The Great Patriotic War in brief. Children about the Great Patriotic War
World War II began on September 1, 1939. It's official. Unofficially, it began a little earlier - from the time of the Anschluss of Germany and Austria, the annexation by Germany of the Czech Republic, Moravia and the Sudetenland. It began when Adolf Hitler came up with the idea of restoring the Great Reich - the Reich within the borders of the shameful Treaty of Versailles. But, since few of those living then could believe that war would come to their home, it never occurred to anyone to call it a world war. It looked only like small territorial claims and “restoration of historical justice.” Indeed, in the annexed regions and countries that were previously part of Greater Germany, many German citizens lived.
Six months later, in June 1940, the USSR authorities, having quite treacherously established state elections in Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, forced the governments of the Baltic countries to resign, and uncontested elections were held at gunpoint, in which the communists expectedly won, since other parties were allowed to vote were not. Then, the “elected” parliaments declared these countries socialist and sent a petition to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to join.
And then, in June 1940, Hitler ordered preparations to begin for an attack on the USSR. The formation of the blitzkrieg plan “Operation Barbarossa” began.
This redivision of the world and spheres of influence was only a partial implementation of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact concluded between Germany and its allies and the USSR on August 23, 1939.
Beginning of the Great Patriotic War
For citizens of the Soviet Union, the war began treacherously - at dawn on June 22, when the small border river Bug and other territories were crossed by a fascist armada.
It would seem that nothing foreshadowed war. Yes, the Soviets who worked in Germany, Japan, and other countries sent dispatches that war with Germany was inevitable. They, often at the cost of their own lives, managed to find out both the date and time. Yes, six months before the designated date and especially closer to it, the penetration of saboteurs and sabotage groups into Soviet territories intensified. But... Comrade Stalin, whose faith in himself as the Supreme and unsurpassed ruler on one sixth of the land was so enormous and unshakable that at best these intelligence officers simply remained alive and worked on, and at worst they were declared enemies of the people and liquidated.
Stalin's faith was based both on the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and on Hitler's personal promise. He could not imagine that someone could deceive him and outplay him.
Therefore, despite the fact that from the Soviet Union, regular units were gathered on the western borders, ostensibly to increase combat readiness and planned military exercises, and in the newly annexed western territories of the USSR, from June 13 to 14, an operation was carried out to evict and clean up the “social -alien element" deep into the country, the Red Army was not prepared at the beginning of the aggression. The military units received an order not to succumb to provocations. Commanding personnel in large numbers, from senior to junior commanders of the Red Army, were sent on leave. Perhaps because Stalin himself expected to start a war, but later: at the end of July - beginning of August 1941.
History does not know the subjunctive mood. That's why this happened: in the early evening of June 21, the Germans received the Dortmund signal, which meant a planned offensive for the next day. And on a fine summer morning, Germany, without war, with the support of its allies, invaded the Soviet Union and struck a powerful blow along the entire length of its western borders, from three sides - with parts of three armies: “North”, “Center” and “South”. In the very first days, most of the Red Army's ammunition, ground military equipment and aircraft were destroyed. Peaceful cities, guilty only of the fact that strategically important ports and airfields were located on their territories - Odessa, Sevastopol, Kyiv, Minsk, Riga, Smolensk and other settlements - were subjected to massive bombing.
By mid-July, German troops captured Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, a significant part of Ukraine, Moldova and Estonia. They destroyed most of the Red Army on the Western Front.
But then “something went wrong...” - the activation of Soviet aviation on the Finnish border and in the Arctic, a counterattack by mechanized corps on the Southwestern Front, stopped the Nazi offensive. By the end of July - beginning of August, Soviet troops learned not only to retreat, but also to defend themselves and resist the aggressor. And, although this was only the very, very beginning and four more terrible years would pass until the end of the Second World War, but even then, defending and holding Kyiv and Minsk, Sevastopol and Smolensk with their last strength, the Red Army troops felt that they could win , ruining Hitler’s plans for the lightning seizure of Soviet territories.
- Causes and preconditions of the war
- Nazism in Germany
- Beginning of the war
- Stages of the war
- In the rear
- Soldiers of the invisible front
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- The Great Patriotic War, in short, was the last major military conflict in which the USSR participated. The war was waged against Germany, which treacherously attacked the territory of the Soviet Union and violated the peace treaty.
- Speaking about the Great Patriotic War briefly, it is worth noting that at the same time it is one of the main stages of World War II.
Causes and preconditions of the war
- The fact is that the countries that lost the war found themselves in an extremely humiliated state and did not agree with the conditions Treaty of Versailles. Germany, the instigator of the war, found itself in a particularly difficult position, having to pay an indemnity that was beyond its means and not having the right to have its own armed forces. In addition, she was excluded from participation in international affairs.
Nazism in Germany
- Not surprisingly, the population became increasingly sympathetic to the National Socialist Party and its leader Adolf Hitler. He refused to accept the results of the First World War and called on Germany for revenge and world domination. The humiliated country accepted these calls. With Hitler coming to power in 1933, Germany began to increase its military-industrial turnover at a gigantic pace.
Beginning of the war
- In 1939, Germany occupied Czechoslovakia and began making claims against Poland. The USSR proposes to create an alliance between England and France, but they do not dare to take this step. Churchill later admitted that he should have agreed to this proposal.
- September 1, 1939, after Nazi Germany attacked Poland, World War II begins. The allies of the Polish state, England and France, also enter the war.
- By 1941, all of Europe was in German hands, with the exception of Great Britain. After this, Hitler, in violation of all treaties, starts a war with the Soviet Union.
Stages of the war
- The Great Patriotic War, in short, lasted 4 long years. As is known, the Soviet Union was practically not ready for war, because Stalin refused to believe counterintelligence reports about the exact date of the attack by Nazi troops. He was offered a plan for a pre-emptive strike on Germany, but he rejected it. Germany itself was completely ready to strike the USSR (Blitzkrieg plan, Barbarossa plan), and preparations for war had been in full swing since 1940. Many plans were created regarding the USSR.
- The enemy was stuck near Leningrad, unable to capture the city. Started siege of Leningrad.
- By December 1941, German troops captured the territory of the Baltic republics, Belarus, part of Ukraine and advanced approximately 1200 km deep into the USSR.
- The largest and most significant battle of the Great Patriotic War, briefly speaking, of this period, was battle for Moscow.
- For Hitler, this was the main event of his operation to capture the USSR. The battle for Moscow is divided into two stages - defense and offensive. Until December 1941, Soviet troops held the enemy on the approaches to the capital. On December 5, a counteroffensive began, which developed into a general offensive of all troops. German troops lost the Battle of Moscow. It showed that the German army is not invincible.
- Stage 2 is associated with a radical turning point in the war in favor of the USSR. During this period from 1942 to 1943, two difficult battles took place, won by Soviet troops at a very high cost - Stalingrad and Kursk.
- On the night of May 8-9, 1945, Germany signed an act of surrender.
- The history of the Great Patriotic War, briefly outlined, can describe the severity of this time extremely sparingly. In numbers, it looks like this: the total casualties among the military and civilian population of the USSR amounted to almost 27 million people.
Major battles and military operations
- Defense of the Brest Fortress
According to the plan developed by Hitler, to capture the first Soviet strategic object of the Brest 
The fortress was given only a few hours. The defenders of the fortress held out, despite the numerical superiority of the fascist invaders, for several days. Only after a week of incessant attacks and bombings did the Nazis manage to capture part of the fortification. But even after German units entered the territory of the fortress, they had to fight for almost a month with separate groups of soldiers of the Soviet army in order to gain a foothold in it.
- Battle of Smolensk
Twice as many people and 4 times as many tanks. The Nazis had such superiority when they launched an offensive on the Western Front, hoping to quickly divide it and gain unhindered access to the capital of the country.
But here, too, they cruelly miscalculated. Battle of Smolensk, which was supposed to open the way to Moscow for enemy occupiers, lasted two months.
Having suffered huge losses, the Soviet defenders, however, knocked down the enemy’s arrogance and significantly exhausted him.
- Fights for Ukraine
The seizure of the largest industrial and agricultural Ukrainian region was one of the 
priority tasks of Hitler's army.
But here, too, the Fuhrer’s plans were disrupted. Fierce battles claimed hundreds of lives of the defenders of Ukraine.
But when they died, they took with them many fascists.
As a result, the allied forces were forced to retreat, pushed back by superior enemy troops.
But the forces of the occupiers were also significantly undermined.
- Siege of Leningrad
On the approaches to Leningrad, the fascist army also encountered a completely unexpected obstacle. For about a month, despite all their efforts, they could not capture the city. Realizing the futility of their attempts, they decided to change tactics.
A long siege began, accompanied by almost continuous artillery strikes.
But the Nazis never had to march victoriously through the streets of Leningrad.
Steadfastly enduring all the hardships, the besieged continued to fight and did not surrender the city.
The powerful ring of the blockade was broken only after almost a year and a half, and was finally lifted another year later.
- Battle for the capital
After a long, grueling and bloody 4 months (instead of the planned few days), the German 
The invaders found themselves on the outskirts of Moscow. Fierce battles began to pave the way to this desired goal.
At the end of October, the capital goes into a state of siege. A number of institutions were evacuated, and many valuables were removed. The defenders prepared to defend the heart of the Motherland until their last breath, until the last drop of blood.
Having launched the second stage of the offensive in November, the Nazis realized within a few weeks that they did not have enough strength to carry out their plan, and began to retreat. The myth of the invincibility of Hitler's army was finally debunked.
- Crimean direction. Sevastopol
At the end of October of the first year of the war, battles for Sevastopol began. Unable to enter the city immediately, the invaders decided to lay siege to it. The siege lasted 9 months.
In May 1942, several units of the Wehrmacht army concentrated on the approaches to the Crimean Peninsula. Using aviation, they broke through the defenses of the Soviet troops, capturing Kerch, and then the entire peninsula.
After this, the defense of Sevastopol became even more difficult, and Soviet troops were forced to retreat.
- Stalingrad
Having decided to take revenge for the failure at the approaches to the capital, the German occupiers decided to isolate the south of the country, and 
cut it off from the central region and capture the largest water transport route - the Volga.
In order to prevent these plans from coming true, Soviet troops begin preparations for defense in the Stalingrad direction.
Two major operations, lasting a total of 125 days, resulted in the invading forces being encircled by Soviet troops.
As a result, almost one hundred thousand Germans were captured.
There were not much fewer people killed.
This was the most crushing defeat of the army of the Third Reich.
- Caucasian direction
For more than a year there were battles in the North Caucasus direction.
Having retreated at first and leaving more and more cities to the enemy, Soviet troops launched a counteroffensive at the beginning of 1943.
The time has come for the Nazis to retreat.
Despite losses and difficulties, units of the allied army pushed back the enemy until 10 months later they completed the liberation of the region.
- Fight for Kursk
Hitler's next aggressive plan to take over Kursk also ended in failure.
Within 
During the defensive-offensive operations, one of the largest tank battles in the history of this war took place on the outskirts of the city (the Battle of Prokhorovka).
Here the Germans used their new Tiger and Panther tanks, but thanks to the numerical superiority of both people and equipment, the Soviet troops were able to win.
As a result, having begun in July 1943 with a large-scale offensive by the invaders, the operation ended 10 months later with an equally large retreat.
This defeat accelerated the collapse of the Hitler coalition.
- Operation to liberate Smolensk
After a radical turning point, the army of the Soviet Union switched from defensive actions to an active offensive.
One of the first offensive operations was the Smolensk campaign.
Carefully thought out, it consisted of three stages, the consistent and systematic implementation of which led to the liberation of the city and the advance of the Red Army several hundred kilometers to the west.
- Left Bank of Ukraine
The Nazis attached great importance to Donbass, and after Soviet troops went on the offensive, they all 
They tried to keep this city for themselves.
But, when the risk of a new encirclement and a repeat of the events at Stalingrad arose, German troops began to retreat.
At the same time, they tried to devastate the abandoned territories as much as possible. Destroying industrial enterprises and all infrastructure, they exterminated the population or drove it to Germany.
Only the too rapid advance of the Soviet army prevented them from completely destroying the region.
Donbas, Bransk, Sumy - cities one after another were liberated from the fascist yoke.
Having completely liberated left-bank Ukraine, formations of the USSR army reached the Dnieper.
- Crossing the Dnieper
Hitler was confident to the last that Soviet troops would not be able to cross the Dnieper.
However, here too he miscalculated.
Without allowing the German units to gain a thorough foothold on the opposite bank, the allied army began crossing the water barrier.
On September 21, under heavy Nazi fire, the forward troops crossed the river and entered into fierce battles, thereby allowing the remaining troops and equipment to pass the river barrier without hindrance.
The crossing continued for several days, and as a result, more than 2 thousand of its participants were awarded the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
- Crimean liberation
From the beginning of April 1944, a number of Soviet military formations began the systematic implementation of a plan to 
liberation of Sevastopol and the entire Crimean peninsula.
Conquering one settlement after another, they moved towards their goal.
As a result of the assault, Sevastopol was liberated (May 9, 1944).
The Nazis tried to hide from the victors at Cape Chersonesos, but were completely defeated.
More than 20 thousand people, as well as hundreds of pieces of military equipment and weapons ended up in the hands of Soviet soldiers.
- Liberation of Europe
After the lifting of the Leningrad blockade and the widespread liberation of Russian territories from Nazi occupiers, the Soviet army continued its march through the territory of neighboring and then other foreign countries occupied by the Nazis.
Among the largest liberation offensive operations of the military units of the Soviet Union are Minsk and Polotsk (carried out simultaneously), Vilnius, Narva, Yassy-Kishinev, East Carpathian, Baltic and others.
The East Prussian operation was of particular importance, since the territory of this country not only served as a springboard for an attack on the USSR, but also reliably blocked access to the center of Germany.
One of the main points that the Nazis held on to was Koenigsberg. It was considered the best German fortress and impregnable bastion.
But as a result of the three-day assault, both this stronghold and Hitler’s hope threw out the white flag.
- Final (Berlin) operation
The apogee of the entire offensive campaign of the Soviet army was the battle for Berlin, on which, in fact, it depended 
the final outcome of the war.
Fights were fought for every house, for every street, shots did not stop day or night, until the Nazis completely surrendered.
In the rear
The victory of the Soviet army in the Great Patriotic War would have been impossible without a reliable rear. “Everything for the front!” This idea was lived by millions of Soviet people in regions that were not directly affected by the fighting.
One of the priority tasks from the first days of the war was the restructuring of the entire national economy and industry in a new direction.
Many enterprises were hastily evacuated from hot combat spots to calmer areas of the country: Central Asia, Kazakhstan, the Urals and Western Siberia.
At the new location, the enterprises were quickly installed and began producing products for the front. Sometimes 
machines and machines began to work long before factory walls and roofs were erected around them. At the same time, new specialists from the local population were trained to operate the equipment.
Their husbands, fathers and brothers, going to the front, were replaced at the machines by their wives, sisters, and children.
12-13-year-old teenagers, who could not reach the working part of the equipment, made footrests for themselves and worked equally with adults. After intense shifts, many of them remained in the workshop and went to bed here, only to begin their next work shift again a few hours later.
Most mechanical engineering enterprises produced various types of weapons during the war.
By the middle of the second year of the war, it was possible to completely adapt the economy to the realities of wartime. By this time, more than 1,000 evacuated enterprises had resumed their work in a new location. In addition, another 850 new facilities were created (factories, power plants, mines, etc.)
At the end of the second half of the year, the country produced 1.1 times more weapons than in the first half of the same year. The production of mortars increased 1.3 times, the production of mines and shells almost doubled, and the production of aircraft increased 1.6 times. Significant progress has also been made in tank assembly.
An equally important area of rear work was the preparation of reserves for the front. Therefore, from the first days in 
Military training included not only professional educational institutions, but also volunteer organizations that trained shooters, machine gunners and other specialists. At the same time, medical and sanitary personnel were trained.
The agricultural complex also faced a difficult task. Despite the reduction in the number of collective farms and the deterioration of their material and technical base, it was necessary to supply the population and the front with products, and industry with raw materials. At the cost of incredible efforts, agricultural areas were increased in areas remote from the front line. And here the women who replaced the men who had gone to war mastered new professions: combine operators, tractor drivers, drivers, etc. And together with their children, they worked without sleep or rest in the fields and farms to give the front and industry everything they needed.
Soldiers of the invisible front
Partisans made a great contribution to the common victory in the Great Patriotic War. These invisible fighters did not give the Nazis any sleep or rest, constantly carrying out sabotage activities in their rear.
At times, the population of entire villages joined the partisan detachments. Hiding in hard-to-reach forests and swamps, they constantly dealt significant blows to the invaders.
The partisans' weapons consisted, most often, of light rifles, grenades, and carbines. However, large groups sometimes even had mortars and artillery pieces. In general, the equipment depended on the region where the detachment was stationed and on its purpose.
Men, women, old people and children - all on the territory of the Union captured by the Nazi occupiers 
More than 6 thousand units operated. And the total number of partisans was 1 million people. As a result of the war, many of them were awarded various orders and medals, and 248 received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
During the Second World War, partisan detachments were not disparate, spontaneously created groups of dissatisfied people. On the contrary, they were part of one large, well-organized and well-functioning structure. It had its own command, it existed completely legally and was subordinate to the leadership of the country.
All activities of the movement were controlled by special bodies and were regulated by a number of legislative acts.
The main goals of the guerrilla war included causing the greatest damage to the military infrastructure of the Nazis, disrupting the frequency of food supplies, etc. - everything that could destabilize the work of the Nazi well-functioning system.
In addition to sabotage activities, the partisans also participated in reconnaissance operations. They made every effort and invented hundreds of ways to obtain papers and documents with the plans of the Wehrmacht leadership for the deployment of military operations.
At the same time, partisan formations carried out their subversive activities not only in the occupied territory of the Union, but also in Germany. All obtained documents were forwarded to headquarters so that the Soviet command was aware of when and where to expect an attack, and the troops could redeploy and prepare in a timely manner.
At the beginning of the war, the average size of a partisan detachment could be 10-15 people. Later this quantity 
increased to 100 or more. Sometimes several units were united into brigades. Therefore, if necessary, the partisans could take on open battle. Although very few such cases are known.
In addition, participants in the partisan movement carried out active propaganda and agitation activities among the population, especially those living under occupation. The country's leadership understood perfectly well that to win the war it was necessary for the population to unconditionally believe and trust the state. Members of the partisan detachments even tried to organize uprisings of the population against the hated fascist occupiers.
To be fair, it is worth noting that not all partisan formations supported Soviet power. There were also those who fought for the independence of their region from both the Nazis and the USSR.
June 21, 1941, 13:00. German troops receive the code signal "Dortmund", confirming that the invasion will begin the next day.
Commander of the 2nd Tank Group of Army Group Center Heinz Guderian writes in his diary: “Careful observation of the Russians convinced me that they did not suspect anything about our intentions. In the courtyard of the Brest fortress, which was visible from our observation points, they were changing the guards to the sounds of an orchestra. The coastal fortifications along the Western Bug were not occupied by Russian troops."21:00. Soldiers of the 90th border detachment of the Sokal commandant's office detained a German serviceman who crossed the border Bug River by swimming. The defector was sent to the detachment headquarters in the city of Vladimir-Volynsky.
23:00. German minelayers stationed in Finnish ports began to mine the exit from the Gulf of Finland. At the same time, Finnish submarines began laying mines off the coast of Estonia.
June 22, 1941, 0:30. The defector was taken to Vladimir-Volynsky. During interrogation, the soldier identified himself Alfred Liskov, soldiers of the 221st Regiment of the 15th Infantry Division of the Wehrmacht. He said that at dawn on June 22, the German army would go on the offensive along the entire length of the Soviet-German border. The information was transferred to higher command.
At the same time, the transmission of Directive No. 1 of the People's Commissariat of Defense for parts of the western military districts began from Moscow. “During June 22-23, 1941, a surprise attack by the Germans is possible on the fronts of LVO, PribOVO, ZAPOVO, KOVO, OdVO. An attack may begin with provocative actions,” the directive said. “The task of our troops is not to succumb to any provocative actions that could cause major complications.”
The units were ordered to be put on combat readiness, to secretly occupy firing points of fortified areas on the state border, and to disperse aircraft to field airfields.
It is not possible to convey the directive to military units before the start of hostilities, as a result of which the measures specified in it are not carried out.
Mobilization. Columns of fighters are moving to the front. Photo: RIA Novosti
“I realized that it was the Germans who opened fire on our territory”
1:00. The commandants of the sections of the 90th border detachment report to the head of the detachment, Major Bychkovsky: “nothing suspicious was noticed on the adjacent side, everything is calm.”
3:05 . A group of 14 German Ju-88 bombers drops 28 magnetic mines near the Kronstadt roadstead.
3:07. The commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Vice Admiral Oktyabrsky, reports to the Chief of the General Staff, General Zhukov: “The fleet's air surveillance, warning and communications system reports the approach of a large number of unknown aircraft from the sea; The fleet is in full combat readiness."
3:10. The NKGB for the Lviv region transmits by telephone message to the NKGB of the Ukrainian SSR the information obtained during the interrogation of the defector Alfred Liskov.
From the memoirs of the chief of the 90th border detachment, Major Bychkovsky: “Without finishing the interrogation of the soldier, I heard strong artillery fire in the direction of Ustilug (the first commandant’s office). I realized that it was the Germans who opened fire on our territory, which was immediately confirmed by the interrogated soldier. I immediately began to call the commandant by phone, but the connection was broken...”3:30. Chief of Staff of the Western District General Klimovsky reports on enemy air raids on the cities of Belarus: Brest, Grodno, Lida, Kobrin, Slonim, Baranovichi and others.
3:33. The chief of staff of the Kyiv district, General Purkaev, reports on an air raid on the cities of Ukraine, including Kyiv.
3:40. Commander of the Baltic Military District General Kuznetsov reports on enemy air raids on Riga, Siauliai, Vilnius, Kaunas and other cities.
“The enemy raid has been repulsed. An attempt to strike our ships was foiled."
3:42. Chief of the General Staff Zhukov is calling Stalin and reports the start of hostilities by Germany. Stalin orders Tymoshenko and Zhukov arrive at the Kremlin, where an emergency meeting of the Politburo is convened.
3:45. The 1st border outpost of the 86th August border detachment was attacked by an enemy reconnaissance and sabotage group. Outpost personnel under command Alexandra Sivacheva, having entered into battle, destroys the attackers.
4:00. The commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Vice Admiral Oktyabrsky, reports to Zhukov: “The enemy raid has been repulsed. An attempt to strike our ships was foiled. But there is destruction in Sevastopol.”4:05. The outposts of the 86th August Border Detachment, including the 1st Border Outpost of Senior Lieutenant Sivachev, come under heavy artillery fire, after which the German offensive begins. Border guards, deprived of communication with the command, engage in battle with superior enemy forces.
4:10. The Western and Baltic special military districts report the beginning of hostilities by German troops on the ground.
4:15. The Nazis open massive artillery fire on the Brest Fortress. As a result, warehouses were destroyed, communications were disrupted, and there were a large number of dead and wounded.
4:25. The 45th Wehrmacht Infantry Division begins an attack on the Brest Fortress.
Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. Residents of the capital on June 22, 1941, during the radio announcement of a government message about the treacherous attack of Nazi Germany on the Soviet Union. Photo: RIA Novosti
“Protecting not individual countries, but ensuring the security of Europe”
4:30. A meeting of Politburo members begins in the Kremlin. Stalin expresses doubt that what happened is the beginning of a war and does not exclude the possibility of a German provocation. People's Commissar of Defense Timoshenko and Zhukov insist: this is war.
4:55. In the Brest Fortress, the Nazis manage to capture almost half of the territory. Further progress was stopped by a sudden counterattack by the Red Army.
5:00. German Ambassador to the USSR Count von Schulenburg presented to the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR Molotov“Note from the German Foreign Office to the Soviet Government,” which states: “The German Government cannot remain indifferent to the serious threat on the eastern border, therefore the Fuehrer has ordered the German Armed Forces to ward off this threat by all means.” An hour after the actual start of hostilities, Germany de jure declares war on the Soviet Union.
5:30. On German radio, the Reich Minister of Propaganda Goebbels reads out the appeal Adolf Hitler to the German people in connection with the start of the war against the Soviet Union: “Now the hour has come when it is necessary to speak out against this conspiracy of the Jewish-Anglo-Saxon warmongers and also the Jewish rulers of the Bolshevik center in Moscow... At the moment, a military action of the greatest extent and volume is taking place, what the world has ever seen... The task of this front is no longer to protect individual countries, but to ensure the security of Europe and thereby save everyone.”7:00. Reich Minister for Foreign Affairs Ribbentrop begins a press conference at which he announces the beginning of hostilities against the USSR: “The German army has invaded the territory of Bolshevik Russia!”
“The city is burning, why aren’t you broadcasting anything on the radio?”
7:15. Stalin approves a directive to repel the attack of Nazi Germany: “The troops with all their might and means attack enemy forces and destroy them in areas where they violated the Soviet border.” Transfer of “directive No. 2” due to saboteurs’ disruption of communication lines in the western districts. Moscow does not have a clear picture of what is happening in the combat zone.
9:30. It was decided that at noon, People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs Molotov would address the Soviet people in connection with the outbreak of war.
10:00. From the speaker's memories Yuri Levitan: “They’re calling from Minsk: “Enemy planes are over the city,” they’re calling from Kaunas: “The city is burning, why aren’t you transmitting anything on the radio?” “Enemy planes are over Kiev.” A woman’s crying, excitement: “Is it really war?..” However, no official messages are transmitted until 12:00 Moscow time on June 22.
10:30. From a report from the headquarters of the 45th German division about the fighting on the territory of the Brest Fortress: “The Russians are resisting fiercely, especially behind our attacking companies. In the citadel, the enemy organized defense with infantry units supported by 35-40 tanks and armored vehicles. Enemy sniper fire resulted in heavy casualties among officers and non-commissioned officers."11:00. The Baltic, Western and Kiev special military districts were transformed into the North-Western, Western and South-Western fronts.
“The enemy will be defeated. Victory will be ours"
12:00. People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs Vyacheslav Molotov reads out an appeal to the citizens of the Soviet Union: “Today at 4 o’clock in the morning, without making any claims against the Soviet Union, without declaring war, German troops attacked our country, attacked our borders in many places and bombed us with their planes attacked our cities - Zhitomir, Kyiv, Sevastopol, Kaunas and some others, and more than two hundred people were killed and wounded. Raids by enemy planes and artillery shelling were also carried out from Romanian and Finnish territory... Now that the attack on the Soviet Union has already taken place, the Soviet government has given an order to our troops to repel the predatory attack and expel German troops from the territory of our homeland... The government calls on you, citizens and citizens of the Soviet Union, to rally our ranks even more closely around our glorious Bolshevik Party, around our Soviet government, around our great leader, Comrade Stalin.
Our cause is just. The enemy will be defeated. Victory will be ours."
12:30. Advanced German units break into the Belarusian city of Grodno.
13:00.
The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR issues a decree “On the mobilization of those liable for military service...”
“Based on Article 49, paragraph “o” of the USSR Constitution, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR announces mobilization on the territory of the military districts - Leningrad, Baltic special, Western special, Kyiv special, Odessa, Kharkov, Oryol, Moscow, Arkhangelsk, Ural, Siberian, Volga, North -Caucasian and Transcaucasian.
13:30. Chief of the General Staff General Zhukov flies to Kyiv as a representative of the newly created Headquarters of the Main Command on the Southwestern Front.
Photo: RIA Novosti
14:00. The Brest Fortress is completely surrounded by German troops. Soviet units blocked in the citadel continue to offer fierce resistance.
14:05. Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano states: “In view of the current situation, due to the fact that Germany declared war on the USSR, Italy, as an ally of Germany and as a member of the Tripartite Pact, also declares war on the Soviet Union from the moment German troops entered Soviet territory.”
14:10. The 1st border outpost of Alexander Sivachev has been fighting for more than 10 hours. The border guards, who had only small arms and grenades, destroyed up to 60 Nazis and burned three tanks. The wounded commander of the outpost continued to command the battle.
15:00. From the notes of the commander of Army Group Center, Field Marshal von Bock: “The question of whether the Russians are carrying out a systematic withdrawal remains open. There is now plenty of evidence both for and against this.
What is surprising is that nowhere is any significant work of their artillery visible. Heavy artillery fire is conducted only in the northwest of Grodno, where the VIII Army Corps is advancing. Apparently, our air force has an overwhelming superiority over Russian aviation."Of the 485 border posts attacked, not a single one withdrew without orders.
16:00. After a 12-hour battle, the Nazis took the positions of the 1st border outpost. This became possible only after all the border guards who defended it died. The head of the outpost, Alexander Sivachev, was posthumously awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree.
The feat of the outpost of Senior Lieutenant Sivachev was one of hundreds committed by border guards in the first hours and days of the war. On June 22, 1941, the state border of the USSR from the Barents to the Black Sea was guarded by 666 border outposts, 485 of which were attacked on the very first day of the war. Not one of the 485 outposts attacked on June 22 withdrew without orders.
Hitler's command allotted 20 minutes to break the resistance of the border guards. 257 Soviet border posts held their defense from several hours to one day. More than one day - 20, more than two days - 16, more than three days - 20, more than four and five days - 43, from seven to nine days - 4, more than eleven days - 51, more than twelve days - 55, more than 15 days - 51 outpost. Forty-five outposts fought for up to two months.
Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. The workers of Leningrad listen to a message about the attack of Nazi Germany on the Soviet Union. Photo: RIA Novosti
Of the 19,600 border guards who met the Nazis on June 22 in the direction of the main attack of Army Group Center, more than 16,000 died in the first days of the war.
17:00. Hitler's units manage to occupy the southwestern part of the Brest Fortress; the northeast remained under the control of Soviet troops. Stubborn battles for the fortress will continue for weeks.
“The Church of Christ blesses all Orthodox Christians for the defense of the sacred borders of our Motherland”
18:00. The Patriarchal Locum Tenens, Metropolitan Sergius of Moscow and Kolomna, addresses the believers with a message: “Fascist robbers attacked our homeland. Trampling all kinds of agreements and promises, they suddenly fell upon us, and now the blood of peaceful citizens is already irrigating our native land... Our Orthodox Church has always shared the fate of the people. She endured trials with him and was consoled by his successes. She will not abandon her people even now... The Church of Christ blesses all Orthodox Christians for the defense of the sacred borders of our Motherland.”
19:00. From the notes of the Chief of the General Staff of the Wehrmacht Ground Forces, Colonel General Franz Halder: “All armies, except the 11th Army of Army Group South in Romania, went on the offensive according to plan. The offensive of our troops, apparently, came as a complete tactical surprise to the enemy along the entire front. Border bridges across the Bug and other rivers were everywhere captured by our troops without a fight and in complete safety. The complete surprise of our offensive for the enemy is evidenced by the fact that the units were taken by surprise in a barracks arrangement, the planes were stationed at airfields, covered with tarpaulins, and the advanced units, suddenly attacked by our troops, asked the command about what to do... The Air Force command reported, that today 850 enemy aircraft have been destroyed, including entire squadrons of bombers, which, having taken off without fighter cover, were attacked by our fighters and destroyed.”20:00. Directive No. 3 of the People's Commissariat of Defense was approved, ordering Soviet troops to launch a counteroffensive with the task of defeating Hitler's troops on the territory of the USSR with further advance into enemy territory. The directive ordered the capture of the Polish city of Lublin by the end of June 24.
Great Patriotic War 1941-1945. June 22, 1941 Nurses provide assistance to the first wounded after a Nazi air raid near Chisinau. Photo: RIA Novosti
“We must provide Russia and the Russian people with all the help we can.”
21:00. Summary of the Red Army High Command for June 22: “At dawn on June 22, 1941, regular troops of the German army attacked our border units on the front from the Baltic to the Black Sea and were held back by them during the first half of the day. In the afternoon, German troops met with the advanced units of the field troops of the Red Army. After fierce fighting, the enemy was repulsed with heavy losses. Only in the Grodno and Kristinopol directions did the enemy manage to achieve minor tactical successes and occupy the towns of Kalwaria, Stoyanuv and Tsekhanovets (the first two are 15 km and the last 10 km from the border).
Enemy aircraft attacked a number of our airfields and populated areas, but everywhere they met decisive resistance from our fighters and anti-aircraft artillery, which inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. We shot down 65 enemy aircraft.”
23:00. Message from the Prime Minister of Great Britain Winston Churchill to the British people in connection with the German attack on the USSR: “At 4 o'clock this morning Hitler attacked Russia. All his usual formalities of treachery were observed with scrupulous precision... suddenly, without a declaration of war, even without an ultimatum, German bombs fell from the sky on Russian cities, German troops violated Russian borders, and an hour later the German ambassador, who just the day before had generously lavished his assurances on the Russians in friendship and almost an alliance, paid a visit to the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs and declared that Russia and Germany were at war...
No one has been more staunchly opposed to communism over the past 25 years than I have been. I will not take back a single word that was said about him. But all this pales in comparison to the spectacle unfolding now.The past, with its crimes, follies and tragedies, recedes. I see Russian soldiers as they stand on the border of their native land and guard the fields that their fathers have plowed since time immemorial. I see them guarding their homes; their mothers and wives pray—oh, yes, because at such a time everyone prays for the safety of their loved ones, for the return of their breadwinner, patron, their protectors...
We must provide Russia and the Russian people with all the help we can. We must call on all our friends and allies in all parts of the world to pursue a similar course and pursue it as steadfastly and steadily as we will, to the very end.”
June 22 came to an end. There were still 1,417 days ahead of the worst war in human history.
At dawn on June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union. On the side of Germany were Romania, Hungary, Italy and Finland. The aggressor's force group numbered 5.5 million people, 190 divisions, 5 thousand aircraft, about 4 thousand tanks and self-propelled artillery units (SPG), 47 thousand guns and mortars.
In accordance with the Barbarossa plan developed in 1940, Germany planned to enter the Arkhangelsk-Volga-Astrakhan line as soon as possible (in 6-10 weeks). It was a setup for blitzkrieg - lightning war. This is how the Great Patriotic War began.
Main periods of the Great Patriotic War
The first period (June 22, 1941–November 18, 1942) from the beginning of the war to the beginning of the Soviet offensive at Stalingrad. This was the most difficult period for the USSR.
Having created multiple superiority in men and military equipment in the main directions of attack, the German army achieved significant success.
By the end of November 1941, Soviet troops, retreating under the blows of superior enemy forces to Leningrad, Moscow, Rostov-on-Don, left a huge territory to the enemy, lost about 5 million people killed, missing and captured, most of the tanks and aircraft .
The main efforts of the Nazi troops in the fall of 1941 were aimed at capturing Moscow.
Victory near Moscow
Battle for Moscow lasted from September 30, 1941 to April 20, 1942. December 5-6, 1941. The Red Army went on the offensive, the enemy’s defense front was broken through. Fascist troops were driven back 100-250 km from Moscow. The plan to capture Moscow failed, and the lightning war in the east did not take place.
The victory near Moscow was of great international significance. Japan and Türkiye refrained from entering the war against the USSR. The increased authority of the USSR on the world stage contributed to the creation of an anti-Hitler coalition.
However, in the summer of 1942, due to the mistakes of the Soviet leadership (primarily Stalin), the Red Army suffered a number of major defeats in the North-West, near Kharkov and in the Crimea.
Nazi troops reached the Volga - Stalingrad and the Caucasus.
The persistent defense of Soviet troops in these directions, as well as the transfer of the country's economy to a military footing, the creation of a coherent military economy, and the deployment of the partisan movement behind enemy lines prepared the necessary conditions for the Soviet troops to go on the offensive.
Stalingrad. Kursk Bulge
The second period (November 19, 1942 - end of 1943) is a radical turning point in the war. Having exhausted and bled the enemy in defensive battles, on November 19, 1942, Soviet troops launched a counteroffensive, encircling 22 fascist divisions numbering more than 300 thousand people near Stalingrad. On February 2, 1943, this group was liquidated. At the same time, enemy troops were expelled from the North Caucasus. By the summer of 1943, the Soviet-German front had stabilized.
Using a front configuration that was advantageous to them, fascist troops launched an offensive near Kursk on July 5, 1943, with the goal of regaining the strategic initiative and encircling the Soviet group of troops on the Kursk Bulge. During fierce fighting, the enemy's advance was stopped. On August 23, 1943, Soviet troops liberated Orel, Belgorod, Kharkov, went to the Dnieper, and on November 6, 1943 Kyiv was liberated.
During the summer-autumn offensive, half of the enemy divisions were defeated, and significant territories of the Soviet Union were liberated. The collapse of the fascist bloc began, and in 1943 Italy withdrew from the war.
1943 was the year of a radical turning point not only in the course of military operations on the fronts, but also in the work of the Soviet rear. Thanks to the selfless work of the home front, by the end of 1943 an economic victory over Germany was won. The military industry in 1943 provided the front with 29.9 thousand aircraft, 24.1 thousand tanks, 130.3 thousand guns of all types. This was more than Germany produced in 1943. The Soviet Union in 1943 surpassed Germany in the production of the main types of military equipment and weapons.
The third period (end of 1943 - May 8, 1945) is the final period of the Great Patriotic War. In 1944, the Soviet economy achieved its greatest expansion during the entire war. Industry, transport, and agriculture developed successfully. Military production grew especially rapidly. The production of tanks and self-propelled guns in 1944, compared to 1943, increased from 24 to 29 thousand, and combat aircraft - from 30 to 33 thousand units. From the beginning of the war to 1945, about 6 thousand enterprises were put into operation.
1944 was marked by victories of the Soviet Armed Forces. The entire territory of the USSR was completely liberated from the fascist occupiers. The Soviet Union came to the aid of the peoples of Europe - the Soviet Army liberated Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and fought its way to Norway. Romania and Bulgaria declared war on Germany. Finland left the war.
The successful offensive actions of the Soviet Army prompted the allies to open a second front in Europe on June 6, 1944 - Anglo-American troops under the command of General D. Eisenhower (1890-1969) landed in northern France, in Normandy. But the Soviet-German front still remained the main and most active front of the Second World War.
During the winter offensive of 1945, the Soviet Army pushed the enemy back more than 500 km. Poland, Hungary and Austria, and the eastern part of Czechoslovakia were almost completely liberated. The Soviet Army reached the Oder (60 km from Berlin). On April 25, 1945, a historic meeting between Soviet troops and American and British troops took place on the Elbe, in the Torgau region.
The fighting in Berlin was exceptionally fierce and persistent. On April 30, the Victory Banner was hoisted over the Reichstag. On May 8, the signing of the act of unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany took place. May 9 became Victory Day. From July 17 to August 2, 1945, the Third Conference of the Heads of Government of the USSR, USA and Great Britain took place in the suburb of Berlin - Potsdam, which made important decisions on the post-war world order in Europe, the German problem and other issues. On June 24, 1945, the Victory Parade took place in Moscow on Red Square.
Victory of the USSR over Nazi Germany
The victory of the USSR over Nazi Germany was not only political and military, but also economic.
This is evidenced by the fact that in the period from July 1941 to August 1945, significantly more military equipment and weapons were produced in our country than in Germany.
Here are the specific data (thousand pieces):
|
USSR |
Germany |
Ratio |
|
|
Tanks and self-propelled guns |
102,8 |
46,3 |
2,22:1 |
|
Combat aircraft |
112,1 |
89,5 |
1,25:1 |
|
Guns of all types and calibers |
482,2 |
319,9 |
1,5:1 |
|
Machine guns of all types |
1515,9 |
1175,5 |
1,3:1 |
This economic victory in the war was made possible because the Soviet Union was able to create a more advanced economic organization and achieve a more efficient use of all its resources.
War with Japan. End of World War II
However, the end of hostilities in Europe did not mean the end of World War II. In accordance with the agreement in principle in Yalta (February 1945), the Soviet government declared war on Japan on August 8, 1945.
Soviet troops launched offensive operations on a front stretching over 5 thousand km. The geographical and climatic conditions in which the fighting took place were extremely difficult.
The advancing Soviet troops had to overcome the ridges of the Greater and Lesser Khingan and the East Manchurian Mountains, deep and stormy rivers, waterless deserts, and impassable forests.
But despite these difficulties, the Japanese troops were defeated.
During stubborn fighting in 23 days, Soviet troops liberated Northeast China, North Korea, the southern part of Sakhalin Island and the Kuril Islands. 600 thousand enemy soldiers and officers were captured, and a large amount of weapons and military equipment was captured.
Under the blows of the armed forces of the USSR and its allies in the war (primarily the USA, England, China), Japan capitulated on September 2, 1945. The southern part of Sakhalin and the islands of the Kuril ridge went to the Soviet Union.
The United States, having dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, marked the beginning of a new nuclear era.
The main lesson of World War II
The economic and socio-political situation that developed in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century gave rise to the revolution of 1905-1907, then the February and October revolutions of 1917.
Russian participation in the First World War, Civil War and military intervention 1918-1920. led to the loss of millions of lives of Russians and the enormous devastation of the country's national economy.
The New Economic Policy (NEP) of the Bolshevik Party allowed, within seven years (1921-1927), to overcome the devastation, restore industry, agriculture, transport, establish commodity-money relations, and carry out financial reform.
However, the NEP turned out to be not free from internal contradictions and crisis phenomena. Therefore, in 1928 it was finished.
Stalin's leadership in the late 20s - early 30s. set a course for the accelerated construction of state socialism through the accelerated implementation of industrialization of the country and complete collectivization of agriculture.
In the process of carrying out this course, a command-administrative management system and Stalin’s personality cult took shape, which brought a lot of trouble to our people. However, it should be noted that the industrialization of the country and the collectivization of agriculture. were an important factor in ensuring economic victory over the enemy during the Great Patriotic War.
The Great Patriotic War was an important part of the Second World War . The Soviet people and their Armed Forces bore the main burden of this war on their shoulders and achieved a historic victory over Nazi Germany and its allies.
Members of the anti-Hitler coalition made their significant contribution to the victory over the forces of fascism and militarism.
The main lesson of World War II is that preventing war requires unity of action among peace-loving forces.
During the preparation for World War II, it could have been prevented.
Many countries and public organizations tried to do this, but unity of action was never achieved.
On the radio July 2, 1941. In this speech I.V. Stalin also used the terms “Patriotic War of Liberation”, “National Patriotic War”, “Patriotic War against German Fascism”.
Another official approval of this name was the introduction of the Order of the Patriotic War on May 2, 1942.
1941
On September 8, 1941, the siege of Leningrad began. For 872 days the city heroically resisted the German invaders. He not only resisted, but also worked. It should be noted that during the siege, Leningrad provided weapons and ammunition to the troops of the Leningrad Front, and also supplied military products to neighboring fronts.
On September 30, 1941, the Battle of Moscow began. The first major battle of the Great Patriotic War in which German troops suffered a serious defeat. The battle began as the German offensive Operation Typhoon.
On December 5, the Red Army's counteroffensive began near Moscow. The troops of the Western and Kalinin fronts pushed the enemy back in places more than 100 kilometers from Moscow.
Despite the victorious offensive of the Red Army near Moscow, this was only the beginning. The beginning of the great battle against fascism, which will last another 3 long years.
1942
The most difficult year of the Great Patriotic War. This year the Red Army suffered very heavy defeats.
The offensive near Rzhev resulted in huge losses. More than 250,000 were lost in the Kharkov cauldron. Attempts to break the blockade of Leningrad ended in failure. The 2nd Shock Army died in the Novgorod swamps.
Key dates of the second year of the Great Patriotic War
From January 8 to March 3, the Rzhev-Vyazemsk operation took place. The final stage of the Battle of Moscow.
From January 9 to February 6, 1942 - Toropetsko-Kholm offensive operation. The Red Army troops advanced almost 300 kilometers, liberating many settlements.
On January 7, the Demyansk offensive operation began, as a result of which the so-called Demyansk cauldron was formed. Wehrmacht troops totaling more than 100,000 people were surrounded. Including the elite SS division “Totenkopf”.
After some time, the encirclement was broken, but all the miscalculations of the Demyansk operation were taken into account when eliminating the encircled group at Stalingrad. This particularly concerned the interruption of air supplies and the strengthening of the defense of the outer ring of encirclement.
On March 17, as a result of the unsuccessful Lyuban offensive operation near Novgorod, the 2nd Shock Army was surrounded.
On November 18, after heavy defensive battles, the Red Army troops went on the offensive and surrounded the German group in the Stalingrad area.
1943 - the year of turning point during the fighting of the Great Patriotic War
In 1943, the Red Army managed to wrest the initiative from the hands of the Wehrmacht and begin a victorious march to the borders of the USSR. In some places, our units have advanced more than 1000-1200 kilometers in a year. The experience accumulated by the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War made itself felt.
On January 12, Operation Iskra began, as a result of which the blockade of Leningrad was broken. A narrow corridor up to 11 kilometers wide connected the city with the “Mainland”.
On July 5, 1943, the Battle of Kursk began. A turning point battle during the Great Patriotic War, after which the strategic initiative completely passed to the side of the Soviet Union and the Red Army.
Already during the Great Patriotic War, contemporaries appreciated the significance of this battle. Wehrmacht General Guderian said after the Battle of Kursk: “...there were no more calm days on the Eastern Front...”.
August - December 1943. Battle of the Dnieper - left-bank Ukraine is completely liberated, Kyiv is taken.
1944 is the year of the liberation of our country from fascist invaders
In 1944, the Red Army almost completely cleared the territory of the USSR from the Nazi invaders. As a result of a series of strategic operations, Soviet troops came close to the borders of Germany. More than 70 German divisions were destroyed.
This year, Red Army troops entered the territory of Poland, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Norway, Romania, Yugoslavia and Hungary. Finland emerged from the war with the USSR.
January - April 1944. Liberation of right-bank Ukraine. Exit to the state border of the Soviet Union.
On June 23, one of the largest operations of the Great Patriotic War began - the offensive Operation Bagration. Belarus, part of Poland and almost the entire Baltic region were completely liberated. Army Group Center was defeated.
On July 17, 1944, for the first time during the war, a column of almost 60,000 German prisoners captured in Belarus was marched through the streets of Moscow.
1945 - the year of victory in the Great Patriotic War
The years of the Great Patriotic War, spent by Soviet troops in the trenches, made their presence felt. The year 1945 began with the Vistula-Oder offensive operation, which would later be called the most rapid offensive in human history.
In just 2 weeks, the Red Army troops covered 400 kilometers, liberating Poland and defeating more than 50 German divisions.
On April 30, 1945, Adolf Hitler, Reich Chancellor, Fuhrer and Supreme Commander of Germany, committed suicide.
On May 9, 1945, at 0:43 a.m. Moscow time, the unconditional surrender of Germany was signed.
On the Soviet side, the surrender was accepted by Marshal of the Soviet Union, Commander of the 1st Belorussian Front, Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov.
4 years, 1418 days of the most difficult and bloody war in the history of Russia have ended.
At 22:00 on May 9, to commemorate the complete victory over Germany, Moscow saluted with 30 artillery salvoes from a thousand guns.
On June 24, 1945, the Victory Parade took place in Moscow. This solemn event marked the final point in the Great Patriotic War.
It should be noted that on May 9, the Great Patriotic War ended, but the 2nd World War did not end. In accordance with allied agreements, on August 8, the USSR entered the war with Japan. In just two weeks, Red Army troops defeated Japan's largest and most powerful army, the Kwantung Army, in Manchuria.
Having almost completely lost its ground forces and the ability to wage war on the Asian continent, Japan capitulated on September 2. September 2, 1945 is the official date of the end of World War II.
Interesting fact. Formally, the Soviet Union was at war with Germany until January 25, 1955. The fact is that after Germany surrendered, a peace treaty was not signed. Legally, the Great Patriotic War ended when the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted a decree. This happened on January 25, 1955.
By the way, the United States ended the state of war with Germany on October 19, 1951, and France and Great Britain on July 9, 1951.
Photographers: Georgy Zelma, Yakov Ryumkin, Evgeny Khaldey, Anatoly Morozov.
