22 JUNE 1941 YEARS - THE BEGINNING OF THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR

On June 22, 1941, at 4 am, without a declaration of war, Nazi Germany and its allies attacked the Soviet Union. The beginning of the Great Patriotic War did not just happen on Sunday. It was a church holiday for All the Saints Who Shone in the Land of Russia.

Parts of the Red Army were attacked by German troops along the entire border. Riga, Vindava, Libava, Shauliai, Kaunas, Vilnius, Grodno, Lida, Volkovysk, Brest, Kobrin, Slonim, Baranovichi, Bobruisk, Zhitomir, Kiev, Sevastopol and many other cities, railway junctions, airfields of the USSR, naval bases were bombed , was carried out artillery shelling of border fortifications and areas of deployment of Soviet troops near the border from the Baltic Sea to the Carpathians. The Great Patriotic War began.

Then no one knew that it would go down in the history of mankind as the bloodiest one. Nobody guessed that the Soviet people would have to go through inhuman trials, go through and win. To rid the world of fascism, showing everyone that the spirit of a Red Army soldier cannot be broken by the invaders. No one could have imagined that the names of the hero cities would become known to the whole world, that Stalingrad would become a symbol of the resilience of our people, Leningrad - a symbol of courage, Brest - a symbol of courage. That, along with male warriors, old men, women and children will heroically defend the land from the fascist plague.

1418 days and nights of war.

Over 26 million human lives ...

These photographs have one thing in common: they were taken in the first hours and days of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War.

On the eve of the war

Soviet border guards on patrol. The photograph is interesting in that it was taken for a newspaper at one of the outposts on the western border of the USSR on June 20, 1941, that is, two days before the war.

German air raid

Border guards and soldiers of the cover units were the first to take the blow. They not only defended themselves, but also went over to counterattacks. The garrison of the Brest Fortress fought in the rear of the Germans for a whole month. Even after the enemy managed to capture the fortress, some of its defenders continued to resist. The last of them was captured by the Germans in the summer of 1942.

The picture was taken on June 24, 1941.

During the first 8 hours of the war, Soviet aviation lost 1200 aircraft, of which about 900 were lost on the ground (66 airfields were bombed). The Western Special Military District suffered the greatest losses - 738 aircraft (528 on the ground). Having learned about such losses, the chief of the air force of the district, Major General I.I. shot himself.

On the morning of June 22, Moscow radio broadcast the usual Sunday programs and peaceful music. Soviet citizens learned about the beginning of the war only at noon, when Vyacheslav Molotov spoke on the radio. He reported: "Today, at 4 o'clock in the morning, without making any claims to the Soviet Union, without declaring war, German troops attacked our country."

1941 poster

On the same day, a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was published on the mobilization of those born in 1905-1918 on the territory of all military districts. Hundreds of thousands of men and women received summons, appeared at the military registration and enlistment offices, and then went to the front in echelons.

The mobilization capabilities of the Soviet system, multiplied during the Great Patriotic War by the patriotism and sacrifice of the people, played an important role in organizing the resistance to the enemy, especially at the initial stage of the war. The call "Everything for the front, everything for the victory!" was accepted by all the people. Hundreds of thousands of Soviet citizens voluntarily went into the army. In just a week since the beginning of the war, more than 5 million people were mobilized.

The line between peace and war was invisible, and people did not immediately perceive the change in reality. It seemed to many that this was just some kind of masquerade, a misunderstanding, and soon everything would be resolved.

Fascist troops met stubborn resistance in battles near Minsk, Smolensk, Vladimir-Volynsky, Przemysl, Lutsk, Dubno, Rovno, Mogilev, etc.And yet, in the first three weeks of the war, the troops of the Red Army left Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, a significant part of Ukraine and Moldova. Six days after the start of the war, Minsk fell. The German army advanced in various directions from 350 to 600 km. The Red Army lost almost 800 thousand people.

The turning point in the perception of the inhabitants of the Soviet Union of the war, of course, was 14 august... It was then that the whole country suddenly learned that the Germans occupied Smolensk ... It really was a bolt from the blue. While the battles were going “somewhere out there, in the west,” and the reports flashed cities, the location of which many could hardly imagine, it seemed that the war was still far away anyway. Smolensk is not just the name of the city, this word meant a lot. Firstly, it is already more than 400 km from the border, and secondly, only 360 km to Moscow. And thirdly, unlike all Vilno, Grodno and Molodechno, Smolensk is an ancient purely Russian city.

The stubborn resistance of the Red Army in the summer of 1941 thwarted Hitler's plans. The Nazis failed to quickly take either Moscow or Leningrad, and in September a long defense of Leningrad began. In the Arctic, Soviet troops, in cooperation with the Northern Fleet, defended Murmansk and the main base of the fleet - Polyarny. Although in Ukraine in October-November the enemy captured the Donbass, captured Rostov, broke through to the Crimea, nevertheless, here his troops were pinned down by the defense of Sevastopol. The formations of Army Group South were unable to reach the rear of the Soviet troops remaining in the lower reaches of the Don through the Kerch Strait.

Minsk 1941. Shooting of Soviet prisoners of war

September 30th within the framework Operation Typhoon the Germans started general attack on Moscow . Its beginning was unfavorable for the Soviet troops. Bryansk and Vyazma fell. On October 10, G.K. Zhukov. On October 19, Moscow was declared a state of siege. In bloody battles, the Red Army still managed to stop the enemy. Having strengthened Army Group Center, the German command resumed the offensive on Moscow in mid-November. Overcoming the resistance of the Western, Kalinin and the right wings of the Southwestern Fronts, enemy strike groups bypassed the city from the north and south and by the end of the month reached the Moscow-Volga canal (25-30 km from the capital), approached Kashira. At this the German offensive collapsed. The exsanguinated Army Group Center was forced to go on the defensive, which was also facilitated by the successful offensive operations of the Soviet troops near Tikhvin (November 10 - December 30) and Rostov (November 17 - December 2). On December 6, the counteroffensive of the Red Army began , as a result of which the enemy was driven back from Moscow by 100 - 250 km. Kaluga, Kalinin (Tver), Maloyaroslavets and others were released.

Guarding the Moscow sky. Autumn 1941

The victory near Moscow was of great strategic, moral and political importance, since it was the first since the beginning of the war. The immediate threat to Moscow was eliminated.

Although, as a result of the summer-autumn campaign, our army withdrew 850 - 1200 km inland, and the most important economic regions were in the hands of the aggressor, nevertheless the plans of the "blitzkrieg" were thwarted. The Nazi leadership faced the inevitable prospect of a protracted war. The victory at Moscow also changed the balance of power in the international arena. The Soviet Union was viewed as a decisive factor in the Second World War. Japan was forced to refrain from attacking the USSR.

In winter, units of the Red Army launched an offensive on other fronts. However, it was not possible to consolidate the success, first of all, due to the dispersion of forces and means along a huge front.

During the German offensive in May 1942, the Crimean Front was defeated on the Kerch Peninsula in 10 days. May 15 had to leave Kerch, and July 4, 1942 after a stubborn defense Sevastopol fell. The enemy completely captured the Crimea. In July - August, Rostov, Stavropol and Novorossiysk were captured. Stubborn battles were fought in the central part of the Caucasian ridge.

Hundreds of thousands of our compatriots ended up in more than 14 thousand concentration camps, prisons, ghettos, scattered throughout Europe. The scale of the tragedy is evidenced by dispassionate figures: only on the territory of Russia, the fascist invaders shot, strangled in gas chambers, burned, hanged 1.7 million. people (including 600 thousand children). All in all, about 5 million Soviet citizens died in concentration camps.

But, despite stubborn battles, the fascists failed to solve their main task - to break through to the Transcaucasus to seize the oil reserves of Baku. At the end of September, the offensive of the fascist troops in the Caucasus was stopped.

To contain the enemy onslaught in the eastern direction, the Stalingrad Front was created under the command of Marshal S.K. Tymoshenko. On July 17, 1942, the enemy under the command of General von Paulus struck a powerful blow on the Stalingrad front. In August, the Nazis broke through to the Volga in stubborn battles. From the beginning of September 1942, the heroic defense of Stalingrad began. The battles were literally for every inch of land, for every house. Both sides suffered colossal losses. By mid-November, the Nazis were forced to stop the offensive. The heroic resistance of the Soviet troops made it possible to create favorable conditions for their transition to a counteroffensive at Stalingrad and thereby initiate a radical change in the course of the war.

By November 1942, almost 40% of the population was under German occupation. Regions captured by the Germans were subject to military and civilian administration. In Germany, even a special ministry for the occupied regions was created, headed by A. Rosenberg. The SS and the police were in charge of political oversight. In the localities, the invaders formed the so-called self-government - city and district councils, in the villages, the posts of headmen were introduced. Persons dissatisfied with the Soviet regime were involved in cooperation. All residents of the occupied territories, regardless of age, were obliged to work. In addition to participating in the construction of roads and defensive structures, they were forced to neutralize minefields. The civilian population, mainly young people, were also sent to forced labor in Germany, where they were called "Ostarbeiter" and were used as cheap labor. In total, 6 million people were hijacked during the war years. More than 6.5 million people were killed from hunger and epidemics in the occupied territory, more than 11 million Soviet citizens were shot in camps and at their place of residence.

November 19, 1942 Soviet troops moved to counteroffensive at Stalingrad (Operation Uranus). The forces of the Red Army surrounded 22 divisions and 160 separate units of the Wehrmacht (about 330 thousand people). The Hitlerite command formed Army Group Don in 30 divisions and tried to break through the encirclement. However, this attempt was unsuccessful. In December, our troops, having defeated this grouping, began an offensive on Rostov (Operation Saturn). By the beginning of February 1943, our troops had liquidated the grouping of fascist troops trapped in the ring. 91 thousand people were taken prisoner, led by the commander of the 6th German army, General - Field Marshal von Paulus. Per 6.5 months of the Battle of Stalingrad (July 17, 1942 - February 2, 1943) Germany and its allies lost up to 1.5 million people, as well as a huge amount of equipment. The military power of Nazi Germany was significantly undermined.

The defeat at Stalingrad caused a deep political crisis in Germany. It declared three days of mourning. The morale of the German soldiers fell, defeatist sentiments gripped broad strata of the population, which less and less believed in the Fuehrer.

The victory of the Soviet troops at Stalingrad marked the beginning of a radical change in the course of the Second World War. The strategic initiative finally passed into the hands of the Soviet Armed Forces.

In January - February 1943, the Red Army launched an offensive on all fronts. In the Caucasus direction, Soviet troops advanced by the summer of 1943 by 500 - 600 km. In January 1943, the blockade of Leningrad was broken.

The Wehrmacht command planned summer 1943 conduct a major strategic offensive operation in the Kursk salient area (Operation Citadel) , defeat the Soviet troops here, and then strike into the rear of the Southwestern Front (Operation Panther) and subsequently, building on the success, once again create a threat to Moscow. For this, up to 50 divisions were concentrated in the Kursk Bulge area, including 19 tank and motorized divisions, and other units - over 900 thousand people in total. This group was opposed by the troops of the Central and Voronezh fronts, which had 1.3 million people. During the Battle of the Kursk Bulge, the largest tank battle of the Second World War took place.

On July 5, 1943, a massive Soviet offensive began. Within 5 - 7 days, our troops, stubbornly defending themselves, stopped the enemy, which had penetrated 10 - 35 km behind the front line, and launched a counteroffensive. It started July 12 in the Prokhorovka area , where the largest oncoming tank battle in the history of war took place (with the participation of up to 1,200 tanks on both sides). In August 1943, our troops captured Orel and Belgorod. In honor of this victory, a salute was fired for the first time in Moscow with 12 artillery volleys. Continuing the offensive, our troops inflicted a crushing defeat on the Nazis.

In September, Left-Bank Ukraine and Donbass were liberated. On November 6, the formations of the 1st Ukrainian Front entered Kiev.

Throwing the enemy back 200-300 km from Moscow, Soviet troops set about liberating Belarus. From that moment on, our command held the strategic initiative until the end of the war. From November 1942 to December 1943, the Soviet Army advanced 500-1300 km westward, liberating about 50% of the enemy-occupied territory. 218 enemy divisions were defeated. During this period, partisan units inflicted great damage on the enemy, in the ranks of which up to 250 thousand people fought.

The significant successes of the Soviet troops in 1943 intensified diplomatic and military-political cooperation between the USSR, the USA and Great Britain. On November 28 - December 1, 1943, the Tehran Conference of the Big Three was held with the participation of I. Stalin (USSR), W. Churchill (Great Britain) and F. Roosevelt (USA). The leaders of the leading powers of the anti-Hitler coalition determined the timing of the opening of the second front in Europe (the landing operation "Overlord" was scheduled for May 1944).

Tehran conference of the "Big Three" with the participation of I. Stalin (USSR), W. Churchill (Great Britain) and F. Roosevelt (USA).

In the spring of 1944 Crimea was cleared of the enemy.

In these favorable conditions, the Western Allies, after two years of preparation, opened a second front in Europe in northern France. June 6, 1944 the combined Anglo-American forces (General D. Eisenhower), numbering over 2.8 million people, up to 11 thousand combat aircraft, over 12 thousand combat and 41 thousand transport ships, crossing the English Channel and the Pas-de- Calais, started the biggest war during the war landing Operation Normandy ("Overlord") and entered Paris in August.

Continuing to develop the strategic initiative, Soviet troops in the summer of 1944 launched a powerful offensive in Karelia (June 10 - August 9), Belarus (June 23 - August 29), in Western Ukraine (July 13 - August 29) and Moldova (20 - 29 August).

During Belarusian operation (code name "Bagration") Army Group Center was defeated, Soviet troops liberated Belarus, Latvia, part of Lithuania, eastern Poland and reached the border with East Prussia.

The victories of the Soviet troops in the southern direction in the fall of 1944 helped the Bulgarian, Hungarian, Yugoslav and Czechoslovak peoples in their liberation from fascism.

As a result of hostilities in 1944, the state border of the USSR, treacherously violated by Germany in June 1941, was restored all the way from the Barents Sea to the Black Sea. The fascists were expelled from Romania, Bulgaria, from most parts of Poland and Hungary. In these countries, pro-German regimes were overthrown, patriotic forces came to power. The Soviet Army entered the territory of Czechoslovakia.

While the bloc of fascist states was collapsing, the anti-Hitler coalition grew stronger, as evidenced by the success of the Crimean (Yalta) conference of the leaders of the USSR, the United States and Great Britain (February 4-11, 1945).

But still the decisive role in the defeat of the enemy at the final stage was played by the Soviet Union. Thanks to the titanic efforts of the entire people, the technical equipment and armament of the army and navy of the USSR reached the highest level by the beginning of 1945. In January - early April 1945, as a result of a powerful strategic offensive on the entire Soviet-German front with the forces of ten fronts, the Soviet Army decisively defeated the main forces of the enemy. During the East Prussian, Vistula-Oder, West Carpathian and the completion of the Budapest operations, Soviet troops created conditions for further attacks in Pomerania and Silesia, and then for an offensive on Berlin. Almost all of Poland and Czechoslovakia, the entire territory of Hungary were liberated.

The capture of the capital of the Third Reich and the final defeat of fascism was carried out during Berlin operation (April 16 - May 8, 1945).

April 30 in the bunker of the Reich Chancellery Hitler committed suicide .

On the morning of May 1, over the Reichstag, sergeants M.A. Egorov and M.V. Kantaria was hoisted the Red Banner as a symbol of the Victory of the Soviet people. On May 2, Soviet troops completely captured the city. The attempts of the new German government, which on May 1, 1945, after the suicide of A. Hitler, was headed by Grand Admiral K. Doenitz, to achieve a separate peace with the USA and Great Britain failed.

May 9, 1945 at 0 hours 43 minutes in the Berlin suburb of Karlshorst, the Act of unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany was signed. On behalf of the Soviet side, this historical document was signed by the war hero, Marshal G.K. Zhukov, from Germany - Field Marshal Keitel. On the same day, the remnants of the last large enemy grouping on the territory of Czechoslovakia in the Prague region were defeated. City Liberation Day - May 9 - became the Day of Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War. The news of the Victory spread around the world with lightning speed. The Soviet people, who suffered the greatest losses, greeted her with nationwide jubilation. Indeed, it was a great holiday "with tears in my eyes."

In Moscow, on Victory Day, a festive fireworks display was made from a thousand guns.

Great Patriotic War 1941-1945

Prepared by Sergey SHULYAK

It is generally accepted that the Great Patriotic War ended on May 9, 1945. However, for example, the Prague offensive operation took place from May 6 to 11, and the Red Army fought with collaborators for several more years. The armed forces of the USSR continued to perform feats after two official surrenders of Germany. Thousands of Soviet soldiers became victims of the Nazis and their accomplices during this period. Why the war did not end with the capture of Berlin.

Disputes continue between Russian and foreign historians about when the war with Nazi Germany ended de jure and de facto. On May 2, 1945, Soviet troops took Berlin. It was a major military and ideological success, but the fall of the German capital did not mean the final destruction of the Nazis and their accomplices.

Achieve surrender

In early May, the leadership of the USSR set itself a goal - to achieve the adoption of the act of surrender of Germany. To do this, it was necessary to agree with the Anglo-American command and deliver an ultimatum to the representatives of the Nazi government, which from April 30, 1945 (after the suicide of Adolf Hitler) was headed by Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz.

The positions of Moscow and the West were quite different. Stalin insisted on the unconditional surrender of all German troops and pro-Nazi formations. The Soviet leader was aware of the desire of the Allies to keep part of the Wehrmacht's military machine in combat readiness. This scenario was absolutely unacceptable for the USSR.

In the spring of 1945, Nazis and collaborators left their positions on the Eastern Front en masse to surrender to the Anglo-American forces. War criminals counted on leniency, and the allies contemplated using the Nazis in a potential confrontation with the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA). The USSR made concessions, but in the end achieved its goal.

On May 7, in French Reims, where the headquarters of General of the Army Dwight Eisenhower was located, the first act of surrender was signed. The document was signed by the chief of the Wehrmacht's operational headquarters, Alfred Jodl. Major General Ivan Susloparov was Moscow's representative. The document came into force on May 8 at 23:01 (May 9 at 01:01 Moscow time).

The act was drawn up in English and assumed the unconditional surrender of only the German armies. On May 7, Susloparov, having not received instructions from the headquarters of the Supreme Commander, signed a document with the proviso that any ally country may demand another similar act.

After the signing of the act, Karl Dönitz ordered all German formations to fight their way to the west. Moscow took advantage of this and demanded to immediately conclude a new act of comprehensive surrender.

On the night of May 8-9, in the Berlin suburb of Karlshorst, the second act of surrender was signed in a solemn atmosphere. The signatories agreed that the Reims document was preliminary, and the Berlin document final. Deputy Supreme Commander-in-Chief Marshal Georgy Zhukov was the USSR representative in Karlshorst.

Be proactive

Some historians consider the liberation of Europe from the Nazi occupiers by Soviet troops to be a "light walk" in comparison with the battles that were fought on the territory of the USSR.

In 1943, the Soviet Union solved all the main problems in the field of the military-industrial complex, received thousands of modern tanks, aircraft and artillery pieces. The commanding staff of the army had gained the necessary experience and already knew how to outplay the Nazi generals.

In mid-1944, the Red Army, which was part of Europe, was perhaps the most effective land military machine in the world. However, politics began to actively intervene in the campaign for the liberation of the European peoples.

The Anglo-American troops that landed in Normandy sought not so much to help the USSR defeat Nazism as to prevent the "communist occupation" of the Old World. Moscow could no longer trust its allies with its plans and therefore acted ahead of the curve.

In the summer of 1944, the headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief determined two strategic directions of the offensive against the Nazis: northern (Warsaw - Berlin) and southern (Bucharest - Budapest - Vienna). The regions between the main wedges remained under Nazi control until mid-May 1945.

In particular, Czechoslovakia turned out to be such a territory. The liberation of the eastern part of the country - Slovakia - began with the forcing of the Red Army of the Carpathians in September 1944 and ended only eight months later.

In Moravia (the historical part of the Czech Republic), Soviet soldiers appeared on May 2-3, 1945, and on May 6, the Prague strategic operation began, as a result of which the capital of the state and almost the entire territory of Czechoslovakia were liberated. Large-scale hostilities continued until May 11-12.

Throw in Prague

Prague was liberated later than Budapest (February 13), Vienna (April 13) and Berlin. The Soviet command was in a hurry to capture the key cities of Eastern Europe and the German capital and thus advance as deep as possible to the west, realizing that the current allies could soon turn into ill-wishers.

The advance in Czechoslovakia was not of strategic importance until May 1945. In addition, the offensive of the Red Army was hampered by two factors. The first is mountainous terrain, which sometimes nullified the effect of the use of artillery, aircraft and tanks. The second is that the partisan movement in the republic was less massive than, for example, in neighboring Poland.

At the end of April 1945, the Red Army needed to finish off the Nazis in the Czech Republic as soon as possible. Near Prague, the Germans guarded Army Groups Center and Austria in the amount of 62 divisions (more than 900 thousand men, 9700 guns and mortars, over 2200 tanks).

The German government, headed by Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz, hoped to preserve the "Center" and "Austria", surrendering to the Anglo-American troops. Moscow was aware of the preparation by the allies of a secret plan for the war with the USSR in the summer of 1945 called "The Unthinkable."

To this end, Great Britain and the United States hoped to save as many Nazi formations as possible. Naturally, it was in the interests of the Soviet Union to defeat the enemy group with lightning speed. After not without difficulty, the regrouping of forces and means of the Red Army inflicted several massive strikes on the "Center" and "Austria".

In the early morning of May 9, the 10th Guards Tank Corps of the 4th Guards Tank Army was the first to enter Prague. On May 10-11, Soviet troops completed the destruction of the main centers of resistance. In total, for almost a year of fighting in Czechoslovakia, 858 thousand enemy servicemen surrendered to the Red Army. The losses of the USSR amounted to 144 thousand people.

"Defense against the Russians"

Czechoslovakia was not the only country on whose territory hostilities continued after May 9. In April 1945, Soviet and Yugoslav troops were able to clear most of the territory of Yugoslavia of Nazis and collaborators. However, the remnants of Army Group E (part of the Wehrmacht) managed to escape from the Balkan Peninsula.

The Red Army carried out the elimination of Nazi formations in Slovenia and Austria from 8 to 15 May. In Yugoslavia itself, battles with Hitler's accomplices lasted until about the end of May. The scattered resistance of the Germans and collaborators in the liberated Eastern Europe continued for about a month after the surrender.

The Nazis showed stubborn resistance to the Red Army on the Danish island of Bornholm, where infantrymen of the 2nd Belorussian Front landed on May 9 with fire support from the Baltic Fleet. The garrison, which, according to various sources, numbered from 15 thousand to 25 thousand people, hoped to hold out and surrender to the allies.

The commandant of the garrison, Captain 1st Rank Gerhard von Kamptz, sent a letter to the British command, which was stationed in Hamburg, with a request to land on Bornholm. Von Kamptz stressed that "until that time he is ready to hold the defense against the Russians."

On May 11, almost all Germans surrendered, but 4,000 people fought with the Red Army until May 19. The exact number of Soviet soldiers killed on the Danish island is unknown. You can find data on dozens and hundreds of those killed. Some historians say that the British nevertheless landed on the island and took up a battle with the Red Army.

This was not the first incident that the Allies conducted joint operations with the Nazis. On May 9, 1945, the German units stationed in Greece under the leadership of Major General Georg Bentak surrendered to General Preston's 28th Infantry Brigade, without waiting for the main British forces to approach.

The British were stuck in battles with the Greek communists, who united in the ELAS People's Liberation Army. On May 12, the Nazis and the British launched an offensive against the positions of the partisans. It is known that German soldiers took part in the battles until June 28, 1945.

Pockets of resistance

Thus, Moscow had every reason to doubt that the allies would not support the Wehrmacht fighters, who were both on the front lines and in the rear of the Red Army.

Military publicist, historian Yuri Melkonov noted that powerful Nazi groups in May 1945 were concentrated not only in the Prague area. A certain danger was posed by 300 thousand German troops in Courland (western Latvia and part of East Prussia).

“German groupings were scattered throughout Eastern Europe. In particular, large formations were located in Pomerania, Konigsberg, Courland. They tried to unite, taking advantage of the fact that the USSR threw its main forces on Berlin. However, despite the difficulties in supply, the Soviet troops defeated them one by one, "Melkonov said to RT.

According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, in the period from 9 to 17 May, the Red Army captured about 1.5 million enemy soldiers and officers and 101 generals.

Of these, 200 thousand people were Hitler's accomplices - mostly Cossack formations and soldiers of the Russian Liberation Army (ROA) of the former Soviet military leader Andrei Vlasov. However, not all collaborators were captured or destroyed in May 1945.

Sufficiently intense battles in the Baltics went on until 1948. It was not the Nazis who resisted the Red Army, but the Forest Brothers, an anti-Soviet partisan movement that emerged in 1940.

Another large-scale center of resistance was Western Ukraine, where anti-Soviet sentiments were strong. From February 1944, when the liberation of Ukraine was completed, and until the end of 1945, the nationalists carried out about 7,000 attacks and sabotage against the Red Army.

The combat experience gained while serving in various German formations allowed Ukrainian militants to actively resist Soviet troops until 1953.

The Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) - the war between the USSR and Germany in the framework of the Second World War, which ended with the victory of the Soviet Union over the Nazis and the capture of Berlin. The Great Patriotic War became one of the final stages of the Second World War.

Causes of the Great Patriotic War

After the defeat in the First World War, Germany remained in an extremely difficult economic and political situation, however, after Hitler came to power and the reforms, the country was able to increase its military power and stabilize the economy. Hitler did not accept the results of the First World War and wanted to take revenge, thereby leading Germany to world domination. As a result of his military campaigns, in 1939 Germany invaded Poland and then Czechoslovakia. A new war began.

Hitler's army rapidly conquered new territories, but up to a certain point there was a non-aggression peace treaty between Germany and the USSR, signed by Hitler and Stalin. However, two years after the start of World War II, Hitler violated the non-aggression agreement - his command developed the "Barbarossa" plan, which implies a swift German attack on the USSR and the seizure of territories within two months. In case of victory, Hitler was given the opportunity to start a war with the United States, and he also had access to new territories and trade routes.

Contrary to expectations, a surprise attack on Russia did not produce results - the Russian army was much better equipped than Hitler had anticipated and offered substantial resistance. The company, designed for several months, turned into a protracted war, which later became known as the Great Patriotic War.

The main periods of the Great Patriotic War

• The initial period of the war (June 22, 1941 - November 18, 1942). On June 22, Germany invaded the territory of the USSR and by the end of the year was able to conquer Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus - the troops moved inland to capture Moscow. Russian troops suffered huge losses, the inhabitants of the country in the occupied territories were captured by the Germans and were driven into slavery in Germany. However, despite the fact that the Soviet army was losing, it still managed to stop the Germans on the approach to Leningrad (the city was taken into a blockade), Moscow and Novgorod. The Barbarossa plan did not give the desired results, the battles for these cities continued until 1942.
• The period of radical change (1942-1943) On November 19, 1942, the Soviet counter-offensive began, which yielded significant results - one German and four allied armies were destroyed. The Soviet army continued the offensive in all directions, they managed to defeat several armies, start pursuing the Germans and push the front line back towards the west. Thanks to the buildup of military resources (the military industry worked in a special regime), the Soviet army significantly surpassed the German one and could now not only resist, but also dictate its terms in the war. From a defending army, the USSR turned into an attacking one.
• The third period of the war (1943-1945). Despite the fact that Germany managed to significantly increase the power of its army, it was still inferior to the Soviet one, and the USSR continued to play a leading offensive role in hostilities. The Soviet army continued to advance towards Berlin, recapturing the occupied territories. Leningrad was conquered, and by 1944 Soviet troops moved towards Poland, and then Germany. On May 8, Berlin was taken, and German troops announced their unconditional surrender.

Major battle of the Great Patriotic War

• Defense of the Arctic (June 29, 1941 - November 1, 1944);
• Battle of Moscow (September 30, 1941 - April 20, 1942);
• Blockade of Leningrad (September 8, 1941 - January 27, 1944);
• Battle of Rzhev (January 8, 1942 - March 31, 1943);
• Battle of Stalingrad (July 17, 1942 - February 2, 1943);
• Battle of the Caucasus (July 25, 1942 - October 9, 1943);
• Battle of Kursk (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);
• Operation Budapest (October 29, 1944 - February 13, 1945);
• Vistula-Oder operation (January 12 - February 3, 1945);
• East Prussian operation (January 13 - April 25, 1945);
• Battle of Berlin (April 16 - May 8, 1945).

Results and significance of the Great Patriotic War

The main significance of the Great Patriotic War was that it finally broke the German army, preventing Hitler from continuing to continue his struggle for world domination. The war was a turning point in the course of World War II and, in fact, its end.

However, the victory was given to the USSR hard. The country's economy during the war was in a special regime, the factories worked mainly for the military industry, so after the war they had to face a severe crisis. Many factories were destroyed, most of the male population died, people were starving and could not work. The country was in a dire condition, and it took it many years to recover.

But, despite the fact that the USSR was in a deep crisis, the country turned into a superpower, its political influence on the world stage increased sharply, the Union became one of the largest and most influential states, along with the USA and Great Britain.

The royal word to the Russian people and the army! SECOND PATRIOTIC WAR

Our great mother, Russia, greeted the news of the declaration of war with calmness and dignity. I am convinced that with the same sense of calm we will bring the war, whatever it may be, to the end.

Here I solemnly declare that I will not conclude peace until the last enemy warrior leaves Our land. And to you, the representatives of the guard troops dear to me and the Petersburg Military District, gathered here, in your person, I appeal to all my only-begotten, unanimous strong, like a granite wall, my army and bless it for military labor.

It is interesting that - "until the last enemy warrior leaves Our land"

How did the 2nd Patriotic War, or the 1st World War (as we are used to) begin, according to the official history?

On August 1, Germany declared war on Russia, on the same day the Germans invaded Luxembourg.
On August 2, German troops finally occupied Luxembourg, and an ultimatum was issued to Belgium to allow the German armies to pass to the border with France. Only 12 hours were given for reflection.
On August 3, Germany declared war on France, accusing her of "organized attacks and aerial bombardments of Germany" and "violation of Belgian neutrality." On August 3, Belgium refused the German ultimatum.
On August 4, German troops invaded Belgium. King Albert of Belgium asked for help from the guarantor countries of Belgian neutrality. London sent an ultimatum to Berlin: stop the invasion of Belgium, or England will declare war on Germany. After the expiration of the ultimatum, Great Britain declared war on Germany and sent troops to help France.

An interesting story turns out. The Tsar probably would not have rushed with words like that - "until the last enemy warrior leaves our land", etc.

But the enemy, at the time of the speech, invaded the territory of Luxembourg. What does it mean? Is this what I think, or do you have any other thoughts?

Let's see where we have Luxembourg?

Nice thing - Luxembourg is oriented to the Netherlands in color, does it mean that all the land belonged to Russia? Or was it a kingdom of a different kind, World and Global, with Russia as the flagship? And the rest of the countries were not countries, but counties, principalities, regions, or else God knows what it was actually called ..

Because the war is Patriotic, and the second (the first I think so is 1812) And then after 100 years with a hook, once again - 1914 .. You say - "Nuuuu, you never know in the picture it is written, well now, build a theory from this? " But no, my friends ... there is not one picture ... but two ... or three ... or thirty-three ..

The question is - who and when began to call the Second Patriotic War, the First World War? If they hide it from us (those who are engaged in informing the population about the events of history - x / ztoriki) then there is probably a reason for this? They will not foolishly do nothing to change the names of historical events? What a whim ..

And there are many such testimonies .. So there is something to hide.! What exactly? Probably the fact that our Fatherland was much wider at that time, so much so that Luxembourg was our territory, and perhaps it was not limited to this. We all know about the global nature of the world in the 19th century - when was this global world divided and rigidly delimited?

Who lived in the Russian Empire?

Document: "On the number of measures included in the draft lists of 1904 on the basis of article 152 of the military regulations of the publication of 1897" Materials of the Samara recruiting presence. According to the materials of the Samara recruiting presence - Germans and Jews - religion. So the state was one, but recently it was divided.

There were no nationalities back in 1904. There were Christians, Mohammedans, Jews and Germans - this is how the masses of the people were distinguished.

In St. John, B. Shaw, an English nobleman says to a priest who uses the word "French":

"Frenchman! Where did you get this word from? Could it be that these Burgundians, Bretons, Picardians and Gascons also began to call themselves French, as ours took the fashion to be called English? They speak of France and England as their countries. Your own, do you understand ?! What will become of you and me if this way of thinking is prevalent everywhere? " (see: B. Davidson, The Black Man's Birden. Africa and the Cigse of the Nation-State. New York: Times B 1992. P. 95).

"In 1830, Stendhal spoke of the terrible triangle between the cities of Bordeaux, Bayonne and Valence, where" people believed in witches, could not read and did not speak French. " exotic bazaar, he described a typical peasant who came across to him in the way: "... suspicious, restless, dumbfounded by any phenomenon incomprehensible to him, he is in a great hurry to leave the city" "
D. Medvedev. France of the 19th century: the land of savages (instructive reading)

So what was there about - "until the enemy leaves our land"? And where is this "our land"? It is known that during this war the soldiers did not want to fight - they met on neutral territory. And "fraternization"

"Fraternization" on the Eastern Front began already in August 1914, and at the beginning of 1916 hundreds of regiments from the Russian side already participated in them, writes "Interpreter".

A new year, 1915, sensational news spread around the world: a spontaneous truce and "fraternization" of soldiers of the warring British, French and German armies began on the Western Front of the Great War. Soon the leader of the Russian Bolsheviks, Lenin, declared about "fraternization" at the front as the beginning of "the transformation of the world war into a civil war" (mind you !!!)

Among these news about the Christmas truce, scanty information about the "fraternization" on the Eastern (Russian) front was completely lost.

"Fraternization" in the Russian army began in August 1914 on the Southwestern Front. In December 1914, on the North-Western Front, there were cases of already massive "fraternization" of soldiers of the 249th Danube Infantry and 235th Infantry Belebeevsky Regiments.

How can this be the case among peoples of different languages? They somehow had to understand each other !!!?

One thing is clear - people were driven to slaughter by their leaders, governments, who received an assignment from a certain "center" .. But what kind of "center" is this?

It was the mutual destruction of the people. Read the names of settlements in Germany .. We rightfully considered this land to be ours !!!

Read it, and you will immediately understand “what” Emperor Nicholas II was talking about when he said “Our land” I mean myself, or the society headed by him (this is a question of a different nature). Netherlands, Belgium, etc.) It turns out, if you follow the logic (why was the name of the Second Patriotic War hidden?), Then the goal-setting was just the concealment of the Global (at that time) Peace, Fatherland, which this war had "finished off"? The states in their current form were formed quite recently? Even during the Great Patriotic War, the Nazis, in turn, considered our territory as their own, and the population as their citizens - they behaved as if they had equal rights with the Bolsheviks, at least. They thought so ... Yes, and part of the population was quite loyal, especially at the beginning of the war ..

So what was it - "get-together" again?

Who constantly pits our peoples against each other, and has a triple benefit from this?

Time of Troubles If you go back to the time of Troubles (17th century), or rather, after its end, then several foreign princes and even the King of England Jacob (with what such joy?) Claimed the Russian throne, but the Cossacks managed to push their candidate with truth or not - Mikhail Feodorovich, than the other applicants were very unhappy - It turns out they had equal rights. ... ? And the Polish tsarevich Vladislav never recognized Mikhail as tsar, without showing due respect, according to etiquette, calling him illegally elected, considering his rights to the Moscow throne to be more solid ..

How this connects with the legend of the Russian kingdom, as well as other individual states, I cannot understand.

(wiki) According to the famous Soviet historian, professor A.L. Stanislavsky, a well-known specialist in the history of Russian society in the 16th-17th centuries, the key role in the accession of Michael instead of foreign princes and King James I of England and Scotland, whom the nobility and boyars wanted to elect , the Great Russian Cossacks, who then united with the Moscow common people, played, the liberties of which the tsar and his descendants subsequently took away in all possible ways. The Cossacks received a grain salary, and feared that the bread that was supposed to go to their salary would instead be sold by the British for money all over the world ..

That is, the Great Russian Cossacks "stirred" fearing that the English king, having sat on the Moscow throne, would take away their bread salary, and the very fact that an Englishman would rule in Russia, why didn’t bother them !? Was it okay, okay? I wonder why the Cossacks did not participate in the wars waged by Russia? The army at Mikhal Feodorich was half. ... ... ... Foreign, German !! S. M. Solovyov. Works in 18 volumes. Book V. History of Russia since ancient times, volumes 9-10.

But we have seen that, in addition to hired and local foreigners, during the reign of Mikhail, there are regiments of Russian people trained in foreign order; Shein had at Smolensk: many hired German people, captains and captains and soldiers on foot; Yes, with them were with the German colonels and captains Russian people, boyar children and people of all ranks who were written for the military doctrine: with the German colonel Samuel Sharl Reitar, there were 2,700 noblemen and children of boyars from different cities; Greek, Serbians and Voloshan stern - 81; Colonel Alexander Leslie, and with him his regiment of captains and majors, all sorts of orderly people and soldiers - 946; with Colonel Yakov Sharl - 935; with Colonel Fuchs - 679; with Colonel Sanderson - 923; with colonels - Wilhelm Keith and Yuri Matthyson - 346 initial people and 3282 ordinary soldiers: German people from different lands who were sent from the Ambassadorial order - 180, and all hired Germans - 3653;

Yes, with the German colonels of the Russian soldiers, who are in charge in foreign orders: 4 colonels, 4 large regimental lieutenants, 4 majors, in Russian, large regimental watchmen, 2 quartermaster and captain, in Russian, large regimental detachment, 2 regimental quartermaster, 17 captains , 32 lieutenants, 32 warrant officers, 4 regimental judges and clerks, 4 columnists, 4 priests, 4 court clerks, 4 professional posts, 1 regimental nabatnik, 79 Pentecostals, 33 warrant officers, 33 watchmen over a gun, 33 company borrowers, 65 German corporals, 172 Russian caporals, 20 German alarm bells with a flute operator, 32 company clerks, 68 Russian alarm bells, two German children who are not grown up for interpreting; all German people and Russian and German soldiers in six regiments, but Poles and Lithuania in four companies 14801 people ...

Well, okay - let's see the photos from the beginning of the 19th century .. Opposite ends of the world - from Vietnam to South Africa and Indonesia - what ends it would seem! But no - the same architecture, style, materials, one office built everything, globalization, however ... In general, there are a few photos for overclocking, and at the end of the post stsylko for another, for those who cannot stop so immediately)) braking distance for the sake of for .. at the beginning of the 20th century the WORLD WAS GLOBAL !!!

Kiev, Ukraine

Odessa, Ukraine

Tehran, Iran

Hanoi, Vietnam

Saigon, Vietnam

Padang, Indonesia

Bogota, Colombia

Manial, Philippines

Karachi, Pakistan

Karachi, Pakistan

Shanghai, China

\

Shanghai, China

Managua, Nicaragua

Kolkata, India

Kolkata, India

Kolkata, India

Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town, South Africa

Seoul, Korea

Seoul, Korea

Melbrune, Australia

Brisbane, Australia

Oaxaca, Mexico

Mexico City, Mexico

Toronto, Canada

Toronto, Canada

Montreal, Canada

Penang Island, Georgetown, Malaysia

Lstrov Penang, Georgetown, Malaysia

Penang Island, Georgetown, Malaysia

Phuket, Thailand

COLUMNS

Sub-item Brussels, Belgium

London

Kolkata, India

Vendome Column. Paris

Chicago

Thailand

"ANTIQUITY"

To this list, you must also add all the destroyed cities to which the manipulator assigned the status of ancient Greek and ancient Roman. This is all nonsense. They were destroyed 200-300 years ago. Just because of the desolation of the territory, life on the ruins of such cities has not generally resumed. These cities (Timgad, Palmyra and the like ..) were destroyed by a low air explosion, unknown, terrible weapons of mass destruction .. Look - the top of the city was completely demolished .. And where are the debris? But this is up to 80% of the destroyed array! Who, when and where, and most importantly - with what, removed so much construction waste?

Timgad, Algeria, Africa

The most interesting thing is that the entire territory with a diameter of 25-30 km from the conditional city center is dotted with ruins - a real metropolis of the type of modern ones .. If Moscow is 37-50 km. in diameter .. That is, it becomes clear that the cities were destroyed by low air explosions of enormous destructive power - ALL THE TOP PARTS OF THE BUILDINGS ARE COMPLETELY REMOVED ..

Here you can clearly see both the sand-covered territories of the city center, and the continental soil - even the pits of the former reservoirs (greenish) are the remnants of the former luxury ... Palm trees grew here (hence the name - Palmyra) and so on and so forth ... It was an earthly paradise for enlightened people .. In the photo above, I deliberately spread photographs of objects to their locations in order to clearly demonstrate their remoteness from the center of Palmyra (let it be, for example, an amphitheater) and this is about 30 km in diameter ..

Compare buildings. Their design and original functionality are identical:

Lebanon, Baalbek

Orthodox Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul. Sevastopol

Old Museum of Kerch

Valgala, Germany

Temple of Poseidon, Italy

Parthenon, USA

Temple of Apollo, in Delphi

Temple of Theseus in Vienna, Austria

Temple of Hephaestus in Athens

Paris, Madeleine Church, 1860

Garni temple in Armenia

THE BEGINNING OF THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR

Eve of the war. In the spring of 1941, the approach of war was felt by everyone. Soviet intelligence reported to Stalin almost daily about Hitler's plans. For example, Richard Sorge (Soviet intelligence officer in Japan), reported not only about the transfer of German troops, but also about the timing of the German attack. However, Stalin did not believe these reports, as he was sure that Hitler would not start a war with the USSR as long as England resisted. He believed that a clash with Germany could not occur until the summer of 1942. Therefore, Stalin strove to use the remaining time to prepare for war with maximum benefit. On May 5, 1941, he assumed the powers of the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars. He did not rule out the possibility of a preemptive strike against Germany.

There was a concentration of a huge number of troops on the border with Germany. At the same time, it was impossible to give the Germans a reason for accusing them of violating the non-aggression pact. Therefore, despite the obvious preparation of Germany for aggression against the USSR, Stalin only on the night of June 22 gave the order to bring the troops of the border districts on alert. The troops received this directive already when the German aircraft bombed Soviet cities.

The beginning of the war. At dawn on June 22, 1941, the German army with all its might fell on Soviet soil. Thousands of artillery pieces opened fire. Aviation attacked airfields, military garrisons, communications centers, command posts of the Red Army, the largest industrial facilities in Ukraine, Belarus, and the Baltic states. The Great Patriotic War of the Soviet people began, which lasted 1418 days and nights.

The country's leadership did not immediately understand what exactly happened. Still fearing provocations from the Germans, Stalin did not want to believe what had happened even in the conditions of the outbreak of war. In a new directive, he ordered the troops to "defeat the enemy", but "not to cross the state border" with Germany.

At noon on the first day of the war, the First Deputy Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR, VM Molotov, addressed the people. Calling on the Soviet people to resolutely rebuff the enemy, he expressed confidence that the country would defend its freedom and independence. Molotov ended his speech with the words that became the programmatic directive for all the years of the war: "Our cause is just. The enemy will be defeated. Victory will be ours."

On the same day, a general mobilization of those liable for military service was announced, martial law was introduced in the western regions of the country, and the Northern, Northwestern, Western, Southwestern, and Southern fronts were formed. To guide them, on June 23, the Headquarters of the High Command was created (later - the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command), which included I.V. Stalin, V.M. Molotov, S.K. Timoshenko, S.M.Budyonny, K.E. Voroshilov, B. M. Shaposhnikov and G. K. Zhukov. JV Stalin was appointed Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

The war demanded the abandonment of a number of democratic forms of governing the country, provided for by the 1936 Constitution.

On June 30, all power was concentrated in the hands of the State Defense Committee (GKO), whose chairman was Stalin. At the same time, the activities of the constitutional authorities continued.

Forces and plans of the parties. On June 22, the two largest military forces by that time clashed in mortal combat. Germany and Italy, Finland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, which took its side, had 190 divisions against 170 Soviet ones. The number of opposing troops on both sides was approximately equal and totaled about 6 million people. The number of guns and mortars was approximately equal on both sides (48 thousand for Germany and the Allies, 47 thousand for the USSR). In terms of the number of tanks (9.2 thousand) and aircraft (8.5 thousand), the USSR surpassed Germany and its allies (4.3 thousand and 5 thousand, respectively).

Taking into account the experience of hostilities in Europe, the Barbarossa plan envisaged waging a "lightning-fast" war against the USSR in three main directions - to Leningrad (Army Group North), Moscow (Center) and Kiev (South). In a short time, with the help of mainly tank strikes, it was supposed to defeat the main forces of the Red Army and enter the Arkhangelsk - Volga - Astrakhan line.

The basis of the tactics of the Red Army before the war was the concept of conducting combat operations "with little blood, on foreign territory." However, the attack of the Hitlerite armies forced to reconsider these plans.

The failures of the Red Army in the summer and autumn of 1941. The suddenness and power of the German blow were so great that after three weeks Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus, a significant part of Ukraine, Moldova and Estonia were occupied. The enemy advanced 350-600 km deep into Soviet soil. In a short time, the Red Army lost more than 100 divisions (three-fifths of all troops in the western border districts). More than 20 thousand guns and mortars, 3.5 thousand aircraft (of which 1200 were destroyed right at the airfields on the first day of the war), 6 thousand tanks, more than half of the logistics depots were destroyed or captured by the enemy. The main forces of the troops of the Western Front were surrounded. In fact, in the first weeks of the war, all the forces of the "first echelon" of the Red Army were defeated. It seemed that a military catastrophe for the USSR was inevitable.

However, the "easy walk" for the Germans (which the Hitlerite generals hoped for, intoxicated with victories in Western Europe) did not work out. In the first weeks of the war, only killed the enemy lost up to 100 thousand people (this exceeded all the losses of the Nazi army in previous wars), 40% of tanks, almost 1 thousand aircraft. Nevertheless, the German army continued to maintain a decisive superiority of forces.

Battle for Moscow. The stubborn resistance of the Red Army near Smolensk, Leningrad, Kiev, Odessa, in other sectors of the front did not allow the Germans to implement their plans to seize Moscow by the beginning of autumn. Only after the encirclement of large forces (665 thousand people) of the South-Western Front and the capture of Kiev by the enemy did the Germans begin preparations for the capture of the Soviet capital. This operation was named Typhoon. To implement it, the German command ensured a significant superiority in manpower (3-3.5 times) and equipment in the directions of the main strikes: tanks - 5-6 times, artillery - 4-5 times. The dominance of German aviation also remained overwhelming.

On September 30, 1941, the Nazis launched a general offensive against Moscow. They managed not only to break through the defenses of the stubbornly resisting Soviet troops, but also to encircle four armies west of Vyazma and two - south of Bryansk. In these "cauldrons" 663 thousand people were taken prisoner. However, the surrounded Soviet troops continued to pin down up to 20 enemy divisions. A critical situation has developed for Moscow. The fighting was already 80-100 km from the capital. To stop the advance of the Germans, the Mozhaisk line of defense was hastily strengthened, reserve troops were pulled up. GK Zhukov, appointed commander of the Western Front, was urgently recalled from Leningrad.

Despite all these measures, by mid-October the enemy had come close to the capital. Through German binoculars, the Kremlin towers were clearly visible. By the decision of the State Defense Committee, the evacuation of government agencies, the diplomatic corps, large industrial enterprises, and the population from Moscow began. In case of a breakthrough by the Nazis, all the most important objects of the city were to be destroyed. On October 20, a state of siege was introduced in Moscow.

A colossal exertion of forces, unparalleled courage and heroism of the defenders of the capital, the offensive of the Germans in early November was stopped. On November 7, as before, a military parade took place on Red Square, the participants of which immediately went to the front line of the front.

However, in mid-November, the fascist offensive resumed with renewed vigor. Only the stubborn resistance of Soviet soldiers saved the capital again. Particularly distinguished was the 316th Rifle Division under the command of General IV Panfilov, which repulsed several tank attacks on the most difficult first day of the German offensive. The feat of the Panfilov group led by political instructor V.G. Klochkov, who for a long time detained more than 30 enemy tanks, became legendary. Klochkov's words, addressed to the soldiers, spread throughout the country: "Russia is great, but there is nowhere to retreat: behind is Moscow!"

By the end of November, the troops of the Western Front received significant reinforcements from the eastern regions of the country, which made it possible on December 5-6, 1941, to launch a counteroffensive by Soviet troops near Moscow. In the very first days of the Moscow battle, the cities of Kalinin, Solnechnogorsk, Klin, Istra were liberated. In total, during the winter offensive, Soviet troops defeated 38 German divisions. The enemy was driven back from Moscow to 100-250 km. This was the first major defeat of the German forces during the entire Second World War.

The victory at Moscow was of great military and political significance. She dispelled the myth about the invincibility of the Hitlerite army and the hopes of the fascists for a "lightning war". Japan and Turkey finally refused to enter the war on the side of Germany. The process of creating the Anti-Hitler coalition was accelerated.

GERMAN OFFENSIVE 1942 BACKGROUND OF Fracture

The situation at the front in the spring of 1942. The parties' plans. The victory at Moscow gave the Soviet leadership illusions about the possibility of a quick defeat of the German troops and the end of the war. In January 1942, Stalin assigned the Red Army the task of going over to a general offensive. This task has been repeated in other documents as well.

The only one who opposed the simultaneous offensive of the Soviet troops in all three main strategic directions was G.K. Zhukov. He rightly believed that there were no prepared reserves for this. However, under pressure from Stalin, the Headquarters nevertheless decided to advance. Diffusion of already modest resources (by this time the Red Army had lost up to 6 million people killed, wounded, prisoners) inevitably had to lead to failure.

Stalin believed that in the spring and summer of 1942 the Germans would launch a new offensive against Moscow, and ordered to concentrate significant reserve forces in the western direction. Hitler, on the contrary, considered the strategic goal of the upcoming campaign to be a large-scale offensive in the southwestern direction with the aim of breaking through the defenses of the Red Army and capturing the lower Volga and the Caucasus. In order to hide their true intentions, the Germans developed a special plan to misinform the Soviet military command and political leadership, codenamed "Kremlin". Their plan was largely successful. All this had grave consequences for the situation on the Soviet-German front in 1942.

German offensive in the summer of 1942. The beginning of the Battle of Stalingrad. By the spring of 1942, the preponderance of forces was still on the side of the German forces. Before starting a general offensive in the southeastern direction, the Germans decided to completely capture the Crimea, where the defenders of Sevastopol and the Kerch Peninsula continued to offer heroic resistance to the enemy. The May offensive of the Nazis ended in tragedy: the troops of the Crimean Front were defeated in ten days. The losses of the Red Army here amounted to 176 thousand people, 347 tanks, 3476 guns and mortars, 400 aircraft. On July 4, Soviet troops were forced to leave the city of Russian glory, Sevastopol.

In May, Soviet troops launched an offensive in the Kharkov region, but suffered a severe defeat. The troops of the two armies were surrounded and destroyed. Our losses amounted to 230 thousand people, more than 5 thousand guns and mortars, 755 tanks. The strategic initiative was again firmly seized by the German command.

At the end of June, German troops rushed to the southeast: they occupied the Donbass and reached the Don. An immediate threat to Stalingrad was created. On July 24, Rostov-on-Don fell - the gates of the Caucasus. Only now did Stalin understand the real purpose of the German summer offensive. But it was already too late to change anything. Fearing a quick loss of the entire Soviet South, on July 28, 1942, Stalin issued Order No. 227, in which, under the threat of execution, he forbade the troops to leave the front line without instructions from the higher command. This order went down in the history of the war under the title "Not one step back!"

In early September, street fighting broke out in Stalingrad, which was destroyed to the ground. But the perseverance and courage of the Soviet defenders of the city on the Volga did what seemed impossible - by mid-November, the offensive capabilities of the Germans had finally dried up. By this time, in the battles for Stalingrad, they had lost almost 700 thousand killed and wounded, over 1 thousand tanks and over 1.4 thousand aircraft. The Germans not only failed to occupy the city, but also went over to the defensive.

Occupation regime. By the fall of 1942, German troops managed to capture most of the European territory of the USSR. In the cities and villages they occupied, a tough occupation regime was established. The main goals of Germany in the war against the USSR were the destruction of the Soviet state, the transformation of the Soviet Union into an agrarian and raw material appendage and a source of cheap labor for the "Third Reich".

The previous governing bodies were eliminated in the occupied territories. All power belonged to the military command of the German army. In the summer of 1941, special courts were introduced, which were given the right to pass death sentences for disobedience to the invaders. Death camps were created for prisoners of war and those Soviet people who sabotaged the decisions of the German authorities. Everywhere the invaders staged demonstrative executions of party and Soviet activists, members of the underground.

All citizens of the occupied territories between the ages of 18 and 45 have been affected by labor mobilization. They had to work 14-16 hours a day. Hundreds of thousands of Soviet people were sent to forced labor in Germany.

The plan "Ost", developed by the Nazis before the war, contained a program for the "development" of Eastern Europe. According to this plan, it was supposed to destroy 30 million Russians, and turn the rest into slaves and resettle them to Siberia. During the war years in the occupied territories of the USSR, the Nazis killed about 11 million people (including about 7 million civilians and about 4 million prisoners of war).

Partisan and underground movement. The threat of physical violence did not stop the Soviet people from fighting the enemy, not only at the front, but also in the rear. The Soviet underground movement arose in the first weeks of the war. In the places subjected to occupation, party organs operated illegally.

During the war years, more than 6 thousand partisan detachments were formed, in which more than 1 million people fought. Representatives of the majority of the peoples of the USSR, as well as citizens of other countries, acted in their ranks. Soviet partisans destroyed, wounded and captured more than 1 million enemy soldiers and officers, representatives of the occupation administration, disabled more than 4 thousand tanks and armored vehicles, 65 thousand vehicles and 1,100 aircraft. They destroyed and damaged 1,600 railway bridges and derailed over 20,000 train trains. To coordinate the actions of the partisans, in 1942 the Central Headquarters of the Partisan Movement was created, headed by P.K.Ponomarenko.

The underground heroes acted not only against the enemy troops, but also carried out death sentences to Hitler's executioners. The legendary intelligence officer N.I.Kuznetsov killed the chief judge of Ukraine Funk, the vice-governor of Galicia Bauer, and abducted the commander of Germany's punitive forces in Ukraine, General Ilgen. The General Commissioner of Belarus in Cuba was blown up by an underground worker E. Mazanik right in bed in his own residence.

During the war years, the state awarded orders and medals to more than 184 thousand partisans and underground fighters. 249 of them were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The legendary commanders of partisan formations S. A. Kovpak and A. F. Fedorov were presented for this award twice.

Formation of the Anti-Hitler Coalition. From the very beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Great Britain and the United States announced their support for the Soviet Union. British Prime Minister W. Churchill, speaking on the radio on June 22, 1941, said: "The danger for Russia is our danger and the danger of the United States, just as the cause of every Russian fighting for his land and home is the cause of free people and free peoples in any part of the world. "

In July 1941, an agreement was signed between the USSR and Great Britain on joint actions in the war against Hitler, and in early August, the US government announced economic and military-technical assistance to the Soviet Union "in the fight against armed aggression." In September 1941, the first conference of representatives of the three powers was held in Moscow, at which issues of expanding military-technical assistance from Great Britain and the United States to the Soviet Union were discussed. After the United States entered the war against Japan and Germany (December 1941), their military cooperation with the USSR expanded even more.

On January 1, 1942, in Washington, representatives of 26 states signed a declaration in which they pledged to use all their resources to fight a common enemy and not to conclude a separate peace. The agreement signed in May 1942 on the alliance of the USSR and Great Britain and in June - the agreement with the United States on mutual assistance finally formalized the military alliance of the three countries.

Results of the first period of the war. The first period of the Great Patriotic War, which lasted from June 22, 1941 to November 18, 1942 (before the transition of Soviet troops to the counteroffensive at Stalingrad), was of great historical importance. The Soviet Union withstood a military blow of such force that no other country could withstand at that time.

The courage and heroism of the Soviet people thwarted Hitler's plans for a "lightning war." Despite heavy defeats during the first year of the struggle against Germany and her allies, the Red Army showed its high fighting qualities. By the summer of 1942, the transition of the country's economy to a war footing was basically completed, which laid the main prerequisite for a radical change in the course of the war. At this stage, the Anti-Hitler coalition was formed, which possessed enormous military, economic and human resources.

What you need to know on this topic:

Socio-economic and political development of Russia at the beginning of the XX century. Nicholas II.

Internal policy of tsarism. Nicholas II. Increased repression. "Police Socialism".

Russian-Japanese War. Reasons, course, results.

Revolution 1905 - 1907 The nature, driving forces and features of the Russian revolution of 1905-1907. stages of the revolution. The reasons for the defeat and the significance of the revolution.

Elections to the State Duma. I State Duma. The agrarian question in the Duma. Dispersal of the Duma. II State Duma. Coup d'état on June 3, 1907

Third June political system. Electoral law June 3, 1907 III State Duma. The alignment of political forces in the Duma. The activities of the Duma. Government terror. The decline of the labor movement in 1907-1910

Stolypin agrarian reform.

IV State Duma. Party composition and Duma factions. The activities of the Duma.

The political crisis in Russia on the eve of the war. The labor movement in the summer of 1914 The crisis at the top.

The international position of Russia at the beginning of the XX century.

The beginning of the First World War. The origin and nature of the war. Russia's entry into the war. The attitude of parties and classes to the war.

The course of hostilities. Strategic forces and plans of the parties. Results of the war. The role of the Eastern Front in the First World War.

Economy of Russia during the First World War.

The workers 'and peasants' movement in 1915-1916 Revolutionary movement in the army and navy. Growth of anti-war sentiment. Formation of the bourgeois opposition.

Russian culture of the XIX - early XX century.

Aggravation of socio-political contradictions in the country in January-February 1917. The beginning, prerequisites and nature of the revolution. The uprising in Petrograd. Formation of the Petrograd Soviet. Provisional Committee of the State Duma. Order No. I. Formation of the Provisional Government. Abdication of Nicholas II. The reasons for the emergence of dual power and its essence. February coup in Moscow, at the front, in the provinces.

From February to October. The policy of the Provisional Government in relation to war and peace, on agrarian, national, labor issues. Relations between the Provisional Government and the Soviets. V. I. Lenin's arrival in Petrograd.

Political parties (Cadets, Socialist-Revolutionaries, Mensheviks, Bolsheviks): political programs, influence among the masses.

Crises of the Provisional Government. An attempt at a military coup in the country. The growth of revolutionary sentiments among the masses. Bolshevization of the metropolitan Soviets.

Preparation and conduct of an armed uprising in Petrograd.

II All-Russian Congress of Soviets. Decisions about power, peace, land. Formation of bodies of state power and administration. The composition of the first Soviet government.

The victory of the armed uprising in Moscow. Government agreement with the Left SRs. Elections to the Constituent Assembly, its convocation and dispersal.

The first socio-economic transformations in the field of industry, agriculture, finance, labor and women's issues. Church and State.

Brest peace treaty, its conditions and meaning.

The economic tasks of the Soviet government in the spring of 1918. Aggravation of the food problem. The introduction of the food dictatorship. Workers' food detachments. Comedies.

The revolt of the Left SRs and the collapse of the bipartisan system in Russia.

First Soviet Constitution.

The reasons for the intervention and the civil war. The course of hostilities. Human and material losses during the civil war and military intervention.

Domestic policy of the Soviet leadership during the war. "War Communism". GOELRO plan.

The policy of the new government in relation to culture.

Foreign policy. Agreements with border countries. Russia's participation in the Genoa, Hague, Moscow and Lausanne conferences. Diplomatic recognition of the USSR by the main capitalist countries.

Domestic policy. Socio-economic and political crisis of the early 20s. Famine 1921-1922 Transition to a new economic policy. The essence of the NEP. NEP in the field of agriculture, trade, industry. Financial reform. Economic recovery. Crises during the NEP period and its curtailment.

Projects for the creation of the USSR. I Congress of Soviets of the USSR. The first government and the Constitution of the USSR.

Lenin's illness and death. Internal party struggle. The beginning of the formation of Stalin's regime of power.

Industrialization and collectivization. Development and implementation of the first five-year plans. Socialist competition - purpose, forms, leaders.

Formation and strengthening of the state system of economic management.

A course towards complete collectivization. Dekulakization.

The results of industrialization and collectivization.

Political, national-state development in the 30s. Internal party struggle. Political repression. Formation of the nomenclature as a layer of managers. The Stalinist regime and the USSR Constitution of 1936

Soviet culture in the 20-30s.

Foreign policy of the second half of the 20s - mid 30s.

Domestic policy. The growth of military production. Emergency measures in the field of labor law. Measures to solve the grain problem. Military establishment. The growth in the number of the Red Army. Military reform. Repressions against the command staff of the Red Army and the Red Army Corps.

Foreign policy. Non-aggression pact and treaty of friendship and borders between the USSR and Germany. The entry of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus into the USSR. Soviet-Finnish war. Inclusion of the Baltic republics and other territories into the USSR.

The periodization of the Great Patriotic War. The initial stage of the war. The transformation of the country into a military camp. Military defeats 1941-1942 and their reasons. Major military events. Capitulation of Nazi Germany. Participation of the USSR in the war with Japan.

Soviet rear during the war.

Deportation of peoples.

Guerrilla warfare.

Human and material losses during the war.

Creation of an anti-Hitler coalition. Declaration of the United Nations. The problem of the second front. Big Three conferences. Problems of the post-war peace settlement and all-round cooperation. USSR and UN.

The beginning of the cold war. The contribution of the USSR to the creation of the "socialist camp". The formation of the CMEA.

Domestic policy of the USSR in the mid 40s - early 50s. Restoring the national economy.

Social and political life. Science and culture policy. Continued repression. "The Leningrad Affair". Campaign against cosmopolitanism. "Doctors' case".

Socio-economic development of Soviet society in the mid-50s - first half of the 60s.

Social and political development: XX Congress of the CPSU and condemnation of the personality cult of Stalin. Rehabilitation of victims of repression and deportation. Internal party struggle in the second half of the 50s.

Foreign policy: the creation of the Department of Internal Affairs. The entry of Soviet troops into Hungary. Aggravation of Soviet-Chinese relations. The split of the "socialist camp". Soviet-American relations and the Cuban missile crisis. USSR and the countries of the "third world". Reduction of the size of the armed forces of the USSR. Moscow Treaty on the Limitation of Nuclear Tests.

USSR in the mid 60s - first half of the 80s.

Socio-economic development: economic reform 1965

The growing difficulties of economic development. Decline in the rate of socio-economic growth.

USSR Constitution 1977

Social and political life of the USSR in the 1970s - early 1980s.

Foreign Policy: Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Securing post-war borders in Europe. Moscow treaty with the FRG. Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE). Soviet-American treaties of the 70s. Soviet-Chinese relations. The entry of Soviet troops into Czechoslovakia and Afghanistan. Aggravation of international tension and the USSR. Strengthening of the Soviet-American confrontation in the early 80s.

USSR in 1985-1991

Domestic policy: an attempt to accelerate the country's socio-economic development. An attempt to reform the political system of Soviet society. Congresses of People's Deputies. Election of the President of the USSR. Multiparty system. Aggravation of the political crisis.

Aggravation of the national question. Attempts to reform the national state structure of the USSR. Declaration on State Sovereignty of the RSFSR. "Novoogarevsky process". The collapse of the USSR.

Foreign Policy: Soviet-American Relations and the Problem of Disarmament. Treaties with leading capitalist countries. The withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. Changing relations with the countries of the socialist community. Disintegration of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance and the Warsaw Pact Organization.

Russian Federation in 1992-2000

Domestic policy: "Shock therapy" in the economy: price liberalization, stages of privatization of commercial and industrial enterprises. Fall in production. Increased social tension. Growth and deceleration of the rate of financial inflation. Aggravation of the struggle between the executive and legislative branches. Dissolution of the Supreme Soviet and the Congress of People's Deputies. The October events of 1993 Abolition of local bodies of Soviet power. Elections to the Federal Assembly. Constitution of the Russian Federation 1993. Formation of a presidential republic. Aggravation and overcoming of ethnic conflicts in the North Caucasus.

Parliamentary elections 1995 Presidential elections 1996 Power and opposition. An attempt to return to the course of liberal reforms (spring 1997) and its failure. The financial crisis of August 1998: causes, economic and political consequences. "Second Chechen War". Parliamentary elections in 1999 and early presidential elections in 2000 Foreign policy: Russia in the CIS. The participation of Russian troops in the "hot spots" of the near abroad: Moldova, Georgia, Tajikistan. Relations of Russia with non-CIS countries. The withdrawal of Russian troops from Europe and neighboring countries. Russian-American agreements. Russia and NATO. Russia and the Council of Europe. Yugoslavian crises (1999-2000) and the position of Russia.

• Danilov A.A., Kosulina L.G. History of the state and peoples of Russia. XX century.