A-9, B-3, V-2, G-6, D-5, E-7, F-4, Z-1, I-8, K-11, L-10
2. In the list below, find the countries that were allies of Nazi Germany in World War II. Write the corresponding numbers on the answer line.
1) Bulgaria. 5) Slovakia. 9) Denmark.
2) Italy. 6) Greece. 10) Turkey.
3) China. 7) Romania. 11) Finland.
4) Japan. 8) Hungary. 12) Spain.
Answer: 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 11.
List of participants: F. Roosevelt, J. Stalin, W. Churchill, G. Truman, K. Attlee.
A-3, B-1, C-2.
A-2, B-3, C-1
7. Based on the analysis of extracts from documents, determine what goals (economic, military) were set by the leaders of Nazi Germany.
FROM HITLER'S DIRECTIVE No. 21 ON THE PREPARATION OF THE ATTACK ON THE USSR of December 18, 1940 (PLAN "BARBAROSSA")
The German armed forces must be ready to defeat Soviet Russia in a short campaign before the war against England is over (Barbarossa option). The ground forces must use for this purpose all formations at their disposal ...
The task of the air force is to release such forces to support the ground forces during the Eastern campaign, so that one can count on the rapid completion of ground operations and at the same time limit the destruction of the eastern regions of Germany by enemy aircraft to a minimum ... The main efforts of the navy should and during the Eastern Campaign, of course, to concentrate against England ... It must be of decisive importance that our intentions to attack be not recognized.
FROM GOERING'S SECRET DIRECTIVE (June 1941)
The instructions given below are drawn up primarily as an orientation to the time of hostilities. At the same time, they should serve as a legal basis for the entire duration of the occupation ...
First of all, it is necessary to use the food and oil industries of the newly occupied regions. To get as much food and oil for Germany as possible is the main economic goal of the campaign.
The defeat of the USSR in the course of a short campaign before the end of the war against England. Naval forces must be concentrated against England. Secret attack.
Economic tasks - obtaining oil and food from the occupied territories.
8. Read the extract from the "Three Power Pact" dated September 27, 1940 and write down the answer to the question.
The governments of Germany, Italy and Japan see the prerequisite for a lasting peace in that every nation of the world should receive its due space. They therefore decided to act hand in hand in realizing their aspirations in the great East Asian space and the European regions. Accordingly, the governments of Germany, Italy and Japan agreed on the following:
Japan recognizes and respects the leadership of Germany and Italy in creating a new order in Europe...
Germany and Italy recognize and respect Japan's leadership in creating a new order in the great East Asian space...
Germany, Italy and Japan... undertake to support each other by all political, economic and military means...
Why did the participants in this pact make their agreements secret?
To prevent other states from interfering with these plans.
9. Read the extract from the Atlantic Charter (approved by the participants of the inter-allied conference, including the USSR, in London on September 24, 1941) and write down the answer to the question.
US President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Churchill, after joint discussions, considered it expedient to promulgate some general principles of the national policy of their countries... The US and Great Britain do not seek territorial or other acquisitions.
They will not agree to any territorial changes that are not in accordance with the freely expressed desire of the peoples concerned.
They respect the right of all peoples to choose for themselves the form of government under which they [the peoples] wish to live; they strive to restore the sovereign rights and self-government of those peoples who were deprived of this by force ...
After the final destruction of Nazi tyranny, they hope for the establishment of a peace that will enable all countries to live in security on their territory ... They believe that all states of the world should, for reasons of a realistic and spiritual order, renounce the use of force ...
In what documents did the principles proclaimed in the Atlantic Charter find their development?
Declaration of the United Nations.
10. How many countries were founding members of the United Nations in 1945? Circle the correct answer.
1) 2 countries. 3) 51 countries.
2) 45 countries. 4) 120 countries.
World War II (September 1, 1939 - September 2, 1945) is a military conflict between two world military-political coalitions.
It has become the largest armed conflict in mankind. 62 states took part in this war. About 80% of the entire population of the Earth participated in hostilities on one side or another.
We bring to your attention a brief history of World War II. From this article you will learn the main events associated with this terrible tragedy on a global scale.
First period of World War 2
September 1, 1939 The armed forces entered the territory of Poland. In this regard, after 2 days, France and Germany declared war.
The Wehrmacht troops did not meet decent resistance from the Poles, as a result of which they managed to occupy Poland in just 2 weeks.
At the end of April 1940, the Germans occupied Norway and Denmark. After that, the army annexed. It is worth noting that none of the listed states could adequately resist the enemy.
Soon the Germans attacked France, which was also forced to capitulate in less than 2 months. This was a real triumph for the Nazis, since at that time the French had good infantry, aviation and navy.
After the conquest of France, the Germans turned out to be head and shoulders stronger than all their opponents. In the process of conducting the French campaign, Italy became an ally of Germany, headed by.
After that, Yugoslavia was also captured by the Germans. Thus, Hitler's lightning offensive allowed him to occupy all the countries of Western and Central Europe. Thus began the history of World War II.
Then the Nazis began to seize African states. The Fuhrer planned to conquer countries on this continent within a few months, and then launch an offensive in the Middle East and India.
At the end of this, according to Hitler's plans, the reunification of the German and Japanese troops was to take place.
Second period of World War 2
The battalion commander leads his soldiers on the attack. Ukraine, 1942 This came as a complete surprise to Soviet citizens and the country's leadership. As a result, the USSR united against Germany.
Soon, the United States joined this alliance, agreeing to provide military, food and economic assistance. As a result, countries have been able to rationally use their own resources and support each other.
Stylized photo "Hitler vs Stalin" At the end of the summer of 1941, British and Soviet troops entered Iran, as a result of which Hitler had certain difficulties. Because of this, he was unable to place military bases there, necessary for the full conduct of the war.
Anti-Hitler coalition
On January 1, 1942 in Washington, representatives of the Big Four (USSR, USA, Great Britain and China) signed the Declaration of the United Nations, thus laying the foundation for the Anti-Hitler coalition. Later, 22 more countries joined it.
The first serious defeats of Germany in World War II began with the Battle of Moscow (1941-1942). Interestingly, Hitler's troops approached the capital of the USSR so close that they could already see it through binoculars.
Both the German leadership and the entire army were confident that they would soon defeat the Russians. Napoleon once dreamed of the same thing, entering during the year in.
The Germans were so arrogant that they didn't even bother with appropriate winter gear for their soldiers, because they thought the war was almost over. However, everything turned out quite the opposite.
The Soviet army accomplished a heroic feat by launching an active offensive against the Wehrmacht. He commanded the main military operations. It was thanks to the Russian troops that the blitzkrieg was thwarted.
A column of captured Germans on the Garden Ring, Moscow, 1944 Fifth period of World War 2
So, in 1945, at the Potsdam Conference, the Soviet Union announced its intention to go to war with Japan, which was not surprising to anyone, because the Japanese army fought on the side of Hitler.
The USSR was able to defeat the Japanese army without much difficulty, freeing Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, and some territories.
The military operation, which lasted less than 1 month, ended with the surrender of Japan, which was signed on September 2. The biggest war in human history is over.
Results of World War II
As mentioned earlier, World War II is the largest military conflict in history. It lasted for 6 years. During this time, more than 50 million people died in total, although some historians give even higher numbers.
The USSR suffered the most damage from the Second World War. The country lost about 27 million citizens, and also suffered severe economic losses.
On April 30, at 22:00, the Banner of Victory was hoisted over the Reichstag In conclusion, I would like to say that the Second World War is a terrible lesson for all mankind. Until now, a lot of documentary photo and video material has been preserved, helping to see the horrors of that war.
What is worth - the angel of death of the Nazi camps. But she was not alone!
People should do everything possible so that such tragedies of a universal scale never happen again. Never again!
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75 years ago, on September 1, 1939, World War II officially began with the German attack on Poland. Although for China, it began back in 1937, when the Japanese army began a campaign to occupy the most important regions of the Celestial Empire, or even in 1931, when the Japanese invaded Manchuria and in 1932 formed the puppet State of Manchuria (Manchukuo). For Ethiopia, a big war began in 1925, when Mussolini, raving about the ideas of the revival of the Roman Empire, threw 250,000 troops against this country. army (including subservient African tribes). In Ethiopia, this terrible war, when courageous but poorly armed Ethiopian fighters were mowed down with machine guns, artillery, armored vehicles and aircraft, cost about 750 thousand lives.
It was not calm in Europe, where behind-the-scenes forces created two hotbeds of war - Italy and Germany. The so-called "financial international" or "world behind the scenes" (Anglo-Saxon and Jewish big capital), which subjugated two powerful empires - British and American, understood very well that while there are two great powers in the world - Russia and Germany, two great peoples -the creator, the creator, it will not work to build a New World Order. It is necessary to destroy these strategic opponents. Moreover, the best scenario is not a direct war, where German and Russian soldiers have no equal, but a secret, subversive, ancient strategy - "divide and rule." It is best to pit the two former allies when the two great titans bleed themselves in a great war and clear the field for the construction of a new slave-owning civilization, where the “caste of gods” (in fact, geeks who are ready to pour blood over the entire planet in order to achieve their goals) will decide fate of races, peoples, continents and countries.
Back in 1904, the British geographer and geopolitician Halford John Mackinder published The Geographical Axis, where he outlined the theory of confrontation between continental and maritime civilizations. Mackinder introduced the concept of the Heartland ("the core of the earth"). In 1919, the second part of his work, “Democratic Ideals and Reality,” was published, where the geopolitician outlined his main idea: “Who controls Eastern Europe commands the Heartland; Whoever controls the Heartland commands the World Island (that is, Eurasia and Africa); Whoever controls the World Island commands the world."
He also noted that if Russia and Germany are united, then the rest of the world will be uncompetitive. These two powers posed the greatest threat to the Anglo-Saxons and Zionists. Germany could form the western wing of the great strategic alliance, and Russia - the eastern, with access to Persia (Iran), India, China and Japan. The union of German technologies, German organization, Russian resources and territories, with the Russian idea of social justice led to the formation of a more just world order, which prevented the creation of a caste slave-owning civilization and the elimination of objectionable races, civilizations and peoples.
Therefore, at the beginning of the 20th century, the masters of the Western project set the task of unleashing a world war, where Russia and Germany were to mutually exterminate each other. The First World War could not lead to the implementation of the entire spectrum of tasks. The German and Russian empires fell. But, Germany retained its potential and will to resist. Russia, on the other hand, was able to exterminate most of the "enemies of the people" (representatives of the "fifth column" who were agents of the world behind the scenes or played on its side in the dark) and created its own project for a breakthrough into the future - Soviet civilization. Moreover, this project was so effective and attractive for all the peoples of the planet that panic began in the West.
The Red Empire could become the flagship of human civilization and had the ability to lead people to a new world, to create a society of creators, creators, and teachers. The USSR became the embryo of a different, “solar civilization”, where all people will have the opportunity to reveal their creative, creative, intellectual and physical potential, throw off the shackles of a consumer society that turns people into two-legged individuals concerned only with getting money for base pleasures.
The emergence of such a civilization, which clearly showed its virtues to the whole world in the 1930s, frightened the West. A creative force appeared in the world, which was not only powerful, like the Russian Empire, but also had a goal and a program designed for decades to come. For the first time in a long period of time, Russia had the opportunity to reveal its enormous potential. And this manifested itself literally in everything - from beautiful works of cinema and the Stalinist imperial style in architecture to the emergence of a powerful industrial base and the revival of the Russian army.
And the alliance of the Soviet Union with Germany made them invulnerable. Playing off the Russians with the Germans was the main task of unleashing the Second World War. A big war was being prepared very actively. Germany was humiliated, disgraced, “raped”, and then brought to power by the National Socialists, who promised the German people to restore the greatness of the German Empire and take revenge for previous defeats. Anglo-Saxon and Jewish capital did everything to revive the military-industrial potential of the German state. And European politicians and diplomats, who were hand-fed by representatives of big business, pursued a policy of “appeasement” of Germany for many years, turning a blind eye to the seizure of power by the Nazis and revanchists, to the revival of full-fledged armed forces, the militarization of the country, the elimination of the Rhine demilitarized zone and other signs of an impending war.
Hitler lost literally everything. He tries his hand in Spain. Berlin is creating a modern army focused on wars of conquest. In 1938, Austria and the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia were given to the Fuhrer. At the same time, Hungary and Poland took part in the first partition of Czechoslovakia. The southern regions of Slovakia with the city of Kosice and the southern part of Subcarpathian Rus were transferred to Hungary, and the Czech part of Cieszyn Silesia was annexed by Poland. In March 1939, Czechoslovakia was liquidated. The protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia came under the control of Germany, Slovakia became independent, entering the German sphere of influence. Subcarpathian Rus also declared independence, but was occupied by Hungary. The “world community”, represented by the most developed Western states, turned a blind eye to this, since all this led to the strengthening of Germany and directed its expansion to the East, against Russia-USSR. Moscow protested, but its notes were ignored.
The resource of the entire Western world was mobilized to create the strike potential of the Third Reich, directed against the USSR. English, American and Swiss banks provided money. Western firms and banks actively participated in the development of the economy of the Third Reich, especially industries associated with the military-industrial complex. Moreover, many of them helped maintain the military potential of Germany even during the war, when England and the United States became official opponents of the Third Reich. Germany was given the territories of Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland, transferring their resources under the complete control of Berlin. Later, almost without a fight, the territories of Yugoslavia and Greece were given to Germany. Germany was given as allies the former friends of England and France - Hungary, Romania, Finland and Bulgaria. Included in the "onslaught on the East" and Italy. Franco's Spain observed friendly neutrality. Sweden provided the resources necessary for the war. Switzerland was the "bank" of Germany, where they laundered "dirty" money, gold and valuables, including the loot in the occupied countries, and taken from the prisoners of the concentration camps. Therefore, the Wehrmacht did not begin to capture Switzerland, although it had the opportunity to do so. Why take over your "bank"? It is clear that the bankers had their own interests, but at this stage they completely coincided with the interests of the Fuhrer.
Moreover, even France was given to Germany to be torn to pieces. French politicians were used in the dark. They long dreamed of French dominance in Western Europe. After the victory in the First World War, it seemed that the goal was close. Germany is defeated and thrown into dust. The Rhineland is demilitarized. There was even an opportunity to capture the Ruhr (). However, under pressure from Britain and the United States, France had to adopt a plan to push Germany and the USSR, and restore the German military and economic potential. Paris trailed behind Anglo-Saxon politics. As a result, France was sacrificed.
France indifferently looked at the death of its allies - Czechoslovakia and Poland. Although it had the best army in Western Europe and could thwart all the plans of Berlin with one blow (the Wehrmacht was still in its infancy and was not able to resist the powerful French army, and even in alliance with the Belgians, Czechs and Poles). The French army was demoralized and surrendered Paris without a fight. The northwestern part of France was occupied by the Germans (up to 60% of the territory of the state). In the southern part of France, a puppet regime of Vichy was established. Thus, the resources of France were used for the war with the USSR.
In London and Paris, they hoped that after the defeat of Poland, Adolf Hitler would lead his victorious troops to the East, against the USSR. However, Hitler had his own vision of a future war. He was not a pawn in a big game, he hoped to outplay the forces that supported the NSDAP and brought him to power. Hitler was not a puppet. The Fuhrer understood that Germany was not yet ready for war with the USSR, time was needed to strengthen the Wehrmacht and the economy, mobilize and indoctrinate the population. Therefore, he decided to crush France, although a significant part of the German generals were afraid of this and even took part in a conspiracy against Hitler ().
Hitler makes a decisive U-turn - on August 23, 1939, a non-aggression pact was signed between Germany and the Soviet Union. Hitler needed the support or friendly neutrality of Moscow to defeat Poland and advance against France. The Fuhrer was not going to leave the French hostile to Germany in the rear, who at any moment could strike in the back during the great war for the expansion of "living space" in the east. With the defeated British, Hitler and most of the German military-political elite hoped to come to an agreement. Britain with its huge empire, the first concentration camps, the policy of extermination of objectionable peoples (like the destruction of millions of Indians), the idea of racial superiority was an example for the German leadership to follow. Stalin also needed time to complete the main tasks of industrialization and rearmament of the army. In addition, there was a hope that Hitler would understand that it was more profitable to be friends with Russia than to fight. And England and France rejected the hand of friendship extended by Moscow. Therefore, the USSR went to an alliance with Germany.
In Paris and London, they were in shock, they then believed that they had paid Hitler more than generous advances for the war with the Russians. It was time to work them out, move to the East. But Hitler thought otherwise. He wanted first to strengthen his position in Western Europe, to secure the rear, not to repeat the mistakes of the German leadership on the eve of the First World War, when the Second Reich had to fight on two fronts and collapse, exhausted in this struggle.
On August 22, Hitler called a meeting of the highest military officials and explained to them the meaning of this step. He said that the time had come for a war with Poland and the Western powers, that it was necessary first to oppose the West, and then against the East. Hitler said that he “decided to go along with Stalin. Stalin and I are the only ones who look only to the future ... I recognized the unfortunate worms - Daladier and Chamberlain - in Munich. They are too cowardly to attack us…”.
True, among the German aristocracy, the generals, the diplomatic and intellectual elite, a skeptical, hostile attitude towards Hitler was steadfastly maintained. Until now, despite all the achievements of the new Germany, he was not considered a full-fledged ruler. They considered him a kind of “political ram”, which should cleanse Germany of objectionable elements - liberals, socialists, communists, restore the army and economy with harsh methods, and then leave, giving way to more respectable, respected figures. However, they did not count. Hitler did not leave and was not going to leave.
German generals and dignitaries, who constantly predicted failure for Hitler and catastrophe for Germany, were mistaken over and over again. Hitler got away with everything. Preparations for a war with Poland stirred up the German opposition with a vengeance. Former fears about the capture of Austria and Czechoslovakia were forgotten as erroneous predictions. Now the Fuhrer has agreed with the "Bolsheviks" and challenged the Western powers, so troubles cannot be avoided. However, this time it ended in chatter. Neither military nor civilian high-ranking officials wanted to lose the warm places they received from Hitler and take real action against the Fuhrer. As a result, Hitler was able to turn Germany against the West, defeated arrogant Poland, and then France, which was mired in apathy.
The causes of the Second World War are one of the main issues in the history of the 20th century, which is of great ideological and political significance, since they identify the perpetrators of the tragedy that claimed over 55 million human lives. For more than 60 years, Western propaganda and historiography, fulfilling a socio-political order, have been hiding the true causes of this war and falsifying its history, seeking to justify the policy of Great Britain, France and the United States in complicity in the aggression of fascism, and shift the responsibility of the Western powers for unleashing the war to the Soviet leadership.
The falsification of the history of the Second World War became a weapon of the Cold War in the destruction of the USSR, which was initiated by the ideological sabotage of A. Yakovlev and M. Gorbachev, who organized the condemnation of the Soviet-German non-aggression pact of August 23, 1939 by the Second Congress of People's Deputies in December 1990 . This was used by the separatists to withdraw the Baltic republics from the Soviet Union and incite anti-Sovietism.
Now, in the conditions of the crisis of the world capitalist system, in the West, aspirations have intensified to revise the results of the Second World War at the expense of the Russian Federation - the legal successor of the USSR in international relations. Accordingly, a new wave of anti-Sovietism is rising, using the falsification of history. The beginning of this ideological and psychological offensive was laid by US President George W. Bush in 2008 with the statement: “German national socialism and Russian communism are two evils of the 20th century,” thereby equating fascist Germany with its winner, the Soviet Union. On September 1, 2009, Polish President L.Kaczyński stated that "World War II was unleashed by Germany and the Soviet Union." The causes of the Second World War have again become a topical historical topic for public consciousness, requiring a convincing scientific and historical justification from modern positions.
The most characteristic scheme of falsification, widely used in the ideological and psychological struggle against the USSR, was the statement: "Conspiracy between Hitler and Stalin on August 23, 1939 led to the Second World War." At the same time, the Western powers are presented as defenders of freedom and democracy and the main winners (primarily the United States) in World War II. This primitive and thoroughly false scheme is being imposed on public opinion by the media and journalistic literature, counting on the low level of knowledge of the general population, especially young people.
In Soviet historiography, the causes and nature of the Second World War received deep scientific coverage in the 12-volume History of the Second World War of 1939-1945 and subsequent scientific works (see: History of the Second World War 1939-1945. In 12 vols. Vol. 1 -2. - M. 1973, 1974; Soviet military encyclopedia. In 8 vols. - M. 1976. V. 2. S. 409-418; World War II. Brief history. - M. 1985, etc.) . The current level of military and military-historical science, new documentary sources make it possible to deepen the understanding of the essence of the processes that led to the war, and to oppose scientific knowledge to new falsifications of history. An analysis of the strategic planning documents of the Anglo-French and Anglo-American coalitions in relation to the global military-political situation makes it possible to convincingly reveal the true political goals of the leadership of these countries before and during the war. Politics usually hides or masks its goals, but military strategy, as a tool for implementing policy, inevitably exposes them.
Domestic military science, both Soviet and current, considers war as a socio-political phenomenon, which is a continuation of politics - the continuation of the political struggle of the opposing sides with the use of military violence (see: Military Encyclopedia. - M. 1994. T. 2. C 233-235, Dictionary of Operational-Strategic Terms, Military Encyclopedic Work, M. 2006, p. 91). The First and Second World Wars were rooted in the struggle of the leading world powers for sources of raw materials and markets for their monopolies. Militarism is an integral feature of imperialism, and the production of weapons for mass armies in the 20th century has become a profitable business. The well-known Western sociologist I. Wallerstein writes: “Even world wars are beneficial to the capitalists ... regardless of which side they support” (Wallerstein I. The End of the Familiar World. Sociology of the 21st Century. - M. 2003. P. 93).
Two world wars, separated by a short interwar period, were the result of contradictions caused by world economic crises: the First World War - the crisis of the early 1900s, the Second - the crisis of 1929-1933. Both wars were unleashed with the cruel prudence of the big bourgeoisie, who for the sake of their profits neglected the sacrifices of millions of people and the hardships of peoples. And there is no reason to believe that the nature of imperialism has changed; the experience of the 20th century warns contemporaries about the threat of such a development of events.
The First World War was fought for the redistribution of the world - the redistribution of the colonies, the Second - already for the world domination of one of the leading powers in the opposing military blocs of the imperialist states. The inter-imperialist contradictions that led to the Second World War were superimposed on inter-formational contradictions - between imperialism and the first socialist state in history - the USSR. Each of the imperialist blocs had the goal of either destroying the USSR or weakening it so much as to subordinate it to its own interests and change the social system. At the same time, the mastery of the territory and resources of the Soviet Union, Russia was considered necessary to achieve world domination.
These are the deep socio-economic and geopolitical causes of the Second World War, which are carefully bypassed by bourgeois Western and domestic pro-Western historiography and journalism. They tear off the history of the Second World War from the causes and results of the First, violating the principle of historicism, ignoring the connection between politics and economics, falsifying the political goals of the Western powers before the war and their direct participation in unleashing the war. A favorite technique is also the personification of the causes of the war - the desire to explain it by the activities of individual politicians, leaving aside the main socio-economic and political causes.
Unlike the First World War, the Second World War unfolded gradually as an escalation of the aggression of the fascist states (Japan, Italy, Germany) against individual countries under the guise of "the fight against Bolshevism". The start date of the war on September 1 is conditional, and not all countries accept it. The fascist leadership, taking into account the experience of the First World War, sought to deal with its main opponents consistently, one by one, playing on the contradictions between them, preventing the formation of a powerful anti-fascist coalition.
The Soviet leaders, seeing already in the 1930s the growing threat of fascist aggression, tried to create a system of collective security in Europe by signing mutual assistance treaties with France and Czechoslovakia in 1935. However, in the West, the policy voiced by the English conservative Lord Lloyd prevailed: “We will give Japan freedom of action against the USSR. Let it expand the Korean-Manchurian border to the Arctic Ocean and annex the Far Eastern part of Siberia to itself ... We will open the road to the East for Germany and thereby provide her with the much-needed opportunity for expansion. In this way it will be possible to distract Japan and Germany from us and keep the USSR under constant threat” (Izvestia, May 21, 1934).
The Munich agreement and the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia in September 1938 played an ominous role in unleashing the Second World War. The fragile balance of peace in Europe collapsed, the security system of 1935 was destroyed. Great Britain and France signed non-aggression declarations with Germany, openly directing fascist aggression to the east, against the USSR. The Soviet Union found itself in political isolation. According to the American historian F. Schumann, politicians in England, France and the United States believed that giving the fascist troika a free hand ... would lead to a German-Japanese attack on the Soviet Union, while the Western powers could remain neutral for some time until “fascism and communism destroy each other” (Schuman F.L. Soviet Politics // At Home and Abroad. N.V. 1947. P. 282). Numerous facts testify that the monopolies and banks of England, the USA and France supplied fascist Germany with military materials, contributed to the development of its military-industrial complex and provided loans for this.
The signing in Munich on September 30, 1938 of an agreement by Great Britain, France, Germany and Italy on the division of Czechoslovakia can now be called the "Day of complicity of the Western powers to fascism and the outbreak of the Second World War." At the same time, it is important to give a modern definition of fascism based on the experience of the 20th century.Fascism is the most reactionary, terrorist dictatorship of big business with the ideology of racism and anti-communism. The ideology of racial domination of fascism is antagonistic to the ideology of social and national equality of communism.
Great Britain, France, and behind them stood the United States, sought to resolve their contradictions with the countries of the fascist bloc at the expense of the USSR with the division of its territory (“the legacy of Russia”) according to the plans of 1918-1919, the implementation of which during the intervention was taken by politicians who acted in the 1930s and 40s. However, Western politicians, blinded by anti-Sovietism, overlooked the danger of aggression by fascist Germany, which had increased its power, against the Western powers themselves. Hitler, convinced of the weakness of the Anglo-French alliance, decided to start the struggle for world domination by defeating France and England.
In the spring of 1939, the fascist bloc launched an open offensive against the interests of the Western powers. Hitler, violating the Munich agreements, captured Czechoslovakia, the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda and the surrounding area. Italy occupied Albania, Japan captured the islands of Spartly and Hainan. Germany terminates the German-Polish non-aggression pact, demanding the return of Danzig and part of the territory of Poland, and most importantly -the return of the colonies taken away by the Treaty of Versailles. At the same time, plans are being developed for a war with Poland and preparations for a war in the west.
On April 3, Hitler approves the Weiss plan - an attack on Poland no later than September 1, and on April 11 - a directive on the unified training of the armed forces in the war of 1939-1940, which provided for a clash with the Western powers. This was 4 months before the signing of the Soviet-German non-aggression pact. Moreover, these documents stipulated that “Russian assistance ... Poland will not be able to accept ...” (Dashichev V.I. Hitler’s strategy is a path to disaster. 1933-1945. Historical essays, documents and materials. In 4 vols. T. 2. Deployment of the struggle for dominance in Europe 1939-1941. - M., 2005. S. 33-38). Hitler's strategists also took into account the data they knew about the slow buildup of British forces and the absence of coordinated Anglo-French plans for military operations in the European theater of operations. The calculation was made for the fleeting defeat of Poland ("blitz krieg").
On March 18, the Soviet Union expressed a strong protest against the fascist aggression and proposed to immediately convene an international conference with the participation of the USSR, Great Britain, France, Poland, Romania and Turkey. However, this proposal was not supported - the ruling circles of these countries hoped to come to an agreement with the fascist leadership. At the same time, the threat to the interests of France and Great Britain caused them to conclude an alliance on March 22 on mutual assistance in the impending war, after which joint strategic planning of military operations began. In the spring of 1939, the General Staffs developed a global war plan - the "General Strategic Warfare Policy" (see: Butler J. Big Strategy September 1939 - June 1941. - M. 1959. S. 32-34).
An analysis of the strategic planning documents of the Anglo-French coalition reveals the true political goals of the leadership of these countries in unleashing the Second World War. These documents have not received sufficient coverage in Western historiography for political reasons. The absence of many documentary sources made it impossible to conduct a detailed study in Soviet military history works.
First of all, it should be noted that the Anglo-French plan does not consider an isolated war with Germany, but a global strategy for a long world war with a bloc of fascist states. It provides for military operations in the Mediterranean, North African theaters of operations, in the Middle and Far East - in the areas of the colonial possessions of Great Britain and France. This proves that the political goal of entering the war was mainly to protect colonial interests, that is, the war began as an imperialist one.
In Europe, the plan provides for a defensive strategy at the beginning of the war with the involvement of other states in the war and the creation of "an extended, strong and durable front in Eastern Europe" (ibid., p. 33). This explains the policy towards Poland and Romania. Great Britain and France declared independence guarantees for Poland, then for Romania, Greece and Turkey. However, the Baltic countries did not receive guarantees, which essentially gave Germany the opportunity to move east. The English historian J. Butler notes: in a document dated May 4, it was stated that “the participation of Poland and Romania could be of great importance for the Western powers only if ... Poland and Romania received Russian help, at least in the form of weapons, ammunition and tanks" (ibid.).
As can be seen from these documents, the British and French leadership, in contemplating the creation of a front in the east of Germany during the war, did not set as their goal the formation of a military alliance with the USSR. The aforementioned "Russian assistance to Poland and Romania" could only lead to the inevitable involvement of the USSR in the war with Germany. Competent strategists were well aware that this was not about a military alliance, but about involving the Soviet Union in the war.
Poland, as the main object of the initial stage of the war, is involved in military agreements with France and Great Britain. On May 19, a Franco-Polish protocol is signed, providing for France's obligations in the event of Germany's aggression against Poland. However, the Polish leadership did not know that in terms of the headquarters of France and Great Britain, the fate of Poland would be determined only by "the overall results of the war, and the latter, in turn, would depend on the ability of the Western powers to defeat Germanyin the end, and not because of whether they can ease the pressure on Poland at the very beginning” (ibid., p. 34).
Thus, Poland was sacrificed by its allies even before the outbreak of hostilities. But it is important to emphasize that neither France with England, nor Poland with Romania envisaged a military alliance with the USSR even before the signing of the Soviet-German treaty on August 23, 1939. Germany also planned a war with Poland, regardless of the possibility of its conclusion. Consequently, the treaty did not change the intention of the war by both sides.Only the conclusion of a military alliance between the USSR, Britain and France could stop the aggression and the unleashing of a global military battle in this situation, which dramatically changed the balance of forces between the parties.
The Soviet leadership proposed to Great Britain and France to conclude an agreement on mutual assistance in case of aggression against one of the countries and assistance to any country bordering the USSR in case of aggression against it, including a specific military convention on the forms and methods of this assistance. However, the answer was negative.
This policy of Chamberlain and Halifax was sharply criticized in England. D. Lloyd George, W. Churchill and C. Attlee advocated the early conclusion of the Anglo-French-Soviet treaty, and Chamberlain was forced to yield. On May 27, the Soviet government received the Anglo-French draft treaty of the three powers, which did not contain direct obligations to help the USSR. The counter draft of the Soviet leadership of June 2, indicating the need to conclude a military convention, forced Chamberlain to agree to negotiations in Moscow, Special Representative W. Streng. What instructions Streng received is hidden in classified documents. (W. Streng's diaries are classified by will for 100 years).
Trilateral negotiations in mid-July stalled due to the refusal of the Anglo-French allies to accept specific obligations and resumed only after the Soviet-German trade negotiations began. The time before the planned date for the fascist attack on Poland, which was known in London and Moscow, was running out, and there were no concrete results from the negotiations. The military delegation of the allies to develop a military convention arrived in the USSR only on August 12 and without the authority to conclude specific agreements (see: Sipols V.Ya. Diplomatic secrets. Eve of the Great Patriotic War 1939-1941. - M., 1997. P. 75) . Soviet intelligence reported that the British leadership was conducting simultaneous negotiations with Hitler, and the military delegation in Moscow was instructed to "strive to reduce military agreements to the most general formulations" (Essays RVR. T. 3. - M. 1999. S. 9).
It was clear to all political and military leaders - both in Berlin, and in Paris and London, and in Moscow - that the spread of the world war could only be stopped by the creation of an Anglo-French-Soviet military alliance (reconstruction of the Entente 1914-1917). This was what the Soviet leadership wanted. The evasion of England and France from concluding such an alliance indicates that the leaders of these countries intended to carry out their global strategic plan of involving Poland and the USSR in the war, without committing themselves to an active struggle against German aggression in the east.
In the current situation, the position of the United States is changing dramatically. If in the period of the Munich crisis they approved of the position of concessions, now Roosevelt has taken an uncompromising position. An economic recession began in the United States, and a prolonged war in Europe could prevent a new economic crisis.
Hitler needed a war with Poland to establish his position in the country, to strengthen the rear in the subsequent offensive against France, and also as a springboard for a future war against the USSR. Having his supporters in the political circles of the Western powers, he sought to prevent the formation of a new Entente - the conclusion of their alliance with the USSR, and conducted diplomatic negotiations "to resolve the conflict", giving hope for the possible development of his aggression to the east according to the Munich scenario. The calculation was for the fastest defeat of Poland and the subsequent offensive in the West.
Negotiations in Moscow with the Anglo-French military delegation by August 20 had reached an impasse due to Poland's refusal to cooperate with the USSR. The Polish leaders are preparing for negotiations with Hitler, their pathological anti-Sovietism, mixed with Russophobia, and blind hope for the help of the Western allies have ultimately led Poland to disaster.
Under the circumstances, Hitler takes emergency diplomatic measures. He persistently, almost in the form of an ultimatum, offers the Soviet leadership to conclude a non-aggression pact in order to exclude the military intervention of the USSR in the impending war. It is noteworthy that at the same time, in the course of the Anglo-German negotiations, Goering's trip to London was being prepared, for which a special aircraft was at the ready (see: Irvin D. Goring. - München. 1986. S. 384).
The Soviet leadership, having made sure that England and France were not going to enter into a military alliance with the USSR, decides to sign a non-aggression pact with Germany and gives consent on August 21 for Ribbentrop to come for this. The agreement was signed on 23 August. Hitler, insisting on signing the treaty, had a choice: if the USSR refused, he could agree with the West on the Munich version of resolving the Polish question on an anti-Soviet basis. This threatened the Soviet Union with the fact that Germany would occupy a dominant position in Eastern Europe, possibly with access to the borders of the USSR, and was able to create an anti-Soviet military alliance with Poland, Finland, the Baltic republics, Romania, and also with Turkey, with the threat of the USSR on east from Japan, which has been written about more than once in the West. That is why, in objective Western historiography, the decision of the Soviet leadership to sign this treaty is assessed as the “best possible” option (for more details, see: Sipols V.Ya. Secrets ... P. 105-107).
For the Anglo-French leaders, the conclusion of the treaty meant the loss of hopes to draw Germany into a war with the USSR during the world war planned by both sides, and in general, the collapse of the Munich policy of “sewage of aggression to the east” at this stage of the development of events.
However, the Munichers sought to preserve Poland and their positions in Eastern Europe for themselves by bargaining with Hitler. Negotiations with the USSR were terminated, despite the fact that the Soviet leadership three times declared its readiness for further diplomatic steps - Molotov on August 23 and 24, his deputy Lozovsky on August 26. The basis of Western diplomacy was Chamberlain's letter to Hitler dated August 22. It confirmed the intention of the allies to fulfill their obligations to Poland, “whatever the essence of the Soviet-German agreement turns out to be” and the readiness to wage a world war, “even if success is ensured (by Germany. -L.O.) on one of several fronts." At the same time, it was proposed to continue negotiations, "in which broader problems affecting the future of international relations, including issues of mutual interest" (World Wars of the XX century. Book 4. World War II. Documents and materials. - M) would be jointly discussed. 2002, p. 78).
Thus, the thesis “Conspiracy between Hitler and Stalin unleashed a world war” is absolutely false. The Soviet-German non-aggression pact of August 23, 1939 did not unleash a war, but only equalized the position of the USSR in relations with Germany with the position of Great Britain and France, which signed such declarations with Hitler as a result of the Munich agreement in 1938. The German attack on Poland also did not depend on the conclusion of this treaty, for it was planned in advance and would have been carried out under any conditions, except for a joint Anglo-French-Soviet rebuff to this aggression.Britain's and France's rejection of such an alliance thwarted this one possibility, and their entire long anti-Soviet policy contributed to Germany's aggression.
An analysis of the strategic plans of the opposing coalitions shows that both sides were preparing to enter the world war in the autumn of 1939. The fascist bloc was preparing for fleeting military campaigns, avoiding a two-front war with Germany, while the Anglo-French bloc was preparing for a long war on several fronts with the involvement of other states in the war. The German attack on Poland was considered by both sides as the start of a global war, similar to Serbia in the First World War, but without the participation of Russia - the USSR.
The conclusion of the Soviet-German non-aggression pact brought the Soviet Union out of the threat of the most dangerous option for involvement in the world war - the aggression of the fascist states from the west and east and in the conditions of the country's international isolation. The USSR found itself out of the battle of the imperialist states for almost two years, which made it possible to significantly increase its military power. Stalin prudently conditioned the conclusion of the treaty by dividing lines of spheres of interest, limiting the zone of domination of fascist Germany in Eastern Europe 300 km from the existing borders of the USSR, which was of great strategic importance.
In general, this treaty is legally justified and historically justified. As follows from the documents of strategic planning, he was not involved in unleashing the war in Europe. The unleashing of the war was determined by Germany's aggression against Poland and the decision of the Anglo-French leadership in response to this to go to war with Germany.
Consider the key events of this period, little covered in the literature.
Hitler, having received Chamberlain's message on August 22, realized that a new Munich agreement was being proposed at the expense of Poland. The Polish government was preparing for negotiations with Germany. Great Britain, in order to keep Poland and warn Hitler, concludes an agreement on mutual assistance with it on August 25, but does not advise the Polish leadership to announce a general mobilization, hoping for negotiations. On the same day, Hitler sent an answer to Chamberlain's message. It expresses readiness to conclude an alliance with Great Britain if German demands are met. In a conversation with the British ambassador in Berlin, N. Henderson, Hitler made a note that nothing terrible would happen if England declared a “show war” for reasons of prestige, it was only necessary to stipulate the key points of future reconciliation ahead of time (see: Falin V.M. Second Front The Anti-Hitler Coalition: A Conflict of Interest, M. 2000, p. 124).
Henderson brought an official response to Hitler's proposal two days later. Chamberlain reported that he was ready to accept Germany's demands, "to make friendship the basis of relations between Germany and the British Empire, if the differences between Germany and Poland are settled peacefully" (ibid., p. 127). But the second, after Munich, conspiracy of the West with fascism did not take place, since the Nazi leadership needed a war, and he had the hope that the Anglo-French politicians would not dare to enter the war. The Weiss plan was put into action with the beginning of the aggression on 1 September.
In these dramatic days, when Chamberlain and his entourage hesitated in making a decision, the position of the United States was of great importance. But London and Paris were told that the United States did not consider it necessary to contribute to the appeasement of Germany, and if they did not declare war after her aggression, they would not be able to count on American assistance in the future. After the war, US Ambassador to England John F. Kennedy asserted: “Neither the French nor the British would have ever made Poland the cause of the war, if not for the constant instigation of Washington” (quoted from: Yakovlev N.N. Selected Works. FDR is a man and a politician . - M. 1988. S. 276).
Already after the attack on Poland with the gangster provocation of the Nazis, the Anglo-French allies were looking for an opportunity to negotiate with Hitler for another two days, and the German troops smashed the Polish army. It was not until September 3 that the British and French governments declared war on Germany. Hitler was able to tell the German people that Germany was on the defensive against her historical adversaries.
So who unleashed World War II? The facts presented provide the answer. If we consider the European war as the beginning of a world war, then it was untied, on the one hand, by fascist Germany, and on the other, by Great Britain and France with the instigation of the United States.
What were the goals of the Western powers?
Western politicians declared that allegedly “the purpose of the war they have declared is to put an end to Nazi aggression and to eradicate the forces in Germany that give rise to it” (Butler J. Decree. Op. C. 24). However, strategic planning documents and diplomatic actions show that the true goal was to protect their colonial possessions during a long world war with the desire to draw the Soviet Union into it. The nature of strategic actions and diplomacy in September 1939 - March 1940 clearly demonstrate these true goals of the Anglo-French coalition.
The Allied command did not fulfill its promises to Poland, which could not withstand the onslaught of the main forces of the Wehrmacht. The French army took up defensive positions along the Maginot Line, while it was opposed by small and poorly trained German divisions. The attack on Poland was a political and military adventure that could lead Germany to disaster. At the Nuremberg trials, Field Marshal Keitel and General Jodl admitted that Germany did not collapse in 1939 only because the Anglo-French troops in the west did not take any action against the German barrier, which had no real defensive capabilities.
By the end of September, limited hostilities on the German border had ceased altogether, and the “imaginary” war began, which was discussed in a conversation between Hitler and Henderson. The political leadership of England and France expected that Hitler, "having solved the Polish problem in his own way," would come to an agreement with the West, having received a direct border with the USSR. Negotiations began, and at the end of October, Hitler expressed his intention “in five months to occupy the east and create clear conditions, which now, due to the demands of the moment, have fallen into disarray and disorder” (quoted from: Falin V.M. Decree. op. S. 147-148).
During the German-Polish war, the Soviet leadership took measures to strengthen its strategic positions in the west. On September 15, Ribbentrop informed the NKID that “the entry of Soviet troops into Poland will save us from destroying the remnants of the Polish army, pursuing them right up to the Russian border” (World Wars ... S. 87). On September 17, the Polish government fled the country, leaving its people behind. German troops crossed the line of division of zones of interest established by the Soviet-German non-aggression pact. The Soviet government decided to send troops into Western Ukraine and Western Belarus to meet the advance of the German units. A clash occurred in the Lvov region, after which the German troops retreated to the established line. This refutes the fabrications of anti-Soviet historians that the Soviet Union allegedly entered the war as an ally of Germany.
The Soviet-Finnish war in the winter of 1940 became an occasion for the West to put pressure on the USSR in order to try to find an agreement with Germany on an anti-Soviet basis. The Anglo-French leadership is preparing an expeditionary force to support Finland and is planning air strikes on the oil-bearing regions of the Caucasus with the prospect of a further offensive in the south of the USSR. The western, central direction was given to Germany (as was the case during the intervention in 1918). The search for an agreement with Germany became the goal of the Wallace Mission, the US Deputy Secretary of State. (Documents of the Western powers about this are still largely closed). But Hitler did not agree to an agreement and was preparing a decisive offensive in the West.
The end of the Soviet-Finnish war on Soviet terms buried the hope of organizing a joint campaign against the USSR with Germany. French Prime Minister Daladier said on March 19: “The Moscow peace treaty is a tragic and shameful event. For Russia, this is a great victory.” The next day, his government fell, replaced by the government of P. Reynaud. Chamberlain resisted, but was forced to admit that the conclusion of a peace treaty "should be assessed as a failure in the policy of the allies" (cited by Sipols V.Ya. Secrets ... S. 197-198). These statements can serve as a response to the modern falsifications of anti-Soviet historians "about the shameful Finnish war of the Soviet Union."
The strategic defense in the “imaginary war” of the Anglo-French coalition continued until April 1940, when, after the opportunity provided by the enemy to deploy its forces to the Wehrmacht, a strategic German offensive in the West began with an invasion of Denmark and Norway. Chamberlain's policy suffered a complete collapse, his cabinet fell, and the energetic Churchill became prime minister, who at that time believed that "Nazism is more dangerous than Bolshevism."
The subsequent offensive of the fascist troops on the western front led to the unexpectedly quick for everyone (including Hitler) defeat of France (a little over a month) and its surrender, without exhausting the possibility of resistance. This catastrophe of the Anglo-French coalition was the result of a vicious anti-Soviet policy and a mediocre strategy of its political and military leaders.
After the defeat of France, Hitler offered peace to Great Britain. This proposal was discussed, response proposals were prepared with conditions for Germany (the minutes of the meeting of the War Cabinet are still classified). But Churchill persuaded not to agree to peace, it is possible that he was already aware of Hitler's decision to begin preparations for aggression against the USSR.
Great Britain was left alone in the confrontation with the fascist bloc, but enjoyed the support of the United States. During the second half of 1940 - the spring of 1941, fascist Germany established its dominance throughout Europe and launched active, but covert preparations for aggression against the Soviet Union.
Hitler makes another attempt to avoid a war on two fronts - to reach an agreement with Great Britain. On May 10, 1941, Hitler's first deputy for the party, Rudolf Hess, flew to England. The "Hess Mission" is another one of the secrets of the Second World War not fully disclosed, the documents of the negotiations are classified until 2017. Researcher V.I. Dashichev notes: “The main goal of the Hess mission was to neutralize England for the period of the war against the Soviet Union. This is indicated in the book "Churchill's Peace Trap" by the official historian of the British Foreign Ministry Allen Martin. He wrote that "Churchill, wanting to mislead the Germans, made them understand that he was allegedly interested in negotiations with German representatives and in reconciliation with Germany" (Dashichev V.I. Hitler's strategy is a path to disaster. 1933-1945. T 3. Bankruptcy of offensive strategy in the war against the USSR 1941-1943. M., 2005. P. 45). According to Soviet intelligence reports, Hess "arrived in England to conclude a compromise peace." Information received from the United States and Germany itself confirmed that his voyage, if successful, would speed up the strike on the Soviet Union (see: V.M. Falin, op. cit., p. 186). A little more than a month after Hess landed in Scotland, fascist Germany began aggression.
The defeat of the Anglo-French coalition and the threat looming over England intensified preparations for war by the United States, which feared that the fascist bloc "would begin to seize the overseas possessions of the European colonial powers, destroying the very foundations of the political and economic relations of the United States with the rest of the world ..." (Matlof M. and Snell E. Strategic planning in the coalition war of 1941-1942 - M. 1955. S. 22). On January 29, 1941, an American-British staff conference opened in Washington, DC, which lasted until March 29. Thus began the activities of the Anglo-American coalition during the "undeclared war of Roosevelt."
The general strategic plan worked out at this meeting considered the first task to be the strengthening of the British Isles, the protection of Atlantic communications and the accumulation of the forces of the US army without entering the war. In the subsequent course of the world war, it was envisaged that “the most important theater of military operations is the European theater ... First, you need to defeat Germany and Italy, and then deal with Japan ...” (ibid., p. 50). The world war took on an anti-fascist character, but with the predominance of imperialist goals in the policy of the Anglo-American coalition.
The attack of fascist Germany on the Soviet Union was regarded by the political and military leadership of the USA and Great Britain as a "gift of Providence", as a "precious respite" provided (Sherwood R. Roosevelt and Hopkins. - M. 1958. Vol. 1. S. 495-496). In the West, it was believed that the USSR would hold out for a month, maximum three months, and the future of Great Britain depended on the duration of the resistance of the Red Army. At the same time, it was clear that with the defeat of the USSR, the threat of fascist world domination sharply increased. Having declared support for the USSR, the leaders of the United States and Great Britain, however, did not take decisive steps to provide it with real assistance, fearing that "the military materials provided would not fall into the hands of the enemy."
The threatening development of events prompted Roosevelt, even before the US entered the war, to formalize a military-political alliance with Great Britain, defining the goals of the joint struggle and the post-war order of the world. He believed that during the First World War, America did not realize its potential in the post-war world due to the lack of prior coordination of interests with the allies. The meeting between Roosevelt and Churchill was scheduled for August 10, 1941 off the coast of Newfoundland in Argenshia Bay. Previously, to clarify the prospects for war on the Soviet-German front, Roosevelt's personal representative, G. Hopkins, left for the USSR.
The decision taken at this conference, promulgated in the form of the "Atlantic Charter", clearly shows the political goals of the Anglo-American coalition in World War II. The first issue of discussion was the attitude towards the Soviet Union. Hopkins' report convinced the conference participants of the ability and firm intention of the Soviet leadership to wage a stubborn struggle against the Nazi invaders. On this issue, a unanimous decision was made on economic assistance to the USSR. A message was sent to the Soviet leadership with a proposal to convene a conference of the three great powers in Moscow to work out a program for the most expedient use of available resources. Characteristically, the date of the meeting was set for October 1, "when the situation on the Soviet-German front will be sufficiently definite."
The second and main issue of discussion for both sides was the problem of the post-war order of the world - the final goals of the war, where sharp differences emerged. The American proposals for a joint declaration included "freedom of the seas" and "access for all peoples on an equal footing to the markets and sources of raw materials they need for their economic prosperity." This formulation made it possible for American capital to establish dominance over the economic resources of all countries, including the British Empire. Churchill sharply objected, stating that he "became prime minister not at all in order to preside over the liquidation of the British Empire" (Roosevelt E. Through his eyes. - M. 1947. P. 51). But the American delegation was adamant, and Churchill eventually gave in, saying: "... We know that our empire cannot stand without America" (ibid., pp. 56-57).
The Atlantic Charter was published on 14 August. She announced that “after the final destruction of Nazi tyranny… the people of all countries will be able to live their lives free from fear and want.” There are many generalities in this document, but it did not say how to destroy Nazi tyranny. On September 24, at the allied conference in London, the Soviet government made its declaration. It declared agreement with the basic principles of the Atlantic Charter and at the same time put forward its own specific program for the anti-fascist coalition. It pointed out that the main task was to achieve the speediest defeat of the aggressors and to determine the most effective ways and methods for achieving this goal.
On August 25, 1941, the Joint Council of the US Army and Navy submitted a report to Roosevelt, which stated that the goal of military strategy was "to create, ultimately in Europe and Asia, a balance of power that will best ensure political stability in these areas and the security of the United States in the future and, as far as practicable, the establishment of regimes conducive to economic and individual freedom” (Matloff M. and Snell E. op. cit. p. 81). This formulation provides for the main political goal of the war - ensuring American dominance in a war-weakened world.
Based on the calculations of the headquarters of the army and navy, an economic "Victory Program" was drawn up, which determined the creation of armed forces for decisive action against Germany (the army - 215 divisions, 8.8 million people) until July 1, 1943. It is noteworthy that it did not take into account either the major actions of the ground forces against Japan, or the active offensive actions of Russia (see: ibid., p. 82). The proposals of the headquarters provided for the longest possible avoidance of the United States from actually entering the war, and the development of military production proceeded not from the possibilities of the economy, but only from strategic needs.
Unexpected for the West, the defeat of the Wehrmacht near Moscow (“Miracle near Moscow”) changed the strategic nature of the Second World War. Japan's aggression in the Pacific and the entry of the United States into World War II determined the formation of an anti-fascist coalition consisting of the USSR, Great Britain and the United States to conduct a joint armed struggle against Nazi Germany and its European allies.
Between December 22, 1941 and January 14, 1942, the first Washington Conference of the Heads of Government and Chiefs of Staff of the United States and Great Britain was held in Washington. It created allied command and control agencies for the conduct of the war by the Anglo-American coalition and developed, in general terms, a global plan for a coalition war, taking into account military operations on the Soviet-German front. During the conference, Roosevelt prepared the text of a declaration providing for the formation of a union of states fighting the fascist bloc - the United Nations. The Declaration of the United Nations was signed on January 1, 1942 by the leading countries - the USA, Great Britain, the USSR and China. Then it was signed by the leaders of 22 more countries.
The coalition war plan ("WW-1"), developed at this conference by the Joint Anglo-American Headquarters, proceeded from the concept proposed by Churchill. The first paragraph of his memorandum read: “The main factors in the course of the war at the present time are the defeats and losses of Hitler in Russia ... Neither Great Britain nor the United States should take any part in these events, except that we are obliged to ensure with punctual accuracy all supply deliveries that we promised. Only in this way will we be able to maintain our influence on Stalin, and only in this way will we be able to weave the efforts of the Russians into the general fabric of the war ”(Butler J., Guayer J. Big strategy. June 1941 - August 1942. - M. 1967. S. 246).
This plan presents a concrete expression of the policy of the Anglo-American coalition in the unfolding global armed struggle. The main strategic task is "the creation and compression of the ring around Germany." This ring runs along the lines of Arkhangelsk, the Black Sea, Anatolia, the northern coast of the Mediterranean Sea and the western coast of Europe. “The main goal of the Allies is to increase pressure on this ring and close the gaps in it by holding the Soviet-German front, arming and supporting Turkey, increasing our forces in the Middle East, and also by mastering the entire northern coast of Africa.”
The deployment of offensive operations on the continent was envisaged as possible in 1943, when “favorable conditions may arise for an invasion of the continent through the Mediterranean Sea, from Turkey to the Balkans or by landing on the coast of Western Europe. These operations will be a prelude to the decisive assault on Germany proper” (ibid., pp. 506-509).
An analysis of this plan shows its connection with the first global plan of the Anglo-French coalition. A long war is planned to attrition the enemy with the participation of an "extended and stable front in the east" (now the USSR) and the expansion of the countries participating in the coalition. The coincidence of the line of the Soviet-German front, indicated by Churchill, with the boundaries of the advance of the German troops according to the plan "Barbarossa" makes one think - is it accidental, and is there an answer to this question in the "Hess case"?
In the course of a long struggle before the “decisive assault on Germany proper”, the Anglo-American coalition, according to this plan, builds up strength, seizes the most important world strategic positions and comes to the final period of the war with the most powerful army in order to dictate its terms of peace to both the defeated and weakened allies.
Such a plan of warfare proceeded from the main political goal of the Anglo-American coalition, primarily the United States, - the achievement of world domination. It was linked to a common goal for all countries of the United Nations - the defeat of fascism, but a long, bloody and exhausting path both for the USSR and other participants in the war, and for the working population of their countries. For the United States, which was waging war from across the ocean, a long war contributed both to economic growth and to the receipt of huge profits for monopoly capital. German strategists also noted this: “... If America has already invested heavily in the war, it will not want to end it until it makes a tolerable business on it” (Dashichev V.I. Hitler’s strategy is a path to disaster ... V. 3 Bankruptcy of offensive strategy in the war against the USSR 1941-1943. - M. 2000. P. 407).
The Soviet leadership persistently sought to conclude full-scale agreements on the joint struggle against Nazi Germany, its allies in Europe and post-war cooperation with Great Britain and the United States. One of the fundamental political and military issues at their conclusion in the spring of 1942 was an agreement on the opening of a second front in Europe in 1942, which could accelerate the defeat of Germany by joint efforts. This was also the demand of the progressive public in the USA and England.
The history of the second front is sufficiently covered in Soviet historiography, but, as a rule, Western historians distort it, trying to justify the failure of the Anglo-American allies to fulfill their obligations for political reasons by military-strategic factors. From the standpoint of modern military history, it is important to note that when making decisions, Roosevelt and Churchill had ample opportunity to know the plans of their opponents from the decryption of diplomatic and military ciphered correspondence.
In the spring of 1942, they promised the Soviet leadership to open a second front in Europe, as American historians note, with the "only purpose of reassuring the Soviet government" on the eve of the "decisive military campaign in the summer of 1942 on the Soviet-German front" (Matloff M. and Snell E. Decree op., p. 271). In fact, the United States and Great Britain carried out the plan to "create a ring around Germany" ("WW-1") by landing in North Africa (Operation "Torch"). They did not communicate the information they had about the plans for the summer offensive of the fascist troops on the southern flank of the Soviet-German front to the Soviet leadership.
The breakthrough of German troops to the Caucasus and the Volga in the summer of 1942, fears that Hitler's global plan for a summer offensive could be realized, caused Churchill's trip to Moscow in August for negotiations with Stalin. Convinced that the Caucasus would not be surrendered, Churchill strengthened his decision to land in North Africa in the autumn of 1942 and gave Stalin a "firm promise" to open a second front in 1943. The meaning of the policy of the allied leadership towards the USSR in this tragic period was expressed by the Chief of Staff of the US Army, General D. Marshall, when he learned about the decision taken by Roosevelt and Churchill to land troops in 1942 not in France, but in North Africa: “Soviet victories, and not defeat becomes the decisive prerequisite for the invasion of France.
In early November 1942, Allied troops landed in the French colonial possessions of North Africa and began to conquer the entire North African coast, closing the “ring around Germany”. Fierce defensive battles were fought on the Soviet-German front near Stalingrad on the banks of the Volga, in the foothills of the Caucasus and in Novorossiysk. Everything went in accordance with the global strategic plan "WW-1". But on November 19, 1942, the unexpected happened - the Red Army went on the offensive and inflicted a crushing defeat on the Wehrmacht near Stalingrad.
In January 1943, a conference of heads of government and military leaders of the United States and Great Britain is held in Casablanca to develop a new strategic plan. Stalin, avoiding personal participation in it, announced his hope that the promised second front would be opened in the spring of 1943. US Army Chief of Staff General Marshall proposed a calculated landing plan in France in 1943 for a decisive victory over Germany in a short time. Various options were discussed for 10 days. As the English historian M. Howard writes: “In conversations with Churchill, Roosevelt showed great interest in the idea of invading Sicily, after which the “Mediterranean strategy” was finally adopted” (Howard M. Grand strategy. August 1942 - September 1943 - M. 1980 pp. 185). At the same time, it was clear that a landing in Sicily makes it possible to withdraw Italy from the war, but makes it impossible to land in France, that is, the opening of a second front in 1943. The allied disinformation operation made it possible to mislead the Germans about the landing area in the Mediterranean, but showed the German command that there would be no second front in Europe in 1943.
The adoption of a Mediterranean strategy instead of opening a second front was essentially a continuation of the WW-1 plan for waging a protracted war, a war of attrition for the USSR. The absence of a second front in the summer of 1943 provided an opportunity for Germany to take revenge for Stalingrad and thereby prevent a decisive offensive by the Red Army. At the conference, it was also planned to involve Turkey in the war, to induce her to send her troops to the Balkans during the retreat of German troops. The USSR Ambassador in Washington M.M. Litvinov, analyzing the policy of the allies during this period, wrote: “There is no doubt that the military calculations of both states are based on the desire for maximum exhaustion and wear out of the forces of the Soviet Union in order to reduce its role in resolving post-war problems. They will wait for the development of hostilities on our front ”(Rzheshevsky O.A. History of the Second Front: War and Diplomacy. - M. 1988. P. 29).
The results of the winter-spring offensive of the Red Army in 1943 seriously worried the leadership of the Allies. At the talks in Washington on March 17, Hopkins said: “...If only we do not act quickly and for sure, one of two things can happen: either Germany becomes communist, or complete anarchy will come there ... In fact, the same thing can happen in any European state, and also in Italy ... ”(Sherwood R. Roosevelt and Hopkins. Through the eyes of an eyewitness. - M. 1958. T. 2. S. 385).
On May 11-27, a new allied conference (“Trident”) was held in Washington. It made the final decision: to strike the main blow against Germany, the invasion of the continent would be carried out across the English Channel to France by May 1, 1944. After the capture of Sicily in the summer of 1943, the Allies would continue military operations in the Apennines in order to withdraw Italy from the war. Churchill's proposal to invade Europe through the Balkans was rejected.
On June 4, Stalin received a message from Roosevelt, from which it followed that in 1943 the second front would not be opened. Stalin sharply replied that the Soviet government could not join such a decision, which could have grave consequences. In his correspondence with Churchill, Stalin stressed that the question wassaving millions of lives in the occupied areas of Western Europe and Russia and reducing the colossal casualties of the Soviet armies. In the modern anti-Soviet information campaign on the issues of losses in the USSR during the war years and the "cruelty of Stalinism", Western and pro-Western Russian historiography and journalism deliberately hide the policy of dragging out the war by the Anglo-American coalition, contrary to Stalin's demands for the quickest and most decisive defeat of fascist Germany.
The defeat of the fascist troops in the Battle of Kursk, the unfolding strategic offensive of the Red Army in the summer of 1943 caused a change in policy and the development of a new allied strategy, for which the next inter-allied conference was convened in Quebec (“Quadrant”) on August 14-24. It was preceded by a special report by the US Committee of Staffs on the role of the USSR in the war and on the position of the allies in relation to the Soviet Union. It argued that Russia occupies a dominant position in World War II, is a decisive factor in the defeat of the countries of the fascist bloc, and even after the opening of the second front, it will be secondary to the Russian front. With regard to the war in the Pacific, the defeat of Japan, together with the Soviet Union, will be completed at less cost and sacrifice for the United States. This report concludes about the increased role of the US alliance with the USSR and the need to maintain friendly relations with it.
At the conference, a new coalition war plan for 1943-1944 was discussed and approved. Now he provided for joint strategic actions with the USSR in order to end the war as soon as possible (according to the plan - in 1944). The main operation is the landing of troops in Northern France (preliminary date - May 1, 1944). “After large forces of the Allied forces are in the territory of France, operations will be undertaken aimed at the very heart of Germany ...” (Howard M. Decree. Op. C. 434-435). Roosevelt believed that Anglo-American troops should enter Berlin before the Russians, than to establish the United States as the main winner in World War II and ensure a dominant position in Europe and the world. The plan also provided for an emergency operation to occupy Berlin and other major centers of Germany in the event of a rapid collapse of the Soviet-German front or internal German events (Operation Rankin, the plan of which was carefully concealed from Soviet leaders).
Alternative options were also considered at the conference. The Office of Strategic Services (OSS - the predecessor of the CIA) presented a project "how to turn the power of a still strong Germany against the Soviet Union" (Yakovlev N.N. Franklin Roosevelt: a man and a politician ... S. 367). At a meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Marshall posed the question: "... In the event that the Russians achieve overwhelming success, will the Germans assist our offensive in order to repulse the Russians?" (History of the Second World War ... T. 7. S. 514).
The conference approved a plan of action to withdraw Italy from the war. Roosevelt and Churchill sent Stalin the terms of Italy's surrender. In a response message, Stalin, without objecting to these conditions, said that the situation when the USA and England conspire, and the USSR remains a passive observer of the conspiracy, "it is impossible to endure any longer."
The next decision on the global strategic plan was made after the completion of the radical change on the Soviet-German front and throughout World War II, by the leaders of all three powers at the Tehran Conference. On the eve of it in November 1943, Roosevelt believed: “If things in Russia continue as they are now, then it is possible that next spring a second front will not be needed” (Roosevelt E. Through His Eyes ... S. 161). The basis of the strategy of the Anglo-American allies was the desire "not to be late for Europe" and to occupy the territories necessary for a profitable post-war world order.
The Tehran Conference (November 28 - December 1, 1943) marked the beginning of the development and implementation of a common coalition strategy of the anti-fascist coalition to achieve the fastest victory over Nazi Germany and its allies in Europe with the opening of a second front in France. The Soviet leadership undertook to coincide with this time a new offensive. Stalin gave his preliminary consent to enter the war with Japan after the end of the war in Europe. The fundamental questions of the post-war order of the world were also discussed.
Specific political goals and strategic decisions at various stages of the further conduct of the war by the Anglo-American coalition were determined under the influence of three main factors: the offensive of the Soviet armed forces; the rise of the anti-fascist resistance in the occupied and allied countries of Germany and the role of the communist parties in it; the activities of the anti-Hitler opposition in the highest German circles associated with the secret services of the Allies. The main political goal was to assert its dominance in Europe by capturing the territory of the countries occupied by fascist troops, forestalling the entry of the Red Army into them. In the context of a rapidly changing military-political situation, the strategic actions of the armed forces were the main factor in resolving issues of the post-war structure.
After the Tehran Conference, Roosevelt and Churchill, with their military advisers, returned to Cairo, where, between December 3-7, 1943, they finalized plans for military operations. Churchill tried to revive the "Balkan option" with the involvement of Turkey in the war in order to preempt the offensive of Soviet troops in the Balkans and Central Europe. But the leadership of Turkey evaded such a decision, and Roosevelt did not insist. The main Allied operation was the invasion of Northwest France in May 1944. On the Italian front, it was planned to continue the offensive with the capture of Rome and the central part of the Apennines. Characteristically, in the event of a “rapid collapse of Germany”, an emergency landing of troops in various regions of Europe was also envisaged, with a specific delimitation of the zones of occupation by the British and American armed forces. The Western intelligence services knew about the plot against Hitler, had connections with the conspirators who planned to open the western front for the Anglo-American troops and hold the eastern front against the Soviet troops. On May 24, 1944, the US State Department informed the USSR Embassy about these proposals, but emphasized that the policy of unconditional surrender remained in force and no proposals would be accepted without the participation of the USSR (see: Falin V.M. Decree. Op. pp. 441, 445 -447, 514).
The offensive in Italy did not produce the desired results, but pinned down significant Allied forces and slowed down the landings in southern France. The entire protracted Italian campaign did not justify the hopes of the leadership for the withdrawal of allied troops from Northern Italy to the Balkans, to Central Europe - to Vienna, in order to forestall the entry of the Red Army.
The Allied landing in Normandy on June 6, 1944 was successful, but after fixing on the bridgehead, the troops slowly moved forward for a month, accumulating forces with complete air supremacy and the weakness of the German defense. The failure of the assassination attempt on Hitler on July 20 and the defeat of the conspiracy buried the hopes of the US and British leadership to end the war in Europe with "the preservation of a strong Germany without Hitler."
A few days after the failure of the plot in Germany, the Allied armies went on the offensive in France on 25 July. During its course, the allied command, which had the most complete information about the actions of the enemy, did not use the possibility of encircling and destroying large enemy groupings, the allies essentially “pushed out” the German troops. This nature of the actions allowed the Wehrmacht to maintain its forces on the Soviet-German front in order to restrain the offensive of the Red Army, which had begun the liberation mission of the peoples of Europe.
The advance of the Anglo-American troops in Western Europe was facilitated by the active operations of the military formations of the Resistance movement in France and Belgium. The withdrawal of German troops in September-October 1944 on the Western Front aroused bright hopes among the leaders of the United States and Britain to forestall the entry of Soviet troops into the central regions of Germany. On November 2, in a radio speech, Roosevelt declared, “We will not have a winter break in Europe. We will strike, drive the enemy, beat him again and again, without giving him a break, and break through to our final goal - Berlin ”(quoted from: Yakovlev N.N. Decree. Op. P. 421).
However, the autumn offensive of the allies with the aim of bypassing or breaking through the defensive lines of the "Siegfried Line" and reaching the Rhine on a wide front did not bring success. The strategy failed to achieve the political goal. The commander of the combined Anglo-American forces in Europe, General D. Eisenhower, stated in early December 1944 that the continuation of the offensive deep into Germany would be possible only from the spring of 1945 (see: Erman J. Grand Strategy. October 1944 - August 1945. - M 1958, p. 80). Hitler's leadership, meanwhile, prepare
launched a major offensive on the western front with the aim of inducing the allies to a separate peace on the principle of force.
The first and only major offensive of the Wehrmacht on the western front put the Anglo-American troops in December 1944 - early January 1945 in a critical situation. On January 4, the commander of the 3rd American Army, General Patton, wrote in his diary: “We can still lose this war” (Suddenness in the operations of the US Armed Forces. - M. 1982. P. 164). At the request of the allied leadership, Stalin decides to launch the winter offensive ahead of schedule: on January 12 instead of January 20. This forced Hitler to stop operations in the west and transfer forces to the Eastern Front. The Allies used the current situation to restore the position of their troops.
By the beginning of February 1945, the allied command had completed the development of plans for the further conduct of the war. At this time, during the brilliant Vistula-Oder operation, Soviet troops captured a number of bridgeheads on the left bank of the Oder on February 3, 60 km remained to Berlin. To coordinate military operations at the final stage of the war in Europe and resolve issues of the post-war world order, the second conference of the heads of government and the command of the armed forces of the USSR, the USA and Great Britain was held, this time in Yalta. It took place from 4 to 11 February 1945. It agreed on plans for military action and resolved the main issues of the post-war structure of the world. The solution of political issues met the interests of all parties on an equal footing. The USSR promised to enter the war with Japan 3 months after the end of the war in Europe.
During the spring offensive of the Allies after the crossing of the Rhine, anti-Soviet sentiments intensified in the political circles of England and the USA, a desire arose for the maximum advance of troops to the east and for the possession of Berlin. The implementation of the decisions of the Yalta Conference was called into question. US intelligence agencies were secretly negotiating with Hitler's representatives about the surrender of German troops in Italy. The plan of German industrial circles for the opening of the western front and fierce resistance on the eastern front received concrete expression in these negotiations.
The "Burn Incident", well-known in history, reflected in the correspondence between Stalin and Roosevelt on the issue of these secret negotiations, jeopardized the further cooperation of the great powers. Having received a detailed and decisive message from Stalin condemning behind-the-scenes negotiations with the Nazis, Roosevelt, after a meeting with his aides on April 8-10, decided to stop negotiations and wrote a message to Stalin on April 11 that "the Berne incident is a thing of the past." But this was already the last message, the next day, April 12, came his unexpected death. Vice President G. Truman, whose name is associated with another US policy - the policy of the "cold war" against the USSR, became the President of the United States.
After the death of Roosevelt on the Western Front, a partial surrender of German troops began and the rapid movement of the Allied armies deep into Germany began. Intentions to enter Berlin from the west revived again, with the fierce resistance of the fascist troops in the east organized by the Nazi command. The Berlin strategic operation of the Red Army, launched on April 16, 1945, deprived the Allied leadership of this hope. She ended the war in Europe in Berlin, defeated by Soviet troops, with the unconditional surrender of Germany, accepted by representatives of the armed forces of the anti-fascist coalition chaired by Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov.
Three months after the end of the war in Europe, the Soviet Union, true to its allied duty, entered the war with Japan. The defeat of the Kwantung millionth army in the Manchurian operation determined the unconditional surrender of Japan. The Second World War ended on September 2, 1945, with the decisive role of the USSR in the defeat of fascism in Europe and Asia.
An analysis of the political goals of the global strategy of the Anglo-French and Anglo-American coalitions leads to the following conclusions:
1. The Second World War was prepared and unfolded by two blocs of imperialist states in the struggle for world domination. Germany played the leading role in the fascist aggressive bloc. Great Britain and France went to war with her for the preservation of their leading role in the world and colonial possessions. In general, it began as an imperialist war, as a continuation of the First World War.
2. In the spring of 1939, the war between Germany and the Anglo-French bloc was planned by both sides without the participation of the Soviet Union in the beginning of hostilities. The Soviet-German non-aggression pact on August 23 was not a condition for unleashing a war in Europe, it could only be prevented by the conclusion of a Soviet-British-French military alliance, which was thwarted by the Anglo-French bloc and the Polish leadership, as Western politicians hoped to direct fascist aggression against the USSR , according to the "Munich version".
The signing of the treaty was the collapse of the long-term policy of the Western powers to "sewage" the aggression of the fascist bloc against the USSR and gave them time to prepare to repel the attack. The decision of the Soviet government in the current situation is historically justified and legitimate.
The delimitation of the zones of interests of the USSR and Germany in Eastern Europe, provided for by the treaty, had an anti-German orientation, prevented the fascist occupation of these areas and provided the USSR with advantageous strategic positions on the western border.
3. After the declaration of war on Germany on September 3, 1939, Great Britain and France did not actually conduct military operations, hoping for an agreement with Hitler. The vicious anti-Soviet policy and mediocre strategic leadership in the Anglo-French coalition led to the defeat of Poland and France, and then to the establishment of fascist domination throughout Europe.
4. Aggression against the USSR created a threat of fascist world domination. The goals of the war declared by the Soviet leadership - the liberation of the peoples from the fascist yoke - gave a liberating anti-fascist character to the entire Second World War. The anti-fascist goals of the war were then proclaimed in the Atlantic Charter of the United States and Great Britain and in the Declaration of the United Nations, a military alliance of states formed after the US entered the war.
5. The leadership of the established Anglo-American coalition linked the achievement of their imperialist goals in the common anti-fascist struggle. The United States sought to assert its dominance in the post-war world, and Great Britain, as an ally of the United States, sought to preserve the colonial empire. Waging a protracted war of attrition in Germany and its ally, the USSR, with the accumulation of its own military power, became the basis of the global strategy of the Anglo-American coalition in 1941-1943.
Having signed agreements on military cooperation with the USSR and given a promise to open a second front in Europe in 1942, the political leadership of the United States and Great Britain twice evaded allied obligations, waiting until 1944 for the results of the struggle on the Soviet-German front. The struggle for a radical change in the course of the Second World War was shifted entirely to the Soviet Union.
6. Completion of a radical change on the Soviet-German front and fears of "being late for Europe" during the offensive of the Red Army determined the new global strategy of the allies with the opening of a second front in France. The political goal of the United States was to assert its role as the main winner in the war against Germany with the capture of Berlin and, accordingly, to ensure American political leadership in post-war Europe.
7. The military power of the Soviet Union, the art of political and military leadership did not allow the Anglo-American allies to intercept the victory of the USSR over Nazi Germany and assert their dominance in Central and Eastern Europe. The defeat of the ground forces of Japan, the liberation of Manchuria and North Korea by the Soviet troops ended World War II in Asia, which prevented the United States from gaining dominance on the Asian continent.
8. Through the joint efforts of the peoples and the armies of the United Nations, the common political goal of the anti-fascist war was fully achieved - the fascist bloc was crushed with the decisive role of the Soviet Union. American imperialism failed to achieve world domination as a result of the Second World War. The Soviet Union became a recognized great world power.
The young, barely formed Soviet socialism showed the great vitality and superiority of the new socio-political system. If after World War I, the first socialist state in history, the USSR, arose, then after World War II a world system of socialist states was formed, headed by the Soviet Union.
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Causes of World War II:
1. Germany's desire for revenge for the defeat in the First World War, which was facilitated by: a) the preservation of its economic potential; b) infringed national feelings of the Germans; c) the establishment of the militant fascist dictatorship of A. Hitler in 1933 as a consequence of the "great depression" - the world economic crisis of 1929-1933, from which democratic governments failed to lead the country.
2. Attempts by democratic countries - the winners of the First World War and the guarantors of the Versailles system of international relations that developed after it - to push the other two camps against each other, which ultimately turned against them.
Hitler's war plan (plan "Barbarossa") consisted in a simultaneous powerful blow to a continuous depth along the entire length of the front, in which the main role was played by cutting tank wedges, with the aim of quickly encircling and defeating the main forces of the Soviet army already in border battles. The first event was the September 1941 to January 1943 the blockade of Leningrad, squeezed into the encirclement. Despite hundreds of thousands of victims of a terrible famine, the second capital withstood an incredible, unparalleled siege in history and was not surrendered to the enemy.
The main event that marked the collapse of the blitzkrieg was the battle for Moscow, the main events of which unfolded from October to December 1941. A turning point in the course of the war was played by Battle of Stalingrad (July 1942 - February 1943)- the bloodiest battle of the Second World War. After a long fierce defense, the Soviet troops, having pulled up their reserves, launched a counteroffensive in November and surrounded the German army of Paulus, which, after fruitless attempts to break through the encirclement, freezing and starving, capitulated. The turning point in the course of the war in favor of the Soviet Union, begun by the Battle of Stalingrad, ended with the Battle of Kursk Bulge (July–August 1943)- the largest battle in the history of wars in terms of the number of military equipment. After it, the Soviet army goes on the offensive along the entire front, the liberation of the territory of the USSR begins. Hitler's Wehrmacht finally loses the initiative and goes over to total defense.
The goals of the USSR were determined during the war. This is:
1. Defense of the freedom and independence of the country and socialist ideas.
2. The liberation of the peoples of Europe enslaved by fascism.
3. Creation of democratic or socialist governments in neighboring countries.
4. Liquidation of German fascism, Prussian and Japanese militarism.
Consequences of World War II
World War II affected, without exaggeration, the entire globe. The parties suffered huge human losses - about 60 million lives, cities and villages were destroyed.
Political consequences of the Second World War.
First of all, the danger of such a political formation as fascism was recognized at the international level. Mankind has seen in practice what the ideas of racial superiority lead to. The Nazis were convicted by the Nuremberg Tribunal for their crimes.
Secondly, the anti-Hitler alliance of the war years became the forerunner of the UN. The allied countries saw that it is best to counter the global threat together, and subsequently an international organization of the United Nations was created, designed to monitor the security of the whole world.
Thirdly, the USSR added new territories - Koenigsberg (now Kaliningrad), Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands.
Economic consequences of the Second World War.
The Second World War caused enormous damage to the world economy. The countries were forced to transfer all their production to the “military rails”, agriculture fell into decay. Millions of able-bodied citizens - 80% of the working people - did not return from the battlefields.
On the other hand, the war served as a strong impetus for the development of science and technology:
Production, transferred to military needs, made a huge technical breakthrough. It was after the war, just two decades later, that the era of space exploration began. In the thirties of the twentieth century, it was impossible to even dream of flying beyond the Earth.
The art of war improved. The participating countries learned a lot of invaluable experience from the conflict, which made it possible to minimize losses in further military operations.
Creation of nuclear weapons.
The most controversial consequence of the Second World War was the creation of the atomic bomb. Residents of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the first to experience the full horror of this new weapon. The fifties of the twentieth century were marked by the Cold War and the arms race, and the Cuban Missile Crisis almost led to the beginning of the Third - and last - World War.
