Second Patriotic War 1941 1945. The main battles of the Great Patriotic War. United Nations Declaration

From 1939 to 1945, the world was engulfed in brutal military battles called World War II. Within its framework, a particularly serious confrontation between Germany and the USSR is highlighted, which has received a separate name. Our article briefly talks about the Great Patriotic War.

Prerequisites for the beginning

At the beginning of World War II, the USSR maintained a neutral position, using Germany's actions to its advantage: the weakening of England, France and Germany itself. In addition, on August 23, 1939, the Soviet Union agreed to sign a Non-Aggression Pact with the Germans. Germany accepted all the conditions of the Russians, supplementing the agreement with a secret protocol on the redistribution of Eastern Europe.

The leadership of the countries understood that this agreement does not guarantee, but reduces the risk of hostilities between them. Hitler hoped in this way to keep the USSR from concluding an alliance with Great Britain and France and prematurely entering the war. Although he himself planned in advance to seize the Union after the victory in Europe.

Stalin was dissatisfied with the removal of the USSR from resolving issues of world politics and the British delaying the conclusion of an alliance, and the agreement with Germany made it possible to almost unhinderedly annex the Baltic states and Bessarabia to Russia.

02.04.2009 European Parliament by a majority vote approved August 23 as the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Stalinism and Nazism, equating all acts of aggression by both regimes with war crimes.

In October 1940, Germany, having learned that England was counting on Russia's help in the war, invited the USSR to join the Axis countries. Stalin put forward to Hitler a condition according to which Finland, Romania, Greece, and Bulgaria would have to withdraw to the USSR. Germany was categorically against this and stopped negotiations with the Union.

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In November, Hitler approved the previously developed plan for attacking the USSR and found other allies (Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania).

Although the USSR as a whole was preparing for war, Germany, violating the treaty, attacked suddenly, without an official announcement (it took place after the fact). It is the day of the attack, June 22, 1941, that is considered the date of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War 1941 1945.

Rice. 1. German invasion of the USSR.

Periods of war

Having developed the Barbarossa plan (attack operation), Germany hoped to capture Russia during 1941, but, despite the poor readiness of the Soviet troops and their defeat in the initial period of the Second World War, Hitler received not a quick victory, but a protracted war. Slovakia, Romania, Italy, and Hungary took the side of Germany.

The entire course of military operations is conventionally divided into the following stages:

• First (June 1941-November 1942): the beginning of armed clashes along the Soviet border; German breakthroughs that brought defeat to Soviet troops in three defensive operations; resumption of war with Finland, which recaptured its lands. Defeat of German troops in the Moscow direction. Siege of Leningrad;
• Second (radical change, November 1942-December 1943): victory of Soviet troops in the southern direction (Stalingrad offensive operation); liberation of the North Caucasus, breakthrough Leningrad blockade. Defeat of the Germans in large-scale battles near Kursk and on the banks of the Dnieper;
• Third (January 1944-May 1945): liberation of Right Bank Ukraine; lifting the Leningrad blockade; reconquest of Crimea, the rest of Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic states, the Arctic, and the northern part of Norway. The Soviet army is pushing the Germans beyond its borders. The attack on Berlin, during which Soviet troops met with American troops on the Elbe on April 25, 1945. Berlin was captured on May 2, 1945.

Rice. 2. Battle of Kursk.

Results

The main results of the armed confrontation between the USSR and Germany:

• The end of the war in favor of the USSR: 05/09/1945 Germany announced surrender;
• Release of those captured European countries, overthrow of the Nazi regime;
• The USSR expanded its territories, strengthened its army, political and economic influence, becoming one of the world leaders;
• Negative result: huge loss of life, serious destruction.

Heroes of the Great Patriotic War

Alexander Matrosov

Submachine gunner of the 2nd separate battalion of the 91st separate Siberian volunteer brigade named after Stalin.

Sasha Matrosov did not know his parents. He was brought up in orphanage and a labor colony. When the war began, he was not even 20. Matrosov was drafted into the army in September 1942 and sent to the infantry school, and then to the front.

In February 1943, his battalion attacked a Nazi stronghold, but fell into a trap, coming under heavy fire, cutting off the path to the trenches. They fired from three bunkers. Two soon fell silent, but the third continued to shoot the Red Army soldiers lying in the snow.

Seeing that the only chance to get out from under fire was to suppress the enemy’s fire, Sailors and a fellow soldier crawled to the bunker and threw two grenades in his direction. The machine gun fell silent. The Red Army soldiers went on the attack, but lethal weapon it began to chirp again. Alexander’s partner was killed, and Sailors was left alone in front of the bunker. Something had to be done.

He didn't have even a few seconds to make a decision. Not wanting to let his comrades down, Alexander closed the bunker embrasure with his body. The attack was a success. And Matrosov posthumously received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Military pilot, commander of the 2nd squadron of the 207th long-range bomber aviation regiment, captain.

He worked as a mechanic, then in 1932 he was drafted into the Red Army. He ended up in an air regiment, where he became a pilot. Nikolai Gastello participated in three wars. A year before the Great Patriotic War, he received the rank of captain.

On June 26, 1941, the crew under the command of Captain Gastello took off to strike a German mechanized column. It happened on the road between the Belarusian cities of Molodechno and Radoshkovichi. But the column was well guarded by enemy artillery. A fight ensued. Gastello's plane was hit by anti-aircraft guns. The shell damaged fuel tank, the car caught fire. The pilot could have ejected, but he decided to fulfill his military duty to the end. Nikolai Gastello directed the burning car directly at the enemy column. This was the first fire ram in the Great Patriotic War.

The name of the brave pilot became a household name. Until the end of the war, all aces who decided to ram were called Gastellites. If you follow official statistics, then during the entire war there were almost six hundred ramming attacks on the enemy.

Brigade reconnaissance officer of the 67th detachment of the 4th Leningrad partisan brigade.

Lena was 15 years old when the war began. He was already working at a factory, having completed seven years of school. When the Nazis captured his native Novgorod region, Lenya joined the partisans.

He was brave and decisive, the command valued him. Over the several years spent in the partisan detachment, he participated in 27 operations. He was responsible for several destroyed bridges behind enemy lines, 78 Germans killed, and 10 trains with ammunition.

It was he who, in the summer of 1942, near the village of Varnitsa, blew up a car in which was the German Major General of the Engineering Troops Richard von Wirtz. Golikov managed to obtain important documents about the German offensive. The enemy attack was thwarted, and the young hero was nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for this feat.

In the winter of 1943, a significantly superior enemy detachment unexpectedly attacked the partisans near the village of Ostray Luka. Lenya Golikov died as a real hero- in battle.

Pioneer. Scout of the Voroshilov partisan detachment in the territory occupied by the Nazis.

Zina was born and went to school in Leningrad. However, the war found her on the territory of Belarus, where she came on vacation.

In 1942, 16-year-old Zina joined the underground organization “Young Avengers”. She distributed anti-fascist leaflets in the occupied territories. Then, undercover, she got a job in a canteen for German officers, where she committed several acts of sabotage and was only miraculously not captured by the enemy. Many experienced military men were surprised at her courage.

In 1943, Zina Portnova joined the partisans and continued to engage in sabotage behind enemy lines. Due to the efforts of defectors who surrendered Zina to the Nazis, she was captured. She was interrogated and tortured in the dungeons. But Zina remained silent, not betraying her own. During one of these interrogations, she grabbed a pistol from the table and shot three Nazis. After that she was shot in prison.

An underground anti-fascist organization operating in the area of ​​modern Lugansk region. There were more than a hundred people. The youngest participant was 14 years old.

This underground youth organization was formed immediately after the occupation of the Lugansk region. It included both regular military personnel who found themselves cut off from the main units, and local youth. Among the most famous participants: Oleg Koshevoy, Ulyana Gromova, Lyubov Shevtsova, Vasily Levashov, Sergey Tyulenin and many other young people.

The Young Guard issued leaflets and committed sabotage against the Nazis. Once they managed to disable an entire tank repair workshop and burn down the stock exchange, from where the Nazis were driving people away for forced labor in Germany. Members of the organization planned to stage an uprising, but were discovered due to traitors. The Nazis captured, tortured and shot more than seventy people. Their feat is immortalized in one of the most famous military books by Alexander Fadeev and the film adaptation of the same name.

28 people from the personnel of the 4th company of the 2nd battalion of the 1075th rifle regiment.

In November 1941, a counter-offensive against Moscow began. The enemy stopped at nothing, making a decisive forced march before the onset of a harsh winter.

At this time, fighters under the command of Ivan Panfilov took up a position on the highway seven kilometers from Volokolamsk, a small town near Moscow. There they gave battle to the advancing tank units. The battle lasted four hours. During this time, they destroyed 18 armored vehicles, delaying the enemy's attack and thwarting his plans. All 28 people (or almost all, historians’ opinions differ here) died.

According to legend, the company political instructor Vasily Klochkov, before the decisive stage of the battle, addressed the soldiers with a phrase that became known throughout the country: “Russia is great, but there is nowhere to retreat - Moscow is behind us!”

The Nazi counteroffensive ultimately failed. The Battle of Moscow, which was assigned the most important role during the war, was lost by the occupiers.

As a child, the future hero suffered from rheumatism, and doctors doubted that Maresyev would be able to fly. However, he stubbornly applied to the flight school until he was finally enrolled. Maresyev was drafted into the army in 1937.

He met the Great Patriotic War at a flight school, but soon found himself at the front. During a combat mission, his plane was shot down, and Maresyev himself was able to eject. Eighteen days later, seriously wounded in both legs, he got out of the encirclement. However, he still managed to overcome the front line and ended up in the hospital. But gangrene had already set in, and doctors amputated both of his legs.

For many, this would have meant the end of their service, but the pilot did not give up and returned to aviation. Until the end of the war he flew with prosthetics. Over the years, he made 86 combat missions and shot down 11 enemy aircraft. Moreover, 7 - after amputation. In 1944, Alexey Maresyev went to work as an inspector and lived to be 84 years old.

His fate inspired the writer Boris Polevoy to write “The Tale of a Real Man.”

Deputy squadron commander of the 177th Air Defense Fighter Aviation Regiment.

Viktor Talalikhin began to fight already in the Soviet-Finnish war. He shot down 4 enemy planes in a biplane. Then he served at an aviation school.

In August 1941, he was one of the first Soviet pilots to ram, shooting down a German bomber in a night air battle. Moreover, the wounded pilot was able to get out of the cockpit and parachute down to the rear to his own.

Talalikhin then shot down five more German aircraft. He died during another air battle near Podolsk in October 1941.

73 years later, in 2014, search engines found Talalikhin’s plane, which remained in the swamps near Moscow.

Artilleryman of the 3rd counter-battery artillery corps Leningrad Front.

Soldier Andrei Korzun was drafted into the army at the very beginning of the Great Patriotic War. He served on the Leningrad Front, where there were fierce and bloody battles.

On November 5, 1943, during another battle, his battery came under fierce enemy fire. Korzun was seriously injured. Despite the terrible pain, he saw that the powder charges were set on fire and the ammunition depot could fly into the air. Gathering his last strength, Andrei crawled to the blazing fire. But he could no longer take off his overcoat to cover the fire. Losing consciousness, he made a final effort and covered the fire with his body. The explosion was avoided at the cost of the life of the brave artilleryman.

Commander of the 3rd Leningrad Partisan Brigade.

A native of Petrograd, Alexander German, according to some sources, was a native of Germany. He served in the army since 1933. When the war started, I joined the scouts. He worked behind enemy lines, commanded a partisan detachment that terrified enemy soldiers. His brigade destroyed several thousand fascist soldiers and officers, derailed hundreds of trains and blew up hundreds of cars.

The Nazis staged a real hunt for Herman. In 1943, his partisan detachment was surrounded in the Pskov region. Making his way to his own, the brave commander died from an enemy bullet.

Commander of the 30th Separate Guards Tank Brigade of the Leningrad Front

Vladislav Khrustitsky was drafted into the Red Army back in the 20s. At the end of the 30s he completed armored courses. Since the fall of 1942, he commanded the 61st separate light tank brigade.

He distinguished himself during Operation Iskra, which marked the beginning of the defeat of the Germans on the Leningrad Front.

Killed in the battle near Volosovo. In 1944, the enemy retreated from Leningrad, but from time to time they attempted to counterattack. During one of these counterattacks, Khrustitsky's tank brigade fell into a trap.

Despite heavy fire, the commander ordered the offensive to continue. He radioed to his crews with the words: “Fight to the death!” - and went forward first. Unfortunately, the brave tanker died in this battle. And yet the village of Volosovo was liberated from the enemy.

Commander of a partisan detachment and brigade.

Before the war he worked on the railway. In October 1941, when the Germans were already standing near Moscow, he himself volunteered complex operation, in which his railway experience was needed. Was thrown behind enemy lines. There he came up with the so-called “coal mines” (in fact, these are just mines disguised as coal). With the help of this simple but effective weapon, hundreds of enemy trains were blown up in three months.

Zaslonov actively campaigned local population go over to the side of the partisans. The Nazis, having realized this, dressed their soldiers in Soviet uniform. Zaslonov mistook them for defectors and ordered them to join the partisan detachment. The way was open for the insidious enemy. A battle ensued, during which Zaslonov died. A reward was announced for Zaslonov, alive or dead, but the peasants hid his body, and the Germans did not get it.

Commander of a small partisan detachment.

Efim Osipenko fought during the Civil War. Therefore, when the enemy captured his land, without thinking twice, he joined the partisans. Together with five other comrades, he organized a small partisan detachment that committed sabotage against the Nazis.

During one of the operations, it was decided to undermine the enemy personnel. But the detachment had little ammunition. The bomb was made from an ordinary grenade. Osipenko himself had to install the explosives. He crawled to the railway bridge and, seeing the train approaching, threw it in front of the train. There was no explosion. Then the partisan himself hit the grenade with a pole from a railway sign. It worked! A long train with food and tanks went downhill. The detachment commander survived, but completely lost his sight.

For this feat, he was the first in the country to be awarded the “Partisan of the Patriotic War” medal.

Peasant Matvey Kuzmin was born three years before the abolition of serfdom. And he died, becoming the oldest holder of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

His story contains many references to the story of another famous peasant - Ivan Susanin. Matvey also had to lead the invaders through the forest and swamps. And, like the legendary hero, he decided to stop the enemy at the cost of his life. He sent his grandson ahead to warn a detachment of partisans who had stopped nearby. The Nazis were ambushed. A fight ensued. Matvey Kuzmin died by hand German officer. But he did his job. He was 84 years old.

A partisan who was part of a sabotage and reconnaissance group at the headquarters of the Western Front.

While studying at school, Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya wanted to enter a literary institute. But these plans were not destined to come true - the war interfered. In October 1941, Zoya came to the recruiting station as a volunteer and, after a short training at a school for saboteurs, was transferred to Volokolamsk. There, an 18-year-old partisan fighter, along with adult men, performed dangerous tasks: mined roads and destroyed communication centers.

During one of the sabotage operations, Kosmodemyanskaya was caught by the Germans. She was tortured, forcing her to give up her own people. Zoya heroically endured all the trials without saying a word to her enemies. Seeing that it was impossible to achieve anything from the young partisan, they decided to hang her.

Kosmodemyanskaya bravely accepted the tests. A moment before her death, she shouted to the crowd local residents: “Comrades, victory will be ours. German soldiers, before it’s too late, surrender!” The girl’s courage shocked the peasants so much that they later retold this story to front-line correspondents. And after publication in the newspaper Pravda, the whole country learned about Kosmodemyanskaya’s feat. She became the first woman to be awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War.

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

In accordance with the Barbarossa plan, the fascist offensive began on a wide front by several groups in different directions. An army was stationed in the north "Norway", advancing on Murmansk and Kandalaksha; an army group was advancing from East Prussia to the Baltic states and Leningrad "North"; the most powerful army group "Center" had the goal of defeating the Red Army units in Belarus, capturing Vitebsk-Smolensk and taking Moscow on the move; army group "South" was concentrated from Lublin to the mouth of the Danube and led an attack on Kyiv - Donbass. The Nazis' plans boiled down to delivering a surprise attack in these directions, destroying border and military units, breaking through deep into the rear, and capturing Moscow, Leningrad, Kyiv and the most important industrial centers in the southern regions of the country.

The German army command expected to end the war in 6-8 weeks.

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

The war began in extremely favorable conditions for Germany. Before the attack on the USSR, Germany captured almost all of Western Europe, whose economy worked for the Nazis. Therefore, Germany had a powerful material and technical base.

Germany's military products were supplied by 6,500 of the largest enterprises in Western Europe. More than 3 million foreign workers were involved in the war industry. In Western European countries, the Nazis looted a lot of weapons, military equipment, trucks, carriages and locomotives. The military-economic resources of Germany and its allies significantly exceeded those of the USSR. Germany fully mobilized its army, as well as the armies of its allies. Most of the German army was concentrated near the borders of the Soviet Union. In addition, imperialist Japan threatened an attack from the East, which diverted a significant part of the Soviet Armed Forces to defend the country's eastern borders. In theses of the CPSU Central Committee "50 years of the Great October Revolution" socialist revolution» An analysis of the reasons for the temporary failures of the Red Army in the initial period of the war is given. They are due to the fact that the Nazis used temporary advantages:

• militarization of the economy and all life in Germany;
• long preparation for a war of conquest and more than two years of experience in conducting military operations in the West;
• superiority in weapons and numbers of troops concentrated in advance in border zones.

They had the economic and military resources of almost all of Western Europe at their disposal. Mistakes made in determining possible timing the attacks of Nazi Germany on our country and the associated omissions in preparation for repelling the first blows. There was reliable information about the concentration of German troops near the borders of the USSR and Germany’s preparations for an attack on our country. However, the troops of the western military districts were not brought to a state of full combat readiness.

All these reasons put the Soviet country in a difficult situation. However, enormous difficulties initial period the wars did not break the fighting spirit of the Red Army, did not shake the fortitude of the Soviet people. From the first days of the attack, it became clear that the plan for a lightning war had collapsed. Accustomed to easy victories over Western countries, whose governments treacherously surrendered their people to be torn apart by the occupiers, the fascists met stubborn resistance from the Soviet Armed Forces, border guards and the entire Soviet people. The war lasted 1418 days. Groups of border guards fought bravely at the border. The garrison of the Brest Fortress covered itself with unfading glory. The defense of the fortress was led by Captain I. N. Zubachev, regimental commissar E. M. Fomin, Major P. M. Gavrilov and others. On June 22, 1941, at 4:25 a.m., fighter pilot I. I. Ivanov made the first ram. (In total, about 200 rams were carried out during the war). On June 26, the crew of Captain N.F. Gastello (A.A. Burdenyuk, G.N. Skorobogatiy, A.A. Kalinin) crashed into a column of enemy troops on a burning plane. From the first days of the war, hundreds of thousands of Soviet soldiers showed examples of courage and heroism.

lasted two months Battle of Smolensk. Born here near Smolensk soviet guard. The battle in the Smolensk region delayed the enemy's advance until mid-September 1941.
During the Battle of Smolensk, the Red Army thwarted the enemy's plans. The delay of the enemy offensive in the central direction was the first strategic success of the Soviet troops.

The Communist Party became the leading and directing force for the country's defense and preparation for the destruction of Hitler's troops. From the first days of the war the party accepted emergency measures To organize resistance to the aggressor, a huge amount of work was carried out to reorganize all work on a military basis, turning the country into a single military camp.

“To wage a war for real,” wrote V.I. Lenin, “a strong, organized rear is needed. The best army, the people most devoted to the cause of the revolution will be immediately exterminated by the enemy if they are not sufficiently armed, supplied with food, and trained” (Lenin V.I. Poln. sobr. soch., vol. 35, p. 408).

These Leninist instructions formed the basis for organizing the fight against the enemy. June 22, 1941, on behalf of the Soviet government with a report of a “robber” attack fascist Germany and a call to fight the enemy was made on the radio by the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR V. M. Molotov. On the same day, the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was adopted on the introduction of martial law in European territory USSR, as well as the Decree on the mobilization of a number of ages in 14 military districts. On June 23, the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR adopted a resolution on the tasks of party and Soviet organizations in war conditions. On June 24, the Evacuation Council was formed, and on June 27, the resolution of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR “On the procedure for the removal and placement of human contingents and valuable property” determined the evacuation procedure productive forces and population to the eastern regions. In the directive of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR dated June 29, 1941, the most important tasks for mobilizing all forces and means to defeat the enemy were outlined to party and Soviet organizations in the front-line regions.

“...In the war imposed on us with fascist Germany,” this document said, “the question of life and death of the Soviet state is being decided, whether the peoples of the Soviet Union should be free or fall into enslavement.” Central Committee and Soviet government called for realizing the full depth of the danger, restructuring all work on a military basis, organizing comprehensive assistance to the front, increasing in every possible way the production of weapons, ammunition, tanks, aircraft, and in the event of a forced withdrawal of the Red Army, removing all valuable property, and destroying what cannot be removed in enemy-occupied areas organize partisan detachments. On July 3, the main provisions of the directive were outlined in a speech by J.V. Stalin on the radio. The directive determined the nature of the war, the degree of threat and danger, set the tasks of transforming the country into a single combat camp, comprehensively strengthening the Armed Forces, restructuring the work of the rear on a military scale, and mobilizing all forces to repel the enemy. On June 30, 1941, an emergency body was created to quickly mobilize all the country’s forces and resources to repel and defeat the enemy - State Defense Committee (GKO) led by I.V. Stalin. All power in the country, state, military and economic leadership was concentrated in the hands of the State Defense Committee. It united the activities of all state and military institutions, party, trade union and Komsomol organizations.

In war conditions, the restructuring of the entire economy on a war footing was of paramount importance. At the end of June it was approved “Mobilization national economic plan for the third quarter of 1941.”, and on August 16 “Military-economic 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 " In just five months of 1941, over 1,360 large military enterprises were relocated and about 10 million people were evacuated. Even according to the admission of bourgeois experts evacuation of industry in the second half of 1941 and early 1942 and its deployment in the East should be considered among the most amazing feats of the peoples of the Soviet Union during the war. The evacuated Kramatorsk plant was launched 12 days after arriving at the site, Zaporozhye - after 20. By the end of 1941, the Urals were producing 62% of cast iron and 50% of steel. In scope and significance this was equal to the largest battles of wartime. Perestroika national economy on a military scale was completed by mid-1942.

The party carried out a lot of organizational work in the army. In accordance with the decision of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR issued a decree on July 16, 1941 “On the reorganization of political propaganda bodies and the introduction of the institution of military commissars”. From July 16 in the Army, and from July 20 to Navy The institution of military commissars was introduced. During the second half of 1941, up to 1.5 million communists and more than 2 million Komsomol members were mobilized into the army (up to 40% of the total composition of the party was sent to active army). Prominent party leaders L. I. Brezhnev, A. A. Zhdanov, A. S. Shcherbakov, M. A. Suslov and others were sent to party work in the active army.

On August 8, 1941, J.V. Stalin was appointed Supreme Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces of the USSR. In order to concentrate all the functions of managing military operations, the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief was formed. Hundreds of thousands of communists and Komsomol members went to the front. About 300 thousand of the best representatives of the working class and intelligentsia of Moscow and Leningrad joined the ranks of the people's militia.

Meanwhile, the enemy stubbornly rushed towards Moscow, Leningrad, Kyiv, Odessa, Sevastopol and other important industrial centers of the country. An important place in the plans of fascist Germany was occupied by the calculation of the international isolation of the USSR. However, from the first days of the war, an anti-Hitler coalition began to take shape. Already on June 22, 1941, the British government announced its support for the USSR in the fight against fascism, and on July 12 it signed an agreement on joint actions against fascist Germany. On August 2, 1941, US President F. Roosevelt announced economic support for the Soviet Union. On September 29, 1941, the conference of representatives of the three powers(USSR, USA and England), at which a plan for Anglo-American assistance in the fight against the enemy was developed. Hitler's plan to isolate the USSR internationally failed. On January 1, 1942, a declaration of 26 states was signed in Washington anti-Hitler coalition about using all the resources of these countries to fight against the German bloc. However, the Allies were in no hurry to provide effective assistance aimed at defeating fascism, trying to weaken the warring parties.

By October to the Nazi invaders, despite the heroic resistance of our troops, we managed to approach Moscow from three sides, while simultaneously launching an offensive on the Don, in the Crimea, near Leningrad. Odessa and Sevastopol defended themselves heroically. On September 30, 1941, the German command launched the first, and in November - the second general offensive against Moscow. The Nazis managed to occupy Klin, Yakhroma, Naro-Fominsk, Istra and other cities in the Moscow region. Soviet troops conducted a heroic defense of the capital, showing examples of courage and heroism. The 316th Infantry Division of General Panfilov fought to the death in fierce battles. A partisan movement developed behind enemy lines. About 10 thousand partisans fought near Moscow alone. On December 5-6, 1941, Soviet troops launched a counteroffensive near Moscow. At the same time, offensive operations were launched on the Western, Kalinin and Southwestern fronts. The powerful offensive of Soviet troops in the winter of 1941/42 drove the Nazis back in a number of places to a distance of up to 400 km from the capital and was their first major defeat in the Second World War.

Main result Moscow battle was that the strategic initiative had been wrested from the hands of the enemy and the plan for a lightning war had failed. The defeat of the Germans near Moscow was a decisive turn in the military operations of the Red Army and had great influence for the entire further course of the war.

By the spring of 1942, military production had been established in the eastern regions of the country. By the middle of the year, most of the evacuated enterprises were set up in new locations. The transition of the country's economy to a war footing was basically completed. In the deep rear - in Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Siberia, and the Urals - there were over 10 thousand industrial construction projects.

Instead of the men who went to the front, women and youth came to the machines. Despite very difficult living conditions, Soviet people worked selflessly to ensure victory at the front. We worked one and a half to two shifts to restore industry and supply the front with everything necessary. The All-Union Socialist Competition developed widely, the winners of which were awarded a challenge Red Banner of the State Defense Committee. Workers agriculture organized in 1942 above-plan crops for the defense fund. The collective farm peasantry supplied the front and rear with food and industrial raw materials.

The situation in the temporarily occupied areas of the country was extremely difficult. The Nazis plundered cities and villages and abused the civilian population. German officials were appointed at the enterprises to supervise the work. The best lands were selected as farms for German soldiers. In all occupied populated areas German garrisons were maintained at the expense of the population. However, economic and social policy the fascists, which they tried to carry out in the occupied territories, immediately failed. Soviet people, brought up on the ideas of the Communist Party, believed in the victory of the Soviet country and did not succumb to Hitler’s provocations and demagoguery.

Winter offensive of the Red Army in 1941/42 dealt a powerful blow to Nazi Germany and its military machine, but Hitler’s army was still strong. Soviet troops fought stubborn defensive battles.

In this situation, the nationwide struggle of the Soviet people behind enemy lines, especially partisan movement.

Thousands of Soviet people joined partisan detachments. Guerrilla warfare developed widely in Ukraine, Belarus and the Smolensk region, Crimea and a number of other places. In cities and villages temporarily occupied by the enemy, underground party and Komsomol organizations operated. In accordance with the resolution of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks dated July 18, 1941. “On the organization of the fight in the rear of German troops” 3,500 partisan detachments and groups, 32 underground regional committees, 805 city and district party committees, 5,429 primary party organizations, 10 regional, 210 inter-district city and 45 thousand primary Komsomol organizations were created. To coordinate the actions of partisan detachments and underground groups with units of the Red Army, by decision of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks on May 30, 1942, a central headquarters of the partisan movement. Leadership Headquarters partisan movement were formed in Belarus, Ukraine and other republics and regions occupied by the enemy.

After the defeat near Moscow and the winter offensive of our troops, the Nazi command was preparing a new major offensive with the goal of capturing all the southern regions of the country (Crimea, North Caucasus, Don) right up to the Volga, the capture of Stalingrad and the separation of Transcaucasia from the center of the country. This posed an extremely serious threat to our country.

By the summer of 1942, the international situation had changed, characterized by the strengthening of the anti-Hitler coalition. In May - June 1942, agreements were concluded between the USSR, England and the USA on an alliance in the war against Germany and on post-war cooperation. In particular, an agreement was reached on the opening in 1942 in Europe second front against Germany, which would significantly speed up the defeat of fascism. But the Allies delayed its opening in every possible way. Taking advantage of this, the fascist command transferred divisions from the Western Front to the Eastern Front. By the spring of 1942, Hitler's army had 237 divisions, massive aviation, tanks, artillery and other types of equipment for a new offensive.

Intensified siege of Leningrad, exposed to artillery fire almost daily. In May, the Kerch Strait was captured. On July 3, the Supreme Command ordered the heroic defenders of Sevastopol to leave the city after a 250-day defense, since it was not possible to hold Crimea. As a result of the defeat of Soviet troops in the region of Kharkov and the Don, the enemy reached the Volga. The Stalingrad Front, created in July, took on powerful enemy attacks. Retreating with heavy fighting, our troops inflicted huge damage to the enemy. In parallel, there was a fascist offensive in the North Caucasus, where Stavropol, Krasnodar, and Maykop were occupied. In the Mozdok area, the Nazi offensive was suspended.

The main battles took place on the Volga. The enemy sought to capture Stalingrad at any cost. The heroic defense of the city was one of the brightest pages of the Patriotic War. The working class, women, old people, teenagers - the entire population rose to defend Stalingrad. Despite the mortal danger, workers at the tractor factory sent tanks to the front lines every day. In September, battles broke out in the city for every street, for every house.

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Celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory. Unfortunately, preparations for the celebrations dedicated to this anniversary are taking place in a situation where some states are trying to downplay the role of the Soviet people in the destruction of fascism. Therefore, today is the time to study those events in order to argue with arguments against attempts to rewrite history and even present our country as an aggressor who carried out an “invasion of Germany.” In particular, it is worth finding out why the beginning of the Second World War became a time of catastrophic losses for the USSR. And how our country managed not only to expel the invaders from its territory, but also to end the war by hoisting the Victory Banner over the Reichstag.

Name

First of all, let’s understand what is meant by the Second World War. The fact is that such a name is present only in Soviet sources, and for the whole world, the events that occurred between the end of June 1941 and May 1945 are only part of the military actions of the Second World War, localized in the Eastern European region of the planet. The term Great Patriotic War itself first appeared on the pages of the Pravda newspaper the day after the start of the invasion of the Third Reich troops into the territory of the USSR. As for German historiography, the expressions “Eastern Campaign” and “Russian Campaign” are used instead.

Background

Adolf Hitler announced his desire to conquer Russia and the “outlying states that are subordinate to it” back in 1925. Eight years later, having become Reich Chancellor, he began to pursue a policy aimed at preparing for war with the aim of expanding " living space For German people"At the same time, the “Führer of the German nation” constantly and very successfully played out diplomatic multi-move combinations with the aim of lulling the vigilance of alleged opponents and further quarreling the USSR and Western countries.

Military actions in Europe that preceded the Second World War

In 1936, Germany sent its troops into the Rhineland, which was a kind of protective barrier for France, to which there was no serious reaction from the international community. A year and a half later, the German government, as a result of a plebiscite, annexed Austria to German territory, and then occupied Sudetenland, inhabited by Germans, but belonging to Czechoslovakia. Feeling intoxicated by these virtually bloodless victories, Hitler ordered the invasion of Poland, and then went “blitzkrieg” throughout Western Europe, encountering serious resistance almost nowhere. The only country that continued to resist the troops of the Third Reich in the year the Second World War began was Great Britain. However, in this war, ground military units from any of the conflicting sides were not involved, so the Wehrmacht was able to concentrate all its main forces near the borders with the USSR.

Annexation of Bessarabia, the Baltic countries and Northern Bukovina to the USSR

Talking briefly about the beginning of the Second World War, one cannot fail to mention the annexation of the Baltic states that preceded this event, in which government coups took place in 1940 with the support of Moscow. In addition, the USSR demanded from Romania the return of Bessarabia and the transfer of Northern Bukovina to it, and as a result of the war with Finland, a part of the Karelian Isthmus controlled by the Soviet Union was added. Thus, the country’s borders were moved to the west, but it included territories where part of the population did not accept the loss of independence of their states and were hostile to the new authorities.

Despite the prevailing opinion that the Soviet Union was not preparing for war, preparations, and very serious ones, were still carried out. In particular, since the beginning of 1940, significant funds have been allocated to the development of the production-oriented sector of the economy military equipment and serving the needs of the Red Army. As a result, at the time of Germany’s attack on the USSR, the Red Army had more than 59.7 thousand guns and mortars, 12,782 tanks and 10,743 aircraft.

At the same time, according to historians, the beginning of the Second World War could have been completely different if the repressions of the second half of the 30s had not deprived the country’s Armed Forces of thousands of experienced military personnel who simply had no one to replace. But be that as it may, back in 1939 it was decided to increase the length of time for citizens to perform active service in the army and lower the conscription age, which made it possible to have more than 3.2 million soldiers and officers in the ranks of the Red Army at the start of the war.

WWII: reasons for its beginning

As already mentioned, among the Nazis’ priorities initially was the desire to seize “lands in the East.” Moreover, Hitler even directly pointed out that the main mistake of German foreign policy over the previous 6 centuries was to strive to the south and west, instead of striving to the east. In addition, in one of his speeches at a meeting with the Wehrmacht high command, Hitler stated that if Russia was defeated, then England would be forced to capitulate, and Germany would become “the ruler of Europe and the Balkans.”

Second world war, and more specifically, the Second World War, also had an ideological background, since Hitler and his closest associates fanatically hated the communists and considered representatives of the peoples inhabiting the USSR to be subhumans who should become “fertilizer” in the field of prosperity of the German nation.

When did WWII start?

Historians still continue to debate about why Germany chose June 22, 1941 to attack the Soviet Union.

Although there are many who are trying to find a mystical justification for this, most likely, the German command proceeded from the fact that the summer solstice is the shortest night of the year. This meant that by about 4 o’clock in the morning, when most residents of the European part of the USSR would be sleeping, it would be twilight outside, and an hour later it would be completely light. In addition, this date fell on a Sunday, which means that many officers could be absent from their units, having gone to visit their relatives on Saturday morning. The Germans were also aware of the “Russian” habit of allowing themselves a fair amount of strong alcohol on weekends.

As you can see, the start date of the Second World War was not chosen by chance, and the pedantic Germans foresaw almost everything. Moreover, they managed to keep their intentions secret, and the Soviet command learned about their plans only a few hours before the attack on the USSR from a defector. A corresponding directive was immediately sent to the troops, but it was too late.

Directive number 1

Half an hour before the onset of June 22, an order was received in 5 border districts of the USSR to put them on combat readiness. However, the same directive instructed not to succumb to provocations and contained not entirely clear wording. The result was that the local command began to send requests to Moscow with a request to specify the order instead of proceeding with decisive action. Thus, precious minutes were lost, and the warning about the impending attack played no role.

Events of the first days of the war

At 4.00 in Berlin, the German Foreign Minister presented the Soviet ambassador with a note through which the imperial government declared war on the USSR. At the same time, after air and artillery training, the troops of the Third Reich crossed the border of the Soviet Union. On the same day, at noon, Molotov spoke on the radio, and many citizens of the USSR heard about the beginning of the war from him. In the first days after the invasion of German troops, the Second World War was perceived by the Soviet people as an adventure on the part of the Germans, since they were confident in the defense capability of their country and believed in a quick victory over the enemy. However, the leadership of the USSR understood the seriousness of the situation and did not share the optimism of the people. In this regard, on June 23, the State Defense Committee and the Supreme High Command Headquarters were formed.

Since Finnish airfields were actively used by the German Luftwaffe, on June 25, Soviet planes carried out an air raid aimed at destroying them. Helsinki and Turku were also bombed. As a result, the beginning of the Second World War was also marked by the unfreezing of the conflict with Finland, which also declared war on the USSR and in a few days regained all the territories lost during the Winter Campaign of 1939-1940.

Reaction of England and the USA

The beginning of the Second World War was perceived by government circles in the United States and England as a gift of providence. The fact is that they hoped to prepare for the defense of the British Isles while “Hitler was freeing his feet from the Russian swamp.” However, already on June 24, President Roosevelt announced that his country would provide assistance to the USSR, since he believed that the main threat to the world came from the Nazis. Unfortunately, at that time these were just words that did not mean that the United States was ready to open a Second Front, since the start of the war (WWII) was beneficial to this country. As for Great Britain, on the eve of the invasion, Prime Minister Churchill stated that his goal was to destroy Hitler, and he was ready to help the USSR, since, “having finished with Russia,” the Germans would invade the British Isles.

Now you know what the history of the beginning of the Second World War was, which ended with the victory of the Soviet people.

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 English 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 of the Nazi troops was to reach the Volga-Arkhangelsk line, and the Urals were planned to be paralyzed with the help of aviation. To achieve 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)

Beginning 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, 180 Czechoslovak, French, English, Belgian, Dutch and Norwegian divisions received weapons, ammunition and equipment at the disposal of Nazi Germany as a result of the occupation of Western European countries. 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 has ceased anti-tank guns, 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 is a miscalculation in determining the time possible attack Nazi Germany on the USSR.

Stalin and his entourage believed that Hitler’s leadership would not dare in the near future to violate the non-aggression treaty concluded with the USSR. 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. The military doctrine was radically revised, the task was put forward to organize 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 the speech of 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 management. 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 solve its main task - to break into Transcaucasia to take possession of 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.

Victory Russian troops in 1944 they 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 final stage wars

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)

Victory Banner over the Reichstag

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