The Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) is one of the most important events in the history of the Russian people, leaving an indelible mark on the soul of every person. In a seemingly short four years, almost 100 million were lost human lives, more than one and a half thousand cities and towns were destroyed, more than 30 thousand industrial enterprises and at least 60 thousand kilometers of roads were disabled. Our state was experiencing a severe shock, which is difficult to comprehend even now, in peacetime. What was the war of 1941-1945 like? What stages can be distinguished during combat operations? And what are the consequences of this terrible event? In this article we will try to find answers to all these questions.

World War II

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

First of all, it is worth mentioning the fact that on August 23, 1939, a non-aggression pact was signed between Germany and the USSR. Along with it, some secret protocols were signed regarding the interests of the USSR and Germany, including the division of Polish territories. Thus, Germany, which had the goal of attacking Poland, protected itself from retaliatory steps by the Soviet leadership and actually made the USSR an accomplice in the division of Poland.

So, on September 1, 39 of the 20th century, fascist invaders attacked Poland. Polish troops did not provide adequate resistance, and already on September 17 the troops Soviet Union entered the lands of Eastern Poland. As a result of this, the territories of Western Ukraine and Belarus were annexed to the territory of the Soviet state. On September 28 of the same year, Ribbentrop and V.M. Molotov concluded a treaty of friendship and borders.

Germany failed to achieve the planned blitzkrieg, or lightning-fast outcome of the war. Military operations on the Western Front until May 10, 1940 are called " strange war", since no events occurred during this period of time.

Only in the spring of 1940 did Hitler resume his offensive and capture Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France. The operation to capture England “Sea Lion” was unsuccessful, and then the “Barbarossa” plan for the USSR was adopted - a plan for the start of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945).

Preparing the USSR for war

Despite the non-aggression pact concluded in 1939, Stalin understood that the USSR would in any case be drawn into a world war. Therefore, the Soviet Union adopted a five-year plan to prepare for it, implemented in the period from 1938 to 1942.

The primary task in preparation for the war of 1941-1945 was the strengthening of the military-industrial complex and the development of heavy industry. Therefore, during this period, numerous thermal and hydroelectric power stations were built (including on the Volga and Kama), coal mines and mines were developed, and oil production increased. Also, great importance was given to the construction of railways and transport hubs.

The construction of backup enterprises was carried out in the eastern part of the country. And costs for the defense industry have increased several times. New models were also released at this time military equipment and weapons.

No less important task was preparing the population for war. Working week now consisted of seven eight-hour days. The size of the Red Army was significantly increased through the introduction of compulsory military service from the age of 18. It was mandatory for workers to receive special education; Criminal liability was introduced for violations of discipline.

However, the actual results did not correspond to those planned by the management, and only in the spring of 1941 an 11-12-hour working day was introduced for workers. And on June 21, 1941 I.V. Stalin gave the order to put the troops on combat readiness, but the order reached the border guards too late.

USSR entry into the war

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

At noon that same day, Vyacheslav Molotov spoke on the radio, announcing Soviet citizens about the outbreak of war and the need to resist the enemy. The next day the Top Headquarters was created. High Command, and on June 30 - State. The Defense Committee, which actually received all the power. I.V. became the Chairman of the Committee and Commander-in-Chief. Stalin.

Now let's move on to brief description Great Patriotic War 1941-1945.

Plan Barbarossa

Hitler's Barbarossa plan was as follows: it envisioned the rapid defeat of the Soviet Union with the help of three groups German army. The first of them (northern) would attack Leningrad, the second (central) would attack Moscow, and the third (southern) would attack Kyiv. Hitler planned to complete the entire offensive in 6 weeks and reach the Volga strip of Arkhangelsk-Astrakhan. However, the confident rebuff of the Soviet troops did not allow him to carry out a “lightning war.”

Considering the forces of the parties in the war of 1941-1945, we can say that the USSR, although slightly, was inferior to the German army. Germany and its allies had 190 divisions, while the Soviet Union had only 170. 48 thousand German artillery were fielded against 47 thousand Soviet artillery. The size of the opposing armies in both cases was approximately 6 million people. But in terms of the number of tanks and aircraft, the USSR significantly exceeded Germany (in total 17.7 thousand versus 9.3 thousand).

In the early stages of the war, the USSR suffered setbacks due to incorrectly chosen war tactics. Initially, the Soviet leadership planned to wage war on foreign territory, not allowing fascist troops into the territory of the Soviet Union. However, such plans were not successful. Already in July 1941, six Soviet republics, The Red Army lost more than 100 of its divisions. However, Germany also suffered considerable losses: in the first weeks of the war, the enemy lost 100 thousand people and 40% of tanks.

The dynamic resistance of the troops of the Soviet Union led to a breakdown Hitler's plan lightning war. During the Battle of Smolensk (10.07 - 10.09 1945), German troops needed to go on the defensive. In September 1941 it began heroic defense city ​​of Sevastopol. But the enemy's main attention was concentrated on the capital of the Soviet Union. Then preparations began for an attack on Moscow and a plan to capture it - Operation Typhoon.

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

On September 30, 1941, German troops launched Operation Typhoon and launched an attack on Moscow. The offensive started successfully for them. The fascist invaders managed to break through the defenses of the USSR, as a result of which, encircling the armies near Vyazma and Bryansk, they captured more than 650 thousand Soviet soldiers. The Red Army suffered significant losses. In October-November 1941, battles took place only 70-100 km from Moscow, which was extremely dangerous for the capital. On October 20, a state of siege was introduced in Moscow.

From the beginning of the battle for the capital, G.K. was appointed commander-in-chief on the Western Front. Zhukov, however, he managed to stop the German advance only by the beginning of November. On November 7, a parade was held on the capital's Red Square, from which the soldiers immediately went to the front.

In mid-November the German offensive began again. During the defense of the capital, the 316th Infantry Division of General I.V. Panfilov, who at the beginning of the offensive repelled several tank attacks from the aggressor.

On December 5-6, the troops of the Soviet Union, having received reinforcements from the Eastern Front, launched a counteroffensive, which marked the transition to a new stage of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. During the counteroffensive, the troops of the Soviet Union defeated almost 40 German divisions. Now the fascist troops were “thrown back” 100-250 km from the capital.

The victory of the USSR significantly influenced the spirit of the soldiers and the entire Russian people. The defeat of Germany made it possible for other countries to begin forming an anti-Hitler coalition of states.

The successes of the Soviet troops made a deep impression on the state leaders. I.V. Stalin began to count on a speedy end to the war of 1941-1945. He believed that in the spring of 1942 Germany would repeat an attempt to attack Moscow, so he ordered the main forces of the army to be concentrated on the Western Front. However, Hitler thought differently and was preparing a large-scale offensive in the southern direction.

But before the start of the offensive, Germany planned to capture Crimea and some cities of the Ukrainian Republic. Yes, they were destroyed Soviet troops on the Kerch Peninsula, and on July 4, 1942 they had to leave the city of Sevastopol. Then Kharkov, Donbass and Rostov-on-Don fell; a direct threat to Stalingrad was created. Stalin, who realized his miscalculations too late, issued the order “Not a step back!” on July 28, forming barrage detachments for unstable divisions.

Until November 18, 1942, the residents of Stalingrad heroically defended their city. Only on November 19 did the USSR troops launch a counteroffensive.

Soviet troops organized three operations: “Uranus” (11/19/1942 - 02/2/1943), “Saturn” (12/16/30/1942) and “Ring” (11/10/1942 - 02/2/1943). What was each of them?

The Uranus plan envisaged the encirclement of fascist troops from three fronts: the Stalingrad front (commander - Eremenko), the Don Front (Rokossovsky) and the Southwestern Front (Vatutin). Soviet troops planned to meet on November 23 in the city of Kalach-on-Don and give the Germans an organized battle.

Operation Little Saturn was aimed at protecting oil fields located in the Caucasus. Operation Ring in February 1943 was the final plan of the Soviet command. Soviet troops were supposed to close a “ring” around the enemy army and defeat his forces.

As a result, on February 2, 1943, the enemy group surrounded by USSR troops surrendered. The commander-in-chief of the German army, Friedrich Paulus, was also captured. The victory at Stalingrad led to a radical change in the history of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. Now the strategic initiative was in the hands of the Red Army.

The next most important stage of the war was the Battle of Kursk, which lasted from July 5 to August 23, 1943. The German command adopted the “Citadel” plan, aimed at encirclement and defeat Soviet army on the Kursk Bulge.

In response to the enemy’s plan, the Soviet command planned two operations, and it was supposed to begin with active defense, and then bring down all the forces of the main and reserve troops on the Germans.

Operation Kutuzov was a plan to attack German troops from the north (the city of Orel). Sokolovsky was appointed commander of the Western Front, Rokossovsky of the Central Front, and Popov of the Bryansk Front. Already on July 5, Rokossovsky struck the first blow against the enemy army, beating his attack by only a few minutes.

On July 12, the troops of the Soviet Union launched a counteroffensive, marking a turning point in the course of Battle of Kursk. On August 5, Belgorod and Orel were liberated by the Red Army. From August 3 to 23, Soviet troops carried out an operation to completely defeat the enemy - “Commander Rumyantsev” (commanders - Konev and Vatutin). It represented a Soviet offensive in the Belgorod and Kharkov area. The enemy suffered another defeat, losing more than 500 thousand soldiers.

The Red Army troops managed to liberate Kharkov, Donbass, Bryansk and Smolensk in a short period of time. In November 1943, the siege of Kyiv was lifted. The war of 1941-1945 was nearing its end.

Defense of Leningrad

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

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

For a better understanding of the hardships the residents of Leningrad suffered, we recommend watching this video.

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

Plan "Bagration"

From June 23 to August 29, 1944, USSR troops carried out the main operation on the Belarusian front. It was one of the largest in the entire Great Patriotic War (WWII) of 1941-1945.

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

The Soviet command planned to begin liberating peoples from German troops European countries.

Conferences

On November 28, 1943, a conference was held in Tehran, which brought together the leaders of the countries " Big three" - Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill. The conference set dates for the opening of the Second Front in Normandy and confirmed the Soviet Union's commitment to enter the war with Japan after the final liberation of Europe and defeat the Japanese army.

The next conference was held on February 4-11, 1944 in Yalta (Crimea). The leaders of the three states discussed the conditions of occupation and demilitarization of Germany, negotiated the convening of the founding UN conference and the adoption of the Declaration of a Liberated Europe.

The Potsdam Conference took place on July 17, 1945. The leader of the USA was Truman, and K. Attlee spoke on behalf of Great Britain (from July 28). At the conference, new borders in Europe were discussed, and a decision was made on the size of reparations from Germany in favor of the USSR. At the same time, already at the Potsdam Conference, the preconditions for the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union were outlined.

End of World War II

According to the requirements discussed at conferences with representatives of the Big Three countries, on August 8, 1945, the USSR declared war on Japan. The USSR Army dealt a powerful blow to the Kwantung Army.

In less than three weeks, Soviet troops under the leadership of Marshal Vasilevsky managed to defeat the main forces of the Japanese army. On September 2, 1945, the Instrument of Surrender of Japan was signed on the American ship Missouri. The Second Ended world war.

Consequences

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

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

In addition to the positive results, there were also incredible losses. The Soviet Union lost approximately 70 million people in the war. The state's economy was at a very low level. We suffered terrible losses major cities The USSR, which took the strongest blows from the enemy. The USSR was faced with the task of restoring and confirming its status as the world's greatest superpower.

It is difficult to give a definite answer to the question: “What was the war of 1941-1945?” Main task Russian people - never forget about greatest feats our ancestors and with pride and “with tears in our eyes” celebrate the main holiday for Russia - Victory Day.

On June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarossa: the war against Stalin's Soviet Union. The attack on the USSR decided the outcome of World War II, marked the end of the Third Reich and Hitler’s dream of a “thousand-year empire.” Years after this unthinkable nightmare, it is worth remembering that the one-sided and fanatical application military force led to the death of 26-27 million Soviet people.

Arbejderen (Denmark): Great Patriotic War 1941 - 1945: Operation Barbarossa - German attack on the Soviet Union

World War II through the eyes of Western media

Seventy-five years ago, on June 22, Hitler ordered his troops to begin Operation Barbarossa: the war against Stalin's Soviet Union. It was the largest military operation ever undertaken and remains so to this day. It marked the end of the Third Reich and Hitler's dream of a “thousand-year empire.”

For the Führer, this was an all-or-nothing enterprise that predictably ended in nothing.

The fate of World War II was decided on the Eastern Front. Two thirds of Germany's resources were deployed here. During cold war Western propaganda only briefly mentioned the contribution of the Soviet Union to the victory over Germany; accordingly, the main attention in the West was paid to the Allied air war, their actions in the Atlantic, North Africa, in Sicily and the landing allied forces in Normandy followed by an attack on German territory. All of this was important events, but the outcome of the war was decided on the Eastern Front.

Hitler began planning Operation Barbarossa shortly after the end of the Western Offensive in the summer of 1940. Any major military operation depends on clearly defined objectives, a thorough and reliable analysis of the enemy's capabilities, and an equally thorough analysis of one's own resources and capabilities. None of these conditions were met. Therefore, it is completely incomprehensible why none of the German generals decided to go to Hitler and explain the situation to him.

The German General Staff developed several outline plans with various main and secondary objectives, directions of main attacks and operational principles. And even according to the final plan, “The Barbarossa Case,” there was no consensus on strategic goals. Only the final decision was made. As a result of this, the operation was stopped, and discussions began on strategic goals, which lasted three weeks from August to September 1941. Unheard of, it was a recipe for operational suicide.

Tank units were withdrawn from the Moscow direction and sent to the south, where they managed to capture Kyiv and capture 665 thousand Soviet soldiers. The bill was paid three months later by a catastrophic defeat near Moscow. It is well known that the German command did not take care of the winter equipment of its units, which led to the death of hundreds of thousands German soldiers. Sloppy planning - Germany did not even develop a “Plan B” - led to the fact that the original goal - the destruction of the striking force of the Red Army - was not achieved. Therefore, the next three years were aimless, blind fencing, since the main strategic leadership was absent. Hitler wanted to decide everything himself with his crazy ideas that had absolutely nothing to do with real world. The Führer was convinced that Providence had chosen him to be like Grösster Feldherr aller Zeiten (“ Greatest Commander of all times") saved Germany.

Lack of supply

How did the German military command plan to supply more than three million German soldiers? There was only enough planning for the first three weeks of the trip. The invading troops were then required to "live off the occupied country." Once grain and livestock are taken from the local population, millions of people will be doomed to a long and painful death of starvation. This was part of the planning. It was expected that 10-15 million people would die of starvation.

From the very beginning, Operation Barbarossa was the catalyst for "die Endlösung" ("the final solution"), the extermination of Jews and other peoples.

Context

SZ: Hitler's War of Extermination

Süddeutsche Zeitung 06/22/2016

Süddeutsche: the myth of the “Barbarossa Plan”

Süddeutsche Zeitung 08/17/2011

How Hitler made Russia a superpower

The National Interest 06/20/2016

Franz Halder - author of Plan Barbarossa

Die Welt 06/22/2016

Multimedia

The Great Patriotic War: photo chronicle

InoSMI 06/22/2014
Because of the forced collectivization and purges of the 1930s, the Germans were welcomed in many places as liberators. When the Russians saw the fate in store for them under German rule, this benevolence soon gave way to resistance.

For Hitler, Barbarossa was the implementation of his confused social Darwinist ideas about the right of the strong to destroy the weak. There was no way to unite with groups opposed to the regime, to win over the enemy population, giving them a chance to survive, not to mention negotiated peace. According to the Fuhrer's twisted thoughts, everything had to be decided by the brutal use of force.

The principle of destruction was to be carried out by the “Einsatzgruppen” (“Einsatzgruppen”, “ deployment groups"), following the advancing military units. The task of these SS and police units was to exterminate Jews and political commissars. The victims were shot in open mass graves. The Einsatz groups could only operate with transport and logistical support from regular troops in the area. This practice was introduced already during the Polish campaign. At the time, the German commander of occupied Poland, Colonel General Johannes Blaskowitz, protested in writing against these crimes and refused to support the SS murder gangs. Blaskowitz was naturally removed from his post, but earned respect for himself by being decent enough to make such an attempt. I don't know anyone else who tried to follow his example after that.

Prisoners of war

Characteristic was Hitler's directive on the conduct of military operations on the Eastern Front. This war must be different from all previous wars. Here you need to ignore all the laws of war. According to the order on commissars, representatives of the Communist Party in the Red Army taken prisoner by German units, should have been shot immediately. This order was carried out in different ways depending on the local command, but no one was found to prohibit it, although the execution of this order was a clear war crime. In addition, the directive emphasized that German soldiers could not be prosecuted for alleged war crimes, which in itself was an invitation to commit war crimes.

The same attitude was towards Soviet prisoners of war. In 1941 alone, the Germans captured three million Soviet soldiers. Four out of five people did not survive, which in itself is a war crime. In general, no one could imagine what needed to be done with such a large number prisoners. In conditions where not enough attention was paid to supplying their own units, prisoners of war were not particularly thought about at all, and they died of hunger, thirst or epidemics that broke out due to the terrible conditions of detention. In winter, many died from the cold while being transported by rail.

Hitler was obsessed with the idea of ​​"Lebensraum" ("living space"), the conquest of territories that could be used for colonization and plunder. At first, the length of the front was 1,500 kilometers (excluding Finland), but soon it stretched 2,200 kilometers from north to south and 1,000 kilometers in depth from west to east. This was more than what a German army of three million and half a million allied troops could handle. The problem worsened as losses mounted.

After the defeat near Moscow in 1941-1942, the Germans could carry out large offensive operations only in certain sectors of the front. In 1942, this area became the southern sector of the front, where Hitler’s goals were oil fields Caspian Sea around Baku. When Stalingrad became another target, the units spread out in a too thin chain along the front. As a result, Hitler received neither oil nor Stalingrad. The result of this overestimation of one's own strength was the Stalingrad disaster of 1942-1943. Hitler's strict order not to break out of the encirclement led to the death of the 6th Army. This was an example that was then repeated more and more often until the fall of Berlin. Hitler showed that the fate of his soldiers was completely indifferent to him.

Major German losses

After the failed "Operation Citadel" on the Kursk Bulge in July 1943, the German offensive force was exhausted, and German troops from that point on went on the defensive. With great difficulty, it was only possible to evacuate the German units advancing from the Caucasus to the west along the path that was blocked by the advancing units of the Red Army. Hitler prohibited any retreat on all sectors of the front, which led to gigantic losses in manpower and equipment. Likewise, troops were not withdrawn from the Crimean peninsula in time, and on the central front, the entire Heeresgruppe Mitte (Army Group Center) was completely destroyed in June-July 1944 because Hitler forbade retreat. The price was the loss of 25 divisions, approximately 300 thousand soldiers.

Between June and September 1944 alone, German losses ranged from 1 to 1.5 million people, as well as a huge amount of military equipment. The Red Army now had the initiative and had complete freedom of maneuver combined with air supremacy. Hitler made the situation even worse with his absurd orders, which made it impossible to conduct reasonable defensive battles. The generals now had to pay for their helpfulness. However, there was strong opposition to Hitler within the military. In Colonel Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, the opposition found a leader ready to take action.

On July 20, 1944, Stauffnberg had the opportunity to plant a mine under the table in Hitler's office in Rastenburg, East Prussia. Unfortunately, the bastard didn't die. Thus, the war extended for another nine terrible months. Hitler took brutal revenge on the conspirators and their families. The failed assassination attempt was a decisive attempt to stop the war, which at that moment was becoming completely meaningless. At the same time, she showed that decent people were also among German officers.

Unprovoked aggression

The attack on June 22, 1941 was an unprovoked aggression and a flagrant violation of the non-aggression pact known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. This pact was Hitler's last attempt to use political and military means to provide himself with a reliable rear for an attack on Poland. At the same time, it provided effective advantages, since according to this pact, raw materials were supplied to Germany from the Soviet Union. They continued until the day of the attack.

The Blitzkrieg that Hitler had planned turned into a deadly four-year struggle. 26-27 million Soviet people died.

Hitler did not need politics, diplomacy and trade treaties. He wanted war, and above all war with the Soviet Union, the Jewish-Bolshevik mortal enemy. He wanted to show that he could win with military force alone.

75 years after the start of this unimaginable nightmare, it is worth remembering that Hitler's unilateral and fanatical use of military force led directly to the complete defeat of Germany. This happened despite the fact that Hitler initially had at his disposal the most professional and effective military apparatus of the time.

Another important lesson is that ignoring the laws of war, military conventions and ordinary morality, even in war, leads to fatal consequences. The execution of individual prisoners of war becomes the road leading to the murder of millions. Crimes were committed not only by special SS units, but also by soldiers of regular army units.

Operation Barbarossa became possible only because Hitler arrogated to himself the right to unlimited control over all means of power. Today we must ensure that war becomes possible only as a result of a transparent and democratic process.

InoSMI materials contain assessments exclusively from foreign media and do not reflect the position of the InoSMI editorial staff.

The Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) - the war between the USSR, Germany and its allies within the framework of the Second World War on the territory of the USSR and Germany. Germany attacked the USSR on June 22, 1941, with the expectation of a short military campaign, but the war dragged on for several years and ended in the complete defeat of Germany.

Causes of the Great Patriotic War

After the defeat in the First World War, Germany was left in a difficult situation - the political situation was unstable, the economy was in a deep crisis. Around this time, Hitler came to power and, thanks to his reforms in the economy, was able to quickly bring Germany out of the crisis and thereby gain the trust of the authorities and the people.

Having become the head of the country, Hitler began to pursue his policy, which was based on the idea of ​​​​the superiority of the Germans over other races and peoples. Hitler not only wanted to take revenge for losing the First World War, but also to subjugate the whole world to his will. The result of his claims was a German attack on the Czech Republic and Poland, and then (already within the framework of the outbreak of World War II) on other European countries.

Until 1941, there was a non-aggression pact between Germany and the USSR, but Hitler violated it by attacking the USSR. To conquer the Soviet Union, the German command developed a rapid attack that was supposed to bring victory within two months. Having seized the territories and wealth of the USSR, Hitler could have entered into open confrontation with the United States for the right to world political domination.

The attack was swift, but did not bring the desired results - the Russian army offered stronger resistance than the Germans expected, and the war dragged on for many years.

Main periods of the Great Patriotic War

First period (June 22, 1941 - November 18, 1942). Within a year of Germany's attack on the USSR, the German army had conquered significant territories, including Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Moldova, Belarus and Ukraine. After this, the troops moved inland to capture Moscow and Leningrad, however, despite the failures of Russian soldiers at the beginning of the war, the Germans failed to take the capital.

Leningrad was besieged, but the Germans were not allowed into the city. The battles for Moscow, Leningrad and Novgorod continued until 1942.

The period of radical change (1942-1943). Middle period The war got its name due to the fact that it was at this time that Soviet troops were able to take the advantage in the war into their own hands and launch a counteroffensive. The German and Allied armies gradually began to retreat back to the western border, and many foreign legions were defeated and destroyed.

Thanks to the fact that the entire industry of the USSR at that time worked for military needs, the Soviet army managed to significantly increase its weapons and provide worthy resistance. The USSR army turned from a defender into an attacker.

The final period of the war (1943-1945). During this period, the USSR began to recapture the lands occupied by the Germans and move towards Germany. Leningrad was liberated, Soviet troops entered Czechoslovakia, Poland, and then into German territory.

On May 8, Berlin was captured and German troops announced unconditional surrender. Hitler, having learned about the lost war, committed suicide. The war is over.

The main battles of the Great Patriotic War

• Defense of the Arctic (June 29, 1941 - November 1, 1944).
• Siege of Leningrad (September 8, 1941 - January 27, 1944).
• Battle of Moscow (September 30, 1941 – April 20, 1942).
• Battle of Rzhev (January 8, 1942 - March 31, 1943).
• Battle of Kursk (July 5 - August 23, 1943).
• Battle of Stalingrad (July 17, 1942 – February 2, 1943).
• Battle for the Caucasus (July 25, 1942 - October 9, 1943).
• Belarusian operation (June 23 - August 29, 1944).
• Battle for Right Bank Ukraine (December 24, 1943 - April 17, 1944).
• Budapest operation (October 29, 1944 - February 13, 1945).
• Baltic operation (September 14 - November 24, 1944).
• Vistula-Oder operation (January 12 - February 3, 1945).
• East Prussian operation (January 13 - April 25, 1945).
• Berlin operation (April 16 - May 8, 1945).

Results and significance of the Great Patriotic War

Although the main goal of the Great Patriotic War was defensive, in the end, Soviet troops went on the offensive and not only liberated their territories, but also destroyed the German army, took Berlin and stopped Hitler’s victorious march across Europe.

Unfortunately, despite the victory, this war turned out to be ruinous for the USSR - the country's economy after the war was in a deep crisis, since industry worked exclusively for the military sector, many people were killed, and those who remained starved.

Nevertheless, for the USSR, victory in this war meant that the Union was now becoming a world superpower, which had the right to dictate its terms in the political arena.

With the beginning of September 1939, the short period of peace between the two great wars of the 20th century ended. Two years later, most of Europe with enormous production and raw material potential came under the rule of Nazi Germany.

A powerful blow fell on the Soviet Union, for which the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) began. A brief summary of this period in the history of the USSR cannot express the scale of the suffering endured by the Soviet people and the heroism they showed.

On the eve of military trials

The revival of the power of Germany, dissatisfied with the results of the First World War (1914-1918), against the backdrop of the aggressiveness of the party that came to power there, led by the possessed Adolf Hitler, with its ideology of racial superiority, made a threat new war for the USSR it is becoming more and more real. By the end of the 30s, these sentiments penetrated more and more into the people, and the all-powerful leader of the huge country, Stalin, understood this more and more clearly.

The country was preparing. People went to construction sites in the eastern part of the country, and military factories were built in Siberia and the Urals - backup to production facilities located near the western borders. Significantly more financial, human and scientific resources were invested in the defense industry than in the civilian industry. To increase labor results in cities and in agriculture ideological and harsh administrative means were used (repressive laws on discipline in factories and collective farms).

The reform in the army was prompted by the adoption of the law on universal conscription (1939), and widespread military training was introduced. It was in shooting, parachute clubs, and flying clubs at OSOAVIAKHIM that future soldier-heroes of the Patriotic War of 1941-1945 began to study military science. New military schools were opened, newest types weapons, progressive type combat formations were formed: armored and airborne. But there was not enough time, the combat readiness of the Soviet troops was in many respects lower than that of the Wehrmacht - the army of Nazi Germany.

Stalin's suspicion of the power ambitions of the senior command caused great harm. It resulted in monstrous repressions that wiped out up to two-thirds of the officer corps. There is a version about a planned provocation of the German military intelligence, which put many heroes at risk civil war who were victims of purges.

Foreign policy factors

Stalin and the leaders of countries that wanted to limit Hitler’s European hegemony (England, France, the USA) were unable to create a united anti-fascist front before the start of the war. The Soviet leader, in an effort to delay the war, tried to contact Hitler. This led to the signing of the Soviet-German non-aggression pact (agreement) in 1939, which also did not contribute to the rapprochement of anti-Hitler forces.

As it turned out, the country's leadership was mistaken about the value of the peace agreement with Hitler. On June 22, 1941, the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe attacked the entire western borders of the USSR without declaring war. This came as a complete surprise to the Soviet troops and a great shock to Stalin.

Tragic experience

In 1940, Hitler approved the Barbarossa plan. According to this plan, three summer months were allotted for the defeat of the USSR and the capture of its capital. And at first the plan was carried out with precision. All participants in the war recall the almost hopeless mood of mid-summer 1941. 5.5 million German soldiers against 2.9 million Russians, total superiority in weapons - and in a month Belarus, the Baltic states, Moldova, and almost all of Ukraine were captured. The losses of Soviet troops were 1 million killed, 700 thousand prisoners.

The superiority of the Germans in the skill of command and control of troops was noticeable - the combat experience of the army, which had already covered half of Europe, was reflected. Skillful maneuvers encircle and destroy entire groups near Smolensk, Kyiv, in the Moscow direction, and the blockade of Leningrad begins. Stalin was dissatisfied with the actions of his commanders and resorted to the usual repressions - the commander of the Western Front was shot for treason.

People's War

And yet Hitler’s plans collapsed. The USSR quickly took a war footing. The Headquarters of the Supreme High Command was created to control the armies and a single governing body for the entire country - the State Defense Committee, headed by the all-powerful leader Stalin.

Hitler believed that Stalin's methods of leading the country, illegal repressions against the intelligentsia, the military, wealthy peasants and entire nationalities would cause the collapse of the state, the emergence of a “fifth column” - as he was used to in Europe. But he miscalculated.

The men in the trenches, the women at the machines, the old people and small children hated the invaders. Wars of this magnitude affect the fate of every person, and victory requires a universal effort. Sacrifices for the sake of a common victory were made not only because of ideological motives, but also because of innate patriotism, which had roots in pre-revolutionary history.

Battle of Moscow

The invasion received its first serious resistance near Smolensk. With heroic efforts, the attack on the capital was delayed there until the beginning of September.

By October, tanks with crosses on their armor reach Moscow, with the goal of capturing the Soviet capital before the onset of cold weather. The most difficult time during the years of the Great Patriotic War. A state of siege is declared in Moscow (10/19/1941).

The military parade on the anniversary of the October Revolution (11/07/1941) will forever remain in history as a symbol of confidence that Moscow will be able to be defended. The troops left Red Square straight to the front, which was located 20 kilometers to the west.

An example of the tenacity of Soviet soldiers was the feat of 28 Red Army soldiers from General Panfilov’s division. They delayed a breakthrough group of 50 tanks at the Dubosekovo crossing for 4 hours and died, destroying 18 combat vehicles. These heroes of the Patriotic War (1941-1945) are only a small part of the Immortal Regiment of the Russian Army. Such self-sacrifice gave rise to doubts about victory among the enemy, strengthening the courage of the defenders.

Recalling the events of the war, Marshal Zhukov, who commanded the Western Front near Moscow, whom Stalin began to promote to the leading roles, always noted crucial defense of the capital to achieve victory in May 1945. Any delay by the enemy army made it possible to accumulate forces for a counterattack: fresh units of the Siberian garrisons were transferred to Moscow. Hitler did not plan to wage war in winter conditions; the Germans began to have problems supplying troops. By the beginning of December, there was a turning point in the battle for the Russian capital.

A radical turn

The offensive of the Red Army (December 5, 1941), which was unexpected for Hitler, threw the Germans one and a half hundred miles to the west. The fascist army suffered the first defeat in its history, the plan for a victorious war failed.

The offensive continued until April 1942, but it was far from irreversible changes in the course of the war: major defeats followed near Leningrad, Kharkov, in the Crimea, the Nazis reached the Volga near Stalingrad.

When historians of any country mention the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945), summary its events are not complete without Battle of Stalingrad. It was at the walls of the city that bore the name of Hitler's sworn enemy that he received the blow that ultimately led to his collapse.

The defense of the city was often carried out hand-to-hand, for every piece of territory. Participants in the war note an unprecedented amount of human and technical assets recruited from both sides and burned in the fire of the Battle of Stalingrad. The Germans lost a quarter of their troops - one and a half million bayonets, 2 million were our losses.

The unprecedented resilience of Soviet soldiers in defense and uncontrollable rage in the offensive, together with the increased tactical skill of the command, ensured the encirclement and capture of 22 divisions of the 6th Army of Field Marshal Paulus. The results of the second military winter shocked Germany and the whole world. The history of the war of 1941-1945 changed course; it became clear that the USSR not only withstood the first blow, but would also inevitably deal a powerful retaliatory blow to the enemy.

The final turning point in the war

The Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) contains several examples of the leadership talent of the Soviet command. A summary of the events of 1943 is a series of impressive Russian victories.

The spring of 1943 began with a Soviet offensive in all directions. The configuration of the front line threatened the encirclement of the Soviet Army in the Kursk region. Offensive The Germans, called “Citadel,” had precisely this strategic goal, but the command of the Red Army provided for enhanced defense in the areas of the proposed breakthrough, while simultaneously preparing reserves for a counteroffensive.

The German offensive in early July managed to break through Soviet defense only in sections to a depth of 35 km. The history of the war (1941-1945) knows the date of the start of the largest oncoming battle of self-propelled combat vehicles. On a sultry July day, the 12th, the crews of 1,200 tanks began the battle in the steppe near the village of Prokhorovka. The Germans have the latest Tiger and Panther, the Russians have the T-34 with a new, more powerful gun. The defeat inflicted on the Germans knocked the offensive weapons of the motorized corps out of Hitler's hands, and the fascist army went on the strategic defensive.

By the end of August 1943, Belgorod and Orel were recaptured, and Kharkov was liberated. For the first time in years, the Red Army seized the initiative. Now the German generals had to guess where she would begin hostilities.

In the penultimate war year, historians identify 10 decisive operations which led to the liberation of enemy-occupied territory. Until 1953 they were called “Stalin’s 10 blows.”

Great Patriotic War (1941-1945): summary of military operations of 1944

1. Lifting the Leningrad blockade (January 1944).
2. January-April 1944: Korsun-Shevchenko operation, successful battles in Right Bank Ukraine, March 26 - access to the border with Romania.
3. Liberation of Crimea (May 1944).
4. The defeat of Finland in Karelia, its exit from the war (June-August 1944).
5. The offensive of four fronts in Belarus (Operation Bagration).
6. July-August - battles in Western Ukraine, Lvov-Sandomierz operation.
7. Iasi-Kishinev operation, defeat of 22 divisions, withdrawal of Romania and Bulgaria from the war (August 1944).
8. Help for Yugoslav partisans I.B. Tito (September 1944).
9. Liberation of the Baltic states (July-October of the same year).
10. October - liberation of the Soviet Arctic and northeast Norway.

End of enemy occupation

By the beginning of November, the territory of the USSR within the pre-war borders was liberated. The period of occupation has ended for the peoples of Belarus and Ukraine. Today's political situation forces some “figures” to present the German occupation almost as a blessing. It is worth asking about this from Belarusians, who lost every fourth due to the actions of “civilized Europeans”.

It was not for nothing that from the first days of the foreign invasion, partisans began to operate in the occupied territories. The war of 1941-1945 in this sense became an echo of the year when other European invaders did not know peace on our territory.

Liberation of Europe

The European liberation campaign required an unimaginable expenditure of human and military resources from the USSR. Hitler, who did not even allow the thought that a Soviet soldier would enter German soil, threw all possible forces into battle, putting the elderly and children under arms.

The course of the final stage of the war can be traced by the name of the awards established by the Soviet government. Soviet soldiers-liberators received the following medals of the war of 1941-1945: for (10/20/1944), Warsaw (01/7/1945), Prague (May 9), for the capture of Budapest (February 13), Koenigsberg (April 10), Vienna (13 April). And finally, military personnel were awarded for the storming of Berlin (May 2).

...And May came. The victory was marked by the signing on May 8 of the Act of Unconditional Surrender of German Troops, and on June 24 a parade was held with the participation of representatives of all fronts, branches and branches of the military.

Great Victory

Hitler's adventure cost humanity dearly. The exact number of human losses is still debated. Restoring destroyed cities and establishing an economy required many years of hard work, hunger and deprivation.

The results of the war are now assessed differently. The geopolitical changes that occurred after 1945 had different consequences. The territorial acquisitions of the Soviet Union, the emergence of the socialist camp, and the strengthening of the political weight of the USSR to the status of a superpower soon led to confrontation and increased tension between the allied countries in World War II.

But the main results are not subject to any revision and do not depend on the opinions of politicians looking for immediate benefits. In the Great Patriotic War, our country defended freedom and independence, a terrible enemy was defeated - the bearer of a monstrous ideology that threatened to destroy entire nations, and the peoples of Europe were freed from it.

The participants in the battles are fading into history, the children of war are already elderly, but the memory of that war will live as long as people are able to value freedom, honesty and courage.

When, on the western border of the USSR, the sun's rays were just about to illuminate the earth, the first soldiers of Hitler's Germany set foot on Soviet soil. Great Patriotic War (WWII) had been going on for almost two years, but now a heroic war had begun, and it would not be for resources, not for the dominance of one nation over another, and not for the establishment of a new order, now the war would become sacred, popular, and its price would be life, real and life of future generations.

Great Patriotic War 1941-1945. The beginning of the Second World War

On June 22, 1941, the countdown began to four years of inhuman efforts, during which the future of each of us hung practically by a thread.
War is always a disgusting business, but Great Patriotic War (WWII) was too popular for only professional soldiers to participate in it. The entire people, young and old, stood up to defend the Motherland.
From day one Great Patriotic War (WWII) heroism of the simple Soviet soldier became a role model. What is often called in literature “to stand to death” was fully demonstrated already in the battles for the Brest Fortress. The vaunted Wehrmacht soldiers, who conquered France in 40 days and forced England to cower cowardly on their island, faced such resistance that they simply could not believe that ordinary people were fighting against them. As if these were warriors from epic tales, they stood up with their chests to defend every inch of their native land. For almost a month, the fortress garrison repelled one German attack after another. And this, just think about it, is 4,000 people who were cut off from the main forces and who did not have a single chance of salvation. They were all doomed, but they never succumbed to weakness and did not lay down their arms.
When the advanced units of the Wehrmacht reach Kyiv, Smolensk, Leningrad, fighting is still ongoing in the Brest Fortress.
Great Patriotic War are always characterized by manifestations of heroism and resilience. No matter what happened on the territory of the USSR, no matter how terrible the repressions of tyranny were, the war equalized everyone.
A striking example changes in attitudes within society, Stalin’s famous address, which was made on July 3, 1941, contained the words “Brothers and Sisters.” There were no more citizens, there were no high ranks and comrades, it was a huge family consisting of all the peoples and nationalities of the country. The family demanded salvation, demanded support.
And on eastern front The fighting continued. The German generals encountered an anomaly for the first time; there is no other way to describe it. Developed the best minds Hitler's General Staff, lightning war, built on quick breakthroughs of tank formations, followed by the encirclement of large enemy units, no longer worked like a clock mechanism. When surrounded, Soviet units fought their way through rather than lay down their arms. To a serious extent, the heroism of the soldiers and commanders thwarted the plans of the German offensive, slowed down the advance of enemy units and became a turning point in the war. Yes, yes, it was then, in the summer of 1941, that the German army’s offensive plans were completely thwarted. Then there were Stalingrad, Kursk, the Battle of Moscow, but all of them became possible thanks to the unparalleled courage of an ordinary Soviet soldier, who stopped the German invaders at the cost of his own life.
Of course, there were excesses in the leadership of military operations. It must be admitted that the command of the Red Army was not ready for WWII. The USSR doctrine assumed a victorious war on enemy territory, but not on its own soil. And in technical terms, the Soviet troops were seriously inferior to the Germans. So they went into cavalry attacks on tanks, flew and shot down German aces in old planes, burned in the tanks, and retreated, not giving up a single piece of land without a fight.

Great Patriotic War 1941-1945. Battle for Moscow

The plan for the lightning capture of Moscow by the Germans finally collapsed in the winter of 1941. Much has been written about the Moscow battle and films have been made. However, every page of what was written, every frame of what was filmed is imbued with the unparalleled heroism of the defenders of Moscow. We all know about the parade on November 7, which took place across Red Square, while German tanks went to the capital. Yes, this was also an example of how Soviet people going to defend his country. The troops left for the front line immediately after the parade, immediately entering the battle. And the Germans could not stand it. The iron conquerors of Europe stopped. It seemed that nature itself came to the aid of the defenders, severe frosts struck, and this was the beginning of the end of the German offensive. Hundreds of thousands of lives, widespread manifestations of patriotism and devotion to the Motherland of soldiers surrounded, soldiers near Moscow, residents who held weapons in their hands for the first time in their lives, all this became an insurmountable obstacle to the enemy’s path to the very heart of the USSR.
But then the legendary offensive began. German troops were driven back from Moscow, and for the first time experienced the bitterness of retreat and defeat. We can say that it was here, in the snowy areas near the capital, that the fate of the whole world, and not just the war, was predetermined. The brown plague, which until that time had been consuming country after country, nation after nation, found itself face to face with people who did not want, could not, bow their heads.
The 41st was coming to an end, the western part of the USSR lay in ruins, the occupation forces were fierce, but nothing could break those who found themselves in the occupied territories. There were also traitors, needless to say, those who went over to the side of the enemy and forever branded themselves with shame and the rank of “policeman.” And who are they now, where are they? The Holy War does not forgive traitors on its land.
Speaking of “Holy War”. The legendary song very accurately reflected the state of society in those years. The People's and Holy War did not tolerate the subjunctive and weakness. The price for victory or defeat was life itself.
g. allowed the relationship between the authorities and the church to change. Subjected to persecution for many years, during WWII Russian Orthodox Church I helped the front with all my might. And this is another example of heroism and patriotism. After all, we all know that in the West the Pope simply bowed to the iron fists of Hitler.

Great Patriotic War 1941-1945. Guerrilla warfare

It is worth mentioning separately guerrilla warfare during WWII. For the first time, the Germans encountered such fierce resistance from the population. Regardless of where the front line was, fighting was constantly taking place behind enemy lines. The invaders on Soviet soil could not get a moment of peace. Whether it was the swamps of Belarus or the forests of the Smolensk region, the steppes of Ukraine, death awaited the occupiers everywhere! Entire villages joined the partisans, together with their families, with relatives, and from there they struck at the fascists from the hidden, ancient forests.
How many heroes has it given birth to? partisan movement. Both old and very young. Young boys and girls who went to school just yesterday have grown up today and performed feats that will remain in our memory for centuries.
While there were battles on the ground, the air, in the first months of the war, completely belonged to the Germans. A huge number of Soviet army aircraft were destroyed immediately after the start of the fascist offensive, and those who managed to take to the air could not fight on equal terms with German aviation. However, heroism in WWII manifests itself not only on the battlefield. All of us living today pay our deepest respects to those in the rear. In the most severe conditions, under constant shelling and bombing, plants and factories were transported to the east. Immediately upon arrival, outside, in the cold, the workers stood at their machines. The army continued to receive ammunition. Talented designers created new models of weapons. They worked 18-20 hours a day in the rear, but the army did not need anything. Victory was forged at the cost of enormous efforts of every person.

Great Patriotic War 1941-1945. Rear

Great Patriotic War 1941-1945. Siege Leningrad.

Siege Leningrad. Are there people who have not heard this phrase? 872 days of unparalleled heroism covered this city with eternal glory. German troops and allies were unable to break the resistance of the besieged city. The city lived, defended itself and struck back. The road of life that connected the besieged city with the mainland became the last for many, and there was not a single person who would refuse, who would chicken out and not carry food and ammunition along this ice ribbon to the Leningraders. Hope never died. And the credit for this goes entirely to ordinary people who valued the freedom of their country above all else!
All history of the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 written with unprecedented feats. Only real sons and daughters of their people, heroes, could close the embrasure of an enemy pillbox with their body, throw themselves under a tank with grenades, or go for a ram in an air battle.
And they were rewarded! And even though the sky over the village of Prokhorovka became black from soot and smoke, even though the waters of the northern seas received dead heroes every day, nothing could stop the liberation of the Motherland.
And there was the first fireworks, on August 5, 1943. It was then that the fireworks countdown began in honor of the new victory, the new liberation of the city.
The peoples of Europe today no longer know their history, true history Second World War. Thanks to to the Soviet people they live, build their lives, give birth and raise children. Bucharest, Warsaw, Budapest, Sofia, Prague, Vienna, Bratislava, all these capitals were liberated at the cost of blood Soviet heroes. And the last shots in Berlin mark the end of the worst nightmare of the 20th century.