The beginning of the war 1945 June. Dates and events of the great patriotic war

The Great Patriotic War, the stages of which we will consider in this article, is one of the hardest historical trials that befell the Ukrainians, Russians, Belarusians and other peoples living on the territory of the USSR. These 1418 days and nights will forever remain in history as the most bloody and cruel time.

The main stages of the Great Patriotic War

The periodization of the events of the Second World War can be done based on the nature of the events taking place at the front. In different periods of the war, the initiative belonged to different armies.
The stages of the Great Patriotic War are described by most historians as follows:

• from June 22 to November 18, 1941 (1st stage of the Great Patriotic War);
• from November 19, 1941 to the end of 1943 (2nd stage of the Great Patriotic War);
• from January 1944 to May 1945 (stage 3 of the Great Patriotic War).

Great Patriotic War: periods

Each of the periods of the Great Patriotic War has its own characteristics, which relate to the directions of hostilities, the use of new types of weapons and the advantages of one of the armies. First, I would like to talk briefly about the stages of the Great Patriotic War.

• The initial stage of hostilities was characterized by the full initiative of the German fascist troops. During this time, Hitler's army completely occupied Belarus, Ukraine and practically reached Moscow. The Soviet army, of course, fought to the best of its capabilities, but constantly retreated. A huge success for the Red Army during this period was the victory near Moscow. But in general, the offensive of the German troops continued. They were able to occupy many territories of the Caucasus, reached almost the modern borders of Chechnya, but the Nazis failed to take Grozny. Important battles in mid-1942 took place on the Crimean front. Ended 1 stage
• The second stage of the Great Patriotic War brought the advantage of the Red Army. After the victory at Stalingrad over the army of Paulus, the Soviet troops received good conditions for the liberation offensive. Leningrad, the battle of Kursk and the general offensive on all fronts at that time made it clear that the Nazi army would sooner or later lose the war.
• In the final period of the war, the offensive of the Red Army continued. The battles took place mainly on the territory of Ukraine and Belarus. This period was characterized by the progressive advance of the Red Army to the west and fierce enemy resistance. This is the last stage in the Second World War, which ended in victory over the enemy.

The reasons for the existing periodization of the Second World War

The stages of the Great Patriotic War, or rather their beginning and end, are marked by some key events, battles that have entered world history. The first period of the war was the longest. The reasons for this are as follows:

• surprise attack by the enemy;
• attacks by a massed front of troops on significantly extended territories;
• the lack of extensive experience in the conduct of hostilities in the Soviet army;
• superiority of the German army in technical equipment.

It was possible to stop the enemy offensive completely only by the end of 1942. The main reasons for the success of the Red Army in the second period of the war can be considered:

• heroism of Soviet soldiers;
• superiority of the number of the Red Army over the enemy;
• significant progress of the USSR army in technical terms (the appearance of new tanks and anti-aircraft installations, much more).

The third stage of the war was also quite lengthy. The main distinction between the 2nd and 3rd stages of hostilities against the German fascist troops is that in 1944 the epicenter of hostilities spread from Russia to Ukraine and Belarus, that is, a forward movement to the west was traced. The final stage of the Great Patriotic War lasted more than a year, because the spacecraft was to liberate all of Ukraine and Belarus, as well as the countries of Eastern Europe.

1941 battles

In 1941, the situation in the USSR, as already emphasized, was extremely difficult. The first attacks by infantry and motorized units of the fascist army were Belarus and Lithuania. On June 22, the defense of the Brest Fortress began. The Nazis expected to pass this outpost much faster than they succeeded. Fierce battles lasted for several days, and the final surrender of Brest took place only on July 20, 1941. Also these days, the Nazis were advancing in the direction of Shauliai and Grodno. That is why on June 23-25, the USSR army launched a counteroffensive in these areas.

The first stages of the Great Patriotic War in 1941 showed that the Red Army would not be able to cope with the enemy without retreating. So great was the onslaught of the fascists! How was the retreat in the first months of the war? It took place with battles. Also, the army and communists, in order to make life as difficult for the enemy as possible, undermined infrastructure facilities that could not be evacuated to safe places. The strong resistance of the army was associated with the need to evacuate important industries in the rear.

Of the largest battles of 1941, it is worth noting the Kiev defensive operation, which lasted from July 7 to September 26, and the battle for Moscow (September 30, 1941 - April 1942). Also, an important role in the history of the Second World War is assigned to the exploits of Soviet sailors.

1942 in the history of the Second World War

The initial stage of the Great Patriotic War showed Hitler that he simply would not be able to defeat the Soviet army. His strategic task of taking Moscow before the winter of 1941 did not come true. Until May 1942, the general offensive of Soviet troops continued, which began in December 1941 near Moscow. But this offensive was stopped by the Nazis at the Kharkov bridgehead, where a large group of troops was surrounded and lost the battle.

After that, the German army went on the offensive, so again the Soviet fighters had to remember about defensive actions. Hitler understood that it would be difficult to capture Moscow, so he directed the main blow at the city with the symbolic name of Stalingrad.

Also, active offensive actions of the fascists took place on the Crimean bridgehead. The defense of Sevastopol continued until July 4, 1942. From July to November, the Red Army conducted active defensive operations at Stalingrad and in the Caucasus. The defense of Stalingrad entered the annals of history as an example of the heroism and invincibility of Soviet soldiers. The city itself was completely destroyed, several houses survived, but the Nazis could not take it. Stage 1 of the Great Patriotic War ended with the victory of the spacecraft at Stalingrad and the beginning of the Soviet offensive. Although the defense was still going on in some sectors of the front, the turning point in the war had already come.

The second stage of the Great Patriotic War

This period lasted for almost a year. Of course, in 1943 there were also many difficulties, but in general no one was able to stop the offensive of our troops. Periodically, the Nazis went on the offensive in separate directions, but already the Great Patriotic War, the stages, the battles of which we are now considering, passed into a state when it was clear that Germany would sooner or later lose the war.

Operation Ring was completed on February 2, 1943. General Paulus's army was surrounded. On January 18 of the same year, it was finally possible to break through the blockade of Leningrad. These days the Red Army launched an offensive towards Voronezh and Kaluga. The city of Voronezh was recaptured from the enemy on January 25. The offensive continued further. In February 1943, the Voroshilovgrad offensive operation took place. Gradually, the Red Army goes over to the liberation of Ukraine, although not all cities have yet been recaptured from the Nazis. March 1943 will be remembered for the liberation of Vyazma and the counteroffensive of Hitler's army in the Donbass. Our troops eventually coped with this attack, but the Nazis managed to somewhat restrain the advance of Soviet troops deep into Ukraine. The struggle on this bridgehead lasted more than a month. After that, the main focus of the fighting is shifted to the Kuban, because in order to successfully advance further to the West, it was necessary to liberate the region of the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories from the enemies. Active battles in this direction lasted for about three months. The offensive was complicated by the proximity of the mountains and the active operations of the enemy aviation.

Second half of 1943

In the history of the Second World War, July 1943 stands apart. During this period, 2 very important events took place. German intelligence constantly reported information about the impending major offensive of the Soviet troops. But it was not known exactly where the attack would be. Undoubtedly, the Soviet top military officials knew that German intelligence officers work in many structures of the spacecraft (like the Soviet ones in Germany), so they used disinformation as much as possible. On July 5, the Battle of Kursk took place. The Nazis hoped that, having won this battle, they would be able to go on the offensive again. Yes, they were able to advance a little bit, but in general they did not win the battle, therefore, in the 20s of July 1943, the second stage of the Great Patriotic War reached its qualitative apogee. What was the second landmark event? Have not forgotten yet On a field near this village, the largest tank battle in history at that time took place, which also remained for the USSR.

From August 1943 to the winter of 1943/1944. The Red Army is mainly liberating Ukrainian cities. It was very difficult to defeat the enemy in the Kharkov region, but on the morning of August 23, 1943, the USSR army managed to enter this city. And then a whole series of liberation of Ukrainian cities followed. In September 1943, the spacecraft entered Donetsk, Poltava, Kremenchug, Sumy. In October, our troops liberated Dnepropetrovsk, Dneprodzerzhinsk, Melitopol and other surrounding settlements.

Battle of Kiev

Kiev was one of several strategically important cities in the USSR. The population of the city before the war reached 1 million people. During the Second World War, it decreased five times. But now the main thing. The Red Army took a very long time to prepare for the capture of Kiev, because this city was also extremely important for the Nazis. To capture Kiev, it was necessary to cross the Dnieper. The battle for this river, which is the symbol of Ukraine, began on September 22. The crossing was very difficult, many of our soldiers died. In October, the command planned to try to take Kiev. The Bukrin bridgehead was the most convenient for this. But these plans became known to the Germans, so they sent significant forces here. It became impossible to take Kiev from the Bukrin bridgehead. Our reconnaissance was tasked with finding another place to attack the enemy. The Lyutezh bridgehead turned out to be the most optimal, but it was technically very difficult to transfer troops there. Since Kiev had to be taken before the next anniversary of November 7, the command of the Kiev offensive operation decided to transfer troops from the Bukrinsky to the Lyutezhsky bridgehead. Not everyone believed in the reality of this plan, because it was necessary, unnoticed by the enemy, to cross the Dnieper twice under cover of night and drive an even greater distance by land. Of course, the spacecraft suffered a lot of losses, but it was impossible to take Kiev in another way. This move of the Soviet military leaders was crowned with success. The Red Army managed to enter Kiev on the morning of November 6, 1943. And the battle for the Dnieper in other sectors of the front lasted almost until the end of the year. With the victory of the spacecraft in this battle, the first stages of the Great Patriotic War ended.

War in 1944-1945

The final stage of the Great Patriotic War became possible only thanks to the heroism of our soldiers. In the first half of 1944, almost all of the Right-Bank Ukraine and Crimea were liberated. The final stage of the Great Patriotic War was marked by one of the largest offensives of the Red Army in all the years of hostilities. We are talking about the Proskurovo-Bukovinsky and Umansko-Botoshansky operations, which ended by the end of April 1944. With the completion of these operations, almost the entire territory of Ukraine was liberated, and the restoration of the republic began after exhausting hostilities.

Red Army in battles outside the USSR

The Great Patriotic War, the stages of which we are considering today, was coming to its logical conclusion. Beginning in April 1944, Soviet troops slowly began to oust the Nazis on the territory of the states that were their allies at the start of the war (for example, Romania). Also, active hostilities took place on Polish lands. In 1944, there were many events on the second front. When the defeat of Germany became inevitable, the allies of the USSR in the anti-Hitler coalition became more actively involved in the war. The battles in Greece, in Sicily, near in Asia - all of them were aimed at the victory of the troops of the anti-Hitler coalition in the fight against fascism.

3 stages of the Great Patriotic War ended on May 9, 1945. It is on this day that all the peoples of the former USSR celebrate a great holiday - Victory Day.

Consequences of the Great Patriotic War

The Great Patriotic War, the stages of the hostilities of which were absolutely logical, ended almost 4 years after the start. It was much more brutal and bloody than the First World War, which ended in 1918.

Its consequences can be divided into 3 groups: economic, political and ethnographic. A lot of enterprises were destroyed in the territories that were under occupation. Some factories and factories were evacuated and not all returned back. In terms of politics, the entire system of life in the world has actually changed, new ones were formed. Gradually, a new security system was built in Europe and the world. The UN became the new guarantor of security. During the war, a lot of people died, so it was necessary to restore the population.

The main stages of the Great Patriotic War, and there were three of them, showed that it was impossible to conquer such a large country as the USSR. The state was gradually emerging from the crisis, rebuilding itself. In many ways, the rapid recovery is due to the heroic efforts of the people.

“The longest day of the year, with its cloudless weather,
He gave us a common misfortune for everyone, for all four years.
She so pressed a trail and laid so many to the ground,
That for twenty years and thirty years it is hard to believe that they are alive ... ”.

K. M. Simonov

On June 22, 1941, at 4 a.m., without a declaration of war, after artillery and air preparation, the main forces of the Wehrmacht and the troops of the German allies (about 190 divisions) suddenly launched a powerful offensive along the entire western border of the USSR from the Black Sea to the Baltic Sea.

Kiev, Riga, Kaunas, Vindava, Libava, Shauliai, Vilnius, Minsk, Grodno, Brest, Baranovichi, Bobruisk, Zhitomir, Sevastopol and many other cities, railway junctions, airfields, and naval bases of the USSR were bombed. Artillery shelling of border fortifications and areas of deployment of Soviet troops near the border was carried out. At 5-6 o'clock in the morning, fascist German troops crossed the state border of the USSR and launched an offensive deep into Soviet territory. Only an hour and a half after the start of the offensive, the German ambassador to the Soviet Union, Count Werner von Schulenburg, made a statement declaring war on the USSR.

At 12 noon, all the radio stations of the Soviet Union broadcast a government message about the attack on our country by Nazi Germany. In a statement made on behalf of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the Soviet government, People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs V.M.

Following the government announcement, the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was passed on the mobilization of citizens liable for military service in 1905-1918. birth. On June 23, the Headquarters of the Main Command of the Armed Forces of the USSR (later the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command) was created, headed by People's Commissar of Defense, Marshal of the Soviet Union S.K. Timoshenko.

In border battles and in the initial period of the war (until mid-July), the Red Army lost 850,000 people killed and wounded; 9.5 thousand guns, over 6 thousand tanks, about 3.5 thousand aircraft were destroyed; about 1 million people were captured. The German army occupied a significant part of the country, advanced inland up to 300-600 km, while losing 100 thousand people killed, almost 40% of tanks and 950 aircraft. However, the plan for a lightning war, during which the German command intended to capture the entire Soviet Union in a few months, failed.

On July 13, 1992, by the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation, the day of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War was declared the Day of Remembrance of the Defenders of the Fatherland.

June 8, 1996 Russian President Boris N. Yeltsin declared June 22 the Day of Remembrance and Mourning. On this day, national flags are lowered throughout the country, entertainment events and programs are canceled. The Day of Remembrance and Mourning is also celebrated in Ukraine and Belarus, which were the first to bear the blow of the Nazis, and in other CIS states.

Lit .: 1941 - lessons and conclusions. M., 1992; The same [Electronic resource]. URL: http://militera.lib.ru/h/1941/index.html; Anfilov V.A. The beginning of the Great Patriotic War (June 22 - mid-July 1941). Military history sketch. M., 1962; The same [Electronic resource]. Url : http://militera.lib.ru/research/anfilov/index.html; Halder F. War diary. Daily notes of the Chief of the General Staff of the Land Forces 1939-1942. T. I. M., 1968. From the content: June 22, 1941 (Sunday). 1st day of the war; The same [Electronic resource]. URL: http://militera.lib.ru/db/halder/1941_06.html; Zhukov G.K. Memories and Reflections. In 2 volumes. V. 1. Ch. 10. The beginning of the war. M., 2002; The same [Electronic resource]. URL: http://militera.lib.ru/memo/russian/zhukov1/10.html;Note of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany dated June 21, 1941 [Electronic resource] // Winners - Soldiers of the Great War. 2005-2018. Url:

At dawn on June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union. Romania, Hungary, Italy and Finland took the side of Germany. The grouping of the aggressor's troops consisted of 5.5 million people, 190 divisions, 5 thousand aircraft, about 4 thousand tanks and self-propelled artillery installations (ACS), 47 thousand guns and mortars.

In accordance with the Barbarossa plan developed in 1940, Germany planned to enter the Arkhangelsk - Volga - Astrakhan line as soon as possible (6-10 weeks). It was the installation on blitzkrieg - lightning war. This is how the Great Patriotic War began.

The main periods of the Great Patriotic War

The first period (June 22, 1941 - November 18, 1942) from the start of the war to the start of the Soviet offensive at Stalingrad. This was the most difficult period for the USSR.

Having created a multiple superiority in men and military equipment in the main directions of the offensive, the German army achieved significant successes.

By the end of November 1941, Soviet troops, retreating under the blows of superior enemy forces to Leningrad, Moscow, Rostov-on-Don, left the enemy a huge territory, lost about 5 million people killed, missing and captured, most of the tanks and aircraft ...

The main efforts of the German fascist troops in the fall of 1941 were aimed at capturing Moscow.

Victory near Moscow

Battle for Moscow lasted from September 30, 1941 to April 20, 1942 December 5-6, 1941, the Red Army went on the offensive, the enemy's front was broken through. Fascist troops were driven back from Moscow by 100-250 km. The plan to seize Moscow failed, and a lightning war in the east did not take place.

The victory near Moscow was of great international importance. Japan and Turkey refrained from entering the war against the USSR. The increased prestige of the USSR in the world arena contributed to the creation of the anti-Hitler coalition.

However, in the summer of 1942, due to the mistakes of the Soviet leadership (primarily Stalin), the Red Army suffered a number of major defeats in the North-West, near Kharkov and in the Crimea.

Fascist German troops reached the Volga - Stalingrad and the Caucasus.

The stubborn defense of Soviet troops in these areas, as well as the transfer of the country's economy to a war footing, the creation of a well-coordinated military economy, the deployment of a partisan movement behind enemy lines prepared the necessary conditions for the transition of Soviet troops to the offensive.

Stalingrad. Kursk Bulge

The second period (November 19, 1942 - the end of 1943) - a radical turning point in the war. Having exhausted and bled the enemy in defensive battles, on November 19, 1942, Soviet troops launched a counteroffensive, encircling 22 fascist divisions of more than 300 thousand people near Stalingrad. On February 2, 1943, this grouping was liquidated. At the same time, enemy troops were expelled from the North Caucasus. By the summer of 1943, the Soviet-German front had stabilized.

Using the front configuration that was advantageous for them, on July 5, 1943, the fascist troops launched an offensive near Kursk with the aim of regaining the strategic initiative and encircling the Soviet grouping of forces on the Kursk Bulge. In the course of fierce battles, the enemy's offensive was stopped. On August 23, 1943, Soviet troops liberated Orel, Belgorod, Kharkov, marched on the Dnieper, on November 6, 1943 Kiev was liberated.

During the summer-autumn offensive, half of the enemy's divisions were defeated, and significant territories of the Soviet Union were liberated. The disintegration of the fascist bloc began, and in 1943 Italy withdrew from the war.

1943 was a year of radical change not only in the course of military operations at the fronts, but also in the work of the Soviet rear. Thanks to the selfless labor of the rear, by the end of 1943, an economic victory over Germany was won. The military industry in 1943 provided the front with 29.9 thousand aircraft, 24.1 thousand tanks, 130.3 thousand guns of all types. This was more than Germany produced them in 1943. The Soviet Union in 1943 surpassed Germany in the production of the main types of military equipment and weapons.

The third period (end of 1943 - May 8, 1945) - the final period of the Great Patriotic War. In 1944, the Soviet economy reached its highest growth in all wartime. Industry, transport and agriculture developed successfully. Military production grew especially rapidly. The release of tanks and self-propelled guns in 1944 compared to 1943 increased from 24 to 29 thousand, and combat aircraft - from 30 to 33 thousand units. From the beginning of the war to 1945, about 6 thousand enterprises were put into operation.

1944 was marked by victories of the Soviet Armed Forces. The entire territory of the USSR was completely liberated from the fascist invaders. The Soviet Union came to the aid of the peoples of Europe - the Soviet Army liberated Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and fought its way to Norway. Romania and Bulgaria have declared war on Germany. Finland withdrew from the war.

The successful offensive actions of the Soviet Army pushed the Allies on June 6, 1944 to open a second front in Europe - the Anglo-American troops under the command of General D. Eisenhower (1890-1969) landed in the north of France, in Normandy. But the Soviet-German front still remained the main and most active front of the Second World War.

During the 1945 winter offensive, the Soviet Army threw the enemy back more than 500 km. Poland, Hungary and Austria, the eastern part of Czechoslovakia were almost completely liberated. The Soviet Army reached the Oder (60 km from Berlin). On April 25, 1945, a historic meeting of Soviet troops with American and British troops took place on the Elbe, in the Torgau region.

The fighting in Berlin was extremely fierce and stubborn. On April 30, the banner of Victory was hoisted over the Reichstag. On May 8, an act of unconditional capitalization of fascist Germany was signed. May 9 - became Victory Day. From July 17 to August 2, 1945, the Third Conference of the Heads of Government of the USSR, the USA and Great Britain took place in the suburb of Berlin - Potsdam, which made important decisions on the post-war order of peace in Europe, the German problem and other issues. On June 24, 1945, the Victory Parade took place in Moscow on Red Square.

USSR victory over Nazi Germany

The victory of the USSR over Hitlerite Germany was not only political and military, but also economic.

This is evidenced by the fact that in the period from July 1941 to August 1945, much more military equipment and weapons were produced in our country than in Germany.

Here are the specific data (thousand pieces):

This economic victory in the war was made possible by the fact that the Soviet Union was able to create a more perfect economic organization and achieve a more efficient use of all its resources.

War with Japan. End of World War II

However, the end of military operations in Europe did not mean the end of World War II. In accordance with the agreement in principle in Yalta (February 1945), the Soviet government declared war on Japan on August 8, 1945.

Soviet troops launched offensive operations on a front with a length of more than 5 thousand km. The geographic and climatic conditions in which the fighting took place were extremely difficult.

The advancing Soviet troops had to overcome the ridges of the Greater and Lesser Khingan and the East Manchurian mountains, deep and stormy rivers, waterless deserts, and rugged forests.

But despite these difficulties, the Japanese troops were defeated.

In the course of stubborn battles for 23 days, Soviet troops liberated Northeast China, North Korea, the southern part of Sakhalin Island and the Kuril Islands. Was captured 600 thousand soldiers and officers of the enemy, captured a large number of weapons and military equipment.

Under the blows of the armed forces of the USSR and its war allies (primarily the United States, Britain, China), Japan surrendered on September 2, 1945. The southern part of Sakhalin and the island of the Kuril ridge went to the Soviet Union.

The United States, by dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, marked the beginning of a new nuclear era.

The main lesson of World War II

The economic and socio-political situation that developed in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century gave rise to the revolution of 1905-1907, then the February and October revolutions of 1917.

Russia's participation in the First World War, the Civil War and the military intervention of 1918-1920. led to the loss of millions of lives of Russians and the enormous devastation of the national economy of the country.

The New Economic Policy (NEP) of the Bolshevik Party made it possible for seven years (1921-1927) to overcome the devastation, restore industry, agriculture, transport, establish commodity-money relations, and carry out financial reform.

However, the NEP turned out to be not free from internal contradictions and crisis phenomena. Therefore, in 1928 it was done away with.

Stalinist leadership in the late 1920s and early 1930s headed for the accelerated construction of state socialism through the accelerated implementation of the industrialization of the country and the complete collectivization of agriculture.

In the process of carrying out this course in life, the command-administrative system of management and the cult of Stalin's personality were formed, which brought a lot of troubles to our people. However, it should be noted that the industrialization of the country and the collectivization of agriculture. were an important factor in ensuring economic victory over the enemy during the Great Patriotic War.

The Great Patriotic War was an important component of World War II ... The Soviet people and their Armed Forces bore on their shoulders the main burden of this war and achieved a historic victory over Hitlerite Germany and its allies.

Members of the anti-Hitler coalition made their significant contribution to the victory over the forces of fascism and militarism.

The main lesson of the Second World War is that the prevention of war requires the unity of action of the peace-loving forces.

During the preparation of the Second World War, it could have been prevented.

Many countries and public organizations tried to do this, but the unity of action was never achieved.

1941-1945 became a terrible test for the USSR, which the citizens of the country withstood with honor, emerging victorious from the armed confrontation with Germany. In our article, we will briefly talk about the beginning of the Great Patriotic War and its final stage.

The beginning of the war

Since 1939, the Soviet Union, acting in its own territorial interests, tried to adhere to neutrality. But when the Great Patriotic War of 1941 1945 began, it automatically became part of the Second World War, which lasted for the second year.

Assuming a possible clash with Britain and France (capitalist countries opposed communism), Stalin had been preparing the country for war since the 1930s. In 1940, the USSR began to consider Germany as the main enemy, although a Non-Aggression Pact was concluded between the countries (1939).

However, thanks to competent misinformation, the invasion of German troops into Soviet territory on June 22, 1941, without official warning, came as a surprise.

Rice. 1. Joseph Stalin.

The first, on the orders of Rear Admiral Ivan Eliseev at three o'clock in the morning, rebuffed the Nazis by the Black Sea Fleet, firing at German aircraft that had invaded Soviet airspace. Border battles followed later.

Officially, the beginning of the war was announced to the Soviet ambassador in Germany only at four in the morning. On the same day, the decision of the Germans was repeated by Italians and Romanians.

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A number of miscalculations (in military organizational development, the timing of the attack, the time of the deployment of troops) led to the losses of the Soviet army in the first years of resistance. Germany captured the Baltics, Belarus, most of Ukraine, southern Russia. Leningrad was taken into the blockade ring (from 09/08/1941). Moscow was defended. In addition, hostilities began again on the border with Finland, as a result of which the Finnish troops recaptured the lands captured by the Union during the Soviet-Finnish war (1939-1940).

Rice. 2. Siege Leningrad.

Despite the serious defeats of the USSR, the German plan "Barbarossa" to occupy Soviet lands in one year failed: Germany was bogged down in the war.

Closing period

Successfully carried out operations at the second stage of the war (November 1942-December 1943) allowed the Soviet troops to continue the counteroffensive.

For four months (December 1943-April 1944), the Right-Bank Ukraine was conquered. The army reached the southern borders of the Union and began the liberation of Romania.

In January 1944 the blockade of Leningrad was lifted, the Crimea was conquered in April-May, Belarus was liberated in June-August, and the Baltic states were liberated in September-November.

In 1945, the liberation operations of Soviet troops outside the country began (Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Austria).

04/16/1945 the Soviet army began the Berlin operation, during which the capital of Germany surrendered (May 02). The assault flag hoisted on May 1 on the roof of the Reichstag (parliament building) became the Banner of Victory and was moved to the dome.

05/09/1945 Germany surrendered.

Rice. 3. Banner of Victory.

When the Great Patriotic War ended (May 1945), World War II was still going on (until September 02). Having won the liberation war, the Soviet army, according to the preliminary agreements of the Yalta Conference (February 1945), transferred its forces to the war with Japan (August 1945). Having defeated the most powerful Japanese ground forces (the Kwantung Army), the USSR contributed to the rapid surrender of Japan.

143 million killed Soviet citizens, 1,800,000 killed in captivity or immigrated - the Great Patriotic War broke into every home on June 22, 1941. For 4 terrible years, fathers, sons, brothers, sisters, mothers and wives were left on the fronts. The Second World War is called "a terrible lesson of the past", "political miscalculation", "bloody massacre." Why did the terrible war begin, what is its course, what are the results?

Preconditions of the Second World War. Where "legs grow" from

The prerequisites are hidden in the Versailles-Washington system, established after the First World War. Germany, with her ambitions, was humiliated and brought to her knees. In the 1920s, the National Socialist German Workers' Party came out on political lease, promoting ultra-right views. Party supporters proclaimed the idea of ​​"revenge for defeat in the First World War", the establishment of world domination of the German nation. European politicians looked at a "rising Germany" and thought they could rule it. France and Great Britain "pushed" the country to the borders of the Union, pursuing their own benefits. But they could not think that on September 1, 1939, German troops would invade Poland (World War II would start).

ATTENTION! The Second World War lasted more than 6 years (September 1, 1939 - September 2, 1945). WWII - June 22, 1941 - May 9, 1945.

Why did the Great Patriotic War start? 3 reasons

Historians talk about dozens of factors that influenced the start of the war. If we face the truth, the war began with the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in 1939. "Behind Europe's back" Germany and the Soviet Union agree that they will be "on the same side." After the outbreak of World War II, the USSR invaded Poland on September 17, 1939. On September 22, 1939, the parade of the Wehrmacht and the Red Army was solemnly held in Brest.

Joseph Stalin did not believe that Hitler would "stick a knife in the back" and attack the USSR. Moreover: when Minsk fell on June 28, 1941, the leader was in a panic (and even thought that he would be arrested for a crime against the people). The first days of the Second World War, the Red Army retreated, and the Germans easily took one city after another.

Do not forget that there were massive repressions in the USSR: during the last "purge" in June 1941, experienced military leaders were killed (shot, expelled).

The causes of the Second World War lie in:

1. Hitler's desire for "world domination" ("Germany from sea to sea"). Resources were needed for the conquests, and the territory of the USSR with its natural resources seemed like a "tidbit".
2. The desire of the Soviet authorities to "crush" Eastern Europe for themselves.
3. Contradictions between the socialist system and capitalism.

What plans did Germany have?

German tacticians and strategists had several plans for the territory of the Soviet Union.

1. Military plan "Barbarossa". In the summer of 1940, a "blitzkrieg" plan was developed: in 10 weeks (that is, 2.5 months), German troops had to paralyze the industry of the Urals, crush the European part of the country and enter the Arkhangelsk - Astrakhan line. On June 17, 1941, Hitler signed the very order with which he launched the offensive.
2. "Ost". Jews and Gypsies were completely exterminated; Belarusians, Russians and Ukrainians turned into "slaves" who served the German invaders. Up to 140 million people were to be killed. Mass genocide, violence, murders, concentration camps, torture, medical "experiments" - all this awaited those who live in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine today.
3. Oldenburg and Goering's Green Folder. Cultural and historical values ​​were to be exported to Germany. Soviet museums were simply plundered, and gold, precious stones, art and antiques were sent to the West in carriages.

By the summer of 1941, there were 5,500,000 trained to kill soldiers at the borders of the USSR against 2,900,000 Soviet ones (this is exactly the number of military personnel that was concentrated in the border districts). There is no need to talk about weapons: one rifle for three, a limited number of bullets, "rusty iron" - all this has repeatedly "surfaced" in the memories of veterans.

The Soviet Union was not ready for war:

1. Stalin ignored the memorandums on "pulling" the German armies to the lines. It seemed to the leader that Germany would not invade and fight on 2 fronts.
2. Lack of talented military leaders. The "War with little blood" technique proved to be a failure. The opinion that the Red Army would move to the West, and the workers of the whole world would join its ranks, also turned out to be untenable.
3. Problems with the supply of the army. According to some reports, the Wehrmacht had 16 times more rifles (not to mention tanks, aviation). The warehouses were close to the borders, so they were quickly captured by the enemy.

Despite all the miscalculations and problems, the Soviet soldiers pulled out the victory with sweat and blood. In the rear, women, children, the elderly, and the disabled produced weapons day and night; the partisans risked their lives trying to gather as much information as possible about the enemy groups. The Soviet people rose up to defend the Motherland with their breasts.

How did the events develop?

Historians talk about 3 main stages. Each of them is divided into dozens of small stages, and behind each success of the Red Army there are shadows of dead soldiers.

Strategic defense. June 22, 1941 - November 18, 1942

During this time, the Barbarossa plan collapsed. At the first stages, the enemy troops took Ukraine, the Baltic states and Belarus without any problems. Moscow was ahead - an important geopolitical and economic goal. Taking Moscow would automatically mean the fragmentation of the Red Army and the loss of control.

September 30, 1941 - January 7, 1942, i.e. For almost 4 months heavy fighting went on with varying success, but the Soviet troops were able to push back the enemy.

The Battle of Moscow was Hitler's first failure. It became clear that the blitzkrieg had failed; the Western world saw that the "invincible Adolf" could lose; the morale and fighting spirit of the people rose.

But Stalingrad and the Caucasus were ahead. The victory at Moscow gave a "respite". A partisan struggle was gradually unfolding, an anti-Hitler coalition was being formed. The USSR is putting the economy on a war footing, therefore, the supply of the army is improving (KV-1 and T-34 tanks, Katyusha rocket launcher, IL-2 attack aircraft).

A radical fracture. November 19, 1942 - late 1943

Until the fall of 1942, victories were on the side of the USSR, then on the side of Germany. At this stage, the strategic initiative passes into the hands of the Soviet Union: 26 strategic operations (23 of them offensive), allied assistance and lend-lease, "first news" of the collapse of the Hitlerite coalition, strengthening the authority of the USSR.

All results were given by sweat and blood. At this stage, a number of major battles are distinguished, which "changed" the course of the war.

• Battle of Stalingrad and defeat of German troops;
• battle for the Dnieper;
• Kursk Bulge.

The stage ends at the end of 1943 with the liberation of Kiev and the "crossing of the Dnieper".

Europe liberated from Nazism. January 1944 - May 9, 1945

Recall that World War II ended on September 2, 1945. But Europe freed itself from the shackles of Nazism in the spring.

In the fall of 1944, the Soviet command carried out a number of operations to liberate the country's territory from enemy armies: Korsun-Shevchenkovskaya, Lvov-Sandomirskaya, Yassko-Kishinevskaya. The besieged Leningrad, which was "cut off" from food and security, was liberated. Thanks to the East Prussian, Vistula-Oder, West Carpathian operations, it was possible to create all the conditions to "go to Berlin."

May 1, 1945 Adolf Hitler takes poison and leaves the people "to the mercy of fate." The provisional government, which "by chance" was headed by K. Doenitz, in "dying convulsions" is trying to bargain for a separate peace with Great Britain and France, but fails. Ahead are tribunals, high-profile scandals, trials and sentences. On May 8, 1945, the Act of Unconditional Surrender is signed in Karlshorst (a suburb of Berlin). Germany is defeated.

May 9, 1945 becomes Victory Day, a symbol of endless courage, solidarity and the ability to repel the enemy.

The Great Patriotic War is a terrible history lesson for which the Soviet Union paid too high a price. The exact number of deaths is impossible to calculate (figures differ in different sources). But the Soviet people faced yet another task - to lift the ruined economy from its knees.