October 14 p. In Prague, at a meeting of the Prime Ministers of the Visegrad Four countries (Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary), the creation of the Platform of European Memory and Conscience was announced. The corresponding document was signed by the leaders of 19 organizations from 13 EU countries, including Germany. The platform intends to coordinate the work of governmental and non-governmental organizations in order to "actively study the history of totalitarian regimes."

Many experts express the opinion that the Platform will prepare an analogue of the Nuremberg trials in relation to the USSR and Russia as its legal successor.

Editor-in-Chief of IA Regnum Modest Kolerov believes that the goal of the new "condemnation of totalitarianism" will be to present claims to Russia for the payment of reparations for the "crimes of Stalinism" in the countries of Eastern Europe. Researcher at the Institute of Slavic Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences Oleg Nemensky notes that “the West has a huge need to condemn the actions of the USSR in World War II. Without condemning Russia, the West cannot be sure of a positive self-assessment.”

Dancing in Liberated Vienna.

And the head of the research programs of the Historical Memory Foundation, Vladimir Simindey, believes that “within this so-called. The "Platform of European Memory and Conscience" is an attempt to ... ostensibly scientifically substantiate why the Nazi regime and Soviet socialism are fully comparable, ”and on the basis of this to put pressure on Russia. He calls "to anticipate some things at the diplomatic level, as well as to engage in active information support of one's position."

Taking into account recent trends, especially in connection with the adopted on August 23 this year. d. by the Ministers of Justice of the EU countries in Warsaw Declaration on the occasion of the European Day of Remembrance for Totalitarian Regimes, which refers to the responsibility of Soviet communism along with fascism “for the most shameful acts of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes”, the forecasts made by experts look very likely.

In this regard, it is necessary to recall what actually political changes for most countries of Eastern Europe accompanied the end of the Second World War. For example, in all these countries, with the exception of Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, the first free multi-party elections after the 20-30s. fascist dictatorships were established there, they passed only after the Soviet troops entered their territory. With full right, we can consider the events of 1944-1945. in these countries, not by the "establishment of totalitarianism", but by the liberation of the peoples of these countries from political, social, and in some cases, national oppression.

Let us analyze the situation in these states separately.

the Baltic States

In 1926, the Lithuanian Nationalist Party, supported by the military, carried out a coup d'état. Party leader and president Antanas Smyatona was proclaimed "leader of the nation" in 1928, and practically unlimited power was concentrated in his hands. In 1936, all parties were banned in Lithuania, except for the Nationalist Party. In 1934, Latvian Prime Minister Karlis Ulmanis staged a coup, dissolved parliament, banned all parties and received the title of "leader of the people" and unlimited power. In the same year, a triumvirate of President and Prime Minister Päts, Commander-in-Chief Laidoner and Minister of the Interior Eerenpalu seized power in Estonia, dissolved parliament and banned all parties except the Fatherland Union. All these coups were marked by repressions against the political opposition and the destruction of the rights and freedoms of citizens. Trade unions were banned, strikers were severely persecuted. In 1940, after the entry of Soviet troops, elections to the Seimas were held in the Baltic republics, which approved the accession to the USSR.

In 1926, Jozef Piłsudski staged a coup d'état, became president for life and proclaimed the establishment of a "rehabilitation regime" (recovery). One of the symbols of "reorganization" was the concentration camp in Bereza-Kartuzskaya (now the Brest region of Belarus) for the political opposition. The concentration camp was built in 1935 with the help of Nazi "specialists" as a copy of the Oranienburg concentration camp near Berlin. Under the new constitution of 1935, the president was responsible only "to God and history." The legal opposition remained, but the results of the elections to the Sejm were shamelessly falsified. Therefore, more than half of the voters ignored them. The "Second Commonwealth" was characterized by the suppression of ethnic and religious minorities (Ukrainians, Belarusians, Lithuanians, Jews), which accounted for up to 40% of the country's population; forced linguistic assimilation. Before the Second World War, the ruling circles of Poland repeatedly discussed with the leaders of Nazi Germany, democratic England and France the question of deporting all Polish Jews to Madagascar. Poland participated in the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia following the Munich Agreement of 1938. From October 1920 to September 1939, it occupied the Vilna region from Lithuania.

Czechoslovakia

Soviet tanks in Prague.

It was one of the few European countries that managed to maintain a competitive multi-party system until 1939. At the same time, the liquidation of Czechoslovakia and its transition into the orbit of influence of Nazi Germany were formalized in a completely legitimate way by the democratic institutions of this state. The agreement on the occupation of the Czech Republic by the Wehrmacht and the transformation of the Czech Republic into a protectorate of the Third Reich Bohemia and Moravia was signed by the legitimate president of the Czechoslovak Republic, Emil Hacha, who was appointed president of the protectorate by the Nazis as a reward. The parliament of autonomous Slovakia proclaimed the independence of the country, due to a close alliance with Nazi Germany (in fact, vassal dependence on it). The Slovak motorized corps took part in the Nazi aggression against the USSR.

Meeting of the Liberators.

After the suppression of the Hungarian Soviet Republic in 1919, Miklós Horthy became ruler with the title of regent. There was limited legal opposition and parliamentary structures in Hungary, but left-wing parties were driven underground. The regime fought against political opponents by all means, including the death penalty. Before World War II, Hungary became close to Nazi Germany, thanks to which in 1938-1940. seized Transcarpathian Ukraine and the border regions of Slovakia from Czechoslovakia, and Transylvania and Banat from Romania. However, in the spring of 1944, Horthy's attempt to enter into peace negotiations with the Western powers led to the direct occupation of the country by German troops. Horthy nominally remained in power, the government was headed by a Hitler protege. The Holocaust began in Hungary, with 600,000 Jews killed in less than a year. In October 1944, with the support of the SS, the fascist organization Arrow Cross, led by Salashi, carried out a pro-Nazi coup. Hungarian troops in 1941-1945 took an active part in the war against the USSR, and their numbers steadily increased: one corps - in the summer of 1941, one army - in the summer of 1942, three armies - in the fall of 1944. Among the troops that occupied the USSR, Hungarian, according to eyewitnesses, distinguished by the greatest cruelty, horrifying even the Nazis.

Brutal repression by the royal government of Romania in the 20-30s. both left and right opposition forces were exposed. In 1940, all actual power was transferred to General Antonescu. The only legal party remained in the country; trade unions were banned, instead of them "corporations" were created on the model of fascist Italy. Romanian troops were the most numerous among Germany's allies on the Eastern Front of World War II. In August 1944, when Soviet troops entered the territory of Romania, King Mihai organized the overthrow of the dictator (similar to how the King of Italy overthrew Mussolini a year earlier) and declared war on Germany. The Red Army was greeted with jubilation by the Romanian people.

Bulgaria

Sofia - the first day of freedom.

In 1923, a military coup took place, during which the democratic government headed by the leader of the People's Agricultural Union Stamboliysky was overthrown (he was killed at the same time). In 1934, another coup took place, as a result of which all parties were dissolved. In 1935, an absolute monarchy was established in Bulgaria, headed by Tsar Boris. The tsar became an ally of Germany and in 1941 achieved significant territorial gains at the expense of the victims of Hitler's aggression - Yugoslavia and Greece. Bulgaria did not officially take part in hostilities against the USSR and the occupation of Soviet territory, but the Bulgarian Navy and Air Force repeatedly sank Soviet submarines that were near Bulgarian waters. All these years in Bulgaria, the people's struggle against the monarcho-fascist regime did not stop, often taking the form of a guerrilla war. In September 1944, when the Soviet troops entered Bulgaria, the regime, hated by the Bulgarian people, collapsed overnight and without resistance.

Yugoslavia

The presence of parliamentary structures did not prevent the executive branch from pursuing a policy that was contrary to the interests of the people. When the government entered into a military alliance with Hitler in March 1941, it caused a storm of indignation, in the wake of which a new government came to power, and the regent was forced to flee the country. The Nazis created a puppet state in Croatia, marked by genocide against Serbs, Gypsies, Jews, the victims of which were hundreds of thousands of people. Croatia throughout the war was a loyal ally of Nazi Germany. She left the war only on the day of the surrender of the Wehrmacht - on May 8, Tito's anti-fascist troops took Zagreb.

The backward feudal monarchy under the de facto protectorate of Italy was in 1939 directly occupied by Italian troops. The unfolding nationwide resistance movement from the very beginning adopted the communist ideology.

The USSR sought to prevent direct copying by the countries of "people's democracy" of its model. In Yugoslavia, the one-party model was established without the participation of the USSR, since Tito already in 1945 began rapprochement with the West, which ended in 1948. In Hungary and Romania, the one-party system was not established immediately, but only after several elections, the last of which was won by a landslide victory united parties of communists and former left socialists. In Poland, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, and the GDR, parties other than the communist (workers') parties operated throughout the years of the socialist system.

It is impossible to deny that the Soviet Union exerted pressure on the "countries of people's democracy", contributing to the establishment of political forces friendly to the Soviet Union in power there. These were the communists and some parties close to them. But in this case, the policy of the USSR did not essentially differ from the policy of the USA and England in the countries of Western and Southern Europe after the war.

So, in 1945-1946. under direct pressure from the Anglo-Saxon powers, the communists were expelled from the governments of France, Italy, and Belgium. In November 1944, British troops landed in Greece, where they began to suppress the democratic wing of the anti-fascist resistance. On December 3, 1944, the British invaders shot down an opposition demonstration in Athens. There was still a war with Hitler ... The actions of the British military caused a storm of indignation in Western countries, in particular, in the American public circles of that time.

The active military intervention of England in Greece lasted until 1949 and ended with the establishment of a dictatorial regime in power. The loyalty of most other countries of Western Europe to the alliance with the Anglo-Saxon democracies was ensured by the constant presence of American troops on their territory. An objective view is not able to see any fundamental difference between the measures by which each of the great powers - the victors in the Second World War, tried to ensure their geopolitical interests in the countries of Europe.

As rightly noted in the 1970s. English historian Alan Taylor, "the establishment of communist rule in the states bordering Russia was a consequence of the Cold War, not its cause."

At the same time, one should not forget for a moment the main fact - without the Soviet Union, Nazism would not have been crushed. Europe (not only its eastern part) in the event of such a development of events, a very sad fate awaited. However, neither those who today are ready to present claims to Russia as the heir of "Soviet totalitarianism", nor those who stand behind them, prefer not to remember this.

Book: Lecture Notes World History of the 20th Century

43. Liberation of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (1944-1945)

Prerequisites. After a radical turning point in World War II, the initiative was wholly owned by the Red Army. Fascist troops rolled back to the west. They offered stubborn resistance thanks to additional mobilizations and in the hope of a miracle weapon that Hitler promised. By 1944, the anti-Hitler coalition had grown considerably stronger. The Red Army had modern effective weapons and combat experience, and a powerful resistance movement was unfolding in Europe enslaved by the Nazis. Germany was doomed to defeat, and the leaders of the victorious countries concentrated more and more attention on the conditions for the final defeat of Germany and its allies and the post-war order. The difference in the social system and economic situation of the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition dictated a different vision of the final stage of World War II. Each side sought to increase its influence in post-war Europe. It should be noted that the Second Front in Europe was opened only in June 1944, that is, when the main forces of the Nazis were exhausted and it was necessary to actively intervene in the distribution of the fruits of victory.

The USSR, with all the desire of its leaders, also could not include in its orbit all the peoples liberated from the Nazis. Thus, even before the end of World War II, a split was brewing in Europe. The picture of the struggle for influence in European countries was complicated by the existence in London of the Czechoslovak government in exile of E. Beneš and the Polish government of S. Mikolajczyk, who led the actions of the Home Army in Poland.

Liberation of Poland. The Red Army entered the territory of Poland in July 1944. The Soviet Union agreed that the Polish Committee of National Liberation (PKNO) formed the local authorities. On August 1, 1944, the emigration government raised an uprising against the Nazis in Warsaw. The rebels hoped for help from the Red Army. However, Stalin called the leaders of the uprising adventurers and criminals. The Soviet troops stopped and the Warsaw uprising faltered; the capital was horribly destroyed. Only in January 1945 did the Red Army drive the Nazis out of Warsaw.

Liberation of Romania. On the territory of Romania, active hostilities unfolded in August 1944. After the completion of the Iasi-Kishi-nivsky operation, the fascist troops were not able to offer serious resistance here. Even before the approach of the Red Army, an uprising took place in the capital of Romania, which ended with the victory over the dictatorship of General Antonescu. The country announced its accession to the anti-Hitler coalition. Already in August, the territory of Romania was liberated.

Liberation of Bulgaria. Bulgaria did not fight against the Soviet Union, although it took the side of Germany, declaring war on the USA and Great Britain. The USSR declared that since Bulgaria was at war with it and with its allies, it now considers it its duty to go to war with Bulgaria, which contributed to the aggressor. On September 8, 1944, the Red Army crossed the border and met no resistance. The next day, September 9, an anti-fascist uprising took place in Sofia and the government of the Fatherland Front came to power. During September Bulgaria was sacked.

Liberation of Yugoslavia. In Yugoslavia, since 1942, the People's Liberation Army (NVAJ) has been actively fighting. In November 1943, the government of the new Yugoslavia was created - the Anti-Fascist Council, headed by and. Broz Tito. NVAJU consisted of about 400 thousand fighters. On October 20, the capital of Yugoslavia was liberated from the fascist invaders. Hundreds of Soviet and Yugoslav soldiers are buried nearby in a cemetery in Belgrade. Through the joint efforts of units of the 3rd Ukrainian Front and NVAYU, the country was liberated, having suffered heavy material and human losses.

Liberation of Hungary. Together with Bulgaria and Romania, Hungary was part of the Nazi bloc during World War II. In 1938 and 1940, with the support of Germany, she captured Southern Slovakia, Transcarpathian Ukraine and Northern Transylvania. These circumstances forced the Horthy government to stick stubbornly to its ally. However, Hitler ordered the occupation of Hungary and brought his protege Salashi to power. The resistance of the advancing Red Army in Hungary was fierce. The heaviest fighting took place in the area of ​​Budapest and Lake Balaton. The territory of Hungary was completely liberated only in April 1945.

Liberation of Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovak troops under the command of L. Svoboda took part in the hostilities of Czechoslovakia. On the territory of the USSR, he organized a brigade in which many people from Transcarpathian Ukraine fought against the Nazis. The Red Army supported the Slovak National Uprising against the Nazis in 1944. In early May 1945, an anti-fascist uprising began in Prague. He was supported by units of the Russian Liberation Army (ROA) of the former Soviet General Vlasov, who in 1942 went over to the side of the Germans. The Vlasovites hoped that American troops would be the first to approach Prague. However, they made a mistake and were forced to leave the city. On May 9, 1945, Soviet troops entered Prague. According to the agreement between Czechoslovakia and the USSR of June 29, 1945, Transcarpathian Ukraine was transferred to the Soviet Union and became part of Ukraine.

Results. The Soviet Union made a decisive contribution to the defeat of the fascist invaders. In the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, after their liberation, democratic regimes were formed. However, the Soviet Union "forgot" to withdraw its troops from the liberated territories and imposed the Stalinist model of socialism on a number of European states. Soviet-style totalitarian regimes lasted until the late 1980s. After their collapse, the children and grandchildren of the liberators returned home from the territory of Germany, Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia.

1.	Lecture notes World history of the twentieth century
2.	2. World War I
3.	3. Revolutionary events in the Russian Empire in 1917 Bolshevik coup
4.	4. The revolutionary movement in Europe in 1918-1923.
5.	5. Establishment of the Bolshevik dictatorship. National liberation movement and civil war in Russia
6.	6. Formation of the foundations of the post-war world. Versailles-Washington system
7.	7. Attempts to revise post-war treaties in the 20s
8.	8. The main ideological and political currents of the first half of the 20th century.
9.	9. National liberation movements
10.	10. Stabilization and "prosperity" in Europe and the USA in the 20s
11.	11. World economic crisis (1929-1933)
12.	12. "New Deal" F. Roosevelt
13.	13. Great Britain in the 30s. Economic crisis. "National Government"
14.	14. Popular Front in France
15.	15. The establishment of the Nazi dictatorship in Germany. A. hitler
16.	16. Fascist Dictatorship b. Mussolini in Italy
17.	17. Revolution of 1931 in Spain.
18.	18. Czechoslovakia in the 20-30s
19.	19. Countries of Eastern and South-Eastern Europe in the 20-30s
20.	20. Proclamation of the USSR and the establishment of the Stalinist regime
21.	21. Soviet modernization of the USSR
22.	22. Japan between the two world wars
23.	23. National revolution in China. Chiang Kai-shek. Domestic and foreign policy of the Kuomintang
24.	24. Civil war in China. Proclamation of the People's Republic of China
25.	25. India in the 20-30s
26.	26. National movements and revolutions in Arab countries, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan. The origin of the Palestinian problem. K.Ataturk, Rezahan
27.	27. National movements in the countries of Swedish-East Asia (Burma, Indochina, Indonesia)
28.	28. Africa between the two world wars
29.	29. Development of Latin American countries in the 20-30s
30.	30. Education, science and technology
31.	31. Development of literature in the 20-30s
32.	32. Art of the 20-30s
33.	33. Formation of centers of the Second World War. Creation of the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo bloc
34.	34. The policy of "appeasement" of the aggressor
35.	35. USSR in the system of international relations
36.	36. Causes, character, periodization of the Second World War
37.	37. German attack on Poland and the beginning of World War II. Fighting in Europe in 1939-1941.
38.	38. The attack of Nazi Germany on the USSR. Defensive battles in summer-autumn 1941 Battle for Moscow
39.	39. Military operations on the Eastern Front in 1942-1943. A turning point during the Second World War. Liberation of the territory of the USSR
40.	40. The formation of the anti-Hitler coalition. International relations during the Second World War
41.	41. The situation in the warring and occupied countries. Resistance movement in Europe and Asia during the Second World War
42.	42. The main events of the Second World War in Africa, in the Pacific Ocean (1940-1945)
43.	43. Liberation of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (1944-1945)
44.	44. The landing of allied troops in Normandy. Liberation of the countries of Western Europe. Capitulation of Germany and Japan
45.	45. Results of World War II
46.	46. ​​Creation of the United Nations
47.	47. Signing of peace treaties. Occupation policy of Germany and Japan. Nuremberg and Tokyo trials
48.	48. The Marshall Plan and its importance for the reconstruction of Europe
49.	49. The main trends in the socio-economic and political development of Western countries in 1945-1998.
50.	50. United States of America
51.	51. Canada
52.	52. Great Britain
53.	53. France
54.	54. Germany
55.	55. Italy
56.	56. Establishment of Soviet domination in the countries of Eastern Europe
57.

Liberation of the countries of Southeast and Central Europe

Perevezentsev S. V., Volkov V. A.

During 1944–1945 at the final stage of the Great Patriotic War, the Red Army liberated the peoples of Southeastern and Central Europe from the totalitarian regimes of their own rulers and the German occupation forces.The Red Army provided assistance in the liberation of Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Austria and Norway (Finnmark province).

Liberation of Romaniaoccurred mainly as a resultIasi-Chisinau strategic offensive operation. It was carried out from 20 to 29 August 1944 by the troops of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts with the assistance of the forces of the Black Sea Fleet and the Danube military flotilla.91 divisions in the amount of 1 million 315 thousand people participated in the operation. As a result of the Iasi-Kishinev operation, the Red Army defeated the main forces of the Southern Ukraine Army Group, destroyed 22 German and almost all Romanian divisions that were on the Soviet-German front. Moldavia was liberated and royal Romania was withdrawn from the Nazi bloc.

The losses of the Red Army and Navy in the Iasi-Kishinev operation amounted to 13,200 people killed, 54,000 wounded and sick. The losses of military equipment amounted to: 75 tanks and self-propelled artillery mounts, 108 guns and mortars, 111 aircraft, 6,200 small arms. In total, during the liberation of Romania, the Red Army lost about 70,000 people killed.

The troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, numbering about 260 thousand people, took part in the liberation of Bulgaria.The Bulgarian army did not conduct military operations against the troops of the Red Army. On September 5, 1944, the Soviet Union severed diplomatic relations with Bulgaria and declared a state of war between the USSR and Bulgaria. The Red Army entered the territory of Bulgaria. On September 6, Bulgaria asked the Soviet Union for an armistice. On September 7, Bulgaria decided to break off its relations with Germany, and on September 8, 1944, it declared war on Germany. In Sofia, as a result of the September uprising of the people, the government of the Fatherland Front came to power. In connection with this, the Red Army ceased military operations in Bulgaria on September 9th.

In Yugoslavia, from September 28 to October 20, 1944, the Red Army carried out the Belgrade strategic offensive operation.The troops of the 3rd Ukrainian and 2nd Ukrainian fronts, together with units of the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia and the troops of the Fatherland Front of Bulgaria, participated in it. The Danube military flotilla also took part in the operation. The total number of Red Army troops in the Belgrade operation is 300,000 people. As a result of the Belgrade operation, the Red Army, in close cooperation with the partisan army of Marshal Tito, defeated the Serbian army group. The Germans lost 19 divisions, more than 100,000 enemy soldiers and officers were destroyed and captured. On October 20, 1944, Belgrade was liberated. The front of German troops on the Balkan Peninsula was pushed back by more than 200 km, the main communication between Thessaloniki and Belgrade was cut, which forced the German command to hastily withdraw troops from the south of the Balkan Peninsula along mountainous and hard-to-reach roads controlled by Yugoslav partisans.

The liberation of Poland took place as a result of the second stage of the Belarusian operation, the Lvov-Sandomierz, Vistula-Oder and East Pomeranian strategic offensive operations.From the second half of 1944 to April 1945. The territory of Poland was completely cleared of German troops. The Red Army defeated most of the troops of the Army Group "Center", the Army Group "Northern Ukraine" and the Army Group "Vistula".

More than 3.5 million people participated in the operations to liberate Poland. In the battles that lasted more than 9 months, about 170 enemy divisions were defeated. During the liberation of Poland, the Red Army and the Polish Army lost 265,000 people killed in combat offensive operations, 850,000 people wounded and sick. Losses of military equipment and weapons amounted to: 5,163 tanks and self-propelled artillery installations, 4,711 guns and mortars, 2,116 aircraft, 286,000 small arms. Having liberated Poland, the Red Army and the Polish Army reached the Oder and the coast of the Baltic Sea, creating the conditions for a broad offensive against Berlin.

The liberation of Czechoslovakia followed as a result of the East Carpathian, West Carpathian and Prague strategic offensive operations.The East Carpathian operation was carried out from September 8 to October 28, 1944. The troops of the 4th and 1st Ukrainian fronts participated in the operation in the amount of 33 divisions, numbering 363,000 people. The purpose of the operation was to help the Slovak National Uprising and liberate part of the territory of Czechoslovakia. The 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps, consisting of 15 thousand people, took part in the operation. The Red Army defeated the Heinrici army group of enemy troops, and, having overcome the Carpathians, entered the territory of Czechoslovakia. Having pulled over a significant part of the enemy troops, the Red Army assisted the Slovak uprising.

The West Carpathian operation was carried out from January 12 to February 18, 1945 by troops of the 4th and 2nd Ukrainian fronts, consisting of 60 divisions, numbering 482,000 people. The 1st and 4th Romanian armies and the 1st Czechoslovak army corps took part in the operation. As a result of the West Carpathian operation, most of Slovakia and the southern regions of Poland were liberated.

The final operation of the Red Army in Europe was the Prague Strategic Offensive Operation, which was carried out from May 6 to May 11, 1945 by the troops of the 1st, 4th and 2nd Ukrainian fronts, numbering 151 divisions in the amount of 1 million 770 thousand people.The 2nd Army of the Polish Army took part in the operation. 1st and 4th Romanian armies, 1st Czechoslovak army corps with a total of 260,000 people. During the rapid offensive of the 1st, 4th and 2nd Ukrainian fronts, Czechoslovakia and its capital Prague were liberated, the 860,000-strong grouping of enemy troops, which continued to resist after the signing of the German Surrender Act, was liquidated. On May 11, units of the Red Army met with the advanced units of the American army.

During the liberation of Czechoslovakia, 122 enemy divisions were defeated, 858,000 people were taken prisoner. The troops of the Red Army and their allies on the Soviet-German front lost about 140,000 people killed.

The liberation of Hungary was achieved mainly during the Budapest and Vienna strategic offensive operations.The Budapest operation was carried out from October 29, 1944 to February 13, 1945 by the troops of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts and the Danube military flotilla. The 1st and 4th Romanian armies operated as part of the 2nd Ukrainian Front. 52 divisions, numbering 720 thousand people, participated in the Budapest operation from the Red Army. As a result of the Budapest operation, Soviet troops liberated the central regions of Hungary and its capital, Budapest. A 190,000-strong enemy grouping was surrounded and destroyed, more than 138,000 people were taken prisoner.

The losses of the Red Army amounted to 80,000 people killed and 240,000 wounded and sick. Losses of military equipment and weapons: 1,766 tanks and self-propelled artillery mounts, 4,127 guns and mortars, 293 aircraft, 135,000 small arms,

Hungary was withdrawn from the war on the side of Germany.With the end of the Budapest operation, significant forces were released and favorable conditions were created for the development of the offensive in Czechoslovakia and Austria,

The liberation of Austria took place during the Vienna strategic offensive operation, which was carried out from March 16 to April 15, 1945 by the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, part of the forces of the 2nd Ukrainian Front and the Danube military flotilla. The operation to liberate the eastern regions of Austria involved 61 divisions of the Red Army, numbering 645,000 people, and the 100,000th 1st Bulgarian Army.

In the course of a swift offensive, Soviet troops defeated the main forces of the German Army Group South and completely liberated Hungary, the southern regions of Czechoslovakia and the eastern part of Austria with its capital Vienna from German troops. In Austria, 32 German divisions were defeated, 130,000 people were taken prisoner.

The losses of the Red Army and the 1st Bulgarian Army during the liberation of Austria amounted to 41,000 killed, 137,000 wounded and sick. Losses of military equipment and weapons: 603 tanks and self-propelled artillery installations, 764 guns and mortars, 614 aircraft, 29,000 small arms.

The successful offensive in the direction of Vienna and the withdrawal of troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front to the eastern regions of Austria accelerated the liberation of Yugoslavia.

The liberation of the northern regions of Norway was achieved as a result of the Petsamo-Kirkenes strategic offensive operation, which took place from October 7 to 29, 1944.The operation was carried out by the troops of the Karelian Front and the forces of the Northern Fleet, with a total number of 133,500 people.

As a result of active hostilities, the troops of the 14th Army, in cooperation with the 7th Air Army and the Northern Fleet, in the harsh conditions of the Arctic, defeated the enemy and liberated the occupied part of the Murmansk region, the Petsamo (Pechenga) region and the northern regions of Norway, including the city of Kirkenes . Thus, assistance was provided to the Norwegian people and the Norwegian resistance movement in defeating the remnants of the German Wehrmacht troops. As a result of the Petsamo-Kirkenes strategic offensive operation, German troops lost the 19th mountain rifle corps, numbering 23,000 people, in the Petsamo region and northern Norway. The losses of the Red Army and Navy troops amounted to 6,084 killed and 15,149 wounded.

The capture of Petsamo and Kirkenes by units of the Red Army and the Northern Fleet sharply limited the actions of the German fleet in the northern sea lanes and deprived Germany of deliveries of strategically important nickel ore.

Politics and strategy of the USSR and the Anglo-American allies in the liberation of Europe

At the final stage of the war in Europe, the advance of troops largely determined the post-war balance of power. The resistance movement, where the communist parties played a leading role, could also determine the political structure in the states liberated from the fascists. Politics and military strategy during this period were especially closely intertwined. The Soviet leadership strove for the quickest and most decisive end to the war with the complete defeat of fascism. At the same time, the task of strengthening the post-war international position of the USSR was also solved. The Anglo-American leadership sought to strengthen its influence in Europe, preserve the capitalist system as much as possible and limit the influence of the USSR. All this complicated allied relations and left an imprint on strategic decisions.

Taking into account the agreement reached with the allies on the opening of a second front, the growing power of the Red Army and the increased level of Soviet military art, the Supreme Command Headquarters adopted a plan for a decisive strategic offensive in 1944. It provided for the consistent conduct of ten major operations of front groups along the entire front in order to completely expel the enemy from territory of the USSR and the liberation of the peoples of Europe.

The offensive, launched in the winter of 1944 near Leningrad and Novgorod, went on uninterruptedly. The Red Army gave no respite to the enemy. From the end of December 1943 to mid-May 1944, our troops marched west over 1,000 km, defeated 99 enemy divisions and 2 brigades (of which 22 divisions and 1 brigade were destroyed). On the Right-Bank Ukraine - the main direction of the offensive - the Nazi command transferred 43 divisions and 4 brigades, of which 34 divisions and all brigades - from European countries and from Germany itself.

In the spring of 1944, Soviet troops reached the southwestern border of the USSR and transferred the fighting to the territory of Romania. The troops of Generals F. I. Tolbukhin and A. I. Eremenko, together with the forces of the Black Sea Fleet and the Azov military flotilla under the command of Admirals F. S. Oktyabrsky and S. G. Gorshkov, liberated the Crimea.

By this time, the Allies had prepared the landing of their troops in northern France. Operation Overlord is the largest strategic landing in history, it involved a huge expeditionary force of 2 million 876 thousand people. The landing began at dawn on 6 July. During the first two days, 250,000 men were deployed with 300 guns and 1,500 tanks. Paying tribute to the scale and art of the Allied landing operations, it is necessary to evaluate the weaknesses of the German "Atlantic wall", the main forces of the Wehrmacht fought on the Soviet-German front.

Simultaneously with the offensive of the allies in the west, in the summer of 1944, the largest offensive operations of the Red Army were deployed. On June 10, the liberation of Karelia began, which led the Finnish government to the decision to withdraw from the war. This was followed by the main blow in Belarus and Western Ukraine.

The Belarusian operation ("Bagration") is one of the largest in World War II. It was carried out on a front with a width of 1,100 km by forces of 4 fronts, numbering about 2 million people, 36,400 guns and mortars, 5,200 tanks and self-propelled guns, 5,300 aircraft. On 26% of the entire length of the Soviet-German front, 40% of the personnel, 77% of tanks and 53% of the aircraft of the entire active army were concentrated. This made it possible to achieve superiority in forces: in terms of the number of troops - 2:1; guns - 3.8: 1; tanks - 5.8: 1; aircraft - 3.9:1. The offensive began suddenly for the enemy, who was waiting for him in the south. On June 23, after powerful air strikes and active actions of Belarusian partisans, Soviet troops wedged into the enemy's defenses. Tank and mechanized groups rushed into the gaps that had formed. On July 3, Minsk was liberated, to the east of which 105 thousand German soldiers and officers remained in the encirclement. In other pockets near Vitebsk and Bobruisk, another 30,000 and 40,000, respectively, are surrounded. The troops of the fronts were commanded by I. Kh. Bagramyan, G. F. Zakharov, K. K. Rokossovsky, and I. D. Chernyakhovsky.

Soviet troops developed a rapid offensive and reached the border of East Prussia to the Grodno-Bialystok line, and in the south - to Brest. During the offensive in Belarus, the Lvov-Sandomierz operation began to liberate Western Ukraine.

In connection with the entry of our troops into Polish territory, the Soviet government in its statement declared the independence of Poland and concluded an agreement with the Polish Committee of National Liberation (PKNO) on relations between the Soviet command and the Polish administration. The PKNO took over the leadership of the struggle of the Polish people against the occupiers and the restoration of the economy in the liberated areas, began to carry out democratic reforms.

At the direction of the London government in exile, the leadership of the Polish underground, without warning the Soviet command, launched an uprising in Warsaw in order to bring to power the Polish government in exile with an anti-Soviet orientation. The Soviet troops, exhausted by that time by long battles, could not provide effective assistance to the rebels, attempts to join the rebels did not give positive results. The Germans brutally crushed the uprising and destroyed Warsaw.

The grandiose offensive of the Red Army intensified the demand of the US and British public to intensify operations in France. But the Allied offensive from the bridgehead in Normandy began only on July 25, 5 days after the failed assassination attempt on Hitler. The German troops tried to launch a counterattack, but to no avail, and began to retreat. On August 15, the allied landing also landed in the south of France, after which the Germans began an organized withdrawal along the entire Western Front. By August 25, the allies captured the territory of France between the Seine and the Loire. Resistance fighters fought against the invaders all over the country. The armed struggle of the French people significantly helped the advance of the Allied forces. The central element of the struggle was the successful Paris armed uprising, led by the communists.

The allied command, seeking to strengthen its influence in the country and prevent the strengthening of the communists, delayed the agreement with the French government after the landing and carried out the occupation regime for 3 months. Only on August 26, after the liberation of Paris, did the Allies sign an agreement with the French authorities, as they preferred, according to Churchill, "De Gaulle's France to Communist France."

The Nazi command withdrew troops to the former Franco-German border and took emergency measures to strengthen the "western defensive rampart." The allied armies advanced after the retreating German units, without encountering significant opposition. On September 2, they crossed the Belgian border, liberated Brussels, and on September 10 captured Luxembourg. By this time, the Germans occupied the Siegfried defensive line and stopped the Allied offensive on it.

The joint offensive of the troops of the anti-Hitler coalition hastened the collapse of the Nazi bloc and intensified the struggle of anti-fascist forces in the countries of Eastern, Central and Southern Europe. In the countries occupied by fascist Germany and the states allied with it, a sharp polarization of forces took place during the war. The big bourgeoisie and reactionary circles united with the fascist regime, while the anti-fascist resistance movement rallied left forces led by the communists. The struggle of the anti-fascist forces for national liberation merged with the revolutionary struggle for democratic and socialist transformations. The victories of the Soviet Union made socialism popular among the broad masses of the people and strengthened the influence of the communist parties. The entry of Soviet troops into the countries of Eastern and Central Europe revolutionized the liberation movement and provided support to the political forces of a socialist orientation.

The policy of the Anglo-American allies in the liberated territories of the European states was aimed at preserving the pre-war regimes, weakening the influence of the communist parties, holding back the revolutionary processes in every possible way and asserting their political influence. These contradictions seriously threatened the unity of the anti-Hitler coalition. The art of politics, its close connection with the effective strategy of each side during the offensive, largely determined the course of socio-political processes in European countries at the final stage of World War II.

In the area of ​​the offensive by the Anglo-American troops, in addition to the uprising in France, which made a significant contribution to the liberation of their homeland, armed uprisings against the invaders also took place in Belgium and Denmark. In Belgium, the rebels liberated Antwerp, while in Denmark, the resistance forces did not receive the support of the Anglo-American troops, and the invaders managed to suppress the uprising. In all the countries of Western Europe liberated by the Anglo-American troops, power remained in the hands of the bourgeoisie, and the resistance detachments were disarmed. However, the role of the communist parties in the course of the liberation struggle remained so great that the governments of almost all the liberated countries included representatives of the communist parties and the united left forces, despite the efforts of the ruling circles of the USA and Great Britain.

The work of the communist parties under the prevailing conditions during the course of the war differed sharply in each country, and the political situation also changed extremely rapidly. Under the new conditions, the activity of the Comintern had already outlived itself, and by a special decision of the Presidium of the ECCI, the Comintern in May 1943 was dissolved. This decision was also important for strengthening the anti-Hitler coalition.

In the countries of Eastern, Southern and Central Europe, the process of defeating the Nazi troops by the armed forces of the Soviet Union merged with liberation anti-fascist people's democratic uprisings and revolutions.

During the Iasi-Chisinau operation to liberate Moldova in Bucharest on August 23, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Romania and in agreement with the Romanian king, an anti-fascist uprising began. A "government of national unity" was created, which announced the cessation of hostilities against the United Nations and the acceptance by Romania of the armistice conditions presented by the USSR, England and the USA in the spring of 1944, but rejected then by the fascist government of Antonescu. Hitler ordered the German troops stationed in the rear areas of Romania to crush the uprising and strike air strikes on Bucharest. The Soviet leadership decides to provide prompt assistance to the rebels. Leaving 34 divisions to defeat the encircled enemy troops, the Soviet command sent 50 divisions deep into Romania. By August 29, the encircled enemy troops were defeated, 208.6 thousand people were taken prisoner. By August 31, Soviet soldiers, together with Romanian formations and work detachments, liberated Ploiesti, and then entered Bucharest, enthusiastically received by the inhabitants.

During the liberation of Romania, Soviet troops reached the borders of Bulgaria, where by the summer of 1944 a communist-led guerrilla war unfolded against the monarcho-fascist government, which involved Bulgaria in a bloc with Germany and provided its territory and resources to fight against the USSR. In 1944, Bulgaria continued to actively help Germany. The new government of Bulgaria, formed on September 2, 1944, declared neutrality, but still left its territory at the disposal of the German fascists.

On September 5, the Soviet government announced that the policy of so-called neutrality was providing direct assistance to Nazi Germany. It led to the fact that the Soviet Union "from now on will be at war with Bulgaria." On September 7, the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front crossed the Romanian-Bulgarian border without firing a shot, greeted by the Bulgarian people as liberators.

On this day, at an illegal meeting of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the BKP, a decision was made to start the uprising at 2 am on September 9th. The uprising in Sofia passed without bloodshed and achieved complete victory, the ministers and top military leaders were arrested. The leadership of the Fatherland Front came to power and declared war on Germany. The Bulgarian army, together with the Soviet troops, entered into an armed struggle against the Nazis. The people's government, which came to power, immediately began to carry out political and socio-economic transformations in the country.

The advance of Soviet troops in Bulgaria dramatically changed the whole situation in southern Europe. The Yugoslav partisans, who, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, waged a heroic struggle against the Nazis and their accomplices for 3.5 years, received direct assistance from the Red Army. In accordance with the agreement of the government of the USSR and the leadership of the liberation movement of Yugoslavia, Soviet troops, together with the Yugoslav and Bulgarian units, carried out the Belgrade operation. Having defeated the German army grouping, they liberated Belgrade, which became the seat of the Central Committee of the CPY and the National Committee for the Liberation of Yugoslavia, headed by Josef Broz Tito. The Yugoslav People's Army received a strong rear and military assistance for the further struggle for the complete liberation of the country. In Albania, by the end of November, German troops were expelled by popular resistance forces, and a Provisional Democratic Government was also formed here.

Simultaneously with the offensive in the Balkans, the Red Army advanced into the Eastern Carpathians to help the Slovak partisans and the borders of Hungary. Overcoming the fierce resistance of the enemy, the Soviet soldiers liberated a third of the Hungarian territory by the end of October and launched an offensive against Budapest. The Hungarian anti-fascist front created the Insurgent Liberation Committee, which included several political parties, led by the communist one. The liberated territory became the basis for the creation of people's power and the development of the people's democratic revolution in the country. In December, the Provisional National Assembly formed the Provisional Government, which declared war on Germany and set about reorganizing the country's political and economic life on democratic lines.

In October, the troops of the Karelian Front (General K. A. Meretskov), together with the forces of the Northern Fleet (Admiral A. G. Golovko), liberated the Soviet Arctic and part of Northern Norway. Carrying out a liberation mission in Europe, the Red Army fought together with the allied people's armies of foreign countries. The People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia and Yugoslav partisans, the Polish Army (1st and 2nd armies) and Polish partisans, the 1st Czechoslovak Corps and Czechoslovak partisans acted against a common enemy - the Nazi troops, from late August - early September 1944 - Romanian and Bulgarian armies, and at the final stage of the war - parts of the new Hungarian army. In the fire of the war against fascism, the foundations of the military commonwealth of the armed forces of the USSR and the new people's republics were formed. Particularly heavy fighting took place in Hungary during the Budapest operation, which began on October 29 and lasted until February 13, 1945 with the forces of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts, the Danube Flotilla, with the involvement of the 1st Bulgarian Army and 3rd Yugoslav Army. A bloody defensive battle took place in the area of ​​Lake Balaton, where Soviet troops steadfastly withstood a powerful enemy tank attack.

In the autumn of 1944, the German armed forces stabilized the situation on the Western and Italian fronts and organized fierce resistance on the Eastern Front. The Hitlerite leadership decided to move on to active operations on the Western Front in order to achieve a separate peace with the Anglo-American allies "on the principle of force" by undertaking a major counteroffensive in the Ardennes. This was the first prepared major offensive of the Wehrmacht against the Anglo-American troops and Hitler's last bet on getting out of the war on terms acceptable to him. German industrialists took all measures to provide the Wehrmacht with the necessary weapons and materiel. At the cost of brutal exploitation of millions of foreign workers, it was possible to increase military production in the autumn of 1944 to the highest level in the entire war (this also shows the low effectiveness of the strategic bombing of allied aviation for several years).

The sudden offensive of the Nazi troops on December 16, 1944 in the Ardennes inflicted a serious defeat on the American army. The German advance created a critical situation for the Allies in Europe. D. Eisenhower (commander of the allied forces in Europe), assessing the current situation, came to the conclusion that it would be difficult for the allies to cope with the offensive of the German troops on their own and asked Roosevelt to find out the prospect of a new Soviet offensive. On January 6, 1945, Churchill asked Stalin to inform him of the possibility of a major offensive on the Vistula front or elsewhere during January. On January 7, 1945, Stalin announced that, taking into account the position of our allies, extensive offensive operations would be undertaken on the central sector of the front no later than the second half of January. By decision of the Headquarters, the start of the final offensive of the Red Army was postponed from January 20 to January 12.

The final stage of the war. conference.

On January 17, Warsaw was liberated, on January 19 - Lodz and Krakow, which the Nazis mined during the retreat, but Soviet intelligence officers managed to save the city. In order to preserve the Silesian industrial region, the front commander I.S. Konev gives the German troops the opportunity to get out of the encirclement, destroying the retreating formations during the pursuit. By the end of January - beginning of February, the troops of the 1st Belorussian (Marshal Zhukov) and 1st Ukrainian (Marshal Konev) fronts reached the Oder, capturing large bridgeheads on its western bank. Berlin was 60 km away. The troops of the 2nd and 3rd Belorussian Fronts (Marshals Rokossovsky and Vasilevsky), together with the Red Banner Baltic Fleet (Admiral V.F. Tribun), were advancing in East Prussia and Pomerania. In the south, Soviet troops advanced into Czechoslovakia and began the liberation of Budapest.

As a result of the offensive of the Soviet troops in the winter of 1945, the Nazi army suffered a crushing defeat, the imminent end of the war became a fact. The hopes of the Nazis for a protracted war for the "fortress Germany" and for a split in the anti-Hitler coalition collapsed completely.

Coordination of a further offensive against Germany from the west and east and the problems of the post-war world structure urgently demanded the convening of a new conference of the heads of government of the USSR, the USA and Great Britain. At the suggestion of the Soviet Union, Yalta was chosen as the venue. This decision showed the increased authority of the USSR and its decisive role in ending the Second World War. The Crimean (Yalta) Conference of the Heads of Government of the USSR, the USA and Great Britain (I. V. Stalin, F. Roosevelt, W. Churchill) was held from February 4 to 11, 1945. All three powers were united in matters of military strategy in order to end the war as soon as possible . The military headquarters agreed on cooperation and, accordingly, the boundaries of the occupation zones were fundamentally determined.

The central question, the future of Germany, has been resolved. The heads of powers outlined the foundations of a coordinated policy based on the principles of democratization, demilitarization, denazification, and the creation of guarantees that Germany "will never be able to disturb the peace." An agreement was reached on the Polish question, which opened the way for the development of a free and independent Polish state within historically just boundaries. The fate of the second center of aggression is predetermined, the date for the entry of the USSR into the war in the Far East is fixed - 3 months after the end of the war with Germany. In Yalta, the principle of equality of arms prevailed. “The United States cannot expect that everything will be done at its discretion 100%, since this is also impossible for Russia and Great Britain,” President Roosevelt noted.

After the Yalta Conference, a coordinated offensive by the forces of the anti-Hitler coalition began from the east and west. It should be noted that during its fierce resistance to the Nazi army was organized mainly on the Soviet-German front (214 Nazi divisions were concentrated there in the first half of April). A contingent born in 1929 was drafted into the army, cruel measures were taken to force the army to fight "to the last soldier."

On April 13, Roosevelt died suddenly, G. Truman became President of the United States. Being a senator in 1941, he declared that if Germany wins, it is necessary to help the Soviet Union, and if the USSR wins, then help Germany, and "let them kill as many as possible." On April 16, in an address to the troops, Hitler assured that the death of Roosevelt would cause a turn in the war. The struggle for Berlin was a central link in the strategy and politics of the last days of fascism. The Hitlerite leadership believed that "it is better to surrender Berlin to the Anglo-Saxons than to let the Russians into it." Berlin and its approaches have been turned into a powerful defensive area.

On April 16, the Berlin strategic operation began. Soviet troops broke through the enemy's defense in depth and entered the suburbs of Berlin. On April 25, the encirclement of the Berlin group was completed. Heavy battles unfolded with the fascist troops, who fought with fanatical, furious desperation.

Meanwhile, along the entire Western and Italian fronts, the Allies accepted the partial surrender of the Nazi troops (bypassing the signing of the act of unconditional surrender of Germany), quickly moving through German territory. On May 8, at the insistence of the Soviet government, all allies signed an act of unconditional surrender of Germany. It was held in liberated Berlin under the chairmanship of Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov. Only after the signing of the act did the German troops in the east begin to lay down their arms everywhere. However, in order to overcome the resistance of the Nazis in Czechoslovakia, where a popular uprising in Prague began against them on May 5, they had to fight even before May 9, when the Soviet tank troops completely liberated Prague. The last day of the war was the day of the liberation of the fraternal Czechoslovak people. The Red Army fulfilled to the end its internationalist duty as a liberating army.

May 9 - The Day of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War was approved as a national holiday.

Defeat of Japan and the end of World War II

The war in Europe is over. The victorious countries began to develop documents on the post-war world. The Potsdam Conference of 7 July - 2 August 1945 summed up World War II in Europe. The decisions adopted at it corresponded to the liberating anti-fascist nature of the war and became a turning point in the life of Europe from war to peace. However, the leaders of England (Churchill, and then Atlee) and the United States (Truman) tried this time to take a "hard line" against the USSR. During the conference, the US government made the first attempt to start "atomic diplomacy". Truman informed Stalin about the creation of a powerful new weapon in the United States.

Having received assurances that the USSR would go to war with Japan in accordance with the agreement at the Yalta Conference, the United States and Great Britain, joined by China, published a declaration in Potsdam on Japan's unconditional surrender. The Japanese government rejected it.

The Soviet Union began to deploy and prepare forces for entry into the war with Japan. The Mongols also took part in the war: the People's Republic. Japan at that time had large forces in the vast territories of China, Korea, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. The largest grouping of the Japanese army (the Kwantung Army, numbering over 1 million) was located in Manchuria - on the borders of the USSR. According to the calculations of the US command, the war with Japan without the participation of the Soviet Union could last until 1947 with heavy losses.

The US government hastened to complete preparations for the atomic bombing of Japan, despite the obvious futility of Japanese resistance after the USSR entered the war. On the morning of August 6, the first atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Hiroshima. Of the 306 thousand inhabitants, 140 thousand died immediately, tens of thousands died later, 90% of the buildings burned down, the rest turned into ruins.

On August 8, the USSR declared war on Japan and joined the Potsdam Declaration. On the night of August 9, the Soviet Armed Forces launched an offensive. The Truman government ordered that a second atomic bomb be dropped on Japan as soon as possible. On August 9, an American plane bombed the city of Nagasaki with an atomic bomb, the death toll was about 75 thousand people. Atomic bombings were not of strategic importance, they were intended to intimidate the whole world, primarily the USSR, demonstrating the military power of the United States.

After receiving on the radio on the morning of August 9 the news of the entry of the USSR into the war, Japanese Prime Minister K. Suzuki convened a meeting of the Supreme Council for the leadership of the war and declared to those present: “The entry into the war of the Soviet Union this morning puts us completely in a hopeless situation and makes it impossible to continue further war."

Soviet historians, like many foreign historians, adhere to the conclusion of the Japanese researcher N. Rekishi: “Although the United States is trying to present the atomic bombing of Japanese cities as the result of a desire to hasten the end of the war, in reality it was not civilian casualties, but the entry into the war of the USSR that led to the speedy end of the war” . (Orlov A. Secret battle of the superpowers. - M., 2000.)

Soviet troops were rapidly advancing deep into the territory of Manchuria, overcoming many years of fortifications and the resistance of the Japanese troops. Within a few days, the Kwangtung Army was defeated, and on August 14, the Japanese government decided to surrender, on August 19, soldiers and officers of the Kwangtung Army began to surrender en masse. Soviet troops, together with the forces of the Pacific Fleet and the Amur Red Banner Flotilla, liberated Northeast China and North Korea, captured South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.

Parts of the Chinese People's Liberation Army entered Northeast China, and the weapons of the surrendered Kwantung Army were handed over to it. Under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, people's organs of power and military units were created here, and the Manchurian revolutionary base was formed, which played a decisive role in the subsequent development of the revolutionary movement in China.

In North Korea, the Communist Party was restored and people's organs of power, the People's Committees, were formed, which began to carry out socialist and democratic reforms. With the defeat of Japan, uprisings broke out in many occupied countries and people's democratic revolutions took place - in Vietnam, Malaya, Indonesia and Burma.

On September 2, 1945, in Tokyo Bay, on the battleship Missouri, under the chairmanship of the Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces in the Pacific, General MacArthur, the signing of the Act of Surrender of Japan took place. From the Soviet Union, General K. N. Derevyanko signed the Act, the whole ceremony took place in 20 minutes. Thus ended the Second World War - the most tragic period in the history of the 20th century.

The historical role of the USSR in the defeat of fascism. Sources of Victory

The defeat of fascism was achieved by the combined efforts of the states of the anti-Hitler coalition and the forces

countries. Each country contributed to the victory by playing its part in this global battle. The historical role of the state in the defeat of fascism is the national pride of the people, determines the authority of the country in the post-war world and political weight in resolving international issues. That is why Western historiography is trying to belittle and distort the role of the USSR in World War II.

The course of events considered earlier, the analysis of the policy and strategy of the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition show that the USSR played an outstanding historical role in the common anti-fascist struggle.

The historical role of the USSR in World War II lies in the fact that the Soviet Union was the main military-political force that determined the victorious course of the war, its decisive results and, ultimately, the protection of the peoples of the world from enslavement by fascism.

The general assessment of the role of the USSR in the war is revealed in the following specific provisions.

1) The Soviet Union is the only force in the world that, as a result of a heroic struggle, in 1941 stopped the continuous victorious march of Nazi Germany's aggression across Europe.

This was achieved at a time when the power of the Hitlerite military machine was at its greatest and the US military capabilities were only just being developed. The victory near Moscow dispelled the myth of the invincibility of the German army, contributed to the rise of the resistance movement and strengthened the anti-Hitler coalition.

2) The USSR, in fierce battles with the main force of the fascist bloc - Nazi Germany, achieved a radical change during the Second World War in favor of the anti-Hitler coalition in 1943.

After the defeat at Stalingrad, Germany, followed by Japan, switched from an offensive war to a defensive one. In the Battle of Kursk, the ability of the Nazi army to resist the offensive of the Soviet troops was finally broken, and the forcing of the Dnieper opened the way to the liberation of Europe.

3) The Soviet Union in 1944-1945 fulfilled the liberation mission in Europe, eliminating fascist domination over the majority of enslaved peoples, preserving their statehood and historically fair borders.

4) The Soviet Union made the greatest contribution to the conduct of the general armed struggle and defeated the main forces of the army of the Nazi bloc, thus causing the complete and unconditional surrender of Germany and Japan.

This conclusion is based on the following comparative indicators of the armed struggle of the Red Army and the armies of the Anglo-American allies:

- The Red Army was fighting against the bulk of the troops of Nazi Germany. In 1941 - 1942 more than 3/4 of all German troops fought against the USSR; in subsequent years, more than 2/3 of the Wehrmacht formations were on the Soviet-German front. After the opening of the second front, the Eastern Front for Germany remained the main one, in 1944 181.5 German divisions acted against the Red Army, 81.5 German divisions opposed the Anglo-American troops;

- on the Soviet-German front, military operations were carried out with the greatest intensity and spatial scope. Of the 1,418 days of active fighting, 1,320 went on. On the North African front, respectively, from 1,068 - 309; Italian from 663 - 49. The spatial scope was: along the front 4 - 6 thousand km, which is 4 times more than the North African, Italian and Western European fronts combined;

- The Red Army defeated 507 Nazi and 100 divisions of its allies, almost 3.5 times more than the allies on all fronts of World War II. On the Soviet-German front, the German armed forces suffered more than 73% of losses. Here the bulk of the Wehrmacht military equipment was destroyed: more than 75% of aircraft (over 70 thousand), up to 75% of tanks and assault guns (about 50 thousand), 74% of artillery pieces (167 thousand);

- continuous strategic offensive of the Red Army in 1943-1945. quickly reduced the duration of the war, created favorable conditions for the conduct of hostilities by the allies and intensified their military efforts because of the fear of "being late" with the liberation of Europe.

Western historiography and propaganda carefully hush up these historical facts or grossly distort them, attributing the decisive contribution to the victory to the USA and England. In the last decade of the XX century. they are echoed by some domestic historians and publicists of an anti-Soviet and Russophobic orientation.

The historical role that fell to the lot of the USSR in the defeat of fascism was worth heavy losses. The Soviet people brought the most sacrificial share on the altar of victory over fascism. The Soviet Union lost 26.6 million people in the war, tens of millions were wounded and maimed, the birth rate dropped sharply, and enormous damage was done to health; all Soviet people experienced physical and moral suffering; the standard of living of the population fell.

Huge damage has been done to the national economy. The USSR lost 30% of the national wealth. The cost of damage amounted to 675 billion rubles. 1710 cities and towns, more than 70 thousand villages, more than 6 million buildings, 32 thousand enterprises, 65 thousand km of railways were destroyed and burned. The war devastated the treasury, prevented the creation of new values ​​in the national heritage, led to a number of negative consequences in the economy, demography, psychology, morality, which together amounted to the indirect costs of the war.

The direct losses of the Soviet Armed Forces (including the troops of the KGB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs), i.e. died, died of wounds, went missing, did not return from captivity and non-combat losses, amounted to 8,668,400 people during the war years, taking into account the Far Eastern campaign, including including the army and navy 8,509,300 people. A significant part of the losses falls on 1941 - 1942. (3,048,800 people). In the battles for the liberation of the peoples of Europe and the complete defeat of fascism, hundreds of thousands of Soviet soldiers laid down their lives: during the liberation of Poland - 600 thousand, Czechoslovakia - 140 thousand, Hungary - 140 thousand, Romania - about 69 thousand, Yugoslavia - 8 thousand, Austria - 26 thousand, Norway - more than a thousand, Finland - about 2 thousand, over 100 thousand Soviet soldiers died on German soil.

Anti-Soviet propaganda abroad and some of the Russian media, which carry out the same indoctrination of the population, blasphemously juggle with figures of losses in the Great Patriotic War. Comparing different types of losses in the USSR and Germany, they draw a conclusion about the “vain rivers of blood” and “mountains of corpses” of Soviet soldiers, blaming the “Soviet system” for them, casting doubt on the very victory of the USSR over fascism. The falsifiers of history do not mention that fascist Germany treacherously attacked the Soviet Union, bringing down mass weapons of destruction on the civilian population. The Nazis used an inhuman blockade of cities (700,000 people died of starvation in Leningrad), bombing and shelling of civilians, carried out mass executions of civilians, drove the civilian population to hard labor and concentration camps, where they were subjected to mass destruction. The Soviet Union strictly complied with the agreements on the maintenance of prisoners of war, showed a humane attitude towards them. The Soviet command avoided conducting combat operations in densely populated areas, and in a number of cases made it possible for the Nazi troops to leave them without hindrance. There were no reprisals against the civilian population in the territories occupied by Soviet troops. This explains the difference in losses among the civilian population of the USSR and Germany.

According to recent studies (Russia and the USSR in the wars of the XX century. Losses of the armed forces: a Statistical study / Edited by G. F. Krivosheev. - M .. 2001.) irretrievable losses of the directly armed forces (submitted by our and foreign researchers) in the Red Army together with allies - Polish, Czechoslovak, Bulgarian, Romanian soldiers - by the end of the war amounted to 10.3 million people, of which Soviet soldiers - 8,668,400, including those who died in captivity (according to official archival data). The losses of the fascist bloc totaled 9.3 million people, of which 7.4 million - fascist Germany, 1.2 million of its satellites in Europe and 0.7 million - Japan in the Manchurian operation. Thus, if we exclude our losses associated with the brutal treatment of prisoners of war by the Nazis, then the discrepancy with the combat losses of Germany is quite insignificant, despite the most difficult conditions for the start of the war.

Speaking of losses, we must remember the main thing - the result of the war. The Soviet people defended their independence, the USSR made a decisive contribution to the victory over fascism, delivering humanity from enslavement by the very reactionary system of imperialism. Fascist Germany was defeated, Hitlerism was eradicated, and there were no military clashes in Europe for almost half a century. The Soviet Union received guaranteed security of its European borders.

The Soviet Union withstood the heaviest invasion and won the greatest victory in the entire thousand-year history of Russia. What are the sources of the strength of the Soviet people in this gigantic battle? The answer to this question is the main content of one of the important lessons of the history of the 20th century. for contemporaries and posterity. Western historiography, as a rule, avoids this question or refers to the mistakes of the German command, the harsh climatic conditions of Russia, the traditional endurance of the Russian soldier, the "cruelty of the totalitarian Soviet regime", etc. The scientific approach to the analysis of the sources of victory comes from strict adherence to the main principles of historical science - objectivity, historicism, social approach in their organic unity.

First of all, it is necessary to note the following historical facts. Capitalist tsarist Russia during the First World War, having a larger territory than the USSR, began the war in 1914 by attacking the enemy, whose main forces were deployed in the West. She waged war in the presence from the very beginning of Germany's second front against 1/3 to 1/2 of the armed forces of the countries of the Central block and in 1916 was defeated. The Soviet Union withstood the most powerful blow of the aggressor; For 3 years he fought without a second front from 3/4, and after its opening - from 2/3 of the troops of the Nazi bloc, using the resources of all of Europe; defeated the most powerful military machine of imperialism and achieved a decisive victory. Hence follows the conclusion.

The main source of victory is the socialist social system.

It became the basis of the following specific sources of victory in armed struggle.

1) The spiritual power of the Soviet people, which caused mass heroism at the front and in the rear. The just liberation goals of the war made it truly Great, Patriotic, People's.

Soviet patriotism, which absorbed the military traditions and national pride of Russia, also included socialist ideals. The spiritual power of the people was manifested in the high morale of the troops and labor tension in the rear, in steadfastness and selflessness in fulfilling their duty to the Motherland, in the heroic struggle behind enemy lines and in the mass partisan movement.

The act of the greatest self-sacrifice in the name of victory over the enemy and a sense of military camaraderie was the feat of Alexander Matrosov, who closed the embrasure of the enemy pillbox. The first such feat, documented, was performed by the political instructor of the tank company Alexander Pankratov on August 24, 1941. Now history knows more than 200 heroes who have accomplished such feats. Aerial ramming became a mass phenomenon during the war years, it was carried out by 561 fighter pilots, 19 attack aircraft crews and 18 bombers, only 400 of them were able to land their cars or escape by parachute, the rest died (the Germans did not even ram over Berlin). 33 people rammed twice, Lieutenant A. Khlobystov - three times, Lieutenant B. Kovzan - four times. The 28 Panfilov heroes who blocked the way for German tanks to Moscow, and the feat of five marines led by political instructor N. Filchenkov, who at the cost of their lives stopped a tank column breaking through to Sevastopol, went down in history forever. The whole world was struck by the steadfastness of the defenders of Stalingrad, the symbol of which is the "Pavlov's house". The feat of Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, who was not broken by the torture of the Nazis, became a legend. In the fight against a common enemy, 100 nations and nationalities of the country showed heroism. Out of a total of over 11 thousand people, 7,998 Russians, 2,021 Ukrainians, 299 Belarusians, 161 Tatars, 107 Jews, 96 Kazakhs, 90 Georgians, 89 Armenians, 67 Uzbeks, 63 Mordvinians, 45 Chuvashs, 43 Azerbaijanis, 38 Bashkirs, 31 Ossetians, 16 Turkmens, 15 Lithuanians, 15 Tajiks, 12 Kirghiz, 12 Latvians, 10 Komi, 10 Udmurts, 9 Estonians, 8 Karelians, 8 Kalmyks, 6 Adyghes, 6 Kabardians, 4 Abkhazians, 2 Moldovans, 2 Yakuts , 1 Tuvinian, etc.

2) The unity of Soviet society in the fight against the enemy.

The social homogeneity of society, the absence of exploiting classes in it, were the basis of the moral and political unity of all Soviet people during the years of severe trials. With their minds and hearts, they realized that in unity their strength and hope for salvation from a foreign yoke. The friendship of the peoples of the USSR, based on social homogeneity, socialist ideology and the common goals of the struggle, also passed the test. The Nazis failed to create a “fifth column” in the USSR, to split the Soviet Union, but the lot of traitors is the anger and contempt of the people.

3) the Soviet state system.

The people's character of Soviet power determined the people's complete confidence in the state leadership in the difficult trials of the war. The high centralization of state administration, the organization of the work of the system of state bodies and public organizations ensured the rapid mobilization of all the forces of society to solve the most important tasks, the transformation of the country into a single military camp, and the close unity of the front and rear.

4) The socialist economy, its planned and distributive economic mechanism and mobilization abilities.

The socialist national economy has triumphed over the German war economy, which is using the superior potential of all of Europe. The powerful industry and collective-farm system created in the prewar years ensured the material and technical possibilities of a victorious war. The number of weapons and military equipment significantly exceeded the German one, and in terms of its quality it was the best in the world. The Soviet rear provided the army with the manpower necessary for victory and ensured the supply of the front without interruption. The effectiveness of centralized control ensured a gigantic maneuver of productive forces in the difficult conditions of the army's retreat from west to east and the reorganization of production for military needs in the shortest possible time.

5) Activities of the Communist Party.

The party was the core of society, the spiritual basis and organizing force, the real vanguard of the people. The Communists performed the most difficult and dangerous tasks voluntarily, were an example in the performance of military duty and selfless work in the rear. The Party, as the leading political force, ensured effective ideological and educational work, the organization of mobilization and production activities, and successfully completed the most important task of selecting leadership cadres for waging war and organizing production. Of the total number of those who died at the front, 3 million were communists.

6) Soviet military art, the art of conducting military operations on various scales - in combat, operations (operational art), campaigns and waging war as a whole (strategy).

The art of war ultimately realized all the sources of victory in the course of armed struggle. Soviet military science and military art proved their superiority over the military theory and practice of Germany, which were considered the pinnacle of bourgeois military art and were taken as a model by military leaders of the entire capitalist world. This superiority was achieved in the course of a fierce struggle, flexibly and promptly using combat experience, comprehensively taking into account the requirements of the actual conditions of warfare and the lessons of the failures of the first period.

In strategy, the superiority of Soviet military art was expressed in the fact that none of the ultimate goals of the offensive campaigns of the Nazi armed forces, despite the heavy defeats of the Soviet troops during the defense, was achieved: in 1941 - the defeat near Moscow and the disruption of the "blitzkrieg" plan , in 1942 - the defeat at Stalingrad and the collapse of Hitler's plan to achieve a radical change in the war with the USSR. The goals of the strategic defense of the Wehrmacht were not achieved either. During the transition to a maneuverable strategic defense, the Nazi command failed to thwart the offensive of the Red Army in 1943 and achieve stabilization of the front. Positional-maneuverable defense 1944 - 1945 failed to bleed and stop the steadily developing offensive of the Red Army. In the course of the war, a new, most effective form of strategic operations in World War II was brought to perfection - the operation of a group of fronts under the leadership of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command. Soviet troops successfully carried out hundreds of front-line and army operations, which, as a rule, were distinguished by their creative nature and novelty of methods of action, unexpected for the enemy.

Noting the superiority of Soviet military art (which was recognized by all contemporaries, including military leaders of the defeated Reich, such as Field Marshal Paulus), it must be pointed out that military science has several criteria for evaluating military art for various types of combat operations on land, sea and in the air. In the most general form, an indicator of the level of military art is manifested in the defeat of the forces of the opposing enemy, the defense of one's own and the capture of his territory, coercion to capitulation or peace as a result of the war. This also takes into account the ratio of losses on the battlefields, sometimes called the "price of victory." Detractors of Soviet history often distort the main indicator of military art. They "forget" about the victory achieved, the complete capitulation of fascist Germany in defeated Berlin, and the falsified loss ratio figures in favor of the Nazi army are presented as the main result of the struggle. They do not note that the number of losses of the Soviet troops includes more than 1.2 million prisoners who died in concentration camps as a result of the brutal treatment of the Nazis, and more than 3 million losses occurred in the first stage of the war, when the struggle was fought in extremely difficult, unequal conditions.

Thus, the Soviet military art in all respects surpassed the German fascist art, which was considered the pinnacle of military art in the West. It should be borne in mind that the Soviet Union bore the brunt of the struggle against the Nazi army, and the small losses of the Anglo-American troops were determined by the policy of dragging out the second front and the "peripheral" strategy in anticipation of decisive results in the struggle on the Soviet-German front.

Assessing the superiority of Soviet military art, it is important to emphasize that armed struggle is not only a battle of troops, but also a clash of mind and will of opposing military leaders. In the battles of the Great Patriotic War, an intellectual victory over the enemy was achieved. The superiority of the intelligence of the leadership, and not the "mountains of corpses", determined the brilliant victories of the Soviet troops on the battlefields and the victorious end of the war in defeated Berlin, the complete surrender of the fascist army.

During the war years, a galaxy of talented military leaders, commanders and naval commanders advanced in the Soviet armed forces - commanders of fronts, fleets, armies and flotillas, who showed brilliant examples of military art: A. I. Antonov, I. Kh. Bagramyan, A. M. Vasilevsky, N F. Vatutin, N. N. Voronov, L. A. Govorov, A. G. Golovko, A. I. Eremenko, M. V. Zakharov, I. S. Konev, N. G. Kuznetsov, R. Ya Malinovsky, F. S. Oktyabrsky, K. K Rokossovsky, F. I. Tolbukhin, V. F. Tributs, A. V. Khrulev, I. D. Chernyakhovsky, V. I. Chuikov, B. M. Shaposhnikov and a lot others.

The most outstanding, who received world recognition as a great commander of the 20th century, is Marshal of the Soviet Union, four times Hero of the Soviet Union G.K. The prominent American publicist E. Salisbury in the book “The Great Battles of Marshal Zhukov” (M., 1969) assessed his activities as follows: “the name of this stern, resolute person, the commander of commanders in waging war with mass armies, will shine over all the other military leaders. He turned the tide of the battles against the Nazis, against Hitler, not once, but many times.”

The Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Chairman of the GKO, the head of the Soviet state, who led the war of the Soviet people as a whole, was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, Generalissimo I. V. Stalin, who went down in history as one of the outstanding political and statesmen of the Second World War . Roosevelt and Churchill, as heads of the allied states, highly valued Stalin's personal contribution to achieving victory over fascism.

G. K. Zhukov in 1969, five years before his death, deeply thinking over the results of the war, gave the following assessment to Stalin: “Is I. V. Stalin really an outstanding military thinker in the field of building the armed forces and an expert on operational and strategic issues ? As a military figure, I. V. Stalin, I studied thoroughly, since I went through the whole war with him. JV Stalin mastered the organization of front-line operations and operations of groups of fronts and led them with complete knowledge of the matter, well versed in major strategic issues. These abilities of I. V. Stalin were especially manifested starting from Stalingrad. In leading the armed struggle as a whole, JV Stalin was assisted by his natural mind and rich intuition. He knew how to find the main link in a strategic situation and, seizing on it, to counteract the enemy, to carry out one or another offensive operation. Undoubtedly, he was a worthy Supreme Commander.” This assessment of Stalin was well thought out by Zhukov in the quiet of his office at his desk, corrected more than once and rewritten in its final form for posterity.

The historic victory over fascism was won by the Soviet people and Russian socialism, which had barely formed in 20 years. In a fierce struggle against reactionary Western European imperialism, they proved their superiority. Russian civilization has withstood the most difficult test. The socialist system gave it enormous vitality in the centuries-old confrontation with the West. He opened up space for the creative forces of the people, rallied them in a single will, created the economic basis of the armed struggle and put forward people's talents to leadership.

Millions of Soviet people gave their lives in the name of victory and the future of their Motherland.

In January 1944, as a result of the successful operation of the Leningrad, Volkhov and 2nd Baltic fronts, the blockade of Leningrad was lifted. In the winter of 1944, Right-bank Ukraine was liberated by the efforts of three Ukrainian fronts, and by the end of spring, the western border of the USSR was completely restored.

Under such conditions, at the beginning of the summer of 1944, a second front was opened in Europe.

The Headquarters of the Supreme High Command developed a grandiose in scale and tactically successful plan for the complete liberation of Soviet territory and the entry of the Red Army troops into Eastern Europe in order to liberate it from fascist enslavement. This was preceded by one of the major offensive operations - Belorussian, which received the code name "Bagration".

As a result of the offensive, the Soviet Army reached the outskirts of Warsaw and stopped on the right bank of the Vistula. At this time, a popular uprising broke out in Warsaw, brutally suppressed by the Nazis.

In September-October 1944, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia were liberated. The partisan formations of these states took an active part in the hostilities of the Soviet troops, which then formed the basis of their national armed forces.

Fierce battles flared up for the liberation of the lands of Hungary, where there was a large grouping of fascist troops, especially in the area of ​​​​Lake Balaton. For two months, Soviet troops besieged Budapest, the garrison of which capitulated only in February 1945. Only by mid-April 1945 was the territory of Hungary completely liberated.

Under the sign of the victories of the Soviet Army, from February 4 to 11, a conference of the leaders of the USSR, the USA and England was held in Yalta, at which questions of the post-war reorganization of the world were discussed. Among them, the establishment of the borders of Poland, the recognition of the demands of the USSR for reparations, the question of the entry of the USSR into the war against Japan, the consent of the allied powers to the annexation of the Kuril Islands and South Sakhalin to the USSR.

April 16 - May 2 - Berlin operation - the last major battle of the Great Patriotic War. It went through several stages:

Capture of the Seelow Heights;

Fighting on the outskirts of Berlin;

The assault on the central, most fortified part of the city.

On the night of May 9, in the Berlin suburb of Karlshorst, the Act of unconditional surrender of Germany was signed.

July 17 - August 2 - Potsdam Conference of Heads of State - members of the anti-Hitler coalition. The main question is the fate of post-war Germany. Control- was created. ny council - a joint body of the USSR, the USA, Great Britain and France for the exercise of supreme power in Germany for the period of its occupation. He paid special attention to the issues of the Polish-German border. Germany was subject to complete demilitarization, and the activities of the Social Nazi Party were prohibited. Stalin confirmed the readiness of the USSR to take part in the war against Japan.

The President of the United States, having received positive results from nuclear weapons tests by the beginning of the conference, began to put pressure on the Soviet Union. Accelerated work on the creation of atomic weapons in the USSR.

On August 6 and 9, the US bombed two Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which were of no strategic importance. The act was of a warning and threatening nature, primarily for our state.

On the night of August 9, 1945, the Soviet Union began military operations against Japan. Three fronts were formed: the Trans-Baikal and two Far Eastern ones. Together with the Pacific Fleet and the Amur Military Flotilla, the elite Japanese Kwantung Army was defeated and North China, North Korea, South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands were liberated.

On September 2, 1945, the Second World War ended with the signing of the Japanese Surrender Act on the USS Missouri.