that they cannot adopt when spring come".

In accordance with the plan, in early 1942, offensive operations were made: Rzhev-Vyazemskaya operation, Kerch-Feodosian landing operation and others. All these offensive, the enemy managed to reflect with large losses for the Soviet troops. January 18, 1942 Barvenkovo-Lozovsky operation began. Two weeks continued fierce battles, as a result of which the Soviet troops managed to break through the German defense at the front of 100 km, to move in the western and south-western directions by 90-100 km and seize the bridgehead on the right bank of the Northern Donets.

Summer - autumn 1942

Based on incorrect data on the losses of the Wehrmacht during the winter onset of the Red Army by the Supreme Command of the USSR in the summer-autumn campaign of 1942, the troops were rapidly tasked: completely defeat the enemy and release the entire territory of the country. The main military events occurred in the southwest direction: the defeat of the Crimean Front, a disaster in the Kharkov Operations (12-25.05), Voronezh-Voroshilovgrad Strategic Defense Operation (28.06-24.07), Stalingrad Strategic Defense Operation (July 17-18-18.11), North Caucasian Strategic Defensive operation (25.07-31.12). The enemy advanced 500-650 km, came to the Volga, mastered the part of the passages of the Chief Caucasus Range.

A number of large operations occurred in the central direction: the Rzhev-Sychevsky operation (30.7-23.8), which sprinkled with the Conitary Troops of the Western Front in the district of Sukhinichi, Kozelsk (22-29.8), only 228,232 people losses); as well as in the north-western direction: Lyuban offensive operation (7.1-30.4), which resulted in an operation on the conclusion of the 2nd shock army (13.5-10.7), which was surrounded by the first operation; Common losses - 403 118 people.

For the German army, the situation also began to take a threatening turnover: although its losses continued to be significantly lower than Soviet, a weaker German military economy did not allow to replace lost airplanes and tanks at the same speed as the opposite side did, and the most inefficient use of human resources in the army It did not allow to replenish the divisions in the East, as much as much as he led to the transition of a number of divisions into a six-hundred-barred state (with a ninebalonal); The personnel of combat mouth in the Stalingrad direction was reduced to 27 people (from 180 per state). In addition, as a result of operations in the south of Russia, the very very long Eastern Front of the Germans extended significantly, actually german pieces Already lacked to create the necessary defensive densities. Significant sections of the front occupied the troops of the allies of Germany - Romanian 3rd and the emerging 4th Army, the 8th Italian and 2nd hungarian army. It was these army that turned out to be ahilles fifth of the Wehrmacht in the autonous-winter campaign that followed soon.

July 3, 1941, Stalin turned to the people with the slogan "Everything for the front! Everything for victory! "; By the summer of 1942 (in less than 1 year), the translation of the USSR economy for military rails was completed.

With the beginning of the war in the USSR, mass evacuation of the population, productive forces, institutions and material resources began. A significant number of enterprises were evacuated to the eastern regions of the country (only in the 2nd half of 1941 - approx. 2,600), 2.3 million heads were exported. In the 1st half of 1942, 10 thousand aircraft were issued, 11 thousand tanks, 54 thousand guns. In the 2nd half of the year, their release has increased by more than 1.5 times. In total, in 1942, the USSR released small arms of all types (without revolvers and pistols) 5.91 million units, guns and mortars of all types and calibers (without aviation, marine and tank / sau cannons) 287.0 thousand pcs. Tanks and SAU of all types 24.5 thousand pcs., aircraft of all types of 25.4 thousand pcs., including combat 21.7 thousand pieces. A significant amount of combat technology was obtained on Land Lases.

As a result of agreements between the USSR, Great Britain and the United States in 1941-1942. There was a core of the anti-Hitler coalition.

Occupational mode

Hitler considered his attack on the USSR as a "crusade", which should be conducted by terrorist methods. On May 13, 1941, he freed the servicemen from all responsibility for his actions when implementing the Barbarossa Plan:

On this occasion, Guderian remarked:

The territory of the Belarusian, Ukrainian, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian SSR, 13 regions of the RSFSR was subjected to the German occupation during the war.

The Moldavian SSR and some areas of the South of the Ukrainian SSR (transnet) were under Romania, part of the Karelian-Finnish SSR was occupied by Finnish troops.

The areas were called the provinces, the counties were established (from January 1943 - districts) and the parliament, the population was registered. Along with the German military and administrative authorities (military commanders, district and district departments, agricultural departments, Gestapo, etc.) there were institutions of local self-government with the police. At the head of the cities, the counties were appointed burgomystra, the volost departments headed the volost elders, headlights were appointed in the villages. To parse criminal and civil cases that did not affect the interests of the German army, the world courts acted. The activities of local agencies were aimed at fulfilling orders and orders of the German command, the implementation of Hitler's policies and plans for the occupied population.

The entire able-bodied population was obliged to work at the enterprises opened by the Germans, on the construction of fortifications for the German army, on the repair of highway and railways, their cleaning from snow and dawn, in agriculture etc. In accordance with the "new order of land use" the collective farms were eliminated and formed community economy, instead of state farms were formed by "state-faced" - state farms of German power. The population was prescribed to be unquestioned to fulfill the robbing norms of meat supplies, milk, grains, forage, and so on for the German army established by the Germans. German soldiers robbed and destroyed state and public property, drove up civilians from their homes. People were forced to live in unsuitable premises, dugouts, they took warm things, products, cattle.

The Germans organized political schools - a special institution for promotion and agitation. Public lectures on political topics were required at enterprises and in the organizations of the city and in rural areas. Lectures and reports were read through local broadcasting. D. Malyavin also reports propaganda calendars.

From December 1941, a German newspaper "Speech" in Russian with pronounced anti-Soviet publications began to be published three times a week in Orel. Among the population, illustrated brochures, leaflets, posters: "Who is Adolf Hitler", "whether this war is domestic for the peoples of Russia", "the new land order is the basis of well-being", "Now adopt for the restoration of the Motherland" and others about German politics In the occupied countries, about the "happy life" of Soviet prisoners of war and citizens sent to work in Germany, etc.

The Germans opened churches, schools and other cultural and educational institutions. The repertoire of theaters was also determined by German propagandists, in the cinemas were demonstrated in the overwhelming majority of German films with Russian translation.

Mandatory school training was introduced using Soviet textbooks, of which everything was removed, which did not comply with the Nazi ideology. Parents who did not send their children to schools were forced to this imposition of fines. Teachers were interviewed in Gestapo and two-week political courses were organized. From April 1943, the teaching of history was prohibited and the so-called "lessons of current events" was introduced, for which German newspapers and special German political brochures were used. In schools at churches, children's groups were organized to teach God's law. At the same time, the invaders destroyed great amount Books in libraries.

For most places that have occupied, this period lasted two or three years. The invaders were introduced here for Soviet citizens aged 18 to 45 years (for the Jews - from 18 to 60 years) a hard work point. At the same time, the working day even in harmful production lasted 14-16 hours a day. For the refusal and evasion of work, failure to comply with orders, the slightest disobedience, resistance to robbery and violence, assistance to partisans, membership in the Communist Party and the Komsomol, belonging to Jewish nationality and simply without a reason for the shootings, execution hanging, beating and torture with fatal outcome. Fines were used, conclusion in the concentration camp, the requisition of livestock, etc. Repressions on the part of the fascist invaders were primarily subjected to the Slavs, Jews and Roma, as well as all the others, according to the fascists, "Neochoral". So, every third resident was destroyed in Belarus.

Death camps were created in the occupied territories, where, according to general calculations, about 5 million people died.

In total, more than 7.4 million people were deliberately exterminated in the occupied territory. civilians.

Great damage to the Soviet population, which was under the occupation, caused violent hijacking the most able-bodied part of his part for forced work in Germany and occupied industrial-developed countries. Soviet slaves called "Ostarabayters" (East Workers).

Of the total number of Soviet citizens, forcibly exported to work in Germany (5,69,59,513 people), after the end of the war it was repatriated to their homeland 2,654,100 people. Did not return for various reasons and became emigrants - 451,100 people. The remaining 2 164 313 people. Died or died in captivity.

The period of the indigenous fracture (November 19, 1942-1943)

Winter campaign 1942-1943

On November 19, 1942, the counteroffensiveness of the Soviet troops began, on November 23, parts of the Stalingrad and South-Western fronts were united by the city of Kalach-on-Don and were surrounded by 22 enemy divisions. In the course of the "Small Saturn" operation began on December 16, a serious defeat suffered a group of Don Army under the command of Manstein. And although the offensive operations undertaken at the central section of the Soviet-German front (Operation "Mars") ended unsuccessfully, but success in the southern direction provided the success of the winter campaign of the Soviet troops as a whole - one German and four Arms of the German allies were destroyed.

Other important events The winter campaign was the North Caucasus offensive operation (in fact, the persecution of the force from the Caucasus to avoid the environment of the Germans) and the breakthrough of Leningrad's blockade (January 18, 1943). The Red Army has advanced to the West in some directions by 600-700 km, crushed five enemy armies.

On February 19, 1943, the army groups of the Army "South" under the command of Manstein began a counterattack in the southern direction, which allowed to temporarily snatch the initiative from the hands of Soviet troops and discard them to the east (in certain areas of 150-200 km). A relatively small number of Soviet parts was surrounded (on the Voronezh front, due to the errors of the commander of the Front F. I. Golikova, shifted after the battle). However, the measures taken by the Soviet command, at the end of March 1943, allowed to stop the promotion of German troops and stabilize the front.

In winter, 1943, the German 9th Army V. Model left the Rzhev-Vyazemsky ledge (see Buffel Operation). The Soviet troops of Kalininsky (A. M. Pinkarev) and the Western (V. D. Sokolovsky) began the persecution of the enemy. As a result, Soviet troops pushed the front line from Moscow for another 130-160 km. Soon the headquarters of the German 9th Army was headed by troops in the Northern Face Kursk.

Summer autumn campaign 1943

The decisive events of the summer-autumn campaign of 1943 were the Kursk battle and the battle for the Dnieper. The Red Army has advanced by 500-1300 km, and although her losses were more than the enemy losses (in 1943, the losses of the Soviet armies were killed by the maximum for the entire war), the German side could not, at the expense of a less effective military industry and a less efficient system of use Human resources for military purposes, to fill their at least less losses at such a speed, with which it could do this. It provided RKKA as a whole sustainable dynamics of westing over the third and fourth quarters of 1943.

On November 28 - December 1, the Tehran Conference of I. Stalin, W. Churchill and F. Roosevelt took place. The main issue of the conference was the opening of the second front.

Third period of war (1944 - May 9, 1945)

The third period of the war was characterized by a significant quantitative increase in the German armed forces, especially technical terms. For example, the number of tanks and sau in the Wehrmacht by January 1, 1945 amounted to 12,990 units, while by January 1, 1944 - 9 149, and by January 1, 1943 - only 7,927 units. It was the result of the operation of a sleeper, Milha et al. In the framework of the military mobilization program of the German industry, begun in January 1942, but to give serious results only in 1943-1944. However, quantitative growth due to huge losses on the Eastern Front and the lack of fuel for the training of tankers and pilots was accompanied by a decrease in the qualitative level of the German armed forces. Therefore, the strategic initiative remained for the USSR and its allies, and the losses of Germany increased significantly (there is an opinion that the cause of the growth of losses was, including the growth of the technical equipment of the Wehrmacht - more techniques that could be lost).

Winter-Spring Campaign 1944

Winter campaign 1943-1944. The Red Army began ambitious on the right bank of Ukraine (December 24, 1943 - April 17, 1944). This offensive included several front operations, such as Zhytomyr-Berdichevskaya, Kirovograd, Korsun-Shevchenkovskaya, Lutsk-Rovnenskaya, Nikopolsko-Krivoy Rog, Proskur-Chernivtsi, Umansky-Botoshanskaya, Bereznegovato-Snigirevskaya and Odessa.

As a result of the 4-month offensive, the Army Group "South" was broken under the command of General Field Marshal E. Manstein and the Army Group "A", Commander-Field Marshal E. Kleist. Soviet troops liberated the right-bank Ukraine, Western areas, went to the state border in the south of the USSR, in the foothills of Karpat (during the Proskurovsky-Chernivtsi operation) and on March 28, forcing the Prut River, joined Romania. Also, to the attack on the right bank, Ukraine include the Polesk Operation of the 2nd Belarusian Front, which acted the north of the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front.

The onset took the participation of the troops of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd 4th Ukrainian fronts, the 2nd Belarusian front, the ships of the Black Sea Fleet and the Azov military flotilla and a large number of partisans in the occupied territories. As a result of the occurrence, the front was submitted from the initial positions of the end of December 1943 to a depth of 250-450 km. Human losses of Soviet troops are estimated at 1.1 million people, of which are irretrievable - just over 270 thousand.

Simultaneously with the liberation of the Right Bank of Ukraine, began Leningrad-Novgorodskaya operation (January 14 - March 1, 1944). Within the framework of this operation, Krasnoselsko - Ropshin, Novgorod-Luzhskaya, Kingisepp-Gdovskaya and Starus-Novorzhevsky front-line offensive operations. One of the main goals was the removal of the blockade of Leningrad.

As a result of the offensive, the Soviet troops defeated the North Army Group, under the command of General Field Marshal G. Küchler. Also, almost 900-day blockade of Leningrad were removed, almost the entire territory of the Leningrad, Novgorod regions were released, the Soviet troops entered the territory of Estonia. This offensive of the Soviet troops deprived the German command of the opportunity to transfer the forces of the Army Group "North" to the right-line Ukraine, where they applied high strike Soviet troops in the winter of 1944

The operations were attended by the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts, part of the forces of the 2nd Baltic Front, the Baltic Fleet, aviation of long-range and partisans. As a result of the Leningrad-Novgorod operation, troops have advanced by 220-280 km. The losses of the Soviet troops are more than 300 thousand people, of which are irretrievable - more than 75 thousand.

April-May marked Crimean offensive operation (April 8 - May 12). During her, 2 front operations were held: Perekopsko-Sevastopol and Kerch-Sevastopol; The purpose of the operation is the liberation of the Crimea. Soviet troops liberated the Crimea and defeated the 17th Field Army of the Germans. The Black Sea Fleet returned his main base - Sevastopol, which significantly improved the conditions of basing and conducting hostilities for both the fleet itself and for the Azov military flotilla (on the basis of which Danube military flotilla was formed). It was eliminated by the threat of the rear of the fronts of the Rentast Bank of Ukraine.

In the liberation of Crimea, the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front, a separate seaside army under the command of A. I. Yeremenko, the Black Sea Fleet, the Azov Military Flotilla (later renamed Danube Military Flotilla). The losses of the Soviet troops amounted to a little less than 85 thousand people, of which are irretrievable - more than 17 thousand. Soviet troops liberated the Crimea for a month with a little, while the Germans needed almost 10 months only to capture Sevastopol.

Summer-autumn campaign of 1944

In June 1944, the Allies opened the second front, which slightly worsened the martial law of Germany. In the summer-autumn campaign of 1944, the Red Army conducted a number of major operations, including the Belarusian, Lviv-Sandomira, Yasno-Chisinovskaya, Baltic; Completed the liberation of Belarus, Ukraine, the Baltic States (except for some regions of Latvia) and partly Czechoslovakia; Loose the Northern Polar and the Northern Regions of Norway. We were forced to surrender and joining the war against Germany Romania and Bulgaria (Bulgaria was in a state of war with the United Kingdom and the United States, but not from the USSR, the USSR declared the War of Bulgaria on September 5, 1944 and took it, the Bulgarian resistance troops did not give).

In the summer of 1944, Soviet troops entered into the territory of Poland. Even before that, in the territory of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus, as well as Lithuania, Soviet troops met with the formations of the Polish partisan army of Craisa (AC), which was subordinate to the Polish government in exile. It was tasked with the task as the Germans retreats to master the liberated areas both in Western Belarus, Western Ukraine and Lithuania and in Poland so that the coming Soviet troops have already formed there a formed authority of the authorities, supported by armed detachments subordinate to the emigrant government.

Soviet troops first carried out joint operations against the Germans, and then the AK officers were arrested, and the fighters disarmed and mobilized into the Proviset army of the Polish General Berling. On the liberated lands, that is, directly in the rear of the Red Army, attempts on the disarmament of the rivers AK, which went underground. This happened since July 1944 and in the territory of Poland. Already on August 23, 1944, the first stage of the intermented fighters AK was sent from Lublin to the camp near Ryazan. Before sending them, they were kept in the former Nazi concentration camp Maidan. On July 21, 1944, the Polish Communist Communists and their Allies created the Polish Committee of the National Liberation - the Interim Providest Government of Poland, despite the fact that Poland had a legitimate government - the Polish government in exile.

On August 1, 1944, when the advanced forces of the Red Army approached the capital of Poland Warsaw, "Army Craiova" raised uprising in the city. The rebels were fighting for two months with the superior forces of German troops, but on October 2, 1944 were forced to capitulate. The 1st Belorussian Front did not have substantial assistance to the rebel - overcoming in the Belarusian operation to 600 km, he met under Warsaw's stubborn resistance of the enemy and moved to defense.

On August 30, 1944, the Slovak national uprising began against the Slovak Region of the Slovak Republic led by Josef Tisso. To help the rebels, the Soviet troops began the Carpathian-Dukel operation on September 8. But in early November 1944, the German troops supplied the uprising even before the Soviet troops were able to assist the rebels.

In October 1944, Soviet troops successfully conducted a Debrecen operation and began Budapest operation to defeat the German troops on the territory of Hungary and withdrawing it from the war. However, the German troops in Budapest capitulated only on February 13, 1945. On December 28, 1944, the Provisional Government of Hungary was created, which he concluded a truce from the USSR on January 20, 1945.

On October 25, 1944, the State Defense Committee announced a call for the military service of the 1927 births. Calculated 1 million 156 thousand 727 people - the last military appeal.

Winter-Spring Campaign 1945

Military Front

The offensive actions of the Soviet troops in the western direction were resumed only in January 1945. January 13 began ( East Prussian Operation). At Malovsky direction, the goal was the defeat of the Malaw Grouping of the Anti-Counter and cutting off the Army Group, defended to East Prussia, from the rest of the German fascist armies. As a result, the Soviet troops occupied part of Eastern Prussia, liberated the territory of Northern Poland and, blocking the enemy's East Prussian group from the West and the South-West, created favorable conditions for its subsequent defeat (see Mlavsko-Ellbing operation). At the Kaliningrad direction, an offensive operation was launched against the Tilzite-Insterburg group of Earth. Fish troops. As a result of the troops of the 3rd Belorussian front, they were moved to a depth of 130 km and defeated the main forces of the Germans, creating the conditions for completing the joint-joint work of the East Prussian operation with the 2nd Belarusian front (see the Insterburg-Königsberg operation). In another direction in Poland on January 12 began ( Vorolo-Oderskaya operation) In the course of which, by February 3, the territory of the German troops was cleared of the territory of Poland to the west of the Vistula and was captured by the bridgehead on the right bank of the Oder, used later upon an occurrence of Berlin. In South Poland and Czechoslovakia, the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front were overcame most of the Western Carpathians, and by February 18, they reached the area of \u200b\u200bthe top flow of Wisła, which contributed to the promotion of the 1st Ukrainian Front in Silesia.

March 16 begins Vienna offensive operation Mastering the city of Vienna. On the way to the capital of the Austrian part of the Third Reich, the 6th Tank Army of SS was defeated. In early April, the Soviet troops with fierce battles in Czechoslovakia move on to the West, freeing settlements from the Germans. On April 7, they approach the suburbs of the veins where they meet the stubborn resistance of the Germans. The heavy battles begins for Vienna, which was taken on April 13.

At the same time, fights for Konigsberg begin in Eastern Procusia (see Konigsberg operation). Slow pace, Soviet troops are touched by a kilometer for a kilometer, street fighting begins. As a result of Konigsberg operation, the main forces of the Eastoprug group of Germans were defeated in the Polish direction by March 1945 the troops of the 1st Belorussky and 1st Ukrainian fronts during the Oder and Neissea rivers. Under the shortest distance from the Kustere Brillus, 60 km remained to Berlin. The English-American troops completed the elimination of the Ruruga grouping of German troops and by mid-April, the advanced parts reached the Elbe. The loss of essential raw materials led to the decline in the industrial production of Germany. Increased difficulties with the filling of human losses incurred in the winter of 1944/45. Nevertheless, Germany's armed forces were still an impressive force. According to the reconnaissance of the General Staff of the Red Army, by mid-April, there were 223 divisions and brigades in their composition. On April 16, 1945, the Berlin offensive operation of the Soviet troops began. On April 25, 1945, the Soviet troops on the Elba River first met with American troops who were coming from the West. On May 2, 1945, Berlin's garrison capitulated. After taking Berlin, the Soviet troops conducted a Prague operation - the last strategic operation in the war.

Political Front

On January 19, 1945, the last commander of Ak Leopold Okulitsky issued an order about its dissolution. In February 1945, representatives of the Emigrant Polish government who were in Poland, most of the delegates of the Council of National Unity (Interim Underground Parliament) and AK leaders were invited by General NKGB I. A. Serov to the conference on the possible entry of representatives of non-communist groups in the temporary government, which was supported Soviet Union. The Poles were given security guarantees, but they were arrested in Prushva on March 27 and delivered to Moscow, where the court took place above them. On February 4-11, 1945, the Yalta Conference of Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt took place. It discussed the basic principles of post-war policy.

Ending war

At midnight, on May 8, the war in Europe ended with the unconditional surrender of the Armed Forces of Germany. The fighting continued 1418 days. Nevertheless, taking the surrender, the Soviet Union did not sign the world with Germany, that is, formally remained with Germany in a state of war. The war with Germany was formally ended on January 25, 1955 by the issuance of the USSR Supreme Soviet by the Presidium "On the termination of the state of war between the Soviet Union and Germany".

June 24 in Moscow took place a parade of Victory. At the past in July - August 1945, the Potsdam Conference of the heads of the USSR, Great Britain and the United States was achieved on the issuance of the post-war device of Europe.

War of the Soviet Union against Japan (August 9 - September 2, 1945) was a direct continuation and an important part of the Great Patriotic War.

Battle, operations and battles

The largest battles of the Great Patriotic War:

  • Defense of Polaria (June 29, 1941 - November 1, 1944)
  • Moscow Battle (September 30, 1941 - April 20, 1942)
  • Leningrad blockade (September 8, 1941 - January 27, 1944)
  • Rzhevskaya Battle (January 8, 1942 - March 31, 1943)
  • Stalingrad Battle (July 17, 1942 - February 2, 1943)
  • Battle for the Caucasus (July 25, 1942 - October 9, 1943)
  • Kursk battle (July 5 - August 23, 1943)
  • Battle for Right Bank Ukraine (December 24, 1943 - April 17, 1944)
  • Belarusian operation (June 23 - August 29, 1944)
  • Baltic Operation (September 14 - November 24, 1944)
  • Budapest Operation (October 29, 1944 - February 13, 1945)
  • Vistul-Oder Operation (January 12 - February 1945)
  • East Prussian Operation (January 13 - April 25, 1945)
  • Battle for Berlin (April 16 - May 8, 1945)

Losses

There are various estimates of the loss of the Soviet Union and Germany during the war of 1941-1945. Differences are related both to the methods of obtaining source quantitative data for various groups of losses and with calculation methods.

In Russia, the official data on losses (army) in the Great Patriotic War is the data issued by the Researcher Group under the guidance of the consultant of the Military Memorial Center of the Russian Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Grigor Krivosheev in 1993 according to the refined data (2001), the losses were as follows:

  • Human losses of the USSR - 6.8 million military personnel "killed, dead from the Russian Academy of Sciences, captive, from diseases, accidents executed by sentences of tribunals" and 4.4 million In captivity and missing. General demographic losses (including the deceased peaceful population) - 26.6 million human;
  • Human losses in Germany - 4,047 million military personnel dead and dead (including 3.605 million dead, dead from wounds and missing on the front; 442 thousand dead in captivity), more 2.91 million
  • Human losses in Germany in Germany - 806 thousand deadlorsal servicemen (including 137.8 thousand dead in captivity), more 662.2 thousand Returned from the captivity after the war.
  • Permanent losses of the armies of the USSR and Germany with satellites (including prisoners of war) - 11.5 million and 8.6 million person. respectively. The ratio of the irrevocable losses of the German armies with satellites and the USSR is 1: 1.3.

USSR and antihytler coalition


After the German attack on the USSR, the latter became an ally of Great Britain. June 22, 1941 British Prime Minister Winston Cherchil said:

On July 12, the USSR signed an agreement with the United Kingdom on joint actions in the war against Germany. On July 18, a similar agreement was signed with the Emigrant Government of Czechoslovakia, and on July 30 - with the Polish emigrant government.

On August 14, an agreement was achieved with the Polish emigrant government about the formation of an army from Polish citizens in the USSR, as a result of the Polish campaign of the Red Army, as well as Polish citizens who were deported or subjected to conclusion (on August 12, decree was adopted about amnesty).

On September 24, 1941, the USSR joined the Atlantic Charter, while expressing his special opinion on some issues. On September 29 - October 1, 1941, a meeting of representatives of the USSR, the United States and the United Kingdom, which ended with the signing of a protocol on mutual supplies was held in Moscow. The first British Arctic convoy "Dervish" with military loads for the USSR arrived in Arkhangelsk before, on August 31, 1941. To ensure the supply of military cargoes in the USSR on the southern route in August 1941, Soviet and British troops were introduced into Iran.

Stalin's position in war

On the occasion of the 24th anniversary of the "Education of the Red Army", Joseph Stalin in his order No. 55 threw the following vocabulary of the national socialist press, approved, allegedly, that the Soviet Union tends to destroy the German people:

With all the confidence, it can be said that this war will lead either to fragmentation or to the complete destruction of the Hitler's clique. Funny attempts to identify all the German people and a German state with this click. The experience of history says that Hitlers come and leave, and the people of Germanic, and the State of Germanic - remains. The power of the Red Army is that it does not know racial hatred, which is a source of weakness of Germany ... All freedom-loving peoples oppose national-socialist Germany ... We fight with german soldier Not because he is German, but because he fulfills the order to enslave our people "

- Stalin I.V. Order people's Commissar Defense of the USSR dated February 23, 1942 No. 55 // Works. - M.: Writer, 1997. - T. 15. - P. 93-98.

Opinions and evaluation

It was noted that the losses of the USSR many times exceeded the losses of the remaining countries of the anti-Hitler coalition, while the general contribution to the victory was largely brought by the struggle of Soviet people. This is what the famous Soviet publicist of Strelnikov writes about this:


By giving tribute to all fighters against fascism, it is necessary to emphasize that the contribution to the general victory was different. The main merit in the defeat of Hitler's Germany, undoubtedly belongs to the Soviet Union. Throughout World War II, the Soviet-German front remained the main thing: it was here that 507 divisions of the Wehrmacht and 100 divisions of the Allies of Germany were defeated ...
For these conquests, the Soviet people paid a huge price. During the years of the Great Patriotic War, about 27 million were died and died about 27 million. Our compatriots, of which 8,668,400 were lossed by the army, fleet, border and internal troops ... Two thirds of human losses occur to the peaceful population.
This demonstrates the genocide policies conducted by Nazis, about inhuman occupying mode, about the expanse of all generally accepted international standards against Soviet people.


The main outcome of the Great Patriotic War was the elimination of mortal danger, the threat of enslaving and the genocide of Russian and other peoples of the USSR. Powerful, inhuman enemy just reached Moscow for just 4 months, until the Kursk arc retained offensive opportunities. Fracture in the war and victory were the result of an incredible tension of the forces, the mass heroism of the people, amazing and enemies and allies. The idea that inspired the front and rear workers, uniting and multiplied by their strength, posing with the cruelty of emergency measures of his own leadership, with unjustified victims, was the idea of \u200b\u200bprotecting his fatherland as the affairs of the right and righteous. The victory prompted the people of national pride, confidence in their power.