World War 1941 1945. Main periods of the Great Patriotic War. Victory of the USSR over Hitler's Germany
- Dates:
June 22, 1941 - May 9, 1945 - Event location:
Eastern and Central Europe, waters of the Arctic and Atlantic oceans - Cause:
German aggression - Bottom line:
Victory of the USSR, unconditional surrender of Germany
Foreign policy situation on the eve of the Great Patriotic War
By the end of the 1930s, the international situation had sharply deteriorated. The contradictions between the leading capitalist powers that led to the First World War not only remained, but also intensified significantly. With the formation of the USSR, these contradictions received a new, class-ideological coloring.
The catalyst for the new global war was the economic crisis that has gripped the leading countries of the world since 1929. An arms race begins, and outbreaks of a future world war arise. In 1933, the Nazi Party comes to power in Germany. In fact, this meant open preparation of Germany for a new war. Moreover, the new political leadership of this country did not hide its revanchist plans and goals. Hitler's leadership set a course for establishing German dominance on the European continent and on the world stage. One of the most important goals of Germany was the capture and destruction of the USSR.
After the Munich Agreement on the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia and the failure of attempts to reach an agreement with Great Britain and France on the creation of a military-political union, the USSR found itself in extreme dangerous situation. There was a real danger of war on two fronts: in the west - against Germany, in the Far East - against Japan, which had started a conflict near the Khalkhin Gol River, which threatened to escalate into wider clashes. As a result, Moscow accepted Germany’s proposal to conclude a Soviet-German non-aggression pact. The agreement was signed on August 23-24, 1939 for a period of 10 years. At the same time, a “secret protocol” was signed, and on September 28, an agreement on friendship and cooperation was concluded.
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Beginning of the Great Patriotic War
Early on the morning of Sunday, June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany and its allies unleashed a military strike of unprecedented force on the Soviet country.
As a result of the unfavorable outcome of the border battles, fascist German troops advanced 350-600 kilometers within a few weeks, captured the territory of Latvia, Lithuania, part of Estonia, Ukraine, almost all of Belarus and Moldova, part of the territory of the RSFSR, and reached Leningrad, Smolensk and Kyiv.
The primary task for the Soviet government was the formation of military-political control bodies capable of effectively leading the armed struggle and organizing the work of the front and rear.
To unite the efforts of all state and party bodies, public organizations On June 30, 1941, by a joint decision of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, the State Defense Committee (GKO) was created, in whose hands all power in the state was concentrated.
On the second day after the start of the war, by resolution of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR and the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, the Headquarters of the Main Command was created to direct all combat activities of the Armed Forces of the USSR. On July 10, it was transformed into the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief (chairman - I.V. Stalin).
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Autumn 1941
Events in the war unfolded dramatically. From the first days, using the factor of surprise, the 5 million-strong German army in the main directions was 3-4 times superior to Soviet troops, quickly moved forward and by September 1941 began the blockade of Leningrad, captured Kyiv and reached the approaches to Moscow.
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Moscow Battle
First major battle, during which the Nazi troops were defeated, the Battle of Moscow took place. It lasted from September 30, 1941 to April 20, 1942. 3 million people took part in it on both sides. As a result, Soviet troops pushed the enemy back 100-350 kilometers from Moscow, but the strategic initiative continued to remain with Germany.
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Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad (July 17, 1942 - February 2, 1943), which marked the beginning of a radical turning point in the war, played a decisive role. At some stages, over 2 million people took part in it on both sides. As a result, a group of fascist German troops numbering 330 thousand people was surrounded and defeated; 80 thousand German soldiers and officers, along with the commander Field Marshal von Paulus, were captured. The losses of the German army and its allies during the Battle of Stalingrad exceeded 800 thousand people, 2 thousand tanks, 3 thousand aircraft, 10 thousand guns.
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Battle of Kursk
The Battle of Kursk (July 5 - August 23, 1943) completed the radical turning point in the war. More than 4 million people, 13 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns, and more than 12 thousand aircraft took part in it on both sides. The losses of German troops amounted to 500 thousand people, one and a half thousand tanks. The strategic initiative completely passed to the Soviet army.
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Operations autumn 1943 - spring 1944
Having liberated Left Bank Ukraine, Soviet troops crossed the Dnieper and took Kyiv in November 1943. In the winter of 1944, Soviet troops defeated the invaders near Leningrad, in Right Bank Ukraine, and in March entered the territory of Romania. In May of the same year, Crimea was liberated. During these operations, more than 170 enemy divisions were defeated.
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Belarusian offensive operation
The largest operation of 1944 was the Belarusian offensive Operation Bagration, carried out from June 23 to August 29. It was carried out by troops of four Soviet fronts consisting of 168 divisions and 20 brigades numbering 2.3 million people. As a result of the operation, 80 enemy divisions were defeated, 17 divisions and 3 brigades were completely destroyed, and 50 lost more than half of their strength.
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Opening of the Second Front
The Belarusian operation, having pulled more than 50 German divisions from the Western Front, contributed to the opening of the Second Front, which began with the Normandy landing operation, which began on June 6, 1944. Landed Anglo-American troops consisting of 15 divisions broke through the German defenses and began the liberation of France. In August 1944, Paris was liberated.
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The end of the Great Patriotic War
The Nazi bloc collapsed. Hitler's troops were expelled from Italy and Belgium. Romania, Bulgaria, Finland and Hungary withdrew from the war. Soviet troops liberated Poland and, together with the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia, entered Belgrade.
In January 1945, Soviet troops began the Vistula-Oder operation, completed the liberation of Poland and reached the approaches to Berlin. In April of the same year, Soviet troops launched a decisive offensive against Berlin. The operation was carried out by troops of three Soviet fronts, the 1st and 2nd armies of the Polish Army total number about 2 million people. As a result of the 23-day operation, Soviet troops defeated the Berlin group of enemy forces and took Berlin by storm on May 2. On May 9, Soviet troops entered Prague. The German command capitulated, the Great Patriotic War ended victoriously.
Moscow City University of Management of the Moscow Government
Department of History and Political Science
THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR 1941 – 1945
Introduction……………………………….…….…………………….……..…3
1. The beginning of the Great Patriotic War................................…….………….4
2. Battle for Moscow...……………………….….....…..………………………...6
3. Battle of Stalingrad……………………………………..………………….10
4. Leningrad during the war……………………………....……….………………….13
4.1. In besieged Leningrad……………………………………………………………....14
4.2. Availability and search for food……………………………………....19
4.3. Road of Life…………………………………………………………….21
4.4. Liberation………………………………………………………...22
4.5. End of the blockade………………………………………………………...24
5. Battle of Kursk (tank battle of Prokhorovka)...………….24
Conclusion………………………………………………………..…..26
LITERATURE……………………………………………………………..…29
INTRODUCTION
Quite a lot of books, articles, memoirs, and studies have been written in our country about the tragic events that occurred during the Great Patriotic War. However, the abundance scientific works and journalistic writings do not bring us too close to understanding what actually happened during the years of that war, which very soon became the Great Patriotic War for millions Soviet people- even for those who, under the influence of communist propaganda, have almost forgotten the meaning of the word Fatherland.
The greatest defeat in the history of wars was the defeat of a multi-million army that had powerful weapons and outnumbered the enemy; the death of hundreds of thousands of people who never had time to understand why they had not to participate in victorious military operations on foreign territory, which official propaganda talked so much about in the late 1930s, but to repel the monstrous blow of the well-oiled Wehrmacht machine; the capture - in a matter of days - of an unprecedented number of Soviet soldiers and commanders; lightning-fast occupation of vast spaces; the almost universal confusion of the citizens of a powerful power that found itself on the brink of collapse - all this was difficult to fit into the minds of contemporaries and descendants and required explanation.
1. BEGINNING OF THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR
Early on the morning of Sunday, June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany and its allies unleashed an invasion force unprecedented in history on our country: 190 divisions, over 4 thousand tanks, more than 47 thousand guns and mortars, about 5 thousand aircraft, up to 200 ships. In the decisive directions of its offensive, the aggressor had many times superiority in forces. The Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union against the Nazi invaders began. It lasted 1418 days and nights.
This was the largest demonstration of the strike forces of world imperialism against socialism, one of the most difficult trials ever experienced by the Soviet country. In this war, not only the fate of the USSR was decided, but also the future of world civilization, progress and democracy.
History does not know more monstrous crimes than those committed by the Nazis. The fascist hordes turned tens of thousands of cities and villages of our country into ruins. They killed and tortured Soviet people, not sparing women, children, and the elderly. The inhuman cruelty that the invaders showed towards the population of many other occupied countries was surpassed on Soviet territory. All these crimes are described with documentary accuracy in the acts of the Extraordinary State Commission for the Investigation of the Atrocities of the Nazi invaders and their accomplices and brought to the attention of the whole world.
As a result of the fascist invasion, the Soviet country lost more than 25 million people killed, about 30% national wealth. More than 1 million Soviet soldiers died outside our country, liberating the peoples of Europe and Asia from fascist-militarist occupiers.
The war of Nazi Germany and its allies against the USSR was of a special nature. German fascism sought not only to seize the territory of the USSR, but also to destroy the world's first state of workers and peasants, to overthrow the socialist social system, i.e. pursued class goals. This was a significant difference between Nazi Germany’s war against the USSR and the wars it waged against capitalist countries. Class hatred of the country of socialism, aggressive aspirations and the bestial essence of fascism merged together in politics, strategy and methods of warfare.
According to the plans of the fascist clique, the Soviet Union was to be dismembered and liquidated. On its territory it was planned to form four Reich-s-commissariats - German provinces. Moscow, Leningrad, Kyiv and a number of other cities were ordered to be blown up, flooded and completely wiped off the face of the earth. The Nazi leadership emphasized that the actions of the German army should be of a particularly cruel nature and demanded the merciless destruction of not only the soldiers of the Soviet Army, but also the civilian population of the USSR. The soldiers and officers of the Wehrmacht were given memos that said: “... kill every Russian, Soviet, do not stop if in front of you is an old man or a woman, a girl or a boy - kill, by this you will save yourself from death, ensure the future of your family and become famous in the world.” century."
German aggression against the Soviet Union began to be prepared in the mid-30s. The war against Poland, and then the campaigns in Northern and Western Europe, temporarily switched German staff thinking to other problems. But even then the preparations for war against the USSR remained in the field of view of the Nazis. It became more active after the defeat of France, when, in the opinion of the fascist leadership, the rear of the future war was secured and Germany had enough resources at its disposal to wage it.
2. BATTLE FOR MOSCOW
Among the largest events of the Second World War great battle near Moscow it occupies a special place. It was here, on the outskirts of the capital, that the vaunted Nazi army, which had easily marched through many European countries for 2 years, suffered its first serious defeat. In the battles near Moscow, Hitler’s “blitzkrieg” plan was finally buried, and the false legend about the invincibility of “Hitler’s” army was debunked before the whole world.
The historical victory of the Soviet Army in the fields of the Moscow region showed the whole world that there is a force capable of not only stopping, but also defeating the fascist aggressor, saving humanity from the threat of Nazi enslavement.
It was near Moscow that the dawn of our future Victory over German fascism began.
The Battle of Moscow, which included a complex set of battles and operations of varying nature, unfolded over a vast territory and continued continuously throughout the autumn of 1941 and the winter of 1941-1942.
More than 2 million people, about 2.5 thousand tanks, 1.8 thousand aircraft and over 25 thousand guns and mortars simultaneously participated in it on both sides.
Due to the nature of the events that took place, the battle of Moscow, as is known, consisted of two periods - defensive and offensive.
The defensive period covers October – November 1941. As a result of the two-month heroic defense of Soviet troops in the Moscow direction, the so-called general offensive of the Nazi army was stopped. Hitler's plan to capture Moscow failed.
Before winning this world-historical victory, our Armed Forces and the entire Soviet people had to experience the bitterness of cruel defeats and military failures. By the fall of 1941, our troops were forced to retreat to Leningrad and leave Smolensk and Kyiv. A threat has been created to Kharkov, Donbass and Crimea.
Hitler's troops, despite the huge losses, which even according to German data by September 30, 1941 amounted to 551 thousand people or 16.2% of the total number of troops in Soviet-German front, 1,719 tanks and assault guns, 1,603 aircraft shot down, continued to rush east. They still held the strategic initiative and had superiority in forces and means.
Operation Typhoon was developed, during which Moscow was to be surrounded so that “not a single Russian soldier, not a single resident - be it a man, a woman or a child - could leave it. Suppress any attempt to leave by force.”
It was supposed to destroy and flood the city along with all its inhabitants, and then fill it with sand and build a red stone monument to the glory of the German invincible army in the center of the empty massif. The stone was even transported in a convoy along with equipment to Moscow.
Against three Soviet fronts - Western, Reserve and Bryansk, operating in the Moscow direction, by the beginning of the Battle of Moscow, the German command concentrated more than a million army of the Center group, over 14 thousand guns and mortars, 1,700 tanks, 950 aircraft or 42% of people, 75 % of tanks, 45% of guns and mortars of the total number on the Soviet-German front.
By the beginning of the offensive of fascist troops on Moscow, the following balance of forces had developed:
With their operation of a general offensive on Moscow and careful preparation of troops, representatives of the Third Reich had no doubt about complete, truly “hurricane” success, which is why the operation was called “Typhoon”.
In the Soviet troops in active army on October 1, 1941, there were 213 rifle, 30 cavalry, 5 tank and 2 motorized divisions, 18 rifle, 37 tank and 7 airborne brigades. The forces were far from equal. In addition, some of the military equipment was of outdated designs. That’s why it was so difficult on the battlefields in the Moscow region during the first defensive stage during the Battle of Moscow.
The Nazis brought in groups of 30–50 tanks, their infantry marched in thick lines, supported by artillery fire and air bombing. Heavy fighting ensued in the Volokolamsk and Mozhaisk directions, representing shortest paths to Moscow.
It was in the defensive course of the battles that many of our defenders of the Fatherland were killed on the approaches to Moscow, sometimes striving, at the cost of their lives, not to allow the enemy to reach the capital.
Their heroic resistance was widely reported in the media.
The command of the troops explained the decisions of the State Defense Committee on the introduction of a state of siege in the capital and its suburbs. The Western Front newspaper Krasnoarmeyskaya Pravda noted in an editorial on October 14: “Day and night there is a great battle in which the enemy has put everything at stake. It's a matter of life and death! But great people cannot die, but in order to live, one must block the enemy’s path, one must win!” And the troops understood this. Mass heroism, the like of which history has never known, created the basic preconditions for the subsequent counter-offensive near Moscow.
In the last days of October 1941, G.K. Zhukov proposed going on a counteroffensive without a pause in defensive battles. The troops were tasked with defeating the strike forces of the Army Center and eliminating the immediate threat to Moscow.
On December 6, units of the Red Army launched a counterattack on the advanced groupings of fascist German troops to the north and south of the capital. The offensive unfolded over a 1000 km strip, from Kalinin to Yelets. Soviet troops were advancing against an enemy of equal numbers. In the first three days they advanced 30-40 km. The inspiration of the attackers made up for the lack of equipment. The enemy held firm, but the lack of preparation for conducting military operations in winter conditions and the lack of reserves affected. Hitler, having signed a directive in December on the transition to defense on the Soviet-German front, blamed the failures on the military command and, having removed some of the top army generals from their positions, took over the supreme command. But this did not lead to significant changes. The Red Army's offensive continued, and by early January 1942 the enemy was driven back 100-250 km from Moscow. Our soldiers liberated Kalinin and Kaluga.
Thus, the immediate threat to Moscow was eliminated. This was the first major defeat of the Nazis in the Second World War, which meant the complete collapse of the “blitzkrieg” plan.
3. BATTLE OF STALINGRAD
By mid-July strike forces The Wehrmacht broke through into the large bend of the Don and its lower reaches. The great Battle of Stalingrad unfolded (July 17, 1942 – February 2, 1943). At the same time, the Battle of the Caucasus began (July 25, 1942 – October 9, 1943).
The Battle of Stalingrad, in which more than 2 million people participated on both sides, covered an area of 100 thousand km and lasted 200 days and nights. The enemy led the offensive with the forces of the 6th and 4th tank armies with the participation of Romanian, Hungarian and Italian troops and soon reached the outskirts of Stalingrad. In the battle for the Caucasus, fascist German troops initially also achieved great success. The forces of the North Caucasus (commander - Marshal of the Soviet Union S. M. Budyonny) and Transcaucasian (commander - Army General I. V. Tyulenev) fronts, significantly inferior to the German Army Group "A" (commander - Field Marshal V. List) in the number of troops and equipment, especially tanks (more than 9 times) and aviation (almost 8 times), retreated to the foothills of the Main Caucasian ridge, but in fierce battles they managed to stop the enemy by the end of 1942. They were supported from the sea by the Black Sea Fleet, the Azov and Caspian military flotillas.
During the summer retreat of the Red Army, the military threat to the Soviet country on the southern and Far Eastern borders increased. Turkey was waiting for the breakthrough of Hitler's troops through the Main Caucasus Ridge and the fall of Stalingrad in order to act on the side of the fascist bloc.
The assault on Stalingrad turned into an all-consuming focus for the Nazis. In August, fighting broke out directly in the city. The spring of battle was compressed to failure. Strict orders “Not a step back! ", the heroism and unbending resilience of the soldiers and commanders of the Red Army stood as an insurmountable obstacle to the enemy.
It is important to emphasize that by this time the maximum enemy forces of the entire war were concentrated on the Soviet-German front, the length of which reached 6,200 km. They numbered 266 divisions (over 6.2 million people), about 52 thousand guns and mortars, over 5 thousand tanks and assault guns, 3.5 thousand combat aircraft.
In the Soviet active army by November 1942, there were about 6.6 million people, over 78 thousand guns and mortars (without anti-aircraft guns), over 7.35 thousand tanks and 4.5 thousand combat aircraft. Thus, the balance of forces at the front gradually changed in our favor. Superiority in the number of tanks and aircraft, the creation of strategic reserves were the most important material basis for achieving decisive success in the struggle for the strategic initiative.
In the counter-offensive near Stalingrad, which began on November 19, the troops of the South-Western (commander - Lieutenant General N. F. Vatutin), Stalingrad (commander - Colonel General A. I. Eremenko) and Don (commander - Lieutenant General K. K. Rokossovsky) fronts, repelling the attempt of the German Army Group Don (commander - Field Marshal E. Manstein) to relieve the troops encircled in Stalingrad, inflicted a crushing defeat on the enemy. The remnants of the 6th German Army (91 thousand people), led by the commander, Field Marshal F. Paulus, surrendered on February 2, 1943. Total losses The enemy in the Battle of Stalingrad amounted to 1.5 million people. This victory of the Red Army made a decisive contribution to the development of a radical turning point in the war, had a great influence on the overall change in the military-political situation in the world in favor of the anti-Hitler coalition, and was a powerful stimulus for the growth of the resistance movement against the invaders in Europe and Asia.
In January 1943, the offensive of Soviet troops unfolded in the battle for the Caucasus with the forces of the newly created Southern (commander - Colonel General A. I. Eremenko) and North Caucasus (commander - Lieutenant General I. I. Maslennikov) fronts, Black Sea group troops of the Transcaucasian Front (commander - Lieutenant General I.E. Petrov) with the support of aviation of the 8th, 4th and 5th Air Armies and the assistance of the Black Sea Fleet. Having liberated the North Caucasus, Soviet troops reached the Taman Peninsula in early May. On the Blue Line, which ran from Sea of Azov to Novorossiysk, they met stubborn enemy resistance and went on the defensive.
In January 1943, a partial breakthrough of the blockade of Leningrad was carried out in the north (in a narrow strip along south coast Lake Ladoga) and on the central sector of the front, successful operations that created the conditions for the subsequent offensive in the Kharkov and Kursk directions.
Soviet aviation, having won the largest air battle in Kuban in April–June, ensured strategic air supremacy along the entire Soviet-German front.
Since March 1943, the Supreme Command Headquarters had been working on a strategic offensive plan, the task of which was to defeat the main forces of Army Group South and Center and crush enemy defenses on the front from Smolensk to the Black Sea. It was assumed that Soviet troops would be the first to go on the offensive. However, in mid-April, based on intelligence data that the Wehrmacht command was planning an offensive near Kursk, it was decided to bleed the German troops with a powerful defense and then launch a counteroffensive. Possessing strategic initiative, the Soviet side deliberately began fighting not offensively, but defensively. The development of events showed that this plan was correct.
4. LENINGRAD DURING THE WAR YEARS
The German General Staff and Hitler himself took some pleasure in choosing names for their military plans. The plan to capture Poland was called Weiss (white), France, Holland and Belgium - Gelb (yellow), the female name Marita was called the operation to capture Greece and Yugoslavia.
For the war plan against the USSR, German military leaders chose the nickname of the ferocious German Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa. Barbarossa, in Russian red-bearded, lived in the twelfth century, commanded a knightly army and shed a lot of human blood.
The name Barbarossa defines the nature of the war as cruel, destructive and destructive. She actually meant it that way.
Having started the war in June, German troops intended to reach the line Arkhangelsk - Volga River - by the autumn of 1941. West Coast Caspian Sea. One and a half to two months were allotted for the implementation of the Barbarossa plan.
The Nazis were confident that they would meet the scheduled deadlines. Poland was defeated in 35 days, Denmark fell in 24 hours, Holland in 6 days, Belgium in 18, France resisted for 44 days.
The German offensive against the Soviet Union was to develop in three main directions. Army Group "South" advances from the Lublin region to Zhitomir and Kyiv, Army Group "Center" from the Warsaw region to Minsk, Smolensk, Moscow, Army Group "North" advances from East Prussia through the Baltic republics to Pskov and Leningrad.
4.1. IN BESIED LENINGRAD
Leningrad experienced days full of anxiety and surprises: enemy air raids became more frequent, fires started and, most dangerously, food supplies were depleted. The Germans captured the last railway connecting Leningrad with the country. Vehicle there was very little delivery across the lake, and the ships were subject to constant raids by enemy aircraft.
And at this time, on the approaches to the city, in factories and factories, on the streets and squares - everywhere there was intense work of many thousands of people, they turned the city into a fortress. Townspeople and collective farmers of suburban areas in a short time created a defensive belt of anti-tank ditches 626 km long, built 15,000 pillboxes and bunkers, and 35 km of barricades.
Many construction sites were in close proximity to the enemy and were subject to artillery fire. People worked 12 - 14 hours a day, often in the rain, in soaking wet clothes. This required great physical endurance.
What force raised people to such dangerous and exhausting work? Faith in the rightness of our struggle, understanding of our role in the unfolding events. Deadly danger hung over the entire country. The thunder of cannon fire was approaching every day, but it did not frighten the city’s defenders, but rather hurried them to finish the job they had started.
Can't be overstated labor valor working class of Leningrad. People did not sleep enough, were malnourished, but enthusiastically completed the tasks assigned to them.
The Kirov plant found itself dangerously close to the location of German troops. Defending their hometown and factory, thousands of workers erected fortifications day and night. Trenches were dug, hollows were placed, firing sectors were cleared for guns and machine guns, and approaches were mined.
At the plant, work was going on around the clock to produce tanks that showed their superiority over the German ones in battles. Workers, skilled and without any professional experience, men and women, and even teenagers stood at the machines, persistent and efficient. Shells exploded in the workshops, the plant was bombed, fires broke out, but no one left the workplace. KV tanks came out of the factory gates every day and headed straight to the front.
In those incomprehensibly difficult conditions, military equipment was manufactured at Leningrad enterprises at an increasing pace. In November - December, during the difficult days of the siege, the production of shells and mines exceeded a million pieces per month.
The soldiers and the population made efforts to prevent the enemy from entering Leningrad. In case it was still possible to break into the city, a detailed plan was developed for the destruction of the enemy troops.
Barricades and anti-tank obstacles with a total length of 25 km were erected on streets and intersections, 4,100 pillboxes and bunkers were built, and more than 20 thousand firing points were equipped in buildings. Factories, bridges, public buildings were mined and, at a signal, would fly into the air - piles of stones and iron would fall on the heads of enemy soldiers, rubble would block the path of their tanks. The civilian population was ready for street fighting.
The population of the besieged city eagerly awaited news of the 54th Army advancing from the east. There were legends about this army: it was about to cut a corridor in the blockade ring from the Mga side, and then Leningrad would breathe deeply.
Time passed, but everything remained the same, hopes began to fade.
The situation required speed of action by the 54th Army. In six or seven days after the capture of Shlisselburg, the Germans could not create a strong defense over 40 km along the Mga - Shlisselburg line. This is what Stavka was counting on, demanding that Marshal Kulik launch an attack on the enemy as quickly as possible. However, the commander was in no hurry, limiting himself to artillery shelling of enemy positions. The belated and poorly prepared offensive of the 54th Army ended in failure. Although this army pinned down significant enemy forces and thereby eased the position of our troops defending on the southern approaches to Leningrad, it did not fulfill the task of Headquarters to release the city.
The Lenfront troops suffered heavy losses and were in the grip of the blockade, but were not defeated; moreover, they found themselves in a position of a compressed spiral, which made them more dangerous and formidable for the enemy.
The first, most acute period of the battle for Leningrad did not give the Nazis the desired result, the goal was not achieved, and time was irretrievably lost. And von Leeb understood this. The experienced warrior understood that the advantages of surprise were over, his troops were finally stopped on the eve of winter and were in an unenviable position. Continuing the assault on the city will only lead to huge losses in the already weakened army.
At this time, Hitler, furious that Leeb was trampling around Leningrad and could not take the city, removed him from command of the North group and appointed Colonel General Küchler to this post. Hitler hoped that the new commander would improve the affairs of his predecessor.
Carrying out the blockade, he went out of his way to please the Fuhrer, to carry out his order to starve the population to death. He sank ships that delivered food to the city, dropped mines of high explosive force by parachute, and fired large-caliber shells at the city from a long distance. All his actions proved that Küchler sought to terrorize the population.
During September, enemy aircraft carried out 23 raids. The city was mainly bombed with incendiary bombs and high-power landmines. Fires occurred frequently. Self-defense groups on duty kept watch at the entrances of houses and on the roofs. The fires were extinguished by the efforts of fire brigades with the active assistance of the population of adjacent buildings.
Part of the German aviation was based at the airfields closest to the front line, which allowed enemy pilots to cover the distance to the city in a few minutes, air battles often took place right in the Leningrad sky. Our pilots had exceptional determination - having used up ammunition, they went to ram.
In October, the Germans shelled not only the outskirts and southwestern areas, but also the city center. From the Strelna area, enemy batteries fired at Vasilyevsky Island. Artillery attacks often occurred in conjunction with aerial bombardments and continued for hours.
At the end of September, the enemy began to drop bombs and delayed-action mines on the city, methods for neutralizing which were not known - the enemy used various designs fuses. The elimination of unexploded bombs was often carried out by volunteers; it happened that such bombs exploded and blew daredevils to pieces.
The enemy sent spies and provocateurs into the city, whose task was to spread panic and uncertainty among the besieged, to report on the extent of destruction and the movements of troops. Taking advantage of supply difficulties, enemy aircraft dropped leaflets calling for disobedience to the authorities. The inventive Nazis tried a lot, but they were not successful.
The loss of Shlisselburg caused serious difficulties in Leningrad. The supply of ammunition, food, fuel, and medicines stopped. And the enemy pressed on. The evacuation of the wounded stopped, while more and more of them arrived from the battlefield. The buildings of the university, the Herzen Institute, the Palace of Labor, the Institute of Technology, the European and Angleterre hotels and many others were occupied as hospitals. The additional conditions created by the city had a beneficial effect on the recovery of the wounded and their return to duty.
From the first days of the siege, Leningrad began to lack electricity. There was not enough fuel. Since September, a strict limit on electricity consumption has been introduced for all enterprises and for the needs of the population. In order to have backup power for the most important plants, two powerful turbo-electric ships were used, provided with a full supply of fuel and placed in the right places on the Neva.
Duty teams were also formed to repair the water supply system in case it was damaged, but the Nazis were unable to disable the city’s water supply.
In September - October, the enemy carried out several raids a day and in all cases, regardless of the number of aircraft that appeared, an air raid alert was announced - people went into shelters, basements, specially dug cracks and often stayed there for several hours before lights out. Massive distraction of workers led to great damage. It was decided not to sound the alarm if one or two aircraft appeared. The workers insisted that work should not stop even if there were a large number of planes, unless there was an immediate threat to the plant. We had to take such a risk - the front required weapons.
As soon as the shelling began, the population was notified about this by radio, it was transmitted which streets were being shelled, instructions were given which side to keep for pedestrians, and in which dangerous area traffic was stopped. Public institutions worked according to the usual schedule, and trade in stores was carried out from 6.00 to 9.00
The enemy shelled the city at different times. But during the hours of finishing and starting work, intense fire opened. Such fascist tactics, aimed at the mass murder of civilians, were monstrous and senseless, and can only be explained by stupid vindictiveness towards the besieged for their resistance.
Our aviation monitored the area of the supposed positions of enemy heavy batteries. The artillerymen pinpointed the location of enemy guns by their first shots and returned fire, after which the shelling of the city stopped.
The military defense of the city was effectively complemented by civil defense, in which a huge number of people participated. The example of the Leningraders confirms that successful rebuff to the enemy depends not only on the presence of a capable army, but also on the participation of the entire people in the struggle.
In the defense of the city exclusively important role played by the Baltic Fleet. The sailors gave a worthy rebuff to the enemy. Kronstadt and its forts, naval artillery They opened hurricane fire from their guns at enemy positions, causing serious damage to enemy personnel and equipment. From September 1941 to January 1942, the Baltic Fleet fired 71,508 large-caliber shells at enemy troops.
4.2. AVAILABILITY AND SEARCH OF FOOD
At the time of the blockade, there were 2 million 544 thousand civilians in the city, including about 400 thousand children. In addition, 343 thousand people remained in suburban areas (in the blockade ring). In September, when systematic bombing, shelling and fires began, many thousands of families wanted to leave, but the routes were cut off. Mass evacuation of citizens began only in January 1942 along the ice road.
There is no doubt that there was slowness in the evacuation of people in the initial period of the war. A large number of children, women, old people and the sick remaining in the besieged city created additional difficulties.
With the help of people allocated by the city party committee, on September 10 and 11, a recount of all food supplies, livestock, poultry, and grain was carried out. Based on the actual expenditure on providing troops and the population, on September 12 there was: flour and grain for 35 days, cereals and pasta for 30, meat for 33 days, fat for 45, sugar and confectionery for 60 days.
From the first days of September, food cards were introduced in Leningrad. In order to save food, canteens, restaurants and other public catering establishments are closed. Product consumption in excess established limit without special permission from the Supreme Council was strictly prohibited.
Livestock available in state farms, was slaughtered, and the meat was delivered to procurement points for distribution. It was proposed to transport feed grain intended for animal feed to mills, grind it and use it as an additive to rye flour in baking. The administration of medical institutions was required to cut out food coupons from the cards of citizens undergoing treatment during their stay in hospitals. The same procedure applied to children in orphanages.
To avoid loss due to various fires, flour and other food products were transported to warehouses in safer places.
During the entire period of the blockade, the Nazis failed to cause serious damage to food supplies, with the exception of the loss of a small amount of flour and sugar from a fire in the Badayev warehouses. But Leningrad needed more food.
4.3. The road of life
The only communication left for the supply of food and ammunition was along Lake Ladoga, and even this route was unreliable. It was necessary to protect it from enemy attacks at all costs and urgently organize the movement of ships.
There were very few ships on Ladoga and therefore they could not significantly help the starving city.
November came and Ladoga began to gradually become covered in ice. By November 17, the ice thickness reached 100 mm, which was not enough to open traffic. Everyone was waiting for frost.
Horse transport, cars, tractors were prepared for the transportation of goods. Road workers measured the thickness of the ice on the entire lake every day, but were unable to speed up its growth.
On November 22, the long-awaited day came when the cars took to the ice. Observing intervals, at low speed, they followed the tracks of the horses to collect the cargo.
It seemed that the worst was now behind us, we could breathe more freely. But harsh reality upset all calculations and hopes for a quick improvement in the nutrition of the population.
On November 22, the convoy returned, leaving 33 tons of food in the city. The next day, only 19 tons were delivered. Such a small amount of food delivered was due to the fragility of the ice; two-ton trucks carried 2-3 bags each, and even with such caution, several vehicles sank. Later, sleds began to be attached to trucks; this method made it possible to reduce the pressure on the ice and increase the amount of cargo.
On November 25, only 70 tons were delivered, the next day - 150 tons. On November 30th the weather became warmer and only 62 tons were transported.
Despite all efforts, it was possible to import about 800 tons of flour from November 23 to December 1 (2-day requirement). During this time, 40 trucks sank.
There was little food left in the city; the military council decided to transfer the existing food supplies from the sailors to supply the population.
The Military Council made some changes in the management of convoys (subordinated all vehicles directly to the head of the road).
On December 22, 700 tons of food were delivered across the lake, and the next day 100 tons more.
On December 25, the first increase in the standards for the distribution of bread occurred: to workers by 100 grams, to employees, dependents and children by 75 grams.
On January 24, new bread supply standards are introduced. Workers began to receive 400 grams, employees 300, dependents and children 250, troops in the first line 600, troops in the rear units 400 grams.
On February 11, rations were increased again. The winter road became busier every day. Winter passed and the ice melted, but the road did not die; trucks and sleighs were replaced by barges and boats.
4.4. Liberation
At the beginning of December 1942, Soviet troops surrounded, and in January - early February 1943 they defeated the main enemy group, broke through the German defenses and went on the offensive, throwing the enemy hundreds of kilometers to the west.
Taking advantage of the favorable situation, the troops of the Volkhov and Leningrad fronts, reinforced with reserves, struck from both sides at the enemy’s fortified positions south of Ladoga.
German units put up strong resistance. After seven days of heavy fighting, the enemy was driven back 10 km from the southern shore of Lake Ladoga.
The sixteen-month blockade of Leningrad was broken through the efforts of Soviet soldiers on January 18, 1943.
The government, wanting to provide support to the population and defenders of the city as soon as possible, is taking measures to accelerate the construction of the railway in the gust zone. In 18 days, a 33 km long road was built and a temporary bridge was built across the Neva.
The city's supply improved dramatically. Coal was brought in, industry received electricity, frozen plants and factories came to life. The city was regaining its strength.
The general situation on the Soviet-German front remained tense and did not allow the German troops near Leningrad to be completely defeated at that time.
The situation by the end of 1943 had changed radically. Our troops were preparing for new decisive blows against the enemy.
Near Leningrad, fascist German divisions continued to remain in their positions along a significant length of the front line. Hitler and his staff still hoped to capture the city.
But the hour of reckoning has come. Lenfront troops, well trained and equipped with military equipment, under the command of Army General Govorov, went on the offensive from the Oranienbaum and Pulkovo areas in mid-January 1944. The forts and ships of the Baltic Fleet opened hurricane fire on the fortified German positions. At the same time, the Volkhov Front struck the enemy with all its might. Before the start of the offensive of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts, the 2nd Baltic Front pinned down enemy reserves with active actions and did not allow them to be transferred to Leningrad. As a result of a plan carefully developed by talented commanders, well-organized interaction of troops three fronts and the Baltic Fleet, the strongest group of Germans was defeated, and Leningrad was completely freed from the blockade.
4.5. END OF THE BLOCKADE
And then and now, when more than half a century has passed since Leningrad was liberated from the siege, people all over the world were and are amazed by one thing: how could the Leningraders, given such hardships, withstand a struggle unprecedented in the history of wars? What was their strength?
Leningrad withstood such a long siege, primarily because the population, brought up on revolutionary, military and labor traditions, defended the city until their last breath. And although there was no firewood or coal, and the winter was severe, there was gunfire day and night, fires were burning, acute hunger was tormenting, the Leningraders endured everything. Protecting the city became a civic, national, and social duty for them.
5. BATTLE OF KURSK TANK BATTLE
(UNDER PROKHOROVKA)
To carry out the operation near Kursk, which received the name “Citadel,” the enemy concentrated enormous forces and appointed the most experienced military leaders: 50 divisions, including 16 tank divisions, Army Group Center (commander - Field Marshal G. Kluge) and Army Group "South" (commander - Field Marshal E. Manstein). In total, the enemy strike forces included over 900 thousand people, about 10 thousand guns and mortars, up to 2,700 tanks and assault guns and more than 2 thousand aircraft. An important place in the enemy’s plan was given to the massive use of new military equipment - Tiger and Panther tanks, as well as new aircraft (Focke-Wulf-190A fighters and Henschel-129 attack aircraft).
The Soviet command countered the offensive of fascist German troops against the northern and southern fronts of the Kursk ledge, which began on July 5, 1943, with a strong active defense. The enemy, attacking Kursk from the north, was stopped four days later. He managed to wedge 10–12 km into the defense of the Soviet troops. The group advancing on Kursk from the south advanced 35 km, but did not reach its goal.
On July 12, Soviet troops, having exhausted the enemy, launched a counteroffensive. On this day, in the area of the Prokhorovka railway station, the largest oncoming tank battle of the Second World War took place (up to 1200 tanks and self-propelled guns at both sides). Developing the offensive, Soviet ground forces, supported from the air by massive strikes by the forces of the 2nd and 17th Air Armies, as well as long-range aviation, by August 23 pushed the enemy to the west by 140 - 150 km, liberating Orel, Belgorod and Kharkov.
The Wehrmacht lost in Battle of Kursk 30 selected divisions, including 7 tank divisions, over 500 thousand soldiers and officers, 1.5 thousand tanks, more than 3.7 thousand aircraft, 3 thousand guns.
CONCLUSION
Consequences of the Great Patriotic War. So, the Great Patriotic War was the largest event in the history of the 20th century. It was not only a fierce armed struggle between opposing forces, but also a decisive confrontation with the aggressor in the economic, political, diplomatic spheres, in the field of ideology and psychology.
The price of Victory, as part of the price of war, expresses a complex set of material, economic, intellectual, spiritual and other efforts of the state and people, the damage they suffered, damage, losses and costs. These are also the corresponding consequences not only in social and demographic terms, but also in the foreign policy and economic spheres of international relations, which last for many years.
The Great Patriotic War consumed enormous material resources, devastated people's habitats, damaged nature, and left a bad memory of itself for many centuries. This bloody battle claimed millions of human lives. She strengthened many, but at the same time crippled the destinies of people, radically changed their lives, bringing them the pangs of suffering, deprivation, bitterness and sadness.
In other words, the war and Victory in it required unprecedented costs and sacrifices of various kinds from our country and its people.
The human sacrifices of the Soviet Union are the main component of the price of Victory. However, the process of identifying human losses in the Great Patriotic War has complex history. It is characterized by falsification of realities, long-term concealment of specific facts, strict censorship on the publication of research results, and persecution of dissidents.
However, in 1993, when the classification of secrecy was lifted, information similar to the truth, but far from complete, became known about human casualties during the Great Patriotic War. They amounted to 27 million people. But when calculating this figure, neither the tens or hundreds of thousands of people who continued to die after the end of the war in military hospitals, civilian hospitals, at home and in nursing homes were taken into account. Also, the indirect losses that our country suffered due to unborn children, their children, their grandchildren and great-grandchildren were not taken into account.
As is known, enormous damage was caused to the national economy of the country. The Nazis completely or partially destroyed 1,710 cities and towns, more than 70 thousand villages, over 6 million buildings, leaving 25 million people homeless. They disabled 32 thousand large and medium-sized industrial enterprises and 65 thousand kilometers of railway tracks.
The enemy destroyed 40 thousand medical institutions, 84 thousand educational institutions, 43 thousand libraries. He plundered and destroyed 98 thousand collective farms and 1876 state farms. The occupiers slaughtered, took away or stole 7 million horses, 17 million cattle cattle, 20 million pigs, 27 million sheep and goats, 110 million heads poultry.
The total cost of material losses suffered by the USSR is equal to 679 billion rubles in 1941 state prices. The entire damage caused to the national economy, together with military expenses and temporary loss of income from industry and agriculture in the areas subject to occupation, amounted to 2 trillion 569 billion rubles.
And yet, the Great Patriotic War was an anti-human phenomenon that was given to the Soviet people with great difficulty. The consequences of the war were very great for both the Soviet Union and its allies. The number of human casualties turned out to be very large, and the population was restored and reached the same level as before the war - 194 million people, only a full 10 years after the end of the Great Patriotic War (1955). Nevertheless, in the popular consciousness, Victory Day became perhaps the brightest and most joyful holiday, marking the end of the bloodiest and most destructive of wars.
REFERENCES
1. Memories and reflections of Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov: in 1 volume. / A.D. Mirkina – 2nd add. ed., - M.: Publishing House of the News Press Agency, 1974. - 432 p.
2. Memories and reflections of Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov: in 2 volumes. / A.D. Mirkina – 2nd add. ed., - M.: Publishing House of the News Press Agency, 1974. - 448 p.
3. History of Russia: textbook / A.S. Orlov, V.A. Georgiev. 2nd ed., revised. and additional – M.: TK Welby, Prospekt Publishing House, 2004. – 520 p.
4. Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union 1941 – 1945: Short story/ Telpukhovsky B.S. 3rd ed., Spanish and additional – M: Voenizdat, 1984. – 560 p.
5. Kuznetsov N.G. Course to victory. - M.: Voenizdat, 1975. – 512 p.
6. Moskalenko K.S. In the South-Western direction. - M.: Nauka, 1969. – 464 p.
Confrontation between the USSR and German Empire, its allies and satellites, is one of the most important episodes of the Second World War, characterized by extremely tough confrontation between the parties.
Germany initially considered the campaign against the USSR as an episode of the fight against England, counting on 6-8 weeks of hostilities, according to the developed Barbarossa plan. It was planned that before the onset of winter, the Wehrmacht would achieve its goals by reaching the Volga River, on the Arkhangelsk-Astrakhan line, destroying the opposing enemy army and neutralizing the industrial potential of the Soviet Union, right up to the Urals.
Start Great Patriotic War characterized by large losses of the Red Army during battles, regular retreats from defense lines and troops who were surrounded as a result of successful enemy actions. Already in the winter of 1941 it became clear that the plan “ Barbarossa“failed: the Wehrmacht was stopped near Leningrad (the tragedy of the city has no analogues, the city was encircled, supplies were interrupted, and the blockade lasted until January 1944) and Moscow.
In the south of the country, near Rostov-on-Don, German troops had to go on the defensive. The Nazis advanced up to 1,200 kilometers deep into the territory of the USSR, raw materials and industrial centers were captured, the country lost millions of its compatriots for a long time, but the aggressor, having lost 730 thousand people, could no longer count on a quick end to the campaign.
As a result of the counter-offensive of the Soviet army near Moscow (winter of 1941-1942), the enemy was driven back from the capital, and the threat of capturing the largest transport hub was removed. Attempts to break the blockade of Leningrad and liberate Crimea were repulsed.
First two years Great Patriotic War were the most difficult for the Soviet Union, huge losses of both territory and population of the country created the threat of defeat, but by the summer of 1942 the economy was firmly on a “war footing.” Production of tanks, aircraft, guns and small arms enterprises evacuated to Siberia and Far East, grew exponentially, re-equipment with new types of equipment and weapons occurred rapidly.
The turning point in the Great Patriotic War came only with the encirclement and destruction of the enemy group at Stalingrad (winter of 1942-1943), the strategic initiative passed to the USSR, and hostilities began to shift to the west. The slow and difficult liberation of the country from the invaders began.
By June 1944, the territory of the Soviet Union was practically liberated; Soviet armies fought battles in Poland and Czechoslovakia. By the beginning of 1945, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Finland had left the alliance with Germany, but the main battle was still ahead.
In April 1945, three fronts simultaneously launched the Berlin offensive operation; by that time the city had been turned into an impregnable citadel, the approaches to it were surrounded by defensive lines. By May 8, 1945, the city was taken.
The Great Patriotic War ended with victory over the Nazi invaders and unconditional surrender signed by the German leadership. The fighting lasted for 1418 days. The losses of the armies of the USSR and the Axis countries (Germany and its satellites) numbered in the millions.
The USSR, as part of the anti-Hitler coalition, pinning down the enemy's enormous forces and grinding them down, won a victory over Nazi Germany. Between 70% and 75% of Germany's armed forces participated in the conflict on the Eastern Front, and more than 600 enemy divisions were captured, defeated or destroyed.
The Great Patriotic War turned out to be devastating for the Soviet Union: cities in ruins after air raids and artillery shelling, huge casualties, destroyed factories, but independence was defended. At the cost of incredible efforts, Nazism was defeated, and the country confirmed its right to be a world superpower. At the Potsdam Conference, the leaders of the USSR, Great Britain and the USA determined the post-war arrangement of Europe.
The Great Patriotic War is one of the most terrible and difficult pages in our history. Even Soviet historians decided to divide the period of hostilities into three main stages - the time of defense, the time of offensive and the time of liberation of lands from invaders and victory over Germany. The victory in the Patriotic War was of great importance not only for the Soviet Union; the defeat and destruction of fascism had an impact on the further political and economic development of the whole world. And the prerequisites for the great victory were laid in the initial time periods of the Great Patriotic War.
Main stages
Stages of the war | Characteristic |
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First stage | The attack of Nazi Germany on the Soviet Union - the beginning of the counteroffensive at Stalingrad | Strategic defense of the Red Army |
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Second phase | Battle of Stalingrad – liberation of Kyiv | A turning point in the war; transition from defense to offense |
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Third stage | Opening of the second front – Victory Day over Nazi Germany | Expulsion of invaders from Soviet lands, liberation of Europe, defeat and surrender of Germany |
Each of the three main designated periods of the Great Patriotic War had its own characteristics, its pros and cons, its mistakes and important victories. So, the first stage is the time of defense, the time of heavy defeats, which, however, gave the opportunity to consider the weaknesses of the (then) Red Army and eliminate them. The second stage is characterized as the time of the start of offensive operations, crucial moment during military operations. Having realized the mistakes they had made and having gathered all their strength, the Soviet troops were able to go on the offensive. The third stage is the period of the offensive, victorious movement of the Soviet Army, the time of liberation of the occupied lands and the final expulsion of the fascist invaders from the territory of the Soviet Union. The march of the army continued across Europe right up to the borders of Germany. And by May 9, 1945, the fascist troops were finally defeated, and the German government was forced to capitulate. Victory Day is the most important date in modern history.
a brief description of
Characteristic |
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|---|---|
The initial stage of military operations, characterized as a time of defense and retreat, a time of heavy defeats and lost battles. “Everything for the front, everything for victory” - this slogan proclaimed by Stalin became the main program of action for the coming years. |
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A turning point in the war, characterized by the transfer of initiative from the hands of the aggressor Germany to the USSR. Advances of the Soviet army on all fronts, many successful military operations. Significant increase in production aimed at military needs. Active assistance from allies. |
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The final period of the war, characterized by the liberation of Soviet lands and the expulsion of the invaders. With the opening of the Second Front, Europe was completely liberated. The end of the Patriotic War and the surrender of Germany. |
However, it is worth noting that with the end of the Patriotic War, World War II was not over yet. Here, historians highlight another stage, dating back to the Second World War, and not the Patriotic War, within the time frame from May 10, 1945 to September 2, 1945. This period is characterized by the victory over Japan and the defeat of the remaining troops allied with Nazi Germany.
Chronology
- 1941, June 22 - 1945, May 9 Great Patriotic War
- 1941, October - December Battle of Moscow
- 1942, November - 1943, February Battle of Stalingrad
- 1943, July - August Battle of Kursk
- 1944, January Liquidation of the siege of Leningrad
- 1944 Liberation of the territory of the USSR from fascist invaders
- 1945, April - May Battle of Berlin
- 1945, May 9 Victory Day of the Soviet Union over Germany
- 1945, August - September Defeat of Japan
Great Patriotic War (1941 - 1945)
Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union 1941 - 1945. as an integral and decisive part of the Second World War 1939 - 1945. has three periods:
June 22, 1941 - November 18, 1942. It is characterized by measures to transform the country into a single military camp, the collapse of Hitler’s “blitzkrieg” strategy and the creation of conditions for a radical change in the war.
Beginning of 1944 - May 9, 1945. Complete expulsion of fascist invaders from Soviet soil; liberation by the Soviet Army of the peoples of Eastern and South-Eastern Europe; the final defeat of Nazi Germany.
By 1941, Nazi Germany and its allies captured virtually all of Europe: Poland was defeated, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg were occupied. The French army resisted for only 40 days. The British expeditionary army suffered a major defeat, whose units were evacuated to the British Isles. Fascist troops entered the territory of the Balkan countries. In Europe, essentially, there was no force that could stop the aggressor. The Soviet Union became such a force. The Soviet people accomplished a great feat, saving world civilization from fascism.
In 1940, the fascist leadership developed a plan “ Barbarossa”, the goal of which was the lightning defeat of the Soviet Armed Forces and the occupation of the European part of the Soviet Union. Further plans included the complete destruction of the USSR. The ultimate goal Nazi troops were to reach the Volga-Arkhangelsk line, and the Urals were planned to be paralyzed with the help of aviation. To do this, 153 German divisions and 37 divisions of its allies (Finland, Romania and Hungary) were concentrated in the eastern direction. They had to strike in three directions: central(Minsk - Smolensk - Moscow), northwest(Baltics - Leningrad) and southern(Ukraine with access to Black Sea coast). A lightning campaign was planned to capture the European part of the USSR before the fall of 1941.
The first period of the Great Patriotic War (1941 - 1942)
Start of the war
Implementation of the plan “ Barbarossa” started at dawn June 22, 1941. extensive air bombing of the largest industrial and strategic centers, as well as the offensive ground forces Germany and its allies along the entire European border of the USSR (over 4.5 thousand km).
Fascist planes drop bombs on peaceful Soviet cities. June 22, 1941
In the first few days, German troops advanced tens and hundreds of kilometers. On central direction at the beginning of July 1941, all of Belarus was captured, and German troops reached the approaches to Smolensk. On northwest- the Baltic states are occupied, Leningrad is blocked on September 9. On south Hitler's troops occupied Moldova and Right Bank Ukraine. Thus, by the autumn of 1941, Hitler’s plan to seize the vast territory of the European part of the USSR was carried out.
153 fascist German divisions (3,300 thousand people) and 37 divisions (300 thousand people) of the satellite states of Hitler Germany were thrown against the Soviet state. They were armed with 3,700 tanks, 4,950 aircraft and 48 thousand guns and mortars.
By the beginning of the war against the USSR, as a result of the occupation of Western European countries, 180 Czechoslovak, French, English, Belgian, Dutch and Norwegian divisions received weapons, ammunition and equipment at the disposal of Nazi Germany. This not only made it possible to equip the fascist troops with sufficient quantities of military equipment and equipment, but also to ensure superiority in military potential over the Soviet troops.
In our western districts there were 2.9 million people, who were armed with 1,540 new types of aircraft, 1,475 modern tanks T-34 and KV and 34,695 guns and mortars. The Nazi army had great superiority in strength.
Characterizing the reasons for the failures of the Soviet Armed Forces in the first months of the war, many historians today see them in serious mistakes made by the Soviet leadership in the pre-war years. In 1939, large mechanized corps, so necessary in modern warfare, production of 45 and 76 mm anti-tank guns was stopped, fortifications on the old Western border were dismantled, and much more.
The weakening of the command staff caused by pre-war repressions also played a negative role. All this led to an almost complete change in the command and political composition of the Red Army. By the beginning of the war, about 75% of commanders and 70% of political workers had been in their positions for less than one year. Even the chief of the general staff of the ground forces of Nazi Germany, General F. Halder, noted in his diary in May 1941: “The Russian officer corps is exceptionally bad. It makes a worse impression than in 1933. It will take Russia 20 years until it reaches its previous heights.” The officer corps of our country had to be recreated already in the conditions of the outbreak of war.
Among the serious mistakes of the Soviet leadership should be included a miscalculation in determining the time of a possible attack by Nazi Germany on the USSR.
Stalin and his entourage believed that Hitler’s leadership would not dare to violate the non-aggression treaty concluded with the USSR in the near future. All information received through various channels, including military and political intelligence, about the upcoming German attack was considered by Stalin as provocative, aimed at aggravating relations with Germany. This can also explain the government’s assessment conveyed in a TASS statement on June 14, 1941, in which rumors about an impending German attack were declared provocative. This also explained the fact that the directive to bring the troops of the western military districts into combat readiness and occupy combat lines was given too late. Essentially, the directive was received by the troops when the war had already begun. Therefore, the consequences of this were extremely severe.
At the end of June - the first half of July 1941, large defensive border battles unfolded (defense of the Brest Fortress, etc.).
Defenders of the Brest Fortress. Hood. P. Krivonogov. 1951
From July 16 to August 15, the defense of Smolensk continued in the central direction. In the northwestern direction, the German plan to capture Leningrad failed. In the south, the defense of Kyiv was carried out until September 1941, and Odessa until October. The stubborn resistance of the Red Army in the summer and autumn of 1941 thwarted Hitler's plan for a lightning war. At the same time, the capture by the fascist command by the fall of 1941 of the vast territory of the USSR with its most important industrial centers and grain regions was a serious loss for the Soviet government. (Reader T11 No. 3)
Restructuring the country's life on a war footing
Immediately after the German attack, the Soviet government carried out major military-political and economic measures to repel aggression. On June 23, the Headquarters of the Main Command was formed. July 10 it was converted into Headquarters of the Supreme High Command. It included I.V. Stalin (appointed commander-in-chief and soon became people's commissar of defense), V.M. Molotov, S.K. Timoshenko, S.M. Budyonny, K.E. Voroshilov, B.M. Shaposhnikov and G.K. Zhukov. By a directive of June 29, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR and the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks set the entire country the task of mobilizing all forces and means to fight the enemy. On June 30, the State Defense Committee was created(GKO), which concentrated all power in the country. Has been radically revised military doctrine, the task was put forward to organize a strategic defense, wear down and stop the advance of the fascist troops. Large-scale events were carried out to transfer industry to a military footing, mobilize the population into the army and build defensive lines.
Page of the newspaper "Moscow Bolshevik" dated July 3, 1941 with the text of a speech by J.V. Stalin. Fragment
One of the main tasks, which had to be resolved from the first days of the war, was the fastest restructuring of the national economy, the entire economy of the country on military rails. The main line of this restructuring was defined in the Directive of June 29, 1941. Specific measures to restructure the national economy began to be implemented from the very beginning of the war. On the second day of the war, a mobilization plan for the production of ammunition and cartridges was introduced. And on June 30, the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR approved the mobilization national economic plan for the third quarter of 1941. However, events at the front developed so unfavorably for us that this plan was not fulfilled. Taking into account the current situation, on July 4, 1941, a decision was made to urgently develop a new plan for the development of military production. The GKO resolution on July 4, 1941 noted: “To instruct the commission of Comrade Voznesensky, with the involvement of the People's Commissar of Arms, Ammunition, Aviation Industry, Non-ferrous Metallurgy and other People's Commissars develop a military-economic plan for ensuring the country's defense, referring to the use of resources and enterprises located on the Volga, Western Siberia and the Urals.” This commission developed in two weeks new plan for the IV quarter of 1941 and for 1942 in the regions of the Volga region, the Urals, Western Siberia, Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
For the speedy deployment of a production base in the Volga region, Urals, Western Siberia, Kazakhstan and Central Asia, it was decided to bring industrial enterprises People's Commissariat of Ammunition, People's Commissariat of Armaments, People's Commissariat of Aviation Industry, etc.
Members of the Politburo, who were at the same time members of the State Defense Committee, exercised general management of the main branches of the military economy. Issues of production of weapons and ammunition were dealt with by N.A. Voznesensky, aircraft and aircraft engines - G.M. Malenkov, tanks - V.M. Molotov, food, fuel and clothing - A.I. Mikoyan and others. Industrial People's Commissariat was headed by: A.L. Shakhurin - aviation industry, V.L. Vannikov - ammunition, I.F. Tevosyan - ferrous metallurgy, A.I. Efremov - machine tool industry, V.V. Vakhrushev - coal, I.I. Sedin is an oil worker.
The main link in the restructuring of the national economy on a war footing became industrial restructuring. Almost all mechanical engineering was transferred to military production.
In November 1941, the People's Commissariat of General Engineering was transformed into the People's Commissariat of the Mortar Industry. In addition to the People's Commissariat of the aviation industry, shipbuilding, weapons and ammunition created before the war, two People's Commissariat of the tank and mortar industry were formed at the beginning of the war. Thanks to this, all major branches of the military industry received specialized centralized control. Production has started rocket launchers, which existed before the war only in prototypes. Their production is organized at the Moscow Kompressor plant. The first missile combat installation was given the name “Katyusha” by front-line soldiers.
At the same time, the process was actively carried out training of workers through the labor reserve system. In just two years, about 1,100 thousand people were trained to work in industry through this area.
For the same purposes, in February 1942, the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR “On the mobilization of the able-bodied urban population to work in production and construction during wartime” was adopted.
During the restructuring of the national economy, the main center of the military economy of the USSR became eastern industrial base, which was significantly expanded and strengthened with the outbreak of the war. Already in 1942, the share of eastern regions in all-Union production.
As a result, the eastern industrial base bore the brunt of supplying the army with weapons and equipment. In 1942, military production in the Urals increased by more than 6 times compared to 1940, in Western Siberia by 27 times, and in the Volga region by 9 times. In general, during the war industrial production in these areas has more than tripled. This was a great military-economic victory achieved by the Soviet people during these years. It laid solid foundations for the final victory over Nazi Germany.
Progress of military operations in 1942
In the summer of 1942, the fascist leadership relied on capturing the oil regions of the Caucasus, the fertile regions of southern Russia and the industrial Donbass. Kerch and Sevastopol were lost.
At the end of June 1942, a general German offensive unfolded in two directions: on Caucasus and to the east - to Volga.
Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union (22.VI. 1941 - 9.V. 1945)
On Caucasian direction at the end of July 1942, a strong Nazi group crossed the Don. As a result, Rostov, Stavropol and Novorossiysk were captured. Stubborn fighting took place in the central part of the Main Caucasus Range, where specially trained enemy alpine riflemen operated in the mountains. Despite the successes achieved in the Caucasus, the fascist command was never able to resolve its main task- break through to Transcaucasia to take possession oil reserves Baku. By the end of September, the offensive of fascist troops in the Caucasus was stopped.
An equally difficult situation for the Soviet command arose in east direction. It was created to cover it Stalingrad Front under the command of Marshal S.K. Tymoshenko. In connection with the current critical situation, Order No. 227 of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief was issued, which stated: “To retreat further means to ruin ourselves and at the same time our Motherland.” At the end July 1942. enemy under command General von Paulus dealt a powerful blow to Stalingrad front. However, despite the significant superiority in forces, within a month the fascist troops managed to advance only 60 - 80 km.
From the first days of September began heroic defense of Stalingrad, which actually continued until the end of 1942. Its significance during the Great Patriotic War is enormous. Thousands of Soviet patriots showed themselves heroically in the battles for the city.
Street fighting in Stalingrad. 1942
As a result, enemy troops suffered colossal losses in the battles for Stalingrad. Every month of the battle, about 250 thousand new Wehrmacht soldiers and officers, the bulk of military equipment, were sent here. By mid-November 1942, the Nazi troops, having lost more than 180 thousand people killed and 500 thousand wounded, were forced to stop the offensive.
During the summer-autumn campaign of 1942, the Nazis managed to occupy a huge part of the European part of the USSR, but the enemy was stopped.
Second period of the Great Patriotic War (1942 - 1943)
The final stage of the war (1944 - 1945)
Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union (22.VI. 1941 - 9.V. 1945)
In the winter of 1944, the offensive of Soviet troops began near Leningrad and Novgorod.
900 day blockade heroic Leningrad, broken through in 1943, was completely removed.
United! Breaking the blockade of Leningrad. January 1943
Summer 1944. The Red Army carried out one of the largest operations of the Great Patriotic War (“ Bagration”). Belarus was completely released. This victory opened the way for advances into Poland, the Baltic states and East Prussia. In mid-August 1944. Soviet troops in the western direction reached border with Germany.
At the end of August, Moldova was liberated.
These largest operations of 1944 were accompanied by the liberation of other territories of the Soviet Union - Transcarpathian Ukraine, the Baltic states, the Karelian Isthmus and the Arctic.
The victories of Russian troops in 1944 helped the peoples of Bulgaria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia in their struggle against fascism. In these countries, pro-German regimes were overthrown, and patriotic forces came to power. The Polish Army, created back in 1943 on the territory of the USSR, took the side of the anti-Hitler coalition.
Main results offensive operations carried out in 1944, consisted in the fact that the liberation of Soviet land was completely completed, the state border of the USSR was completely restored, military operations were transferred beyond the borders of our Motherland.
Front commanders at the final stage of the war
A further offensive of the Red Army against Hitler's troops was launched on the territory of Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia. The Soviet command, developing the offensive, carried out a number of operations outside the USSR (Budapest, Belgrade, etc.). They were caused by the need to destroy large enemy groups in these territories in order to prevent the possibility of their transfer to the defense of Germany. At the same time, the introduction of Soviet troops into the countries of Eastern and South-Eastern Europe strengthened the left and communist parties and the overall influence of the Soviet Union in the region.
T-34-85 in the mountains of Transylvania
IN January 1945. Soviet troops began broad offensive operations in order to complete the defeat of Nazi Germany. The offensive took place on a huge 1,200 km front from the Baltic to the Carpathians. Polish, Czechoslovak, Romanian and Bulgarian troops operated together with the Red Army. The French aviation regiment “Normandy-Neman” also fought as part of the 3rd Belorussian Front.
By the end of the winter of 1945, the Soviet Army had completely liberated Poland and Hungary, a significant part of Czechoslovakia and Austria. In the spring of 1945, the Red Army reached the approaches to Berlin.
Berlin offensive operation (16.IV - 8.V 1945)
It was a difficult battle in a burning, dilapidated city. On May 8, representatives of the Wehrmacht signed an act of unconditional surrender.
Signing of the act of unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany
On May 9, Soviet troops completed their last operation - they defeated the Nazi army group surrounding the capital of Czechoslovakia, Prague, and entered the city.
The long-awaited Victory Day has arrived, which has become a great holiday. The decisive role in achieving this victory, in achieving the defeat of Nazi Germany and ending the Second World War belongs to the Soviet Union.
Defeated fascist standards