At 4 am on June 22, 1941, the troops of Nazi Germany (5.5 million people) crossed the borders of the Soviet Union, German aircraft (5 thousand) began to bomb Soviet cities, military units and airfields. By this time, World War II had been going on in Europe for almost two years. At the first stage of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1942), the Red Army suffered one defeat after another, moving further and further into the interior of the country. About two million Soviet soldiers were captured or died. The reasons for the defeats were the unpreparedness of the army for war, serious miscalculations by the top leadership, the crimes of the Stalinist regime, and the suddenness of the attack. But even in these difficult months, Soviet soldiers fought heroically against the enemy. The defenders of the Brest Fortress held out for a whole month after the front line moved far to the east. At the end of 1941, the enemy stood a few dozen kilometers from Moscow, and Leningrad was completely surrounded. But the German plan to end the war in the fall was thwarted. As a result of the counteroffensive of the Red Army near Moscow in December 1941, the Germans were driven back. Leningrad, which was under blockade, courageously held out - despite the fact that the most terrible blockade winter of 1941-42. Hundreds of thousands of Leningrad civilians perished from hunger and cold. In the summer of 1942, the German offensive against Stalingrad began. For several months, selected units of the Wehrmacht stormed the city. Stalingrad was reduced to ruins, but the Soviet soldiers who fought for every house survived and went on the offensive. In the winter of 1942-1943, 22 German divisions were surrounded. There was a turning point in the war. In the summer of 1943, the largest tank battle of the Second World War took place near Kursk, in which the Nazis lost about 350 tanks and 3.5 thousand killed. Under the blows of the Red Army, the German units began to retreat to the borders of the Soviet Union. And in the German rear, a guerrilla war broke out. Enemy echelons flew downhill, detachments of punishers and traitor policemen were destroyed. The Nazis responded to the actions of the partisans with terror against the civilian population, but the outcome of the war was already a foregone conclusion. By the summer of 1944, the Red Army liberated the territory of the Soviet Union and began to liberate the European states captured by the Nazis. Simultaneously with the Soviet Union, the allies in the anti-Hitler coalition - England, the USA and France - waged a war against the Germans. In the summer of 1944, the long-awaited second front was opened, which eased the position of the Red Army. In the spring of 1945, Soviet and allied troops entered German territory. The final Berlin operation began, in which Marshal G.K. Zhukov commanded the Soviet troops. On May 9, 1945, Zhukov, together with the Allied commanders, accepted the surrender of Germany. The country paid a huge price for its victory: about 27 million people died, millions were left crippled and disabled, a third of the national heritage was destroyed. The victory in the Great Patriotic War is one of the brightest pages in the history of our country.

The Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) - the war of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics against Nazi Germany and its European allies (Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, Finland, Croatia)

The history of the Great Patriotic War is divided into three stages:

1) June 22, 1941 - November 19, 1942, i.e. from the German attack on the USSR to the start of the counteroffensive of the Soviet troops near Stalingrad - the disruption of the blitzkrieg, creating conditions for a radical change in the war;

2) November 17, 1942 - December 1943 - a radical turning point in the course of the Second World War and the Second World War, the transition of the strategic initiative to the Soviet Army ended with the crossing of the Dnieper and the liberation of Kyiv;

3) 1944 - May 9, 1945, the complete expulsion of the invaders from the territory of the USSR, the liberation of the countries of Central and South-Eastern Europe by the Soviet Army, the final defeat and surrender of Nazi Germany.

treacherous ATTACK OF GERMANY on the USSR

Preparation for war - from the end of the 20s.

BUT by 1941 the USSR was not ready for war.

The Nazis have the military potential of all of Europe;

Repression of command personnel in the USSR

The element of surprise is also connected with Stalin's gullibility to Hitler's promises after 08/23/1939

Germany occupied: France, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Greece, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Poland.

Pro-German regimes: Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania.

Allies of Germany: Italy, Japan. Turkey.

Plan "Barbarossa"

Lightning war and the defeat of the USSR army in the summer campaign of 1941

Directions: "North" - to Leningrad (commanded by General von Leeba), "Center" - to Moscow (von Brauchitsch) and "South" - to Odessa and Kyiv, in addition - the Norway Group was supposed to control the situation in the North Sea . The main direction - "Center" - to Moscow

By the summer of 1941, on the border of the USSR from the Barents to the Black Seas - 5.5 million soldiers (Germany + allies + satellites).

USSR: 4 military districts. 2.9 million people

Far East, South - 1.5 million people. (an invasion by Turkey and Japan is expected).

RETREATS OF THE SOVIET TROOPS (June-September 1941)

First days of the war

On the eve of the war, Stalin repeatedly received intelligence about the impending attack, but refused to believe it. It was only at midnight on June 21 that a number of orders were issued to put the troops on alert - and this is not enough to deploy a defense in many layers.

June 22, 1941. - powerful strikes of the air and mechanized armies of Germany. “June 22, exactly at 4 o’clock, Kyiv was bombed, they announced to us that the war had begun…”

66 airfields were bombed. 1200 aircraft destroyed -> German air supremacy until summer 1943

June 23, 1941. - Headquarters of the High Command (Stavka of the Supreme High Command). Head - Stalin.

June 30, 1941. - State Defense Committee (GKO). Chairman - Stalin. All the fullness of state, party, military power.

Retreats of the Red Army in the first month of the war

In the first month of the war left: the Baltic States, Belarus, Moldova, most of Ukraine. Losses - 1,000,000 fighters, 724 thousand prisoners.

3 main failures of the first months of the war:

1) Smolensk defeat

The Nazis: to take possession of the "gates of Moscow" - Smolensk.

-> destroyed almost all the armies of the Western Front.

USSR command: accused a large group of generals of treason, the head - the commander of the Western Front, Colonel General D.G. Pavlov. Judgment, execution.

Plan "Barbarossa" gave a crack: the capital is not captured in mid-July.

2) Southwest Russia and Kyiv

500,000 dead, along with the commander of the Southwestern Front, Lieutenant General M.D. Cypros.

Kyiv is taken -\u003e strengthening the positions of the Nazis -\u003e breaking through the defense in the Moscow direction.

August 1941- the beginning of the blockade of Leningrad.

August 16, 1941. –order number 270. All those who are in captivity are traitors and traitors. The families of captured commanders and political workers are repressed, the families of soldiers are deprived of benefits.

3) in the Moscow direction to October-November 1941. 5 armies were surrounded and thus opened the way for the Nazis to Moscow

BATTLE FOR MOSCOW

The plan for the capture of Moscow from Hitler - "Typhoon". On September 30, he spoke on the radio (“Not a single Moscow resident, be it a woman, an old man or a child, should leave the city ...”)

According to the plan:

Army Group Center sweeps away the Soviet defenses and captures the capital before the onset of winter. In the convoy there is pink granite for the monument to the victorious German soldier on the site of the destroyed Moscow (later it was used on Gorky Street - now Tverskaya - for facing buildings, including the Post Office).

Start October I am the approach of the Nazis to Moscow. Stalin urgently summoned Zhukov from Leningrad

October 16- a day of general panic in Moscow, they take out valuables, including the State Tretyakov Gallery (paintings)

November 6- Meeting of the Moscow City Council at the Mayakovskaya metro station. Stalin spoke. "Victory will be ours!" It was decided - the parade on November 7 - to be!

November 7- a parade, from Red Square, soldiers and militia (25 divisions) - went straight to the front along the street. Gorky and to Voykovskaya, there is a front line

By the end of November 1941. - Germans at a distance of 25-30 km. from Moscow.

Passage "Dubosekovo" - 28 Panfilov heroes (commanded by Panfilov), political instructor Klochkov: "Russia is great, but there is nowhere to retreat, Moscow is behind!"

3 fronts:

United Western - the direct defense of Moscow (G.M. Zhukov);

Kalininsky (I.S. Konev);

Southwestern (S.K. Timoshenko).

5 armies of the Western and Reserve fronts - in the "boiler".

600.000 people – surrounded (every 2nd).

Moscow, Tula, a significant part of the Kalinin region were liberated.

Losses during the counteroffensive:

USSR - 600.000 people.

Germany: 100.000-150.000 people

Near Moscow - the first major defeat since 1939.

The Blitzkrieg plan failed.

With the victory in the Battle of Moscow - a radical turn (but not yet a turning point!) In the course of the war in favor of the USSR.

The enemy - to the strategy of a protracted war.

By the winter of 1941: losses - 5,000,000 people.

2 million - killed, 3 million - in captivity.

Counteroffensive - until April 1942

Successes are fragile, soon - major losses.

Unsuccessful attempt to break the blockade of Leningrad (established in August 1941)

The 2nd shock army of the Volkhov Front was defeated, the command and head - A.A. Vlasov - were captured.

Fascists: defeat in the Battle of Moscow -> you can not launch an offensive along the entire Eastern Front -> strikes in the south.

Stalin: waiting for a second attack on Moscow, despite intelligence reports. Near Moscow - the main forces.

Decree to inflict a number of distracting blows in the south (Crimea, Kharkov). Against - the head of the General Staff BM Shaposhnikov -> a complete failure.

Dispersion of forces -> failure.

May 1942. - in the Kharkov direction, the Germans surrounded 3 armies of the Southwestern Front. 240 thousand prisoners.

May 1942. - the defeat of the Kerch operation. »150 thousand prisoners in the Crimea. After 250 days of siege, Sevastopol was surrendered.

June 1942- Nazi advance to Stalingrad

July 28, 1942–"Order No. 227"- Stalin - "Not a step back, Under no circumstances should the city be surrendered"

Retreat without an order from the command is a betrayal of the Motherland.

Penal battalions (for commanders and political workers)

Penalties (for sergeants and privates).

Barrage detachments behind the belligerents. They have the right to shoot those retreating on the spot.

end of August- occupied Abgonerovo (the last settlement near Stalingrad)

Simultaneously: August 1942- a group of fascists in the Caucasus.

Beginning of September - they occupied the embankment, the square in front of the department store ... Fights for every street, for every house

End of September - battles for 102 heights ("Mamaev Kurgan" - now there is a monument to the motherland)

Autumn 1942 - 80 million people in the occupied territory.

->country lost

human resources;

The largest industrial areas;

Giant agricultural territories.

The main burden of the siege was on the 62nd Army under the command of General Chuikov. The capture of Stalingrad = the cutting of the Volga transport artery, through which bread and oil are delivered.

period of radical change.

Radical change = transition from defense to strategic offensive.

Battle of Stalingrad

Frontier - Battle of Stalingrad.

November 19, 1942- Southwestern Front (N.F. Vatutin), Don Front (K.K. Rokossovsky), Stalingrad Front (A.I. Eremenko).

Surrounded by 22 enemy divisions, 330 thousand people.

December 1942 - an attempt to break through the encirclement from the Middle Don (Italian-German troops). Failure.

The final stage of the counteroffensive:

troops of the Don Front carried out an operation to eliminate the encircled enemy grouping.

The command of the 6th German Army surrendered. F. Paulus (came over to our side and later began to live in the GDR, was Chairman of the German Peace Committee).

During the Battle of Stalingrad:

The losses of the Nazis - 1.5 million people, ¼ of all forces.

Losses of the Red Army - 2 million people.

The final stage of the Battle of Stalingrad ® general offensive of the Soviet troops.

January 1943- a successful breakthrough of the blockade of Leningrad south of Lake Ladoga. Corridor 8-11 km. "Road of Life" on the ice of Lake Ladoga. Communication with the whole country.

The Battle of Kursk (Orel-Belgorod) is the final stage of the turning point.

Germany: planned to conduct a major offensive operation ("Citadel") in the summer of 1943 in the Kursk region. In our Headquarters, the operation was called “Suvorov \ Kutuzov”, since its goal was the liberation of 2 cities (Orel and Kursk) “The war brought us to Kursk and Orel, to the very enemy gates, such, brother, things ...”

They wanted to destroy the entire southern wing.

50 divisions, 16 armored and motorized. "Tiger", "Panther".

USSR: 40% of combined arms formations. Slight superiority in troops.

Central Front (K.K. Rokossovsky);

Voronezh Front (N.F. Vatutin);

Steppe Front (I.S. Konev) and other fronts.

First stage

The Germans are on the offensive. Up to 35 km inland.

The largest oncoming tank battle of the 2nd World War.

1200 tanks on both sides. Russian victory

Second phase

The main groupings of the enemy were broken.

August 5, 1943- Belgorod and Oryol were liberated -> the first artillery salute in Moscow.

Liberation of Kharkov = completion of the Battle of Kursk.

Defeated 30 enemy divisions, the loss of 500,000 people.

->Hitler could not transfer a single division from the Eastern Front to Italy, where a political coup took place;

-> activation of the resistance movement in Europe.

-> the collapse of the theory of "General Frost" - that is, the weather conditions (winter, terrible frosts that were har-ny for 1941-1942), which allegedly contributed to the hardy Russians. Battle of Kursk - the first summer battle

Counteroffensive near Kursk ® strategic offensive of the spacecraft along the entire front.

Soviet troops - to the West, 300-600 km.

Left-bank Ukraine, Donbass were liberated, bridgeheads in the Crimea were captured.

Forcing the Dnieper.

->end of the battle for the Dnieper.

Hitler's Germany - to strategic defense.

The period of the liberation of the USSR and the defeat of Nazi Germany

The successful actions of the Soviet army in 1944 in the "Stalinist" historiography were associated with the "commander's genius" of this "father of nations." Hence the term - "10 Stalinist strikes in 1944." Indeed, the SA offensive in 1944 is characterized by 10 major operations, and the overall strategy is a constant change in the direction of the main attack (which did not allow the Germans to concentrate forces in any one direction)

Leningrad (L.A. Govorov) and Volkhov (K.A. Meretskov) fronts. Liberation of the Leningrad and Novgorod regions.

The 1st Ukrainian (N.F. Vatutin) and 2nd Ukrainian (I.S. Konev) Fronts surrounded the Korsun-Shevchenko group. The central event of this "strike" was the restoration of the Soviet border: March 26, 1944- troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front - on the border with Romania.

3. Early May 1944– liberation of Crimea = completion of the autumn-winter offensive.

4. June-August 1944- liberation of Karelia. Finland withdrew from the war and broke off relations with Germany

5. Operation "Bagration" = liberation of Belarus., general direction - Minsk-Warsaw-Berlin. June 23 - August 17, 1944 Three Ukrainian Fronts (Rokossovsky, G.F. Zakharov, I.D. Chernyakhovsky), 1st Baltic Front (I.Kh. Bagramyan).

6. July-August 1944- liberation of Western Ukraine. Lvov-Sandomierz operation End of August 1944- offensive Stopped in the foothills of the Carpathians by the reinforced and fierce resistance of the Nazis.

7. August 1944- Iasi-Chisinau operation. 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts. Moldova and Romania were liberated, 22 divisions of the Southern Ukraine Army Group were destroyed. Romania, Bulgaria - the overthrow of the pro-fascist governments. These countries declared war on Germany.

8. September 1944- from Moldova and Romania - to help the Yugoslav partisans. Josip Broz Tito

10. October 1944- Northern Fleet + Northern Front: liberation of the Soviet Arctic, expulsion of the enemy from the Murmansk region. The northeastern regions of Norway have been cleared of the enemy.

LIBERATION CAMPAIGN OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE USSR

Romania ® Bulgaria ® part of Poland ® part of Norway

® Part of Hungary ® Yugoslavia ® Rest of Poland ® Rest of Hungary ® Austria ® Czech Republic

The end of September 1944 - at the request of I. Broz Tito (commander-in-chief), the Soviet troops carried out the Belgrade operation to liberate the capital of Yugoslavia

October 1944 Belgrade has been liberated.

BERLIN LIBERATION

February 1945- Vistula-Oder operation. = continuation of the operation "Bagration"

600,000 soldiers died in Poland during its liberation.

The Vistula-Oder operation = saving the Allied operation in the Ardennes (there were American losses - 40,000 people).

Early April 1945 - complete liberation of Hungary and Austria.

250.000 people died.

1st, 2nd Belorussian fronts (Zhukov, Rokossovsky), 1st Ukrainian (Konev).

Hitler committed suicide

8 May 1945, in Karlshorst (near Berlin)- Representatives of the USSR, USA, England, France and Germany signed an act on the complete and unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany.

From the USSR - G.K. Zhukov. From Germany - Keitel (this general studied in the USSR in the late 30s on an exchange (!) After the non-aggression pact)

9 May 1945- Soviet troops entered Prague, the Prague garrison resisted until May 12, not recognizing the act of surrender

Result of the Second World War: the unconditional victory of the Soviet people. June 24, 1945 there was a parade on Red Square (they threw Nazi banners to the Mausoleum, but - this is not shown in the chronicle - ordinary Muscovites felt sorry for the captured Germans, who were led along Moscow streets as a sign of victory, they brought them bread)

17. WWII

Great Patriotic War 1941

Reasons for the failures of the USSR at the beginning of the war and the reasons for the failure of the blitzkrieg.

Mein Kampf: Hitler declared that the destruction of the USSR as a socialist The state is the meaning of his whole life. The purpose for which the National Socialist movement exists. Based on this, one of the directives of the Wehrmacht read: "many millions of people will become redundant in this territory, they will either have to die or move to Siberia"

In December 1940, Hitler approves the barabarossa plan: 2-3 months after the start of the war, German troops should reach the line Arkhangelsk - Astrakhan. The war began on June 22, 1941 at 4 am. It lasted 1418 days and nights.

There are 4 periods.

Until December 1, 1941, the USSR lost 7 million people. Several tens of thousands of tanks and aircraft. Reason: objective:

A) superiority in material means of warfare

B) in human resources 400 million German. 197 million ussr.

C) more experience in modern warfare.

D) the suddenness of the attack.

Subjective:

A) Stalin's underestimation of the diplomatic means of waging war. On June 14, 1941, a TASS statement is published in the newspapers, stating that Germany's preparations for war with the Soviet Union have no basis.

B) the transfer of troops to a pre-war position was not carried out.

C) repression in the army: 85% of the command staff held their posts for less than one year. Of the 733 former commanders of the Comprites, 579 were repressed before marshals. It takes 20 years to train an army commander.

D) distortions in ideological work.

First period of the war.

June 30, 1941 the creation of the state. Defense Committee: Stalin, Molotov, Voroshilov, Malinkov, Bulganin, Beria, Voznesensky, Kaganovich, Mikoyan.

It was done: introduced, on the model of the civil war, the institution of military commissars. In the shortest possible time, the military economy was transferred to a military footing. By the winter of 1941, 10 million people and 1.5 thousand large industrial enterprises were sent to the east. The formation of new formations in the rear was accelerated. 36 divisions of the people's militia were formed. As a result - the defeat of the Germans near Moscow. On November 6, a meeting was held at Mayakovskaya station in honor of the great October Revolution. November 7 parade.

The defeat of the Germans near Moscow. The first serious defeat of Germany. July August 1941, the governments of England and the United States announced their support for the USSR. Contacts were established with France, Slovakia, etc. An anti-Hitler coalition was formed. Formed on January 1, 1942. After the Japanese attack on the Hawaiian Islands. In autumn, the coalition already had 34 states with a population of 1.5 billion people. Activation of the resistance movement in all 12 countries occupied by Germany.

2 period of the war. Events and facts. Battle for Stalingrad. Changes in the totalitarian democratic system: the cessation of repression, the elimination of the institution of military commissars. The growth of the Comintern. Revival of the traditions of the Russian army. The introduction of military ranks. Guards, the shift in the ideology of emphasis on the defense of the fatherland. Strengthening the role of the church. Spring 1943. The general offensive of the Soviet troops. Breaking the blockade of Leningrad.

July 5, 1943 - the battle on the Kursk Bulge began. For the first time in the war, the balance of power changed in favor of the Red Army, the isolation of Germany in the international arena, the landing of Anglo-American troops in Italy, the overthrow of the Mussolini regime in Italy began. The USSR for the first time outstripped Germany in the production of various types of military products. There is a development of positive personnel changes in the country. Voroshilov and Budyonny are on the sidelines.

Gross violations of national policy continue. Mass resettlement of Germans in the Volga region, the destruction of their autonomies. 1943 - the eviction of the Kalmyks. 1944 - the eviction of the Balkars, Chechens and Ingush, more than 1 million Tatars were evicted from the Crimea and the Caucasus.

Third period of the war. The liberation mission of the Soviet troops. The year 1944 began with major offensive operations of the Soviet troops in the northern and southern directions: the lifting of the blockade of Leningrad, the liberation of the Novgorod region, Estonia, right-bank Ukraine and Crimea. On June 6, 1944, a second front was opened in Europe. July 1944 - the liberation of Belarus, operation "Bagration". By the end of 1944, the entire Soviet territory was liberated. By the beginning of 1945, 11 European countries were liberated. During the liberation of the countries of Eastern Europe, more than 1 million Soviet soldiers and officers died. April 16, 1945 - the beginning of the Berlin operation. On May 8, an act of unconditional surrender of Germany was signed.

Fourth period of the war. The question of the participation of the USSR in the war against Japan was resolved in February 1945 at the Yalta Conference. Hostilities began on 9 August and ended on 2 September. August 6 and 8 - Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Kwantung Army was defeated in August 1945; on September 2, Japan's surrender was signed on the American battleship Missouri.

Results of the Second World War.

Churchill: "It was the Russian army that let the guts out of the German war machine." In total, about 60 million people died in World War II. Of these, the USSR lost 27 million, Germany - 13, Poland - 6, China - 5 million. Japan - 2.5 million, Yugoslavia - 1.7 million, France, England and the USA - 1 million 300 thousand people. Of the 18 million imprisoned in concentration camps, 11 million died.

The international prestige of the USSR increased sharply. The USSR received the Kuril Islands and South Sakhalin. East Prussia with the city of Koenigsberg (Kaliningrad) went to us. Changes in the totalitarian system. GULAG, repressions, the formation of Stalin-style regimes in the countries of Eastern Europe and the resettlement of repressed peoples.

The Great Patriotic War, the stages of which we will consider in this article, is one of the most difficult historical trials that befell the Ukrainians, Russians, Belarusians and other peoples who lived on the territory of the USSR. These 1418 days and nights will forever remain in history as the most bloody and cruel time.

The main stages of the Great Patriotic War

The periodization of the events of the Second World War can be done based on the nature of the events that took place at the front. In different periods of the war, the initiative belonged to different armies.
Most historians detail the stages of the Great Patriotic War as follows:

• from June 22 to November 18, 1941 (stage 1 of the Great Patriotic War);
• from November 19, 1941 to the end of 1943 (stage 2 of the Great Patriotic War);
• from January 1944 to May 1945 (3rd stage of the Great Patriotic War).

Great Patriotic War: periods

Each of the periods of the Great Patriotic War has its own characteristics, which relate to the areas of hostilities, the use of new types of weapons and the advantages of one of the armies. I would like to first talk about the stages of the Great Patriotic War briefly.

• The initial stage of hostilities was characterized by the full initiative of the Nazi troops. During this time, Hitler's army completely occupied Belarus, Ukraine and almost reached Moscow. The Soviet army, of course, fought to the best of its ability, but constantly retreated. The great success of the Red Army during this period was the victory near Moscow. But in general, the offensive of the German troops continued. They were able to occupy many territories of the Caucasus, they reached almost the modern borders of Chechnya, but the Nazis failed to take Grozny. Important battles in the middle of 1942 took place on the Crimean front. Finished stage 1
• The second stage of the Great Patriotic War brought the advantage of the Red Army. After the victory at Stalingrad over the army of Paulus, the Soviet troops received good conditions for the liberation offensive. Leningrad, the battle of Kursk and the general offensive on all fronts at that time made it clear that the Nazi army would sooner or later lose the war.
• In the final period of the war, the offensive of the Red Army continued. The fighting took place already mainly on the territory of Ukraine and Belarus. This period was characterized by the progressive advance of the Red Army to the west and the fierce resistance of the enemy. This is the last stage in the Second World War, which ended in victory over the enemy.

Reasons for the existing periodization of the Second World War

The stages of the Great Patriotic War, or rather their beginning and end, are marked by some key events, battles that have gone down in world history. The first period of the war was the longest. The reasons for this are:

• surprise attack of the enemy;
• attacks by a massive front of troops on significantly stretched territories;
• the lack of extensive experience in combat operations in the Soviet army;
• superiority of the German army in technical equipment.

It was only by the end of 1942 that the enemy's advance was completely stopped. The main reasons for the success of the Red Army in the second period of the war can be considered:

• heroism of Soviet soldiers;
• the superiority of the Red Army over the enemy;
• significant progress of the USSR army in technical terms (the appearance of new tanks and anti-aircraft installations, much more).

The third stage of the war was also quite long. The main distinction between the 2nd and 3rd stages of hostilities against the Nazi troops seems to be that in 1944 the epicenter of hostilities spread from Russia to Ukraine and Belarus, that is, there was a progressive movement to the west. The final stage of the Great Patriotic War lasted more than a year, because the spacecraft had to liberate all of Ukraine and Belarus, as well as the countries of Eastern Europe.

Battles of 1941

In 1941, the position of the USSR, as already emphasized, was extremely difficult. Belarus and Lithuania were the first to be attacked by infantry and motorized units of the fascist army. On June 22, the defense of the Brest Fortress began. The Nazis hoped to pass this outpost much faster than they succeeded. Fierce battles went on for several days, and the final surrender of Brest took place only on July 20, 1941. Also these days the Nazis were advancing in the direction of Siauliai and Grodno. That is why on June 23-25 ​​the USSR army launched a counteroffensive in these areas.

The first stages of the Great Patriotic War in 1941 showed that the Red Army would not be able to cope with the enemy without a retreat. So great was the onslaught of the Nazis! How was the retreat in the first months of the war? It took place with battles. Also, the army and the communists, in order to make life as difficult as possible for the enemy, undermined infrastructure facilities that could not be evacuated to safe places. The strong resistance of the army was due to the need to evacuate important production facilities for the country in the rear.

Of the largest battles of 1941, it is worth noting the Kyiv defensive operation, which lasted from July 7 to September 26, and the battle for Moscow (September 30, 1941 - April 1942). Also, an important role in the history of the Second World War is assigned to the exploits of Soviet sailors.

1942 in the history of the Second World War

The initial stage of the Great Patriotic War showed Hitler that he would simply not succeed in defeating the Soviet army. His strategic task to take Moscow before the winter of 1941 did not materialize. Until May 1942, the general offensive of the Soviet troops continued, which began in December 1941 near Moscow. But this offensive was stopped by the Nazis at the Kharkov bridgehead, where a large group of troops was surrounded and lost the battle.

After that, the German army went on the offensive, so again the Soviet soldiers had to remember about defensive actions. Hitler understood that it would be difficult to capture Moscow, so he directed the main blow to the city with the symbolic name of Stalingrad.

Also, active offensive actions of the Nazis took place on the Crimean bridgehead. The defense of Sevastopol continued until July 4, 1942. From July to November, the Red Army conducted active defensive operations near Stalingrad and in the Caucasus. The defense of Stalingrad entered the annals of history as an example of the heroism and invincibility of Soviet soldiers. The city itself was completely destroyed, several houses survived, but the Nazis could not take it. The 1st stage of the Great Patriotic War ended with the victory of the spacecraft near Stalingrad and the beginning of the offensive of the Soviet troops. Although the defense was still going on in some sectors of the front, the turning point in the war had already arrived.

The second stage of the Great Patriotic War

This period lasted for almost a year. Of course, in 1943 there were also many difficulties, but in general, no one could stop the offensive of our troops. Periodically, the Nazis went on the offensive in separate directions, but already the Great Patriotic War, the stages, the battles of which we are now considering, went into a state where it was clear that Germany would lose the war sooner or later.

Operation Ring was completed on February 2, 1943. The army of General Paulus was surrounded. On January 18 of the same year, they finally managed to break the blockade of Leningrad. These days the Red Army launched an offensive towards Voronezh and Kaluga. The city of Voronezh was recaptured from the enemy on January 25. The attack continued on. In February 1943, the Voroshilovgrad offensive operation took place. Gradually, the Red Army moves on to the liberation of Ukraine, although not all cities have yet been recaptured from the Nazis. March 1943 was remembered for the liberation of Vyazma and the counteroffensive of Hitler's army in the Donbass. Our troops eventually coped with this attack, but the Nazis managed to somewhat restrain the advance of Soviet troops deep into Ukraine. The fight on this bridgehead lasted more than a month. After that, the main focus of the fighting shifted to the Kuban, because in order to successfully advance further to the West, it was necessary to liberate the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories from enemies. Active fighting in this direction went on for about three months. The offensive was complicated by the proximity of the mountains and the active operations of enemy aircraft.

Second half of 1943

In the history of the Second World War, July 1943 stands apart. During this period, two very important events took place. German intelligence constantly reported information about the impending major offensive of the Soviet troops. But it was not known exactly where the attack would take place. Of course, the Soviet top military officials knew that German intelligence officers were working in many spacecraft structures (like the Soviet ones in Germany), so they used disinformation as much as possible. On July 5, the Battle of Kursk took place. The Nazis hoped that by winning this battle, they would be able to go on the offensive again. Yes, they were able to advance a little, but in general they did not win the battle, therefore, on the 20th of July 1943, the second stage of the Great Patriotic War reached its qualitative apogee. And what was the second significant event? Have not forgotten yet On the field near this village, the largest tank battle in history at that time took place, which also remained with the USSR.

From August 1943 until the winter of 1943/1944. The Red Army mainly liberates Ukrainian cities. It was very difficult to defeat the enemy in the Kharkov region, but on the morning of August 23, 1943, the USSR army managed to enter this city. And then a whole series of liberations of Ukrainian cities followed. In September 1943, the spacecraft entered Donetsk, Poltava, Kremenchug, and Sumy. In October, our troops liberated Dnepropetrovsk, Dneprodzerzhinsk, Melitopol and other surrounding settlements.

Battle for Kyiv

Kyiv was one of several strategically important cities in the USSR. The population of the city before the war reached 1 million people. During the Second World War, it decreased by five times. But now about the main thing. The Red Army was preparing for the capture of Kyiv for a very long time, because this city was also extremely important for the Nazis. To capture Kyiv, it was necessary to force the Dnieper. The battle for this river, which was a symbol of Ukraine, began on September 22. The forcing was very difficult, many of our soldiers died. In October, the command planned to try to take Kyiv. The most convenient for this was the Bukrinsky bridgehead. But these plans became known to the Germans, so they transferred significant forces here. It became impossible to take Kyiv from the Bukrinsky bridgehead. Our reconnaissance was tasked to find another place to attack the enemy. The Lyutezhsky bridgehead turned out to be the most optimal, but it was technically very difficult to transfer troops there. Since Kyiv had to be taken before the next anniversary of November 7, the command of the Kyiv offensive operation decided to transfer troops from Bukrinsky to the Lyutezhsky bridgehead. Certainly, not everyone believed in the reality of this plan, because it was necessary, unnoticed by the enemy, under the cover of night, to cross the Dnieper twice and travel a long distance by land. Of course, the spacecraft suffered a lot of losses, but it was impossible to take Kyiv in a different way. This move by the Soviet military leaders was crowned with success. The Red Army managed to enter Kyiv on the morning of November 6, 1943. And the battle for the Dnieper in other sectors of the front continued almost until the end of the year. With the victory of the spacecraft in this battle, the first stages of the Great Patriotic War ended.

War in 1944-1945

The final stage of the Great Patriotic War became possible only thanks to the heroism of our soldiers. In the first half of 1944, almost the entire Right-Bank Ukraine and Crimea were liberated. The final stage of the Great Patriotic War was marked by one of the largest offensives of the Red Army in all the years of hostilities. We are talking about the Proskurovo-Bukovina and Uman-Botoshansk operations, which ended by the end of April 1944. With the completion of these operations, almost the entire territory of Ukraine was liberated, the restoration of the republic began after exhausting hostilities.

The Red Army in the battles abroad of the USSR

The Great Patriotic War, the stages of which we are considering today, was coming to its logical conclusion. Beginning in April 1944, Soviet troops slowly began to push the Nazis out of the territories of states that were their allies at the start of the war (for example, Romania). Also, active hostilities took place on Polish lands. In 1944, there were many events on the second front. When the defeat of Germany became inevitable, the allies of the USSR in the anti-Hitler coalition became more actively involved in the war. The battles in Greece, Sicily, near Asia - all of them were aimed at the victory of the anti-Hitler coalition troops in the fight against fascism.

3 stages of the Great Patriotic War ended on May 9, 1945. It is on this day that all the peoples of the former USSR celebrate a great holiday - Victory Day.

Consequences of the Great Patriotic War

The Great Patriotic War, the stages of the hostilities of which were absolutely logical, ended almost 4 years after the start. It was much more brutal and bloody than the First World War, which ended in 1918.

Its consequences can be divided into 3 groups: economic, political and ethnographic. In the territories that were under occupation, a lot of enterprises were destroyed. Part of the plants and factories were evacuated and not all returned. In terms of politics, the entire system of life in the world actually changed, new ones were formed. Gradually, a new security system was built in Europe and the world. The United Nations has become the new guarantor of security. During the war, a lot of people died, so it was necessary to restore the population.

The main stages of the Great Patriotic War, and there were three of them, showed that it was impossible to conquer such a large country as the USSR. The state gradually emerged from the crisis, rebuilt. In many ways, the rapid recovery is due to the heroic efforts of the people.

Much has been written about the war in the Soviet Union. Memoirs of generals, notes of officers and soldiers, prose, poetry, historical research were published in mass editions. There are also memories of home front workers (both ordinary workers and managers, plant directors, people's commissars, aircraft designers). All this makes up an impressive library, according to which, it would seem, it is possible to restore historical facts with complete certainty. In addition, films were shot - feature and documentary, short and serial. In schools, in technical schools and institutes, students discussed in detail with teachers all the stages of the great battle that claimed tens of millions of lives. And with all this, it turned out that our people know surprisingly little about what happened during the Great Patriotic War.

Two calendar dates - black and red

Two main dates are firmly entrenched in the minds of the masses - June 22, 1941 and May 9, 1945. Unfortunately, not everyone knows what exactly happened these days. In the early summer morning "Kyiv was bombed, they announced to us ...", and the general summary, which is that the Germans attacked suddenly, did not declare war. It's all about the first date. The information is not entirely correct. The declaration of war was, the German ambassador Schulenburg handed the note to Molotov. True, it did not matter, at that moment the Junkers and Henkel were already gaining altitude over the border, and there was no time left to prepare to repel the attack. But that's what the war is, so as not to warn about the attack in advance. About why they didn’t prepare for defense is a special conversation.

At first glance, more is known about the year in which the Great Patriotic War ended and on what day. But not everything is clear here either.

Start

On June 22, something happened that the USSR had been preparing for a long time. An unprecedented modernization of the industrial potential, called industrialization, took place. Peasant life was radically rebuilt, the basis for private initiative in the village was eliminated. This led to a sharp decline in the well-being of the entire people. Large-scale efforts, as long as they did not lead to an increase in the standard of living, could be directed to only one thing - to defense. Propaganda persistently inspired the idea of ​​the inevitability of war and at the same time of the peacefulness of the world's first state of workers and peasants. The scenario of future fateful events was described in a feature film with the eloquent title "If there is war tomorrow." The insidious enemy attacked, and he was immediately overtaken by the retribution of a terrible force. It is completely destroyed, and real freedom has come to its land, as in the USSR. Why did it turn out differently in June 1941?

Almost the entire military power of the Red Army as of mid-June 1941 was concentrated near the western borders of the USSR. There were also stocks of weapons, fuel, ammunition, medicines, food and everything necessary for waging a war on foreign territory with little bloodshed. The airfields were also pushed as far as possible into the border areas. The equipment was not completed, the delivery of military cargo and trains with equipment continued. All this was covered in works of art and in many memoirs.

It can be concluded that Stalin did not plan the Patriotic War to defend his country.

What did Hitler expect?

The German Fuhrer hoped mainly, apparently, for the dissatisfaction of the population with the Soviet regime. The agents reported on the monstrous consequences of more than twenty years of communist rule, the repressions that decapitated the Red Army, the millions of starving peasants on the collective farms, the intimidated working class and the suppressed intelligentsia. The Fuhrer had practically no doubts that with the mere approach of the Wehrmacht to the borders of the USSR, the population would come out to joyfully meet the "liberators". Similar situations, by the way, took place in some western regions, but in general, hopes did not come true.

How did Germany prepare for war?

If it were not for the hope that the "colossus with feet of clay" would soon be crushed, Adolf Hitler would hardly have dared to attack. The position of Germany at the beginning of the summer of 1941 could not be called brilliant. Against the backdrop of successful actions in Europe, not very pleasant processes took place. Half of France remained "under-occupied", 100% control over Yugoslavia was never established, things were going badly in North Africa, and maritime operations also took place with varying degrees of success. America did not enter the war, but actually already participated in it, helping Britain with its practically inexhaustible material resources.

Germany's allies - Romania, Italy and Japan - brought more trouble than good. against the USSR in such conditions could be considered a crazy step. There was practically no preparation, the Wehrmacht soldiers did not even have warm clothes and shoes (they never appeared), frost-resistant fuel and lubricants. Soviet intelligence knew about this and reported to the Kremlin.

Nevertheless, the war began for the USSR in a completely unexpected way and in an extremely unfavorable situation for us. The Germans quickly advanced deep into the territory, the situation became more and more threatening. It became clear that without the participation of the whole people in the defense, it would be impossible to win. And the war became Patriotic.

Patriotic War

Almost immediately after the Nazi attack, the war was declared Patriotic. This happened for the second time in Russian history. The threat arose not just to some social system, but to the very existence of the country and the Eurasian civilization. And how was it the first time, under the tsar-liberator?

There was a Patriotic War with France in 1812 until the Napoleonic hordes were expelled from Russian soil. Bonaparte was driven all the way to Paris, they reached it, and, having taken the usurper emperor in 1814, they did not find it there. We stayed a little "at a party", and then returned home to the gallant songs. But after crossing the Berezina, all this was already just a campaign. Only the first year, while battles were going along near Borodino and Maloyaroslavets, and partisans attacked the invaders from the forests, the war was considered Patriotic.

Version one: 1944

If we draw historical analogies, then the question of the year in which the Great Patriotic War ended should be answered: in 1944, in the fall. It was then that the last armed German, Romanian, Spaniard, Italian, Hungarian and any other soldier who fought on the side of Nazi Germany left the territory of the USSR. The prisoners and the dead don't count. The war itself continued, but it had already ceased to be patriotic, it entered the phase of finishing off the enemy in his lair while freeing the peoples enslaved by him along the way. The threat to the existence of the USSR was over, the only question was the timing of the final defeat of the enemy and the conditions for the subsequent peace.

Version two - May 8, 1945

True, this version also has opponents, and their arguments deserve respect. The end of the Second World War, in their opinion, chronologically coincides with the moment of signing the surrender in Karlshorst, a suburban area of ​​Berlin. From our side, Marshal G.K. Zhukov and other military leaders participated in the ceremony, from the German side - Keitel with officers and generals of the German General Staff. Hitler had been dead for eight days. The date of the historical event is May 8, 1945. The day before, there was another signing of surrender, but the Soviet high command was not present at it, so I.V. Stalin did not recognize it, and did not give the order to cease hostilities. The victorious end of the Great Patriotic War on May 9 became a national holiday, it was announced by all the radio stations of the Soviet Union. The people rejoiced, people laughed and cried. And someone else had to fight ...

Fights on May 9, after the Victory

The signing of the act of surrender of Germany did not yet mean the end of the war. Soviet soldiers died on May 9 as well. In Prague, the German garrison, consisting of selected SS men, refused to lay down their arms. An acute situation arose, the townspeople tried to resist the Nazi fanatics, who understood that their days were numbered, and they had nothing to lose. The rapid advance of the Soviet troops saved the Czech capital from a bloody massacre. The outcome of the battles was a foregone conclusion, but not without losses. On the ninth of May it all ended. It was a shame to die on the last day of the war, but such is the soldier's lot ...

There was also a little-known war in the Far East. The Soviet Army quickly and decisively defeated the Kwantung grouping of the Japanese armed forces, having reached Korea. There were also losses, however, incomparably smaller than during the war with Germany.

Patriotic war front and rear

The ninth of May is the day of the end, because although it was conducted from the autumn of 1944 not on our territory, but in fact the efforts of the whole country were aimed at overcoming the resistance of the enemy. The entire economic potential of the USSR worked according to the principle "everything for the front, everything for victory." The fighting went west of the Soviet borders, but there was a battle in the rear. Tanks, planes, guns, ships that were to crush the Wehrmacht, the Luftwaffe and the Krieggsmarine - everything was built in the rear.

The workers, among whom there were many women and teenagers, spared no effort to supply their native Red Army with everything necessary, they waged their war, crying to their heart's content over funerals and not eating enough. The victory in the Great Patriotic War was the result of the efforts not only of soldiers, officers, generals, admirals and sailors, but also of the rest of the Soviet people. In this sense, the war was patriotic from the first to the last day.

Version three - 1955

The signing of the surrender of Germany took place in a difficult and nervous atmosphere. The defeated enemy tried to maintain the appearance of some kind of dignity, Keitel even saluted the victors. The Allies added tension, they tried to observe their own geopolitical interests, which, in general, is quite natural. Mutual wariness interfered with the triumph of the expected great holiday. It is not surprising that in this situation they forgot about a very important document, namely the peace treaty. Wars end, what comes next? That's right, peace. But not some abstract one, but one that the winners will agree on. The vanquished can only accept the terms offered to them. The end of the Great Patriotic War in May 1945 was actual, but legal registration did not take place, it was simply forgotten.

legal hitch

They caught on almost ten years later. On January 25, 1955, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, signed by the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR K. Voroshilov and the Secretary of the Presidium N. Pegov, the state of war with Germany was terminated. Of course, this legislative act was symbolic, and even the most defeated state at that time did not exist in its previous form - it was divided into two parts, the FRG and the GDR, but teachers for history students had a question to fill in: “In what year did the Great Patriotic war in the legal sense? And the correct answer, which not everyone knew, is this: in 1955!

Legal subtleties are no longer of great importance today, they are important only for those who consider themselves an expert and want to show off their erudition in front of others. Today, when not every high school graduate knows in what year the Great Patriotic War ended, it is not so difficult. Everyone knew this a couple of decades ago. The events of history are becoming more and more distant from us, and fewer eyewitnesses can tell about them. The date of the end of the Great Patriotic War is written in textbooks, but it is also on the pedestals of monuments.

There is a popular expression of one of the great commanders that until at least one dead soldier is buried, the war cannot be considered over. Unfortunately, our country has lost so many sons and daughters that to this day search parties find their remains in the places of past battles. They are escorted on their last journey with military honors, relatives learn about the fate of their fathers and grandfathers, fireworks thunder ... Will we ever be able to say that all the soldiers who gave their lives for their Motherland have found a worthy rest? It's unlikely, but you should strive for it.

“That longest day of the year, with its cloudless weather,
He gave us a common misfortune for everyone, for all four years.
She pressed such a mark and laid so many on the ground,
That for twenty years and thirty years the living cannot believe that they are alive ... ".

K. M. Simonov

On June 22, 1941, at 4 a.m., without declaring war, after artillery and air preparation, the main forces of the Wehrmacht and the troops of the German allies (about 190 divisions) suddenly launched a powerful offensive along the entire western border of the USSR from the Black to the Baltic Sea.

Kyiv, Riga, Kaunas, Vindava, Libau, Siauliai, Vilnius, Minsk, Grodno, Brest, Baranovichi, Bobruisk, Zhitomir, Sevastopol and many other cities, railway junctions, airfields, and naval bases of the USSR were bombed. Artillery shelling of border fortifications and areas of deployment of Soviet troops near the border was carried out. At 5-6 o'clock in the morning, the Nazi troops crossed the state border of the USSR and launched an offensive deep into Soviet territory. Only an hour and a half after the start of the offensive, the German ambassador to the Soviet Union, Count Werner von Schulenburg, made a statement declaring war on the USSR.

At 12 noon, all the radio stations of the Soviet Union broadcast a government message about the attack on our country by fascist Germany. In a statement made by People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs V. M. Molotov on behalf of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the Soviet government, it was pointed out that the attack of fascist Germany on the USSR was treachery unprecedented in the history of civilized peoples.

Following the government message, the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the mobilization of citizens liable for military service in 1905-1918 was transmitted. birth. On June 23, the Headquarters of the High Command of the Armed Forces of the USSR (later the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command) was created, headed by the People's Commissar of Defense, Marshal of the Soviet Union S. K. Timoshenko.

In border battles and in the initial period of the war (until mid-July), the Red Army lost 850 thousand people killed and wounded; 9.5 thousand guns, over 6 thousand tanks, about 3.5 thousand aircraft were destroyed; about 1 million people were taken prisoner. The German army occupied a significant part of the country, advanced inland up to 300-600 km, while losing 100 thousand people killed, almost 40% of tanks and 950 aircraft. However, the plan for a lightning war, during which the German command intended to capture the entire Soviet Union in a few months, failed.

On July 13, 1992, by the decision of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation, the day of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War was declared the Day of Remembrance of the Defenders of the Fatherland.

On June 8, 1996, President of Russia Boris N. Yeltsin declared June 22 the Day of Memory and Sorrow. On this day, national flags are flown at half mast throughout the country, entertainment events and programs are cancelled. The Day of Memory and Sorrow is also celebrated in Ukraine and Belarus, which were the first to take the hit of the Nazis, and in other CIS countries.

Lit .: 1941 - lessons and conclusions. M., 1992; The same [Electronic resource]. URL: http://militera.lib.ru/h/1941/index.html ; Anfilov V.A. The beginning of the Great Patriotic War (June 22 - mid-July 1941). Military history essay. M., 1962; The same [Electronic resource]. URL : http://militera.lib.ru/research/anfilov/index.html; Halder F. Military diary. Daily notes of the Chief of the General Staff of the Ground Forces 1939-1942. T. I. M., 1968. From the contents: June 22, 1941 (Sunday). 1st day of the war; The same [Electronic resource]. URL: http://militera.lib.ru/db/halder/1941_06.html ; Zhukov G.K. Memories and reflections. In 2 vols. T. 1. Ch. 10. The beginning of the war. M., 2002; The same [Electronic resource]. URL: http://militera.lib.ru/memo/russian/zhukov1/10.html ;Note of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany dated June 21, 1941 [Electronic resource] // Winners - Soldiers of the Great War. 2005-2018. URL :

More and more time moves us away from the events of May 1945. But in the CIS countries, events dedicated to various historical dates of the Patriotic War of 1941-1945 are gaining more and more scope. For example, in Ukraine, almost every other day, the date of the liberation of the next settlement is celebrated, reconstructions of hostilities are being carried out, etc. No regrets for all this. c I have neither the strength nor the means. Of course, the crown of these celebrations is Victory Day - May 9th. Moreover, at present, this holiday is actually the only common ideological symbol for the CIS countries. It is not surprising that with a rare full quorum of the presidents of 12 CIS countries at their Ashgabat Summit on December 5, 2012, the issue of organizing anniversary celebrations in 2015 in connection with the 70th anniversary of the end of the Patriotic War of 1941-1945 was considered. There is no doubt that the elaboration of the general concept of the summit was determined primarily by the Russian side, which had previously declared the corresponding point of view. In the author's Internet publication "Patriotic Wars of 1812 and 1941-1945. (website: http:/nedyuha. livejournal. com and in "Igor Nedyukha's blog"), a response was given to a well-known statement in 2011 by the then Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin regarding the allegedly insignificant role of Ukraine in the Patriotic War of 1941-1945. against the backdrop of Putin's leitmotif "Russia-Victory". According to the author, such a position of the Russian leadership actually turns the peoples of the other CIS countries only into admirers of the "great fate of the Russian people." In the absence of a proper reaction to this from the then leadership of Ukraine, the author proposed to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to apologize for belittling the historical national dignity of the Ukrainian people. After all, the losses of "insignificant" Ukraine only in killed Ukrainian soldiers (3.5 million people) were more than three times higher than the "losses in the Second World War of such "essential" allies as the United States, England and France combined. It is characteristic that the former allies in the anti-Hitler coalition have now transformed Victory Day into the Day of Reconciliation and Remembrance of the victims of the 2nd World War. Against the background of Ukrainian declarations about the desire to "associate with" Europe ", the above-mentioned excitement about the upcoming anniversary celebrations in connection with the 70th anniversary of Victory Day contrasts sharply.

Even Joseph Stalin did not consider it expedient to celebrate the end of the Patriotic War of 1941-1945 from such a perspective and with such "pomp", which brought innumerable victims and destruction for the Soviet people. For the first time, Victory Day - May 9 as a public holiday was introduced in 1965 by Leonid Brezhnev, who replaced Nikita Khrushchev in 1964 as General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee. Apparently, Leonid Ilyich was eager to go down in history as a participant in the hostilities on Malaya Zemlya.

As for the above-mentioned "victorious" enthusiasm, it seems that it seems that many "enthusiasts" in the future are going to "outdo" the Northern Irish "Orangemen", celebrating once a year the victory in 1690 of the Protestant Stadtholder of Holland, William of Orange over Irish Catholics. In this regard, it should be recalled that the solemn marches of the "winners" created a hotbed of constant tension in Ulster and complicated relations with neighboring Ireland. At present, it is already virtually forgotten that May 9 is actually celebrated throughout the vast Eurasian space of the CIS countries.

Officially, Victory Day - May 9, traces its "pedigree" to the signing of the Berlin Act on the unconditional surrender of Germany and its armed forces. Unlike the CIS countries, the West celebrates Victory Day on May 8, associating it with the signing of the first "capitulation" Reims Act. On May 6, 1945, the Reich Chancellor of Germany, Grand Admiral Dennitz, sent his representative, Colonel General Jodl, to the Allied headquarters in Reims (France) to negotiate the surrender of Germany. The main task of Colonel-General Jodl was to obtain the consent of the commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in Europe, General of the Army Dwight Eisenhower, so that the Act of Surrender of Germany proposed by the German side would come into force no earlier than May 10, 1945. But Army General Dwight Eisenhower refused to comply with this German condition and on May 6, 1945, informed Colonel General Jodl of his readiness to sign the Act of Germany's unconditional surrender. The Allies unraveled the plan of the Reich Chancellor of Germany Dennitsa to provide temporary conditions for the complete completion of the withdrawal of German troops from Czechoslovakia with their subsequent surrender precisely to the American, and not to the Soviet captivity. Colonel General Yodl had to obey the demand of the commander of the Allied forces, General of the Army Dwight Eisenhower. On the same day, May 6, 1945, Dwight Eisenhower summoned General Ivan Susloparov, Joseph Stalin's permanent representative to the Allies, to his headquarters in Reims. The latter was informed about the stay in Reims of the Colonel-General of the Wehrmacht Jodl and offered to sign from the Soviet side the Act of unconditional surrender of Germany and its armed forces. Joseph Stalin undoubtedly figured out the alternative goal of Army General Dwight Eisenhower's proposal to his own plans. According to the official Soviet version, General Ivan Susloparov was then unable to contact Moscow and independently endorsed, together with the American General Walter Smith, the well-known Reims “surrender” Act, signed from the German side by Colonel General Jodl of the Wehrmacht on May 7, 1945 at 2:41 am upon its entry effective May 8, 1945 at 23:01 CET. But judging by the fact that General Ivan Susloparov was not punished for his more than bold independence, his actions were not impromptu. After all, it was precisely thanks to Ivan Susloparov’s “independence” that Joseph Stalin was able to declare that he did not authorize the signature of his permanent representative under the Reims Act, calling into question the de jure legitimacy of this act. For this reason, Joseph Stalin demanded that the allies repeat the procedure for signing the “surrender” act in the capital of Germany, Berlin, taken by the Soviet troops. In order to somehow appease the “angry” Joseph Stalin and at the same time maintain the priority importance of the Reims Act, the allies in the anti-Hitler coalition sent their far from the first rank representatives to Berlin to participate in the signing of the second “surrender” Act.

May 8, 1945 at 22:43 CET (May 9, 1945 at 00:43 Moscow time) Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, as well as the representative of the Luftwaffe, Colonel General Stumpf and Admiral von Friedeburg, who had the appropriate authority from the Reich Chancellor Germany, Grand Admiral Dönnitz signed another act of unconditional surrender of Germany and its armed forces, which entered into force simultaneously with the Vreims act. Marshal Georgy Zhukov and representatives of the Allies put their signatures only as official witnesses to the very fact of the signing by the German side on May 8, 1945 in Berlin of the Act of surrender of Germany. The date on the Act itself is May 8, 1945, with a note in the text of the document of the Central European time of its entry into force - 23:01 on May 8, 1945. In an objective interpretation of the events of May 1945, one should take into account the undoubted fact that the Berlin Act as such was signed only by the German side with the fixation of Berlin (Central European), and not Moscow time. If we proceed even from the fundamental principle of the unity of time and space alone (when fixing time at the place where the “capitulation” event took place in Berlin, and not in Moscow), the signing of the Berlin Act of Surrender can in no way be associated with Moscow time, but only with central -European. All the more so with its aforementioned simultaneous entry into force with the Reims Act, which is dated exactly according to Central European time.

In general, there are all objective grounds to state that the entire two-stage procedure for accepting the surrender of Germany and its armed forces took place in a single system of time coordinates with the beginning of May 7, 1945 at 02:41 am Central European time - the moment the first Reims Act of Surrender was signed Germany. Naturally, the latter has nothing to do with Moscow time. In turn, the subsequent signing of the Berlin Act (May 8, 1945 at 22:43) was already initially tied to Central European time, since it could take place only before the entry into force of the surrender

Reims Act - May 8, 1945 at 23:01 CET. After all, from this (Central European) moment, according to the Reims Act, the powers of the Reich Chancellor of Germany, Dönnitz, ceased, and, accordingly, the powers of the representatives sent by him to sign the Berlin Act.

In this context, it is more than symbolic that, speaking on Moscow radio, already at the beginning of the third night of May 9, 1945, announcer Yuri Levitan broadcast an emergency (not yet corrected) official message: “On May 8, 1945, an act of unconditional surrender of Germany was signed in Berlin and its armed forces. Only later did an instruction “from above” come in to make a “domestic” amendment - changing the date of Victory Day from May 8 to May 9. All countries of the Western world celebrate Victory Day on May 8, associating it with the simultaneous entry into force on May 8, 1945 at 23:01 Central European time of both the Reims and Berlin Acts of the unconditional surrender of Germany and its armed forces. The purpose of the de jure formalized synchronization of the entry into force of the Reims and Berlin Acts was to create legal prerequisites for celebrating the Day of Victory over Nazi Germany common to the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition on May 8, 1945, Central European time, and not according to "separate" Moscow or alternative to it , for example, Washington time.

However, in order to satisfy the ambitions of Joseph Stalin through the efforts of the Soviet propaganda machine, the Berlin Act, the signing of which was actually artificially transformed from May 8 (Central European) to May 9 (Moscow time), became a Soviet "separate" symbol not only of the end of the Patriotic War of 1941-1945 years, but also in general the Second World War in Europe.

Only Supreme Commander-in-Chief Joseph Stalin could postpone Victory Day from May 8 to May 9, 1945, in fact disavowing the signature of the representative of the Soviet Union, Marshal Georgy Zhukov, when drawing up the Berlin Act on May 8, 1945 with its officially fixed reference to Central European time. Moreover, this position of Joseph Stalin is, in principle, tantamount to the denunciation by the Soviet Union of the Berlin Act itself.

The strong-willed postponement by Joseph Stalin of the Victory Day over Nazi Germany from May 8 to May 9, 1945 is explained by his desire not to share the laurels of the winner with the allies. But this could be realized only if there was a Victory in the "personal" war, which in fact became the Patriotic War of 1941-1945. with the "personal" Victory Day on May 9, 1945. Joseph Stalin acted according to the principle: he who laughs last laughs victoriously. To date, the “strong-willed” version of I. Stalin has not lost its supporters in the CIS countries, that in May 1945 Germany capitulated twice: first in Reims to the Western allies, and then in Berlin, it was the “capitulation” turn of the Soviet Union. It was for this that the above-mentioned incident was provoked with the fact that I. Stalin deliberately discredited the eligibility of signing his permanent representative to the allies, General Ivan Suslov, under the Reims “surrender” Act.

The Allies must have figured out the true meaning of Stalin's maneuver. This conclusion follows logically even from the text of the Berlin "surrender" Act, which the allies agreed to endorse. After all, the German side, which directly signed the Berlin Act, in accordance with its Clause 2 de jure, only confirmed its readiness, previously recorded in the Reims Act, to capitulate to the nearest minute exactly at “Reims” time - May 8, 1945 at 23:01 Central European time, which was endorsed by representatives of the anti-Hitler coalition, including Marshal Georgy Zhukov. That is why the "Stalinist" historiography had to single out the Patriotic War from the general framework of the Second World War on the territory of Europe. Until now, the official point of view has been preserved about a purely Russian (formerly Stalinist) Victory, of course, not in the Second World War (in the presence of "essential" allies), but in the "separate" Patriotic War. As if these two wars took place in isolation from each other and not against the same "monster" - Nazi Germany. But according to Western historiography, the events of the Patriotic War are interpreted as taking place on the Eastern Front of the Second World War in Europe. In general, Western historiography had all the objective grounds for an “insulting” (by Soviet standards) interpretation of the signing of the Berlin Act on May 8, 1945 only as a ratification of the original source - the Reims Act of May 7, 1945.

There are methodological features in the classification of Patriotic wars compared to conventional ones. According to the academic explanatory dictionary "Patriotic war is a just war for the freedom and independence of the Fatherland against foreign invaders."

The classic standard of the Patriotic War as such is the Patriotic War of 1812. December 25, 1812 Russian Emperor Alexander I issued a Manifesto on the end of the Patriotic War of 1812. In January 1813, the official Foreign Campaign of the Russian army began, which ended with the storming of Paris and the capitulation of its garrison on March 31, 1814, followed by the abdication of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte on April 6, 1814.

Classical historiography has always considered the above-mentioned events of 1813-1814. both de jure and de facto - taking place outside the "spatio-temporal" framework of the Patriotic War of 1812. Therefore, the Stalinist interpretation of the assault on "foreign" Berlin and the no less "foreign" Berlin Act (as fundamental symbols of the end of the Patriotic War of 1941-1945) have reason to be considered as a violation of the traditional principles of classifying the Patriotic War as such, conditioned by the ambitions of Joseph Stalin. In the above-mentioned Internet publication, in the development of the classical "domestic" principle, a transformed definition of the concept of Patriotic War is given: "Patriotic war begins and ends on the borders of the Fatherland."

In this regard, the fact that the Wehrmacht Army Group “Kurland” occupied and completely controlled the western part of Latvia in the region of the Kurland Peninsula, including the corresponding section of the sea border of the “socialist Fatherland” - the then Soviet Union, in early May 1945, in which also included Latvia as a union republic.

It is the de jure “domestic status” of the Courland Peninsula at the time of June 22, 1941 that allows, in the canons of classical historiography, to interpret the date of signing the surrender of the Wehrmacht Army Group “Courland” as the actual date of the end of the Patriotic War of 1941-1945, that is, when the entire territory of the Soviet Union. Within the framework of this interpretation, it is more than symbolic that the real finals of the Patriotic Wars of 1941-1945. and 1812 took place in the same Baltic region, when the last column of retreating French troops in December 1812 crossed the border river Neman near the city of Kovno (present-day Kaunas).

But unfortunately, even in Russian historiography there is no generally accepted point of view regarding the conditions and date of the surrender of the Wehrmacht Army Group "Kurland" in May 1945, not to mention the differences with Western authors. First of all, it should be noted that there is no serious information that interprets the surrender of the Kurlyan group of the Wehrmacht as an allegedly unregulated spontaneous process after the signing of the Berlin Act of surrender. For example, in the official Internet publication "Courland Cauldron" it is recorded: "Having learned about the surrender, most of the German soldiers (135 thousand) surrendered, but numerous groups tried to hide." In the official Internet publication “Army Group Courland”, in fact, only the fact of its surrender is stated: “On January 25, 1945, the Army Group North, which retreated to Courland, was renamed the Army Group Courland, held the defense in the Courland cauldron. She capitulated on May 9, 1945. More "organized" information is presented in the official Internet publication "Leningrad Front": "In connection with the unconditional surrender of Germany, the Leningrad Front accepted the surrender of this group." The above is consistent with the message of the then Sovinforburo that on May 9, 1945, the Courland Grouping of the Wehrmacht capitulated. Alternative information about the date of the surrender of the Courland grouping is presented in the official Internet publication dedicated to the personal commander of the Leningrad Front, “Govorov Leonid Aleksandrovich”: “On May 8, 1945, the command of the Army Group “Courlyadia” accepted the terms of the Soviet ultimatum and capitulated.”

The version about the surrender of the Army Group “Kurlyadiya on May 8, 1945 is presented in more detail in the Internet publication of Volkov V.Y. “The Liberation of the Baltic States”.

The main point of this information is the assertion that the Army Group "Kurlyadiya" capitulated at 14:00 on May 8, 1945 at the request (ultimatum) of the commander of the Leningrad Front, Marshal L.A. Govorov. The ultimatum was broadcast over the radio at 7 am on May 7, 1945. Both the ultimatum itself and further radio communications were carried out on the wave of the radio station of the 2nd Baltic Front. According to V.Y. Volkov, in connection with the Soviet ultimatum, the commander of the Kurlyadiya Army Group, General of the Infantry Gilpert, sent a special mission for negotiations, which transmitted his answer, addressed specifically to the commander of the 2nd Baltic Front.

The conditions for the surrender of the Courland Army Group were signed by the head of its rear, Major General Rauser, directly at the headquarters of the Leningrad Front, being previously sure that he was dealing with the 2nd Baltic Front. But without properly coordinating the impromptu appearance of the "Leningrad factor" with his command. The commander of the Courland Army Group, General of the Infantry Karl Gilpert, surrendered at 10:40 on May 9, 1945, directly in his personal dugout in Pelchi, where the headquarters of the German group was located. Among those who evaded voluntary captivity was Lieutenant General of the SS troops, commander of the 19th SS Infantry Division Gruppenführer Strekanbach.

But the information of Volkov V.Y. is in complete contradiction with the Internet publication "Lechaim!" and tank crew" ( http : www. lechaim. en/ ARHIV /157/mail. htm ) a direct participant in the Courland events in May 1945, tanker M. Kugelev: “On May 9, the Germans signed the Act of Surrender, and in the area of ​​the front against the Courland grouping, the enemy met us with dense fire. Only on May 11 in the morning the sound of a bugle was heard, a soldier with a white flag appeared. Behind him was a car. The German general was met by our lieutenant general. The car with the translator got stuck somewhere and I accidentally became a participant in peace negotiations.”

It is known from German sources that the commander of the Courland Army Group, Karl Gilpert, referred to by V.Y. Volkov as an infantry general, was promoted to Colonel General of the Wehrmacht on May 1, 1945 by Reich Chancellor of Germany Dennits. On May 9, 1945, his name was mentioned in a Wehrmacht report: “As a forward bastion, our armies in Courland under the experienced command of Colonel General helpert for months they held back the superior forces of the Soviet rifle and tank units, and gained immortal glory in six major battles.

Even in Soviet captivity, he still tried to stand up for his soldiers, which led to his transfer to a Moscow prison in April 1946.

According to his comrades, he allegedly died there on Christmas Day 1948.

Referring to the events of Courland in May 1945, one of the most respected German historians, the former Lieutenant General of the Wehrmacht, Kurt von Kippelskirch, in his classic book "History of the Second World War". The collapse states that the commander of the Courland Army Group, Colonel-General Karl August Hilpert, surrendered the group entrusted to him on May 10, 1945, on the basis of the then general surrender of Germany.

Since 1995, when the 50th anniversary of Victory Day in the Patriotic War was celebrated, the author published a whole series of articles concerning the events of May 1945 in Courland. The fact is that it was my father, in May 1945, the commandant of the 2nd Baltic Front, Lieutenant Colonel Mikhail Nedyukha, as an authorized representative of the 2nd Baltic Front, on May 5, 1945, on a U-2 biplane, was transferred across the front line and taken to the group headquarters armies "Courland" to negotiate the terms of its surrender to the troops of the 2nd Baltic Front. The generalized conclusions of the author, based on the combat memoirs of Lieutenant Colonel Mikhail Nedyukha and other veterans of the 1st and 2nd Baltic Fronts, are presented in the Internet publication “The Truth about the 2nd Baltic Front. Baltic finale of the Patriotic war "(dated November 28, 2012) ( http :// blog . i . ua / user /5541869/ or Igor Nedyukha's blog).